Oh man, this sounds like something me and my better half would love! Thank you for sharing!
Ever since that (pathetic, I have maybe 80 hours total in dirt riding) flat track race at Big Time I've wanted to check out the asphalt guys - seems like a blast to watch. I'm trying to picture what it feels like and can't even imagine what the halfway point between dirt and big-track asphalt would feel like. One of my ignorant musings about it was wondering if the metal boot is replaced by knee-puck-like plastic
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Tangentially related, here's a throwback/shoutout to a couple years ago, during the inaugural season of the Adaptive Class in the AMA flat track series. I (rear, 3rd from left) was an honored to get to learn how to ride flat track a few weeks before the event thanks to Sherman Lee (rear, 2nd from left), who let me borrow his WR426 to learn on and to use in the race AND come practice in Lodi at no cost. (I've gotta say, trying to kick start that stubborn 4T bad boy with only one arm was the hardest part of the experience!
... )
Jason Griffin (far right), was super helpful with body positioning and coaching my previously-asphalt-only ass in the intricacies of sliding without a prosthetic for support on the other bar. He's also one of the funniest/coolest people I've met in the moto world.
I was, by far, the slowest guy in this crew. Among the adaptive crew, below, are several serious race contenders, adaptive series or not. I was most impressed by the 2 in the front, both with HIGHLY modified bikes. Some of these guys came all the way from the east coast to make this race.
But the biggest highlight of that race day was getting to meet, and talk with, racing legend, Mert Lawwill (rear, 2nd from right). Super down to earth guy that just oozes moto knowledge and passion. I wish I'd gotten to train with him, just to say that I had that experience.
For fun:
My first time on Sherman's WR426 - trying to reconcile how to ride it without a front brake/lever while also trying not to die of heat exhaustion in the hot Lodi sun. My non-auto clutch setups (Rekluse) use a dual lever setup with brake up top, clutch below. I always, ALWAYS keep a finger on the brake, and that carried over to his bike. When I'd get a little sketch about my entry speed, I'd instinctively grab the lever... a couple crashes/near misses later I finally got the concept of using the rear brake for everything. Jason was looking over at me and reminding me to ignore it, once I got going
Jason showing me his positioning after I crashed during practice. At big tracks, like THill or Sonoma, some have told me that my speed/smoothness makes it look like I'm NOT fighting against a major physical disability... well, he made a lot of able bodied people look like they were.... dude is glass-smooth on the track, especially on that beastly Ducati
The setup used by the paraplegic badasses - they were absolutely ripping out there. Even more impressive was seeing them drift every turn without the ability to put a leg out. To get started, they had their family keep them steady until the race start. You can see one of them, with his dad holding him steady, in bottom right of the next picture
Me, in the middle, nervous AF, realizing I might enjoy watching flat track than making myself look like a fool
arty a bit.
