Desert Racing Etiquette and FAQ's

[Supertrunk]

Racing Etiquette and FAQ's

WARNING: These are my thoughts and experiences, I hope to see Dino, Jay, and some of the other experienced guys add their thoughts and advice to this too.


First and foremost, for most of us racing should be fun.
Remember, all you get for a win is a chunk of plastic and bragging rights!
A good way to look at your first few (or for me ALL of my races) is it's just an organized trail ride with a bunch of your friends (well...........maybe a fast organized trail ride!).
Don't forget, you still have to go to work on Monday!

Most races start the faster (or more experienced) classes first. For example Open Expert, 250 Expert, etc will start before 125 novice and the "age" classes (like 35 and older, 40 and older). The idea is the "faster" riders won't be working their way through the "slower" riders.

There will always be a riders meeting before your race, or at the starting line just before the start. LISTEN TO IT! There may be last minute changes to the course, the pitting scheme, markings or signals, etc.

Passing
This is always a judgment / ethics call, and some riders will argue it, but.....................
If a rider from a faster class comes up on you (you are being lapped by an Expert for instance), let him by. He's faster, he may really be in the points chase for the number one plate, and he will get by any way. If it's a rider in your own class, make him work for it, that's why it's called racing. If he really is faster than me, or I am really struggling through an obstacle and just being an anchor, I let him by. I can run him down and pass him back later. If I can't he would beat me any way....................

Crashes
If you can get right up, start you bike, and ride off, DO IT!
If you can't get you bike started in a few kicks, PUSH IT OUT OF THE RACING LINE before it gets hit, and get it started and cleaned out somewhere out of the racing line.
If you are hurt, forget about the bike, and GET YOURSELF OUT OF THE RACING LINE BEFORE YOU GET HIT!
If you see someone go down hard, STOP AND CHECK ON THEM! This is racing for fun, this isn't Dakar. If you were down and hurt, wouldn't you want someone to stop and ask if you are OK?

Broken Bikes
It is good thing to make up some "stuck stubs" to carry with you in case you break down. A "stuck stub" is a piece of paper or card with your name, your race number, your club name (you have joined a racing club haven't you?), and your cell phone number if you carry one with you. You can give this to a passing rider or a sweeper so they and the Host Club knows who's still out on the race course, and send someone for you.

Course Marking
MRAN courses are marked with pink surveyor's ribbon. It will be tied to the bushes or trees at about head hight. In most cases you will be able to see two "ribbons" ahead of you at all times.
There will be black arrows on either a pink or orange background, attached to wooden strips and driven into the ground to mark turns or sometimes to indicate long straight aways, or a particular path (like into a scoring chute), GO BETWEEN THE ARROWS if there are two of them. The back side of the arrow will have a big W and be marked "wrong way", which obviously means you got turned around and are riding the course backwards. Not good! Dangerous areas such as a rock, a hole, cross-grain terrain, deep whoops, etc. will be marked with a pink or orange "pie plate". Two or three pie plates means a more dangerous area, or a longer dangerous section (like a long rock garden, a waterfall section, steep downhill, etc.). Some races will have slow or first gear areas, These are usually near the pits, a "transfer section" (where they have to have a small break in the course, a road crossing, a scoring section, etc.). Some races will have tank / fender cards, that need to be marked by a course worker to show you actually followed ALL of the marked course. There are two ways to mark these cards: Stop Checks where the rider must stop until the course worker tells them to go, and Rolling Checks, where you slow down and get your card marked by the course worker.

Pits
First, ASK YOUR CLUB WHAT THEY WANT YOU TO DO IN THEIR PIT, but generally:
Put your bike number on your gas can, and duct tape a gallon zip lock bag to it to hold dry / spare gloves, clean goggles, power bars, etc. in.
You don't have to shut off the bike, but it is safer.
Put it in neutral, (or kill it).
Let go of the left side / clutch grip and lean back!
Tell the pit person if you want your gloves / goggles / what ever out of your ziplock on the can.
They will pull the gas cap and dump the fuel.
They will put the cap back on.

LOOK BEHIND YOU BEFORE YOU PULL OUT!
LOOK AHEAD OF YOU BEFORE YOU PULL OUT!

I've seen pit workers hit by their own riders before, and seen BIG t-bones when a rider pulled out in front of one passing the pit or pulling in / out.


FAQs

What is a Sweep rider?
A rider or two always follows the last rider of the first lap around the course. They are there to assist hurt riders that might need attention. The same or another Sweeper will continue to follow the last rider of each lap until the race ends. Another Sweeper will come around at the end of the race to collect broken bikes and make sure the bike and rider gets back to the pits.

What is a Grand Prix or Grand Prix Finish?
A Grand Prix or GP is a kind of race. They generally are less than 50 miles, with multiple laps (usually 2,3, or 4, depending on lap length) on the same course, of less than 15 miles. Some could be time based. For example, the Leader will do 30 minutes, 1 or 2 hours and one lap. They should include some MX course, some Desert course, some "city" streets, and maybe some unique features like and Endurocross section, a house to ride through, or some sort of "fun" man-made obstacle. A Grand Prix Finish or GP Finish means you get scored when ever you stop. You can complete one of the 2,3, or 4 laps and still get a "finish". In a "regular" Desert finish, you must complete the entire length of the course to finish.

How do I let another rider know I want to pass / How will another rider let me know he wants to pass?
Generally you will know when someone is behind you or they will know you are there.
Riders in your class are fair game. But If you are like me, you may get lapped by some of the faster Expert level riders. They will usually rev up their bike loudly a couple times to let you know they are there. Some will yell to let you know they are there. They are not being rude, they are trying to be safe. Some of these guys are carrying a [i ]lot[/i] more speed than you, and slowed down to avoid startling you or knocking you over. LET THEM BY, some of these guys may not ask nice again...................

What class should I start out in?
Generally I recommend that everyone starts out as a Novice, in either their bike displacement class (125, 250, Open, etc.) or their age / gender class (over 35, over 40, Women, etc.), or as their bike class (Fourstroke under 300cc, Fourstroke over 300cc, etc.). As you start to rack up the wins or podium finishes MRAN will move you up in class as needed. This also lets you get you feet on the ground, learn the ropes, and get a good base to build from.

[Supertrunk]

Here is an example of some of the pink ribbon you will see as course marking at MRAN events:




Here's an example of one of the arrows we use to mark a turn. On this one you can see the back side with the "wrong way" marking.




And, here's an idea of what you will look like in the pits. Fresh gas, fresh goggles, and gloves. Give your gasman room to work, and wait to be told to go.

[dino702]

I would add a couple of things to this post (great topic)

Passing: Don't look behind you when you hear a faster rider coming up on you as this will take your eyes and concentration off the course in front of you possibly causing you to crash and also possibly taking that faster rider down that was just trying to pass you a second ago. If you must see who is behind you wait until the course makes a corner and usually within your peripheral vision you will be able to see if this is a faster rider NOT in your class or one that is, if it's the latter...make him work for the pass. At times you can let your ears be your eyes and you can tell a two stroke, a 125's motor sound that may not be in your class.

Broken Down: Stuck stubs are excellent way of communicating to the checkpoint ahead of your situation. If you pick up a stuck stub from a broken down rider put the stub in your jerseys cuff and hand to the checkpoint worker ahead.
If your bike is broken face it down course toward the oncoming riders so that they know two things; that you are ok, and that they can clearly see your front number plate to report your number to the next check point. If the hosting club uses mile markers try and make a mental note of the mileage that you observed the broken bike at and report that information as well.

Course Markings: I was in a very windy race one time and the arrows that where stapled to the stakes where being blown back toward you revealing the "W" on the back side making the two riders in front of me turn around (thinking they where off course) just as that happened the wind clamed down for a second revealing the true course marker...bam, easiest pass I've ever made on two riders. Best advise is to follow the ribbon and not the dust.

[dino702]

If someone can tell me how to upload a .pdf or a .doc file I can post some stuck stubs for anyone that wants to print and carry them. Don't forget to bring a little golf pencil too.

[Supertrunk]

Nice adds Dino!

And......PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE...........don't cut the course and don't cut the corners!

The hosting clubs are getting beaten up, and fined by the BLM when racers try to make the corners shorter by taking lines inside the course markings or passing outside the markings.
We have basically a 36" wide race course. If we excede this the fines start at $1000 plus the cost of "naturally occuring plant" seed, plus the fees for a water truck to come out and water it for a month! This usually runs the clubs $3000 to $5000.

I made up the "Stuck Stub" below on my computer, printed a page of them out, cut them up " business card sized" and had them laminated (a whole whopping $1.75). I keep a couple or three in my tool bag, and a couple or three in my Camelbak.

Terry Erwin
Jackrabbits
Amateur # 37C
Cell# 702-290-6532


Oh! And...............TOOLS!

This is a desert race you can easily be 35 to 45 miles away from the pits.
Something simple like a flat, a broken shifter or lever, or a torn fuel line can put you out. It's always a good idea to carry some simple tools, that serve multiple purposes, just for your bike.
Most bikes only need a couple sizes of wrenches or sockets (everything on my KTM can be done with a 6,8, 10, and 13mm socket and a T-handle).
Some of this is because I changed out a few bolts to make it this way. An 18" regular weight tube can be used in both ends of the bike (18", 19", or 21" wheel) in a pinch.
A CO2 inflater is a must too if you carry a patch kit or spare tube. I carry a light weight pair of tire irons, one of which has a 27mm wrench on the end to loosen the axle, and the other has a 13mm wrench for the rim lock. Heavy zip ties pulled tight around a flat and through the spokes can get you by too. A 6' piece of fuel line gives you a spare, plus a siphon hose to loan / borrow gas. You can wrap several feet of wire / electrical tape / duct tape around the base of a screw driver or wrench. A master link, and a lightweight link press can really save your bacon.
A shop rag to wipe off with or to pile parts on is a good idea too (just wait till you drop a carb needle or a needle clip in the gravel.........you'll see why I recommend this). I round this out with a spare plug, and a lightweight nylon tow strap. All this and more fits in a small fender bag, fanny pack, or your drink system. I run a DirtBikeGear ( http://www.dirt-bike-gear.com/ ) fender bag, and here's what I carry for some ideas.

[dino702]

Stuck Stub
Name: _________________Phone:
No. Bike:
Problem Location:
Loop/Section Mile

Lat: Lon:
Injured
Severe Bleeding
Difficulty/Not Breathing
Unconscious
Head/Neck/Spine/Back/Pelvis
Collarbone/Ribs/Chest
Internal Injuries
Shoulder/Arm/Wrist/Hand
Thigh/Knee/Lower Leg/Ankle/Foot
Injury description: Current meds: _______________Allergies to meds: ____________Other medical issues: _________Age: _____ DOB: ____________Ht: ____________ Wt: ________
Broken Bike
No Fuel
Ignition Problem
Engine Seizure
Engine Case Puncture
Radiator/Hose Puncture
Transmission/Clutch Inop
Wheel/Chain Broken
Throttle/Cable Broken
Parts/Tools/Type Assistance Needed:
Recovery Plan
Waiting at problem location
Proceeding to next check
Proceeding to last check
Proceeding to:_______________
Club
Camp/PitLocation
VehicleDescription
EmergencyContact:

[dino702]

The less complicated one

STUCK STUB
Riders Name___________________________________________________Number_________________________

Club_____________________________________________________Time___________________________

Physically OK = YES NO Need DR = YES NO

Last Check Passed__________ Mile_________________ Point/GPS_____________________________

Bike
Description____________________Problem__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Action Rider Taking___________________________________________________________________________________

Stub received by_____________________________________Number__________________________________________
PLEASE !!! RADIO THIS INFORMATION TO HOME CHECK!!!

[Charlie_Hustle]

Thanks Dino!!

[Supertrunk]

Wow! Mine looks like the "Cliff Notes" version now Dino!

Your's is much more comprehensive, and I like the GPS coordinates part.

[Charlie_Hustle]

I would like to add something else. Please make sure you have health insurance and disability coverage. I had a horrible crash towards the end of the season that left me out of work for almost 2 months. I did NOT have disability at the time (I *thought* I did coming from California where the state automatically deducts disability from your paycheck). I didnt know out here in Nevada I had to sign up for it seperately. As you can imagine, I went through my savings with the quickness. Then just as I returned to work, the doctor bills started coming in (ER room visit, x-rays, mri, etc). Thank God I have great health insurance.

Racing is alot of fun, but make sure you have all your bases covered.

[Yodiracer]

Very comprehensive guys. Just wanted to make sure EVERYONE's aware that hydration is one of the most important parts of safe desert racing! It is imperative that you carry an adequate amount of water with you. Carry an amount sufficient to get you to the next pit plus enough to get you through the possibility that you may be stuck where you're at for 3 - 4hrs until help arrives. Do not depend on passing riders to supply you with water that you should have been carrying yourself.

[ADMAN]

Great post...