What a weekend at EMX Sparks Monster Valley!
It was my first time racing this track, and it definitely lived up to its reputation. The track was incredibly hard-packed, smooth with very few lines, and felt like riding on marbles all day. It was a real test of bike control, patience, and race craft.
Race 1 – P2 The run to the first corner was much shorter than I’m used to, but I managed to get a great launch and entered the first turn in P2. I was passed down the straight but quickly fought back into second before setting my sights on the leader. We battled for the entire race, and I crossed the finish line just 0.7 seconds behind the leader. Great way to start the day.
Race 2 – P2 Another great start, although I clipped the gate on the way out. As the track became increasingly dusty, it turned into another intense battle for the lead. I was within inches of the leader’s back wheel for most of the race, but there was never a clean opportunity to make the pass. Rather than force a risky move, l brought it home in second.
Race 3 – P2 This one was certainly memorable! I made it through the first corner only to be hit by another rider, sending me off the track and into a huge ditch. By the time I got going again, I’d lost several positions. With plenty of work to do, l kept my head down, carved my way back through the field, and fought all the way back to finish in second place again.
Sunday arrived and I had 2 races to do I had some personal goals I wanted to achieve to finish my weekend off. I was very focused heading to my first race.
Race 4 – P3 An awful start meant I had to push hard from the opening lap. Unfortunately I made some silly mistakes in this race I ended up catching my wheel on one of the slippery sections and went down. After regrouping, I got back into my rhythm and fought to the finish, crossing the line in P3.
Race 5 – P3 The dreaded start-line curse struck again! I couldn’t quite get the launch I wanted and found myself buried in the middle of the pack. I kept battling, picked riders off one by one, and worked my way back through to finish in P3.
I ended up finishing 2nd overall for the weekend which I was really happy with. I achieved what I wanted to do on the Sunday. Most of all I ended up really liking the track even though it wasn’t the easiest. I had a great weekend.
WE ARE NORA CRS!
