Smith Optics Track Walk: Indy
For today’s Smith Optics Track Walk, Ben Evans of BTOSports.com/BBMX/Palmetto Suzuki takes you through a lap on this weekend’s Indianapolis Supercross track.
The Indianapolis Supercross is the first round of the Eastern Regional Lites division, and we West Coast riders go on a vacation! One thing to keep in mind is the East Coast dirt conditions. Out here in the West, we can usually count on hard-pack, smoother conditions, but the East is soft and develops so many more ruts. I believe the rutty conditions favor the more technical riders. It's a little harder to hang it out and scrub off every jump when it looks like someone ran a comb up the face of the triple. It will be interesting to see who starts off strong in the Lites class and who takes the points lead on the big 450s.
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This start looks like it will favor the inside to middle. I would definitely line up on the inside, because the momentum will push wide.
1. Through the first turn, it looks like the best option would be to fly up the dragon's back over the single, hit the double, and then sail over the triple. Each rider will try to avoid singling right before the big triple any way he can.
2. Off the landing of the first triple we have our first sand section. It's hard to say how rough the sand will get, but usually a nice line wears in for the main events. This next rhythm section, I would try to double off the big lip and then double out. This is a new type of obstacle to me, but maybe someone could hop over the peaked lip and triple out. You might even be able to triple off the big lip and single into the turn. The sand will make this section difficult, though.
I love big 180-degree bowl turns, and this track has lots of them. If you carry enough corner speed, a nice seat bounce might launch you over three, singling into another sand section. Hitting the double double will probably be the most common way the Lites riders go through here.
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3. This next rhythm looks like the hardest part of the whole track, especially if ruts are in the mix. Anytime I look at a section like this, you know table-to-table is the fastest way, because you stay low and carry so much forward momentum. The sand again will make this rhythm tricky coming in, but the best way would be to triple onto the table and keep floating onto the next tables. The conditions will play a factor here as to what is really reasonable, but I would probably double in and jump onto the second table, lift to next table, and then off over the last single.
4. This upcoming corner looks like a lot of fun. The goal here is to carry momentum as best as possible. You can try to scrub the singles, make sure to hit the right angles, and come off the last one ready for the whoops.
5. I think most of the passing is going to come through the next couple corners. You have a whoop section, finish line, and then another whoop section with 180-degree corners placed at every end. This really opens things up for passing because you can square up corners and up shift coming into the whoops. The guy who really wants to get by another rider will make it happen here.
6-7. After the finish you hit another shorter set of whoops, then out of the last 180-degree turn we hit our last triple into the S-turns. I believe landing on the inside will probably be the fastest way through the S-turns and down the start straight. The key is to pick the one that gives you the speed all the way down the start straight. This will help shave the most off your lap time.
