Episode 132: Catalunya Wrapup with Darren Carpenter and some Senseless Blathering

Bob,

I liked your thoughts on passing. If you don't mind, I'll add my two cents to that. The thing I find exciting in motorcycle road racing is the element of race craft, which manifests itself in certain kinds of passes. Here's how I'd break the whole passing thing down:

1. drafting or on the power -- not to be confused with...
2. better drive out of preceding corner
3. outbraking -- not to be confused with...
4. blocking the racing line into the corner and taking control of the apex

I chose not to count what you called a "mistake pass" because, to me it constitutes more of someone giving up their position, rather than the other racer doing something pro-actively to help their fortune. Of course, there are numerous examples of someone psychologically "forcing" the leading rider into a mistake (Rossi-Biaggi battles), but that's a different type of race craft than just passing technique.

All these elements can be found in car racing of course, but they are not used as often due to the different relationship between vehicle and track dimensions as well as aerodynamics preventing certain types of cars from following each other into a corner too closely.

One form of passing via blocking the line often comes up in chicanes, where a number of good lines exist, each one being a compromise. So it becomes a bit of a poker game as to which line the leading rider will take without seeing what's happening behind. For instance, rider A is hounding rider B for a few corners. B knows that A is close. They approach a left-right chicane followed by a certain amount of straightaway. If B was alone, he might keep it tight out of the first apex in order to maximize the drive out of the second apex and into the straight, but he's not sure what A's plans are. If B calculates that A is planning run wide out of the lefthander and block him into the right apex, B's defense is to do that himself. But what if A's plan is to scare B into riding this defensive line, keep it tight, and criss cross his lines with B motocross style out of the righthander with a better drive (maybe helped by the draft) onto the straight? Then you have to consider differences in machine characteristics and intentional showing of "wrong" cards in practice, where everyone tries to watch everyone else they might battle with. What might look like a simple pass, often isn't.

A few superbike races ago (I forget which one it was), I seem to recall Bayliss being attacked by someone for the lead and he was trying to ride a very defensive line, slowing both down without letting the other guy pass in order to let Xaus, who was coming from behind, to catch up with them and put some heat on the rider in 2nd. The plan didn't work and Bayliss eventually had to put the hammer down and try to shake the other rider. Here's a situation, where no passing had occurred, but it was fascinating to watch a little bit of chess on two wheels. You don't get to do much of that in a sprint club race, but occasionally it happens and it's immensely fun. So us mortals can certainly partake in these games too.