The first instalment of “From the Horse’s Mouth catches up with those cracking out the results at the recent sprint enduro at the opening round of the Fastlane Summer Series (See seperate story). Here we get the low-down on how the day ran for some of those involved….
Graeme Vigors 1st Grade A: “I really enjoyed my day and found the whole event fun. Initially I wasn’t too worried about my times and were I was fitting in. I don’t get to compete a whole lot nowadays and was just having fun riding again. During the first two runs it was still quite slippery but it soon dried out and the track became faster. I felt good on the bike and knew I was riding well so I just tried to maintain that pace throughout the day. With the final test left to run I put my head down and pushed hard to see how fast I could go. I’m delighted to have won and really enjoyed this type racing. Overall I found it a really good day’s racing that had a nice mix of everything in it.”
Jim O’Neill 2nd Grade A: ”It was nice to come here and try something different, I’ve been busy riding motocross for the last while so to ride a no-pressure event like this was fun and getting in some extra bike time was always going to be a bonus. I felt I rode a little stiff and maybe cautious early on which caused me to lose some time but as a fast line started to develop I was able to up my pace. I think I lost some time in the woods sections as some of the trees and roots were a little tricky but I could make it back again out in the grassy fields. I had a small bike problem in my second last run but managed to get it fixed and I luckily was able to nurse it how to snatch second overall, which I’m pleased about. I definitely enjoyed my day and I think now it was better than I expected. At first I wasn’t sure how it would run but once it got going it was easy to understand!”
Paul McLoughlin
Paul McLoughlin 3rd Grade A: “With it being a new format I wasn’t quite sure what way to approach the day. In all honesty I think I started too slow early on, I was making mistakes in the grass track sections when the ground was still wet and it left me at a disadvantage. However after the lunch break I got into the run of things, put my head down and pushed hard. Leading into the final test of the day, I knew I had a chance of second place so I went for it. Unfortunately, I ended up making a big mistake and high-sided in a fast sweeper in the far grass track section on the course. I’m annoyed to have missed out on second by just three seconds but overall I’ve loved the racing today. The new format was great and brought a good mix of different types of riders together. Each time out on the track, you’re racing both against the clock and trying to catch or not be caught by the riders around you which really pushes you on. Every second counts so you have to ride hard all day, which makes it physical too. I don’t think it’ll replace time cards and it’s not intended to but it will make a good add on to enduro especially if another championship comes from it.”
Stephen Mullay 4th Grade A: “I’d never done anything like this before so I didn’t know what to expect. It was the first time I’d raced through a forest so I made some small crashes and stalls early on but soon got into the swing of things. There was less pressure here and it made a nice change than racing motocross every weekend. I didn’t find it too physical but the hardest part I found was trying to hit your lines every lap, that bit was tough work trying to limit my mistakes. But it was really good fun and I enjoyed the craic. Having a gap between test was a good idea as it made it possible to then get ready for the next run or check out sections you were slow on.”
David McNulty 3rd Grade B: “Today I just tried to stay consistent with my times but gradually improve my times as the day progressed. I felt I had an edge through the wooded sections and was able to make most of my time up there but motocross and grass track is something new to me. It was my first time really racing in those type of conditions but I improved throughout the day and began to really enjoy it, pushing it harder in the corners. I think those from a motocross background gained on me there and it’s something I will have to improve on. The format was fun, it’s been one of the best events I’ve ever ridden! It was exciting trying to catch the rider who started infront and “bang bars” when looking for a pass. That’s something we don’t usually get to do in enduro. I’m really happy with my result today I can’t wait to try another sprint enduro again!”
Richard Leonard 5th Grade B: “I lacked the pace early on and was riding slow but after a couple of runs I managed to get going. These type of grassy test are not something I’ve really ever ridden but I felt I learnt a lot from it all the same. It quite different than a traditional enduro test and suited someone with a motocross background more. Considering that, 5th was a good result and it’s something I can improve on.”
Nick Craigie Event Organiser: “I’m very pleased with how the day turned out. We put a lot of effort into marking the course and organising the timing system. We stayed lucky with the weather and the course dried out well early on after Saturday’s heavy rainfall. With eight timed laps plus the initial sighting lap we had a lot of tired but happy faces by the end of the day. I’m happy with the positive response we’ve gotten from the riders and look forward to more of these sprint enduros at future events.”