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Offline _X_

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racer x practice track diaries Central Cycle Club 7/7/2018
« on: July 13, 2018, 11:43:29 AM »

Did you ever have a love affair end abruptly? Like one day you just realized it was over and it was time to move on? Well  I did last Saturday and I'm not broken hearted about it, I just said my goodbyes and wished her luck with her future endeavors and that was it for me and the track we call central.


The history of this track and I date back to April 1990, I being a year removed from high school and working a beatnik job at the local Sub building yard and depressed about life after scholastic sports, ventured home after my shift ended and starting pondering what the hell I was going to do with my life. I stumbled upon my forever passion. While sitting there aimlessly flipping through channels  I was amazed at the spectacle that appeared before my eyes! SUPERCROSS! Now I had a few bikes earlier in my youth, a mini trail 50 then a Yamaha 175 with a cool fox seat on it, but knew nothing about motocross or supercross for that matter. A couple of neighborhood kids had race bikes and had talked about racing, but I was clueless. Well now I was awakened. Next morn I went to the local bike shop found an issue of  MXA  with a 125 shootout and bought a 1990 KX 125 the next week. I was going racing boys!
After talking with the guys in parts, where ironically my son works now, I got my NESC license information and they informed me that there was a race at central village cycle club that weekend,  I was stoked that I was going to see my first live race as I was not yet ready to race myself. When I arrived at central, practice was taking place and I was instantly in love with the track and how the riders were attacking it. What especially had me excited was the heavy thud the pros bikes made when landing, they were all there too, Henry, Dowd, Barton, Treadwell, etc.

So I was hooked and took in my first race at central a few months later. I don't believe I cleared a single jump and was lapped on the third lap of my qualifier lol. Sending me to the bleachers to watch for the rest of the day. I eventually got better ant loved the track as it flowed nicely had just enough obstacles mixed with fast sections and the dirt was a deep rich loam. The place was perfect moto heaven and right down the road from my house.
Over the years they have kept adding sections and obstacles and the dirt has eroded and become extremely rocky near the river banks. With the advent of four stroke racing it seems the track breaks down much quicker and makes the track super dangerous, so much so that at one race there was no less than 15 ambulance trips before the first half of racing was over, I was injured later in the day with a separated shoulder. A female racer was not so lucky as her wreck due to the track conditions left her with head trauma and heli vac ride to the hospital. This led to a criminal investigation due to the amount of carnage that took place. Shortly after I made the decision to stop racing here, but still game for OP.

Fast forward to this year, The track has been literally transformed into a bastardized stupid cross track. There is a jump on every inch of real-estate that the layout has to offer. Dumb extra dangerous jumps too boot. one of these jumps stoved in my brand new Dynoport  pipe my first OP I took in. Undeterred I set back out this last time.

There is little or no organization at an OP here at central and combine A/B riders together. This is fine if they run a woman/vet session but not if it is a woman/vet/novice/mini session. Couple the amount of unskilled riders on a dangerous track and its recipe for disaster. Of the four sessions I took in, I got but for laps of clean practice, with the last session confirming my decision to stop attending any event central has to offer. With the jump faces already becoming sketchy,  I  had just cleared a small group of  beginners when at this hip jump table I see frantic yellows waving, as I crest the jump to my left I see about four bikes scattered about the track with bodies in different states of recovery one being a helmet less mini rider sitting awkwardly to the side of the track.

That was it, the relationship was over, there was no turning back. I am done with this girl may she see better days in her future, but with the current state of affairs, I will not miss her.


« Last Edit: July 13, 2018, 04:52:25 PM by racer x »

Offline eprovenzano

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Re: racer x practice track diaries Central Cycle Club 7/7/2018
« Reply #1 on: July 17, 2018, 06:39:28 AM »
Yes this is a difficult sport, but safety has to be 1st and foremost in the design of a track and the running of an event. 
Eric Provenzano
2019 KTM 300 XCW TPI
2000 KTM 300 EXC (Son's)
2001 KTM 380 EXC
Sold 1991 KDX 200... fun play bike
Sold 1999 KX250
Sold 1999 YZ125 (son's)
Sold 2001 Yamaha TTL 125 (son's 1st bike)
Sold but never forgotten 1974 Honda Elsinore CR250M
Sold 1974 Honda Elsinore CR125