[WetShrub]

YSR racing today. There are kids in the races that are 60 lbs. I'm 165 lbs. With a 7hp bike they can ride away in the straights but they lack the experience to corner well. So we have to take certain strategies to pass them and stay in front. Blocking, block passing, etc. Well, there is one kid in particular that 10 seperate people were complaining about. He doesn't run the race line yet he finishes really high because he rolls away in the straights. He caused 4 seperate crashes during the first weekend of racing. Ran one guy off the track with his "style" 3 times today. He and I were dueling it out most of the day and he got the better of me in 2 of the heat races.

During the second heat race I saw him coming up the inside so I gradually moved over to close him off till there was NO room. I didn't swerve or anything. Kid kept right on coming, wedge through, and bumped me and sent us both off the track. He went on to finish ahead of me.

In the main event, he got the better start and I was reeling him in all race. I knew a couple spots where I could run up the inside and take him so with 2 laps to go I chose a particularly tight corner, ran up beside him hard 4 feet away from him and we both slammed on the brakes at the same time. Parked it in the corner and we gassed it out. He saw me along side of him, we were no where near going off the track. I went on to finish ahead of him in the main.

Later on his dad (who does not race with him) comes up to me and tells me that his son came in crying twice because he is affraid of me and thinks that I am deliberately trying to hurt him and that I was bumping him during the race. I calmly told him that I thought his son made an unsafe pass and initiated contact with me in a heat race. Then in the main I made a block-pass but it was totally clean and there was very little chance of either of us getting hurt. About then my friends around me chimed in with 4 different stories about his son causing the race not to run so smoothly to back me up. His dad is a big guy and I am no where near his size. It was all pretty cordial but still I was a little intimidated. I would never want to cause his son any harm and I look forward to dueling it out with him again assuming he rides safely.

I feel like I was just doing what I had to do to get by him in a safe manner. I also feel like he needs to spend more time learning the race line instead of relying on his weight to gas it by people in the straightaways. It's teaching him bad riding habits. Either way, the day ended without incident but I sort of feel bad because the kid is only 9 yrs old...and very talented for his age. However, if they take away my ability to block and block pass...then they might as well just give the kid the win right from the start. There is no other way for me to be competitive.

So, am I a big bully or what?

-Shrub

[Bacchus]

Originally Posted by WetShrub

So, am I a big bully or what? -Shrub

Obviously!






















J/K - that kid needs to learn some skills, that's all. And he probably (hopefully) will in due time. Hopefully he isn't too stubborn, or dumb, to waste the talent you say he has.

[jafo]

Originally Posted by WetShrub

He caused 4 seperate crashes during the first weekend of racing. Ran one guy off the track with his "style" 3 times today.
Later on his dad (who does not race with him) comes up to me and tells me that his son came in crying twice because he is affraid of me and thinks that I am deliberately trying to hurt him and that I was bumping him during the race.
-Shrub

The kid sounds like the next aaron yates!
Sounds like all you're trying to do is have some clean racing,hopefully that kid can learn something from you.

[fl-929]

Sounds to me like you took the highroad on the track and in the pits. The kid was crying not because he was afraid of you, but because he is probably used to winning and you beat his ass.

[half]

why not try to teach him how to race safely? Later on in life if he races a big bike it might keep him from being killed or killing someone else. If he is a know-it-all kid that doesn't want to learn. Then block pass the hell out of him.

[WetShrub]

I have no bad feelings for the kid in any way. He is really friendly and outgoing. When he T-boned me after running wide off the race line and then trying to get right back in the action a couple months ago he appologized and said it was his fault, etc. I think that if anything it's Dad's fault for putting him out there when he doesn't yet have the skill. All he has is power to weight ratio.

Perhaps you are right....have to keep in mind that he is 9 yrs old and probably more prone to crying than a 27 year old dude. MY DAD COULD TAKE HIS DAD!!!!

I'm just happy that the kids dad came over just looking for more information instead of yelling and telling me what the deal was. He is a friendly guy too. The FACT of the matter is that next season, if not later this season, this kid is gonna role right by me in every spot on the track so I have to get my passes in while I can.

-Shrub

[G-Force Junkie]

I see the same thing racing small bikes. It means nothing that the kid is 9 years old, on the track that don't matter at all. All that matters is that he is another rider on the same track, with the same ability to sent you to the hospital if he does something stupid. With his history of erradic racing lines, perhaps you and others need to bringing this up to the kid, and his parents. As far as they know, littly Jonny is doing perfectaly. I say you did nothing wrong. Tiny bikes, tight track, little HP, its all about the corner speed and block passes

Mike

[nomad]

What kind of marshalling is going on? I would think that if there are children involved, they'd have a strict set of rules about safe passing etc. Perhaps follow up with them to have them watch this kid and flag him for breaking the rules (if there are any).

[Red Rider]

You're racing against 9 year olds?? Isn't there a class/weight division for the adults/older kids? Racing, however seriously, with little kids on the track would be somewhat disconcerting to me. Maybe it's just me...

On the other hand, next time just stick your leg out and punt the kid off the track!

[OntheEdge]

Why is it with go cart racing the light kids have to add weight so everyone weights the same but not on bikes? That kid should have to wear a 100 pound backpack. Well there has to be some soultion.

[Bacchus]

Originally Posted by Red Rider

On the other hand, next time just stick your leg out and punt the kid off the track!

[SomeStrangeGuy]

I'd reply but I just cannot reply to any thread with this title

[ratter]

that was no kid, that was Bacchus

[WetShrub]

Originally Posted by Red Rider

You're racing against 9 year olds?? Isn't there a class/weight division for the adults/older kids? Racing, however seriously, with little kids on the track would be somewhat disconcerting to me. Maybe it's just me...

On the other hand, next time just stick your leg out and punt the kid off the track!

Yeah, that would make things a lot more fair. In fact, even just add 20 lbs to him and he wouldn't be any competition. The problem is that to do that they would have to take the heaviest guy and make everyone else add weight to be at the same weight that he is. If they had weight classes...everyone would pretty much be racing against themselves. The turn out lately has been really low. They combine classes and even then my class had 6 riders in it. It isn't realistic to have weight classes really unless there were a ton more people.

If I punted the kid off the track (which I SO wanted to do because I was so frustrated) not only would his dad have come after me like a caffeine crazed Hockey dad but I wouldn't be allowed to race there anymore. The kid did end up crashing once during the weekend on his "superbike". That bike is probably around 10-12 HP and too much for him on that track. He lost the front end, going in too hot in a turn and crashed.

-Shrub

[eeeeek]

So, he's scared of you now? Cool. That means he'll back off whenever you're near

[abtech]

I would say as long as you both run in the same class, both pay the same entry fees and the "officials" don't call either of you out, he's fair game . . .

If everyone thirty years younger than I am bitched because they didn't like a pass I made, I would be laughing so hard I would probably choke to death. In a "young man's" sport like this, you have to make up for youth with guile.

That is all . . .

[alexandra]

This reminds me of some movie but I just quite come up with the name....

[SomeStrangeGuy]

Originally Posted by alexandra

This reminds me of some movie but I just quite come up with the name....

street fighter III ?

[WetShrub]

Originally Posted by alexandra

This reminds me of some movie but I just quite come up with the name....

A friend of mine told me it reminded him of that Seinfeld episode where Kramer was sparring Karate against little kids and beating the hell out of them.



-Shrub

[eeeeek]

Originally Posted by WetShrub

A friend of mine told me it reminded him of that Seinfeld episode where Kramer was sparring Karate against little kids and beating the hell out of them.



-Shrub

BWAHAHAHHAHHA!!!

But Jerry, we're at the SAME LEVEL!!!

[alexandra]

That may have been what I was thinking about!

[Bacchus]

Originally Posted by ratter

that was no kid, that was Bacchus

You're blowin' my cover!

[asiliat]

Originally Posted by abtech

*snip*

If everyone thirty years younger than I am bitched because they didn't like a pass I made, I would be laughing so hard I would probably choke to death. In a "young man's" sport like this, you have to make up for youth with guile.

That is all . . .

If that's the case, Wetshrub, next time the kid comes to pass you on the straight, make sure he tries to pass on your left so you can reach over and give a quick squeeze of his front brakes. I remember reading old style racing had guys doing that, plus grabbing the backend to pull themselves forward.

Crazy shite.

Realistically, as long as you know you weren't dirty, and the officials don't meatball you, I think it's fair game.

Still, beating up on little 9 yr olds is kinda funny, regardless of weight advantage.

[G-Force Junkie]

Originally Posted by asiliat

If that's the case, Wetshrub, next time the kid comes to pass you on the straight, make sure he tries to pass on your left so you can reach over and give a quick squeeze of his front brakes. I remember reading old style racing had guys doing that, plus grabbing the backend to pull themselves forward.

Crazy shite.

Realistically, as long as you know you weren't dirty, and the officials don't meatball you, I think it's fair game.

Still, beating up on little 9 yr olds is kinda funny, regardless of weight advantage.

Old style racing...the 250 GP guys did that this year in Welkom!

[abtech]

Originally Posted by G-Force Junkie

Old style racing...the 250 GP guys did that this year in Welkom!

In the early days of GLRRA, it wasn't unusual to have someone smack your kill switch exiting the hairpin if you weren't careful. Greg Gibson used to do it all the time (like he needed any advantage . . .).