This weekend saw us return to Monster Valley for the Cotswold Youth MX Club and Severn Valley MX joint meeting. The track had been completely transformed since my last visit, dug deep, covered with fresh topsoil and heavily watered. With stacked gates and 45 riders lining up, I knew it was going to be a tough weekend.
Saturday Race 1 – P8 The track was completely different to the last time I raced here. The run to the first corner was still incredibly short, and just making it through without going down was a battle. The pace was fast, the track was slippery, and I really enjoyed the challenging conditions. I brought it home in 8th.
Race 2 – P9 Getting out of the gate was my biggest problem. I got tangled up with other bikes heading into the first corner, leaving me with plenty of work to do. I then made a silly mistake by selecting the wrong gear and nearly lost the bike, but I got my head back in the game and fought my way through the back to finish 9th.
Race 3 – P11 I finally got a great start and managed to stay clear of the first-corner chaos. My pace felt really strong until the bike suddenly became unstable. I quickly realised I had a rear puncture I just couldn’t believe it , but I kept pushing and managed to bring the bike home in 11th. After a sweltering hot day I finished 10th Overall.
Sunday – Club Championship – Another scorching hot day ahead, but there were valuable Championship points up for grabs. Work to be done.
Race 1 – P14 The track had changed again, with muddy corners hiding a slippery surface underneath. I made a few costly mistakes and worked hard to make some great passes, only to crash with two laps to go. After rejoining, I fought back to finish 14th.
Race 2 – P11 I was determined to make up for my mistakes. When the gate dropped, it felt like everything stood still and I entered the first corner almost last after changing into too high a gear. I knew I had a lot of riders to catch. I stayed smooth, picked my way through the field, and knew I couldn’t afford any mistakes. After battling both the track and the competition, I finished a respectable 11th.
Race 3 – P9 I was determined not to repeat the mistakes I’d made all weekend. My reaction to the gate was spot on, and I worked my way up to 6th before a rider crashed right in front of me. I had nowhere to go and hit the fallen bike, dropping several positions. I refused to give up, kept pushing to my limits, and crossed the line in 9th.
WEEKEND OVERALL – P9 I’m really happy to come away with 9th overall. The constantly changing track conditions kept everyone on their toes, and the searing heat made every race physically demanding. It wasn’t a perfect weekend, but I learned a lot, I kept fighting through every race, and I loved every minute of it. WE ARE NORA CRS!
