Block Passing With Broc Tickle - Dirt Rider Magazine

A properly performed block pass will gain you a race position and leave little opportunity for the other rider to get a quick repass. Pro Circuit's Broc Tickle demonstrates while taking the lead at the 2011 supercross opener with a block that he admits was a little dirtier than he'd intended. He warns amateur racers that there is a time and a place for this type of pass. Time-when it can be done without riding dirty, and without either rider crashing. Place-a 180-degree bowl turn. Show us, Broc!

1. "It's best to pass someone as soon as you catch them, when they're off guard and don't realize you're that close. If I come in too hot and am going to get ahead of them before they pivot, I'll slow down so they can't cut under me and block pass me right back. I get close enough to where they can see me, that way they let off the gas."

_ 2. "I felt kinda bad about this pass because it was a little dirtier than I thought it was going to be. I came in too hot and kind of used Christian Craig as a bumper. But it slowed me down and broke his momentum. You don't have to hit the other rider, but I like to touch a little bit so they can't respond back."_

_ 3. "If I were a quarter second behind in this photo, I'd be in a bad situation. You want to get your shoulder and elbow in front of the other rider's. If you hit the rear of his bike when he's coming out of the corner, you're probably going to fall over. Make sure you're in front of them when you're making the contact, then they can't really do anything."_

_ 4. "You want to make the pass in the middle of the corner so they don't have an option to square you back up. Here I block the other rider's line, which is basically what a block pass is. Christian Craig did a good job and actually did pass me back, and then Josh Hansen got me, so this block pass was good but I could have done it at a better time. The pass slowed us both down, something you don't want to do when someone is close behind you."_