The Gate Drop 

This i believe is the single most important part of any race, and it is usually overlooked by most armature racers. At no point of any race do you have the opportunity to make up so many positions on the track.

   The Gate Drop begins long before the 1 card turns sideways, and this is when your mental focus has to be at its best. Have you ever seen the old western movies where the Two gun fighters are standing in the middle of the street at high noon. These guys are focused, able to block out all distractions and surroundings. Just waiting for the other guy to flinch so they can react (hopefully faster than the other guy). This is the mind set you should have at the gate.

   Putting yourself in this state of mind should begin long before you reach the gate, even before you reach staging. Actually you should begin getting focused when you start putting on your gear. Use this time to start getting pumped up! Fire-Up your ipod, Start running laps in your head or do what ever it takes to start focusing. Ever see fighters before a fight? This is were you want to be.

   When you get to staging, Stay Focused! Get off your Quad and watch some gate drops. Take mental notes on how long it takes the starter to drop the gate (if he drops it on a 3 count or 5 count or if he mixes it up). See where the hole shots are coming from. If you have a bad gate pick, see what your best options are. Visualize good starts, your line and shift points on your way to the first corner.

   Once you get to the starting line focus on prepping your gate so that you can get the best start you can with what you have to work with. Again focus on your line and shift points. Once you roll up to the gate and get settled in, start visualizing gate drops and body position on the Quad. As you visualize flex the muscles you use as if you were actually starting, this gets them ready to react when the gate actually drops.

   Once the gate drops and you are on your way, evaluate your position. If you got a good start, focus on your line and keep it pinned! If you got a bad start, just focus on getting through the first corner the best you can. Then start attacking! You cannot make up for a bad start by trying to force your way to the front in the first corner, and you will probably end up on your head.  

                                                                                                                                                                                  QMX