Granlund's supermoto school...
Granlund's supermoto school is sure to help you shave seconds from your lap times.
Granlund's Supermoto Quad Racing School
If you plan on racing supermoto, especially if you don't have any TT or roadracing experience, we definitely suggest checking out Nic Granlund's Supermoto Quad Racing School. Nic's been racing ATVs for 20 years and racing supermoto since the first Stateline event in 2004. He's won the pro class four out of the last five years, so you know the instruction is coming from one of the most experienced guys in supermoto ATV racing. We took a day off to check out Nic's class to give you the inside line.
The school starts out in a classroom-type setting where Nic gives the students a brief overview of supermoto and explains some of the fundamentals of racing on pavement. They go over turning, line choice and even get into machine setup specifics like tire pressure and ride height. Then the class heads out to the track, but not on quads. Nic walks the class through each section of the course, showing them the fastest and most efficient lines. They focus on single turns and sections at a time, but then string them together so the students have a clear plan for the entire track.
Now it's finally time to lay down some rubber. Nic takes the class around the different sections of the track in a snakelike formation with each student taking a turn behind Nic, following his line. After that, the students continue to run the course while Nic stands in the middle of the track, forcing them to either go around him or turn inside of him to make sure they're taking the correct line. That was a little nuts for me, but it seemed to work because before long, the students began taking the right lines and Nic didn't end up a pavement stain. The sections they run are sometimes as small as two to three turns, and they'll run them as many as 20 times so that the students can make sure they're nailing the turn and committing it to their memory for the race.
The rest of the day continues in much of the same fashion, moving to the other road sections and eventually to the motocross track. The students also take turns practicing their starts on pavement with Nic's instruction. The last part of the day is left for a few open practice sessions where the students get even more seat time to get the track nailed and dial in on what they've learned.
OK, maybe those whoops are...
OK, maybe those whoops are harder than they look.
Nic holds the class every year on Thursday before the event, and at $300, it's definitely a worthwhile investment. It's not very often you have the opportunity to get personal instruction from a seasoned pro, not to mention on the exact same track you're going to be racing that weekend. The class undeniably gave the students a leg up in the race. Almost all of them either won their classes or finished respectably. Nic's school definitely helped them ride smoothly and safely on race day. So if you're interested, don't forget to check this out for next year's race.
For more information, contact Nic at 702/375-1873 or nicgracing@aol.com.