Russell Boyles - Age 12

My first ever race meeting was at Stratford mx course. The track had been altered recently and had not been used since, so I wasn’t the only one to have to get used to the new track. The track was very technical with 2 hills and 2 slopes, a table top and some very tricky whoops. The surface was very loose and dusty and was very difficult to ride on.

Race 1  
After a lot of persuading I went to my first 85cc sw race, and I was very nervous. I picked a gate to the very edge of the line to stay out of everyone’s way. The gates dropped and guess what I stalled it. The rest of the race went fine except for stalling it again going up the hill I didn’t have any problems except for getting lapped on my first lap, and was only riding steadily to learn the track. Out of the people that finished I came last but if you count the people who didn’t finish I came one before last. 

Race  2
Now I had learned the track I was aiming to do some faster lap times and maybe at least do one lap myself before getting lapped. I picked near enough the same spot on the line but yet again when the gates dropped I stalled it. By now all of the loose stuff had moved to the edge of the track and the surface was very hard and slippy underneath. I upped my pace and there was a definite improvement from on the first race. The finish flag was placed in a pole hanging over the 6 monster whoops. To see the flag you had to go round a tight right hand corner and by the time I had seen the chequered flag my front wheel was already going up the first whoop, I was not ready for it at all and fell to the back of the seat and accidentally opened up the throttle launching me and my bike up in the air. I landed hard on the top of a whoop making me wind myself and bruise my back but luckily I crossed the finish line while flying through the air. Again I finished last out of the people that finished but there were a few unable to finish.

Race  3
Still in a bit of pain from the second race I managed to do the third race. I had no intention of improving my time but was just out to have a no crash, no stall race. Even though I tried my best my clutch experience was lacking and for the third time stalled the engine at the line. I completed the race with no crashes or stalling the engine and finished again in last place with every competitor finishing.