Three rounds to go! This weekend’s WW Ranch Motocross Park round should be the toughest physical test on the 2020 calendar. It won’t be the brutal June sauna that we saw last year, but it will still be a warm day on a rough track. For a series that hasn’t seen heat or humidity, maybe this will be a round where much is asked of rider fitness. The track could very well be the roughest of the series, too. After a mild day on a well-manicured Spring Creek track, motocross reality will be waiting in north Florida.

WW Ranch is two hours away from the training facilities that most of the riders spend their summers at. That holds true for the Orlando based facilities like the Baker’s Factory, El Chupacabra Ranch, The Moto Sandbox, and Red Dog Academy but also southern Georgia camps like Millsaps Training Facility, Georgia Practice Facility, and Justin Barcia’s facility. In short, it’s a very convenient round for most of the riders. That means they will be home Saturday night in their beds and wake up Sunday morning at home. For the racing, this means nothing but it’s a cool, rare aspect for this round.

Dirty Little Secrets

The WW Ranch track is sandy. No, it’s not Lommel level sand but it’s still the sandiest track on the calendar aside from the usual stop at Southwick. Coming from Spring Creek, riders won’t have to change their bikes all that much. Last year, riders were at Thunder Valley the prior weekend and would require huge changes in ECU (altitude) and suspension (hard pack to sand). If they do make changes, it would likely just be a clicker change to stiffen the suspension for the heavier dirt. For those that were not using the “scoop” tire at Spring Creek, they will certainly be switching to the most aggressive option for WW Ranch.

For most, riding sand is nothing new. Even those who grew up in areas where sand is scarce, learning to ride sand is a prerequisite for motocross success. Learning to reposition body weight (sand riding dictates being a bit further back than hard pack) is a lesson that takes time to perfect. It’s also a learned technique to let the front tire float across loose sand instead of the “planted” feel that hard pack provides.

WW Ranch requires more energy to ride because of the sand and also the fast pace of the layout so watch for who’s strong at the end of the moto’s. With only three rounds left, it might be an uphill fight for those who are feeling the burn with 10 minutes left to go. Not only will they be hotter than they have been so far this season, they could also be facing a deterioration in motivation knowing that the season is almost over.