Chaos theory is ironic. It’s a math system based on initial conditions and changing dynamics and that is so not like math.
Chaos theory is ironic. It’s a math system based on initial conditions and changing dynamics and that is so not like math.
Photos By: James Lissimore
Firstly, lets all let out that deep sigh of relief that Daytona really was a perfect shit-storm and that abysmal track aesthetic didn’t migrate north with the water fowl and Supercross series.
Similarly, Martin Davalos also didn’t even bother messing with the border patrol and decided some things are more important than putting your best effort forth in an 11th attempt at that highly elusive and prestigious 250 Regional SX title. There’s always next year, right?
There was so much carnage in Toronto I don’t even know where to start. The stage was set early on and who would have thought that a short start straight would prove more complicated than the runway at Glendale or the all too perplexing right-hand first turns we’ve seen riders wrestle with in recent years. In Toronto it looked like the old saying “give them an inch, they’ll take a mile” proved true. After every gate drop, guys were running it deep into the first corner and pushing hard outside as they got on the brakes. That wasn’t the only issue hindering racers regarding the start though. With that short run to the first turn, time was of the essence to get to the inside quicker than a typical start straight and that meant riders changing lanes quickly and vigorously. The effect of these quick moves was front-ends getting chopped off and riders hitting the deck with unexpected force. Aaron Plessinger took exception to Malcolm Stewart’s move in their heat race and then later in the 450 main, Chad Reed was tumbling before he got 3/4 of the distance to the first turn. It was brutal but honestly, I had no problem with that short start monkey-wrench.
It introduced a new twist for the racers and a twist I am always a fan of, technicality. It wasn’t just a horsepower-balls-on-the-bars run to the first corner. The racers really had to be on their toes and judging from the amount of carnage we saw regarding the start, I don’t blame the start, I don’t even necessarily blame the racers (but lets be honest, some of the decisions made were ill-advised); In my mind it just came down to an unfamiliar racing situation which the racers were having to come to grips with in real time race situations.
It’s these damn 4-strokes. Yup I went there. Everyone is talking about it, the Start. Starts are everything these days and blame the bikes. They cover up many errors completely and lower the negative affects of almost all of them. Obviously there is still a vast difference between elite rider and lower tier but you’re fooling yourself if you don’t think these bikes make many riders closer to elite than they really are. That’s no slight on these guys. They are all crazy good but the 4 stroke makes all of them better and is even more of a benefit for those who lesser riders.
I’m not getting back into all the “kill the 4 strokes” talk. That’s a waste of breath but as long as we’re running them, the start really is the nexus of importance for Supercross racing and thus, guys are going to run it in harder and with more reckless abandon which will lead to carnage in first turns. Why? Because they know a racer who is 5% less than them can beat them simply by their machine covering up that 5% deficiency and the start makes all the difference.
I wonder what Supercross would have evolved to by this point if we had been racing 4 strokes since the first days of Supercross? Would it have grown tired of the importance on the start? Would fans have abandon it or would the rule-makers be proactive and employ changes (whether they be racing based or pressure on bike manufacturers to change their hardware) to attempt to even out the ratio of start/laps importance?
I guess what I’m trying to say is, can we get on with a dialog which gets us to that point sooner rather than later?
