San Diego Supercross Event Update

Awesome shot by Austin White. Check out www.insidermx.com
for more of his work and race updates.

Ryan Clark Event Update

San Diego Supercross

Qualcomm Stadium - San Diego, CA

February 11, 2012

Round six of the 2012 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series rolled South to San Diego for the final event before heading East. I had a decent week of training, cut a little short by a broken radiator on Wednesday which left me scrambling and unable to ride on Thursday. I was able to repair the radiator before the weekend, and was really looking forward to a positive result. On top of that, Ross Miles lent me a hand with the mechanical duties and freshened up my trusty steed before battle.

Saturday was an early morning, as my family and I were staying in Huntington Beach with a friend. I got through tech inspection and sound with ease, and headed out to the track walk. The track looked fairly technical, with a really long whoop section and a few treacherous rhythms. I was excited to get on my 2012 Kawasaki KXF450 and get it dialed in.

Practice went a little better this weekend, and I was easily into the program with a 50.3 lap time. This left me with the 14th gate pick in the first 450cc Supercross Heat Race. I had a couple good laps in practice, but I was having a tough time finding a flow around the track.

The first heat started off great, with a solid jump off the gate and a great position around the first corner. Unfortunately, the guy ahead of me opted not to jump the rhythm section and I went from around fifth back to 12th in one fell swoop. It was really frustrating to be up that far and lose it all at once, but I guess I should have chosen a better line. From there, I was just off my rhythm, much like in practice. My lap times were okay, but I made mistake after mistake, and failed to make the transfer with a 14th place finish.

In the LCQ there were quite a few solid riders, so I knew I would need the start if I had any shot at the transfer. Out of the gate I was decent, but going into the first corner I got pushed wide and was near the tail end of the pack. I started picking off riders right away, but being that buried in the pack never leaves you a good line choice. I was able to methodically work up to eighth place by lap six, but that was six places shy of the transfer to the main event. 

I was extremely disappointed with my ride at San Diego. I felt that I had a really good opportunity in the heat race, and I was unable to take advantage of it. My arm is now almost 100%, but my mind is still struggling to get in the racing groove. I am hoping that a change of soil next week at Dallas will give me the boost I need to pick up my pace and get in the all-important main event.

Thank you to all my supporters for sticking with me through the injury and recovery. I am doing all I can to get back on track as quickly as possible.

All the best,

Ryan Clark

facebook.com/teamsolitaire

twitter.com/teamsolitaire

I use and endorse the following products:

Motivite Nutritional Products, Mastel Linens, M2R Helmets, HoyFox Toyota, LeoVince Exhaust, Nuclear Blast Records, Enjoy Mfg, FLY Racing, Vortex, RK Chain, Excel Rims, Dunlop, Graeme Brough Suspension, Hinson Racing, North Valley Racing, The Dirt Lab, All Balls, Motion Pro, Dragon, Leatt Brace, DT1 Filters, CP Pistons, ARC Levers, ITAS, Rockwell and Gaerne.

I Didn't Say I Was Powerful, I Said I Was a Wizard

The last three weeks got away from me.  I am the first to admit that it didn't go exactly as planned.  The important stuff in life is grand.  My girlfriend is amazing (and very pregnant), my kids are the eternal holders of my heart and I am still feeling physically strong.  On the flip side, I am not amassing enough money to launch a serious push for 2012 Supercross or really begin to claw my way out of post-marital-monetary-debt.  I am also in mental purgatory.  I need to get a job to earn money to get to Supercross, but doing so would surely eliminate any chance I have at making Supercross my job.  It's a bit of a conundrum.  At this point I just have to believe in myself enough to go with my gut instinct, which tells me that if I just twist the throttle than all the other things will work themselves out.

My view over the last two weeks has looked like the photograph above.  I have spent many, many, many hours in everything from a Skid Steer to a Skip, a Water Truck to a Rubber Tire Loader.  I have built a new Arenacross track, rebuilt my Supercross track, pounded dozens of T-posts, set concrete poles, strung wire, graded roads and picked up trash.  All of this was done to improve our training compound in hopes of having a better facility to prepare for the rapidly approaching Anaheim 1.  The tracks are all but complete, the fencing is nearly congruent and the concrete for the new gate posts is set.  I am excited for this place, there is much potential.  Potential far beyond what I set out to create.

Vet Rider Clinic participants Chris Kelly and Michael Larance talk lines.

In between all day tractor sessions, I have been doing some group and private training sessions at Speedworld.  It is rewarding for me to see riders improve, especially when they may have been stuck in a bad habit that I was quickly able to correct.  Like anything, it takes consistent training and a lot of repetition to break bad habits, which is why I decided to focus on small group training as much as possible.  For $100 per month, you get two, three-hour small group sessions.  With continued training, we can address issues and keep focused on improvement throughout the year for a much more reasonable cost.  If you are interested in joining either the Vet or Young Rider group classes, please e-mail me at mxculture@yahoo.com.  We meet every other Thursday at Speedworld.

Colonel Clark commands his little sister's attention.

I will leave the best for last: my kids.  Although they wear me out, they also keep me grounded and focused on the future.  I realize how fortunate I am to have them, and how much motivation they give me to succeed.  Three years ago I loved them and enjoyed being their father, but I didn't exactly know what that meant.  Today, a little better for the wear, I understand the things they need from me as well as the things I get from them.  Every day I am thankful to know them and, hopefully, lead them toward their own successes (and failures). I am so excited to add to my family a new baby boy.    

I try to teach my children to reach for the moon.

Quads: Not Just for Girls Anymore

Dustin Nelson shredding his couch.  Photo courtesy Dustin Nelson.

Question: What is the hardest thing about riding a quad?
Answer: Telling your parents you're gay.

I am not going to sugar-coat it, I have had a long-time hatred for quads.  Let's face it, they ruin more motocross tracks than all encroaching subdivisions combined.  Ten or so years ago, my childhood friend/competitor and someone I always tried to emulate, Dustin Nelson, switched from two wheels to four.  He was (and still is) a Yamaha test rider, and during quad testing realized he was pretty damn good on four wheels.  He was amazing on two-wheels as well, but just had a string of injuries that prevented him from reaching his full potential.  Dustin was one of those kids that was not just good at everything, he was GREAT at everything.  And it drove me crazy.

Seven months ago I was forced to re-evaluate my stance on quads.  The girl I was falling in love with had worked in the quad industry as a magazine editor for years, and she swore to me that quad racing was fun, relaxed and just a totally different atmosphere than the pompous, overpaid assholes I have always been forced to hang out with.  After meeting many of them at the Indy Trade Show, I had to agree.  I was slowly being won over by the couch racers.

This weekend the QuadX Series made a stop at Speedworld MX, and my old pal Dustin Nelson was rolling into town for the event.  He came over to the house and had breakfast Saturday morning, and we did a little bench racing and reminiscing about old times.  I had actually moved in with he and his family in El Cajon, California for the second semester of my seventh grade year to compete in the Golden State National Series.  That evening, we caught the tail end of his second moto, the moto that clinched yet another championship for Dustin.  Congratulations, Dustin.  You are still the bad ass I remember you to be.

So to sum this quad story up, I still don't like them but I no longer hate them.  They should not ever share a track with a dirt bike, and in my opinion anything with four wheels should have a steering wheel.  And Can-Am Spiders can suck it, while we are on the subject.

9/11 also marked my daughter's fourth birthday.  She is and will always be my little girl, and words just cannot describe how much joy she and her brother bring to my life.  Happy Birthday to my baby girl.

This weekend was also my first soccer game of the outdoor season.  I played pretty well, but my feet are killing me, likely due to my ten year old shoes.  My mom is in town and she is buying me a new pair tomorrow since I am broke at the current moment.  Thanks, Mom.

I hope everyone had a great weekend and best wishes for an amazing week.  RC