Swizcorner: Unadilla

August 20, 2012, 6:15pm

Every single rider out there had moments where it could have all been taken from them.

Watching the front-runners crash left and right in the first MX1 moto struck me with a gloomy thought. Much like the injury-ridden Supercross series this year, MX has also always been dangerous but we have definitely reached a point of critical mass. The winner of a given moto, achieves such a result by controlling the chaos better than the rest. A predictable handling bike has always been a key component in racing but now, more than ever, it really is paramount to a rider finishing a moto strong and healthy, or hitting the ground hard, waking in a daze or being carted off wondering where it went wrong so suddenly.

Unadilla was so rutted and unpredictably treacherous, it was nuts. Watching the leaders circulate the track at speed was not only impressive it was scary. Every single rider out there had moments where it could have all been taken from them. Whether it was the consistent issue of high speed cross-rutting, dabbing a foot for balance, a high-side shuffle- whatever the case; the difference between making it work and suffering the consequence of not recovering was so infinitesimal, I felt like I was watching an accident waiting to happen all day. And many times, they did. Those who made their lines work and dominated the day, put in some of the most impressive rides I’ve seen in truly scary rutted conditions. Just ask Jake Weimer how thin that line was between a rut working for you or showing it’s teeth as it bit you.

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