Flat Track boot camp with JL10!

I have done quite a bit of motorcycle training since getting back onto the bike full time. From motorcycle safety classes to high speed track training, I always look for new ways to expand my motorcycle skill set. Another opportunity popped up for me to get race specific training for the first time and to do it with a current professional flat track racer. Johnny Lewis, American Flat Track #10 hosts a class in his home state of Florida. He occasionally gets out to other states to train people in multi day sessions. Luckily for me he made it out to California. I was able to convince my wife that the money would be well spent for me to take the class. Follow along as I tell you how it went!

This is what I see when I close my eyes and dream. What self respecting racer (wannabe) wouldn't want a private flat track in their front yard. This slightly larger than 1/8 mile track is the locally famous Blackmore Ranch. It is the dream come true for an earthwork equipment company owner that is a motorcycle enthusiast and flat track fan. What do you do when you have lots of land and a whole mess of earth moving equipment along with understanding neighbors? Why you cut your own track of course. The track could easily disguise itself as a horse training track. The house next door to this track has a 1/2 mile horse track in their front yard that would be a cool track to ride. The dirt was just natural dirt, heavy on clay and very easily worked from the looks of it.

There was a great big area in front of the track, right next to the pond (yes, pond) to unload. We set up shop in the grass by the track for most of the day. On day one the mix of bikes was pretty varied. There was a classic Triumph and a 70's Yamaha two stroke bike. Unfortunately the Yamaha didn't last through the second session of the day. There were a couple of Hooligan Sportsters and then a bunch of DTX bikes like mine. All of the bikes were able to get some good speed on this track. The experience level of the riders was pretty varied as well. A couple of other more experienced local racers, a few do-it-for-fun riders, a champion 65cc two stroke kid that was as fast as the adults and a multi-time female mountain bike champion trying out flat track for the first time. We had three groups of riders for the exercises. This kept the track clear enough for riders of different speeds to learn at their own level of practice and training.

I snuck away from the class to grab this shot. Between the plentiful track sessions, Johnny would give us some feedback from the previous exercise and concentration areas of the next exercise. He has a very down to earth style with no frills or fancy acronyms to get in the way of solid information for how to ride a motorcycle fast on the dirt. He would watch us like a hawk and give immediate feedback on our form. His main concentration on the first day was getting the basics of the proper flat track body position correct. We also worked on some theories of how to control the bike's chassis using the rear brake and some notes about how tire choice affect grip and ultimately the handling of the bike.

The blue groove. The track was fun. There were people on hand to keep it watered and prepped. Johnny intentionally had them let the track change throughout the day. It went from fast and grippy to dry-slick and then later in the day this groove formed that brought the speeds back up. I was able to trust the groove and pick up my speed. You had to stay on the line though. If you got off the groove the rest of the track was still dry and slippery. Having the differing track conditions really helped me work on my confidence. When it was tacky and also when the groove got covered in tire rubber, I was able to increase my speeds going into the corners. I felt much faster than I ever have going around the track.

The next day the weather was just a beautiful as the previous one. The sun was coming out much more than the day before which promised to give us a challenge as the track conditions would change a little faster. The lessons on this day were more race specific focused. We did some drills in the morning on riding the high line as an alternate way of getting around the track. This then lead us into doing some side-by-side drills where we road around the track with someone next to us. I liked this training from the standpoint of getting comfortable with race traffic around me. The side-by-side drill went right into passing drills where two riders took turns passing each other on the inside of the corner. This was awesome and I wanted to do a full day on drills like this!

While Johnny looked on we road around the track near other riders. This partnership of rider and rider working together expanded my comfort level of having other racers near me. This will give me the courage to race harder and maybe finally get into the race instead of watching it from the back of the pack. More race specific training was focused on race starts both solo and with several other riders. I had one good start that had us students going 4 wide into turn one with me on the inside. It was cool to feel confident that I could trust the other racers all while sticking my line and getting cleanly through the corner. I flubbed the other 2 group starts much like my real races.

After two days on the track I left with so much info that I had to review my notes days later to remember all that I was exposed to. I haven't been back to the dirt track since that weekend so I hope that none of it falls out of my head. If you are interested in racing flat track and have the money to spare, find Johnny's website to see if he will be at a track near you. I guarantee that it will help grow your race skills. Ride safe and get out there and race!

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