Youth Racing - Intermediate
Ok, You’ve got a bike, gear, accessories, and you’re ready to go have some fun with your little one! Now what?! At Crew Racing, we want to help you every step of the way in getting your young one to learn how to race, so hopefully this information will make the process easier and faster for you and your tyke!
Assuming your little one hasn’t yet ridden the bike, you will probably want to get some seat time in before entering them in their first race. There are plenty of tracks and riding areas to do this and they are located on our website here. Find one close to you and go try out the new ride! Most track gate fees are around $20-$25 for the entire day of fun! If that sounds expensive, compare it to taking your children to a local arcade or go-cart track for a few hours, or even just out to dinner and a movie! This is a great value in comparison! (Pro tip - Some tracks have annual packages which can save you money in the long run if you go frequently.)
If you really want the best bargain, you can purchase an OHV (Off-Highway Vehicle) sticker from your local bike shop and go riding on the thousands of public lands Colorado has to offer (national forests, BLM land) for the whopping amount of $25.25 a year!!! (PRO tip – OHV permits expire on March 31 in Colorado so make sure you don’t buy one right before it expires. Buy the one for the next year if you’re close to that date.) You can also renew these online each year. Keep in mind, fi riding on public lands, you will also need an exhaust spark arrestor in most cases, which is usually bike specific.
These can cost around $50-$150 in most cases but it is a one-time purchase and will probably be needed anyway if you plan on doing much riding or racing on public lands. Our sponsors will be happy to help you purchase one if needed here. It’s also a good idea to check with your local forest service branch or Colorado State Parks online to see what is required in the area you plan on riding. Make sure that wherever you decide to go, that there is a good learning area, (flat, smooth) so there are no hard obstacles to tackle while they are learning how to ride. We have these areas highlighted on out trail maps located here. Please remember that these areas are owned by the public, for the public, and take care of it as if it were yours, because, well, it is!
There is nothing more exciting to most kids than the first time riding a dirt bike! The sound, the suspense, and the power all combine to give a thrill like no other! BUT make sure they learn slowly and correctly, or many kids can get freaked out after the first tip-over. If they get scared of the machine, you are in for a long day of coaxing, teaching and trying to get their confidence up again.
Remember that every child is different. Some will jump back up and fire the bike back up ready to go, while others may get upset and need some time to chill out before attempting it again. (Pro tip- It helps to have another friend there to ride with. If they see how much fun the friend is having, they will be more likely to hop back on). Remember, this is totally new to them and the nervous butterflies in their stomach are already going crazy before they even start the bike! Ease them into it. What looks easy to you can be very complicated for them to understand right away.
They must learn how to control a front brake lever, rear brake lever, throttle, and possibly a shift lever and clutch lever if the bike is so equipped. That’s FIVE controls at once that they have absolutely no experience operating! Imagine someone putting a musical instrument in front of you and expecting you to play a song with absolutely no experience! It can be very intimidating! Explain to them that they may fall over while learning and that’s totally normal, so they don’t get the sense that they are failing every time they tip over. Falling isn’t failing, it’s learning! And whatever you do, DON’T yell at them if they don’t get it right away!
This is supposed to be fun! Patience for parents and kids is necessary here! There is a learning curve, take your time and go slow! Speed will come with confidence and seat time. We have youth training videos to assist you as needed.
STOP! Obviously, this is not in reference to reading this article, but the ability to teach your new rider how to stop properly. This is the most important thing they need to learn. I’m sure you’ve all seen videos of a brand-new rider hit the throttle, take off, and then panic and mysteriously forget how to shut off the throttle and end up running right into something. If they learn how to stop instinctively right away, this is not an issue.
Try this exercise. Standing in front of them, straddle the front fender, holding the handlebars and tell them to stop when ever you ask them too. Don’t even let them touch the throttle yet. You are just watching their reaction time when operating the front and rear brake. You can even alternate between the front and rear brake if you’d like. Repeat this until they don’t even have to think about it and instantly use them whenever they hear the word “Stop”. Now let them use the throttle and crawl towards you very slowly and yell “stop!”.
See how long it takes for them to react. It’s usually pretty slowly at first, which is ok. Make sure they hit the front brake as well as the rear each time. Keep trying this exercise until you feel comfortable taking a step backwards away from them. Then let them try again, stepping a back a little farther each time as they get used to the repetition. You’ll find that it won’t take them long to stop on command. Then eventually you can let them ride around a little bit and tell them to stop at random spots and check their reaction time.
This helps their brain react to the stop command, even when they start saying it to themselves. Once they begin to stop immediately as soon as they hear you, they are ready to start practicing other skills. Again, feel free to check out the other youth training videos on our website.
READY TO RACE!!!!
Finally, you’ve got the bike, gear, and some practice at learning the basics. You feel confident you are ready to try out a race and see what it’s all about. By now you have a good idea of what your child’s skill level is. Go to one of the race series listed and find one that holds races near your area or has the type of racing you are looking for.
There are several types of off-road racing circuits in Colorado and the surrounding states. They are Motocross, Supercross, Arenacross, Hare Scrambles, and Enduros. You will typically need a membership (annually or daily) for any of these series so check ahead with the promoter beforehand. You may also need a youth waiver signed and notarized from both parents so make sure you have all of that in order before showing up.
Motocross is a race held at a large, more natural outdoor track, involving jumps. There are many classes to choose from when entering the race and you can race more than one if you so choose. The race promoter can help you decide which class would be good for you to enter depending on your skill level, bike size, and age. The riders of each class line up at a gate and take off at once and race for either a certain amount of time (I.e., 10 minutes) or laps (I.e., 5 laps).
Keep in mind each class races 2 different races (motos) and they then combine the scores of both races for your overall finish of the day.
Supercross is similar to motocross but typically is smaller, has more jumps, and is typically held indoors, although a lot of tracks are outside. In supercross, the format is an elimination type, meaning you will usually race qualifiers, heats, and a main event. You have to do well in each one to make it to the next one.
Arenacross is nearly identical to supercross but just held in smaller arenas, thus the name.
Enduros are the oldest form of motorcycle racing. They are held using natural terrain such as trails, hills, ravines, etc. They are typically set up as timed test sections and transfer sections. While you will be racing with others around you, you are basically racing against the clock and are timed from point to point in the test sections while riding the transfer sections between each test section. Your timed test sections are combined to give you a total score for your class. Sprint enduros are a newer form of enduros using smaller areas of land and typically running two tests multiple times but timed in the same manner.
Hare scrambles are kind of a combination of longer motocross format but using more enduro type terrain. They usually have a start for each class and race for a certain amount of time, such as 90-120 minutes for adult races and around 20-40 minutes for kids. They may be held at a motocross track along with using the surrounding terrain for a long loop of 5-7 miles. It should be noted that this is the format for most of the off-road kids races, even at the enduros, and they typically use a smaller loop so parents can watch and help their racer if needed. The times are usually shorter also, such as 20 minutes, 30 minutes, depending on the class.
Whichever format or series you decide to try, just have fun and don’t be afraid to ask if you need help or have questions. Most racers are all friends and family just out to have fun and are happy to help each other out.
FIRST RACE! READY… SET… WAIT!!??
By now your child should have a pretty good understanding of how to enter a race. Hopefully they have enough practice under their belt so they can ride the bike well enough to make it around a race course. So where do we go from here? Well, it’s finally time to line up and square off with the competition! This is where the mental part of racing really kicks in. One of the best parts of racing is the butterflies in the stomach on the starting line. That nervous, excited feeling is always exhilarating and is one of the things that makes racing so great! However, many kids get very nervous or even scared and are unsure if they are willing to try this new experience.
They may not feel confident in their ability on the bike yet. Try to talk to them so they feel less anxious and more excited to experience their first race! This doesn’t always work and if they tell you that they are still not ready, then maybe they are right. Don’t put pressure on them to go out there while tears are rolling down their cheeks simply because you have already paid for the entry fee and gas to get them there. This negative type of racing experience may have the opposite effect on them, and they may never want to try again.
Then you have just bought an expensive bike and gear for no reason. It’s ok to lose the battle and win the war. Back them out of the line a little to relieve the stress they are feeling and try to calm them down. Talk to other kids around them and try to get your child to interact with them. Sometimes if they see other kids happy and excited, they will follow suit. If that still doesn’t work, explain to them that you’ll take them out to get some more practice and come back for the next race, when they feel ready.
This may be enough to calm them down a little, and they may just surprise you and change their mind and tell you they are ready to go! If so, push them back up to the line and get them prepared to start. If they are still hesitant, you may just have to call it a day and wait until their confidence is a little higher and let them know that you will take them to the next race when they are more confident. Of course, every person is different and what works for some kids may not work for others so use your own judgement here.
The best piece of advice going into their first race is to just try to make it to the finish line and have fun. Don’t set any high expectations for them. They are probably not going to go out there and crush it when most of their competition probably has more experience. Remember, to finish first, you must first finish! At this point it’s just them against the race course. Don’t worry if they come in last or even if they don’t finish. All that means is you have nowhere to go but up! Be positive and let them know you’re proud of them for getting out there and trying something new and the next race will be better with more practice! Watch what the experienced riders (and parents) are doing and don’t feel bad to ask advice or take notes. After the race, ask your child where they think they could improve and then you can start working on those goals during practice. You’ll be surprised what you may learn.
As mentioned earlier, there are several different types of race formats for off-road motorcycles. We have supplied more details to the racing formats here (link to Race Formats button). Also, Be sure to check out all the different race series here (link to race series page)
There are several general riding rules you should know, which will apply to most racing formats. Check with the race promoter for any specific rules to follow.
- If you aren’t planning on attempting a jump, stay off to one side or the other. DO NOT change your line by cutting across the track at an angle. This is a safety procedure so other riders can hit the jump and not land on you. Do not attempt to jump at an angle either. This is called “cross-jumping” and can result in riders colliding in mid-air.
- If you are planning to exit the track/course, raise your hand up as a caution signal to others. Again, DO NOT cut across the course quickly to exit, SLOWLY make your way to the side. You also need to watch for other riders before re-entering the track. During a race, you should enter the track from the same point you exited from or the nearest place possible, as safe as you can. You are typically not allowed to cut the track or gain any advantage when re-entering. You should also keep an eye out for other riders and look for these signs yourself.
- You will see many flags flying throughout the race. The promotor should go over the flag procedures with you, but these are the most common flags:
-- A green flag means the race is good to go,
-- A yellow flag means caution. Slow down, look ahead for potential problems, such as another rider having issues, debris on the track, etc.
-- A red flag means the race is stopped early (usually due to an injury)
-- A blue flag means you need to move out of the way because someone is lapping you.
-- A red cross flag means someone is injured. You must slow down and cannot jump in that area.
-- A white flag means 1 more lap is left in the race
-- A checkered flag means the end of the race.
-- Sometimes they may hold two white flags rolled up and placed in an “X” formation which means the race is half over. - In off-road racing, there are a lot more variables compared to a motocross course, but the general rule is to stay on the course and near or between the markers/ribbon. Obviously, this leaves some grey area for judgement calls but if you aren’t blatantly cutting sections of the course, you will probably be ok. In general, if you think the line you are taking might be construed as cheating, don’t take it. Again, check with the race promoter if you have any questions.
Don’t miss markers and get lost! If you happen to find yourself wandering around in the middle of nowhere, DO NOT turn around and go backwards FAST on the course. There may be other riders coming towards you at high speed! You may cautiously, SLOWLY try to find your way back staying completely off the course or using the side of the course, if possible, while constantly looking ahead for other racers! This is one of the most important rules to follow as it is probably the most dangerous thing you could do!!!
Hopefully this intermediate page has helped prepare you for the starting line. Please check out our Expert page for more info on starts, setup and more tips and tricks!
