Aden de Jager Unadilla Report
Heading into Unadilla I had a fair bit of confidence from my result at Washougal. During the weeks leading up I concentrated on some good training and picking up speed and keeping it constant.
Practice/Qualifier 1: The track was very fast for the first practice which meant the fastest times were going to come from the first one. In the time that I had to I tried to set a fast time that I knew was going to be crucial on this type of track. I finished up the first qualifer with the 11th fastest time in my Group B.
Practice/Qualifier 2: I felt a lot more comfortable and relaxed on the bike however everyone on the track was at least 5 seconds slower than the first qualifier including the seeded riders. I eneded up finishing 12th in the second qualifier putting me in 37th for the show. Leaving a lot of big name riders out of the event.
Moto 1: With one of the last gate picks I had one on the far left side. I got a good jump and beat my surrounding riders to the first corner, nevertheless I was cut off and pushed wide. With the track being so rough and rocky it felt like a was being pelted with bullets, especially the first few laps while it was so congested. I pushed hard but didn’t make the best line selections. At about the 20min mark I started taking better lines and went from 31st to 27th to finish off.
Moto 2: I had some bike problems on the gate with the bike not starting. As a result I ended up missing the sighting lap. This was a big disadvantage as the track had changed quite a bit between motos. I didn’t get the best start and many of the rocks were emerging. I was trying to push as hard as I could however I was a bit zoned out.
By the end I wasn’t very happy with my riding, I knew I was holding my self back due to the roost. I finished up 29th with an overall 27th finish. It was a disapointment as I knew I could ride better and proved it at Washougal.
Next week I have Budd’s Creek to look forward to. I am determined to get in the right frame of mind and ride like I know I can.
I would also like to give a big thanks to all of my other sponsors who have helped me out tremendously; BDR, Wonder Warthog, Fly Racing, Kwala MX Components, Kali Protectives, Stomp Grip, Hammerhead, Roll-on Throttle, No Toil, Go Pro, Scott, The Burgess Family and my Mum and Dad; without their support I would not be here.
