ATV Motocross and Dirt Track Racing Passing Techniques
One thing I hate the most about the second moto or main (for you flat track guys) is that the race groove is worn in the track causing it to become a one line affair. This makes it extremely difficult to make passes in a timely manner. This often causes you to reach deep into your bags of tricks to find the best areas and techniques to make passes. You will usually find some techniques that may be considered dirty or aggressive to some riders but they are necessary in order for you to get the win. I am going to share a few of my techniques I have used during races.
The first is more common than you think and I use it often in flat track racing: block passing. This technique requires you to be an aggressive rider and it also requires a high level of commitment to perform. You will need to “set up” the other rider a few turns prior to the turn you want to perform the block pass in. This involves putting pressure on him by showing a wheel and running right on his rear tires in order to intimidate him a little so that he is more forgiving when you execute the block pass. As you approach your desired corner, you want be on the inside and you will need to stay on the gas a second longer than the other rider does.
As you go into the corner start to push the rider towards the outside (don’t make contact). As you get into the apex slow down almost to a stop, this forces the other rider to check up and lose all of their momentum in the turn. Once you accomplish that square up the turn and motor out of it. You have just made a clean block pass and have a little room to spare as the other rider has to shake it off and get his momentum back up. This technique becomes dirty if you run into the other rider as you make the pass. A little contact is ok but deliberately hitting a rider will get you into trouble.
A less aggressive approach to block passing is to stay on the gas longer than the other rider going into a sweeper turn and passing him with speed rather than aggression. You can also pressure another rider into making a mistake. This is a more clean way to pass as it requires no deliberate effort on your part. All you have to do is get into the other rider’s head and force him to make a mistake. You will need to be alert as the mistake may be minute and you need to be able to take advantage of it as soon as it happens. The ultimate way to pass is to get the jump off of the line and beat everybody to the first turn! If you can do that and set a fast pace you will be able to win very easily (easier said than done of course!).
The best advice I can give you is to get out there and try new things. Remember to never follow the other rider. Always be on the alert for opportunities to pass and for new lines to open up. Good bike control will help you out a lot for these techniques to work properly. You need to have full confidence in yourself and your machine. So what are you waiting for get out there and start passing!! I will see you on the other side of the checker’s!
