Arlington Supercross
Arlington, Texas - February 22, 2020
AT&T Stadium or Cowboy Stadium as I like to call it, not for being a Cowboy’s fan but saying “Cowboy” is way cooler and more Texan than the name of the stadium’s sponsor. When in Texas, you have to embrace the Cowboy theme at least a little and use the Texas slogan, “everything is bigger in Texas” at least once. I don’t know if the stadium is any bigger than the others, but it’s definitely really nice and has a huge projector screen (probably the largest of its kind).
This round is usually (not this year) the turning point in the season when we (the Supercross series) shift from west to east. The feeling of going east for me (when beginning at the opener) added hope and excitement. It’s a milestone entering the mid part of the series and seemed to provide a sense of new beginnings if short of target goals. If you’re doing well in the series it’s nice to look forward to continuing the upward trajectory but nonetheless, it’s a change of scenery and more familiar grounds for me. Perhaps going in and out of southern California during the first six rounds so when pulling out for good, saying goodbye to our campground friends, the realization of rounds clicking off rapidly sets in. The long drive too could be what always put me in a deep state of reflection, resulting in having the perception this particular round is different than the rest.
This year it’s our second race and we drove west to get there, but I couldn’t help but feel the same feelings from the past. That is what is really interesting about Supercross. Often times riders will have favorite stadiums which are usually associated with good historic results. It’s the feelings of the results or happy moments that they or we attach to since the track is different every year. It’s not like motocross where it’s about the same track every year. The next time you hear a rider say how they love a place (if it’s a Supercross), think along the lines of they like the city, restaurants, or the travel/ commute there, people, or past results. A small reason could be the dirt but it’s not every reason.
Wednesday & Thursday- Two travel days from Brooksville, Florida to Arlington, Texas. In the rig, we average 50-55 miles per hour in total travel time (between driving and stopping for fuel, etc.). The RSR powered by Yuasa Battery rig goes down the road at 60 and 65 miles per hour. Anything more than that doesn’t make for happy tires or a happy driver. The tires are rated for 70mph but I don’t like to push it with the rig. I try to be easy on our equipment, as it’s our safety and lifeline getting to the races each week and successfully completing race seasons. In addition, cruising easily can be relaxing, listening to music, or sitting still (which sometimes is a rarity). Though I’m guilty of my legs going that can make a car or small SUV feel like an engine misfire! Our trip was just shy of 1,100 miles giving us around 22 hours of driving to do in two days. Everything went very smoothly despite strong winds and thunderstorms Wednesday afternoon/evening. We arrived Thursday just in time to park in our designated spot for the weekend. Oh, how nice it is to be at the venue parked in your spot. It’s the time to breathe a sigh of relief and open up a nice cold bottle of … Pedialyte.
Friday- Early morning press was on the agenda. We love press to get more media exposure for our sponsors and get to practice the track which is a huge advantage. During the riding sessions, I noticed my chain making noise. This started the week prior in Tampa and was on my mind all week. Anyone close to me knows how particular I am about chain brand, tension, and ride time (time on the chain). This came from having my worst injury going into the 2016 Supercross season. My chain broke in a rhythm section sending me over the handlebars and causing significant damage to my left distal radius and ulna. I was fortunate to have surgery a few hours later with one of the best doctors in Tallahassee Florida. Based on extensive damage to the wrist joint, he didn’t know if I would ever race again. With a successful surgery (thanks to Dr. Berg), many blessings, an unwavering desire to do therapy multiple times a day, and excellent nutrition guidance thanks to Doctor Edwards at Tailwind Consulting, we were able to beat the odds.
Going back to the Arlington press session, I had changed the rear wheel and chain from Tampa, thinking it had to do with the chain more than anything. The only thing it could be that I didn’t change was the chain guide. Visually it checked out as being straight and such, but after putting on a new one it fixed the issue. Because of this, I didn’t ride as much as I could have in the press but it’s better to be safe than sorry. The real purpose of my being there is to do a live interview and promote the event. This is Feld Entertainment’s last-ditch effort to sell more tickets. I had an interview that was about three minutes long. We talked about expecting our first child, triple crown format, and the “14 acres of fun” fan vest. It was a successful morning at the office in Arlington.
Later on, our friends from Legends and Heroes stopped by to help set up the canopy. We set up, finished bike work, went food shopping, got gas for the bike, did a 40-minute live video, and settled in for the night. Having our own RV is a lot of work getting to the races but once there, it’s best to have your own space, food, etc. It’s also amazing to wake up and look out the window at the stadium skyline. It puts adrenaline in your veins! The entire time at the events is about performing the best we can on and off the track.
Managing workflow is important being mainly a two-person show (Brooke and I). We both wear many hats. Common phrases on and around race day are “what do you want to eat”, “did we respond to said sponsors request for next weekend”, “I submitted the order”, and “what do you think about this idea”, “did said sponsor stop by yet”, “how’s the bike coming along”, “did you secure the canopy”, “how are we on water”, “is your gear ready”, “did you charge the radios”.
Saturday- Triple crown format always brings more intensity throughout the pits. The pressure to get better qualifying practice times is never greater. At every level, it’s critical to log the best time that you can for gate pick. i.e. If you finish 10th, you are going to the first main event with the 10th gate pick and not 5th like in normal formats where you have two heat races. For the riders on the bubble for the top 18, they are pushing the total limit as well. You don’t want to be 19th or 20th and have to go to the LCQ. For me, I qualified 28th and lined up in the LCQ 10th. That’s not the best gate pick but just good enough to find a capable gate. The start is important and having a good gate is a huge factor in getting around the first turn up front.
Going to the line we learned that Adam Cianciarulo, unfortunately, broke his clavicle in practice and wasn’t lining up for the races. This meant the LCQ would be taking five riders to the main event instead of the usual four. I earned a third-place start and battled in fifth for most of the race. I crossed the finish line in fifth getting three main event tickets for the night show! It was really helpful knowing they were taking five so I didn’t have to race fourth place too hard. Last year the triple crown in Detroit, I battled for fourth so hard I ended up getting taken out and they took five that night too after Cole Seeley had been sidelined from a practice incident. We didn’t know about Cole Seeley being out until after the race.
We were so pumped to be in the three main events that night. This was the second triple crown that I have qualified for (the first one being Anaheim 2, 2019). It makes all the long days, suffering in training, bike work, and other sacrifices worthwhile. It’s extremely gratifying being among the elite riders to line up (in the main events) in the world’s most prestigious series, AMA Supercross. After three practices, bike work, autographic signing, a meet and greet, an LCQ, three races, tearing down the setup, and moving into a different parking lot, it’s safe to say we were both extremely exhausted by that time. The high of the night was still there though, (which overpowered all physical and mental fatigue) and would remain in effect until the next day. I typically don’t sleep well the night after the race, as I’m all hyped up with emotions. It isn’t until the next day when the adrenaline wears off and the Supercross hangover (a saying we used when you’re so exhausted from race day) comes into full swing. Sunday night, after being in a fog all day, is when I lay down and go lights out to the world. We thank Cowboy Stadium and all our sponsors for being good to us! On to ATL!
-Ronnie
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The following photos were taken by Rob Koy @robkoyphoto.
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