A TT, it stands for Tourist Trophy in case you were wondering, is different from the ovals dirt track riders usually
compete on. A TT track will have different radius left turns, a right turn, and a jump. TTs are somewhat rare in
amateur dirt track. This is the only one in Minnesota, and because of that, it typically brings out a few more riders.
As well as being a District 23 round, it was also a round of the Vintage Dirt Track Rider Association (VDTRA). Many
of the VDTRA riders traveled a considerable distance to get to this race.
After getting the bike set up, I took a trip through the pits and definitely saw some interesting bikes. Although
converted motocross bikes are gaining popularity, an older bike, properly set up, can still be competitive. Being an
ignorant motocross guy, I had a hard time distinguishing between the vintage bikes and some of the ones riding in the
regular classes. One thing was for sure, there’s a much wider variety of machinery than at a non-vintage motocross
race. The owners were more than happy to tell me all about their bikes. I found the people at the race to be a really
friendly group and very patient with my naive questions.
Practice cranked up sometime before noon. The first turn that I came out of, I grabbed a big handful of throttle
and went full lock sideways. Luckily the slowed down rear shock prevented a high side. It seemed to be breaking
loose everywhere and I was wondering how the tire was better than a knobby. I would have to wait for that answer.
I went out for several practice sessions. Riding this track was definitely less tiring than riding motocross.
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