Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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area where he still feels the need to improve. "That's what separates the men from the boys," he said. "It gives me something to aspire to. But I love coming here because the whole thing isn't stuffy. No one is walking around here with a big chip on their shoulder. It's organized, but it doesn't feel regimented or stuffy. A guy with credentials like Chris Carr has could be a snob, but he isn't. And Johnny Murphree has taken me aside and helped me on several occasions. It seems like he has a genuine interest in seeing me improve." Monty and Lana Rast of Orangeburg, South Carolina, are a flat-track racing husband-and-wife team who compete at the Mid-Carolina Speedway in Neeses, South Carolina. Both found American Supercamp to be well worth their time. "What really helped me was to get the idea of countersteering out of my head and also how to get back on top of the [rearl tire after initiating the turn," Monty Rast said. "This was also the first time that I ever turned right on dirt." Rast said that the course was well worth the money. "These guys are really good instructors," he said. "They are very good at spotting your weak points as you are riding, and it's kind of fun when they get behind you and start hollering. The video also helps a Jot. Just clownin' around: Carr (left) and Walker (right) play on a pair of Honda FTR250 flat track replicas from Japan. Everyone has fun at American Supercamp • even the instructors!. It's not just for kids: AMA Grand National Champion Chris Carr (left) discusses technique with Grand National regular Jess Roeder. In fact, many top riders seek out American Supercamp for assistance in improving their own skills. Beginner or Expert, everyone is taught the same thing. I'd come back and do this again." For Lana Rast, the trip to American Supercamps was a birthday present. "I just started racing in March, so I carne here to learn everything that I can," she said. "I liked the braking drills the best. I liked the speed. I was able to get through the turns much better after that drill. I also really learned how important it is to look where you want to go. I definitely enjoyed this 100 percent, and I'd love to come back next year." The bottom line? The vast majority of American Supercamp students come away with a taste of flat track racing and the feeling that they have learned a lot more about how to control a motorcycle in a variety of situations. They have also had loads of fun in the process. In the end, that's what it's all about, Walker says. "What we are trying to teach people is often completely different from what they have ever experienced, and sometimes they tend to get down on themselves if they're not getting it right," Walker says. "But then we'll stop those people and tell them that the first thing they need to do is smile. You'll leam better when you're having fun. If we're having fun, then we know our students are having fun. For the past six years, it has been an absolute blast." ION eye I e n e _ S • OCTOBER 30, 2002 33