Louisville Arenacross Round 5 Privateer Race Report

Tough qualifying, awesome track, step in the right direction for Lane Shaw

Hello everyone my name is Lane Shaw and I am a privateer Pro motocross racer from Alvin, Texas following the AMSOIL Arenacross Series to gain my AMA Supercross license. I will be giving you guys my story of what it is like going to the races, training, driving from state to state, and how the races go for me along with some highlights of the racing actions.

As for my night of racing [at Round 5 in Louisville] it went really great! I qualified for the main event in the Arenacross Lites class, and I finished 10th place earning myself 2 of the 6 points I need to get my AMA Supercross license. You can say I am very happy with how my night went. But it didn’t start out so hot making for a long nerve-racking day. Making a little mistake in the rhythm section, my first qualifying session left myself with a cut on my chin and a little dough in my head. As I sat and watched the next practices, took a couple of deep breaths, and talked things over with my dad I seemed to fall back into my early easy-going mindset. The next practice would put a smile back on my face as I seemed to figure out the track a little better and go 3-seconds faster than the first practice. Feeling better on the track I was still struggling with the difficult set of whoops on the track. As the final checkered flag waved for qualifying, I found myself sitting in 27th in the AX Lites class, and 26th overall in the AX class. Although my times didn’t show it, I was feeling pretty good on the bike and was excited for the night show.

Lane Shaw at Louisville Arenacross 2017Photo by Martha Farmer, MEPMX Photography

While waiting on the pit party to stop, my father and I ran back to the hotel and grabbed a bite to eat. I think it really helped me to get away from the stadium to refuel and relax for a bit. Getting to be a part of the pit party again really made my night that much more special. Engaging with the people that make this sport go around, without my helmet on, is really something awesome. Once I signed my last autograph for the little girl that came up to me, my mindset changed and I was ready for the racing to begin. Finding myself on the back start row once again for the heat race I was excited to start the night. Jumping out to a not-so-good of a start lead to putting myself right in the middle of the carnage causing a little tip over on the first lap. Getting up I would charge back to 10th, but that wasn’t good enough to get myself in the main though it would give me a good gate pick for the LCQ. The AX class didn’t go so smooth either, sliding out in a turn while running 10th would leave me with some tweaked bars causing me to pull off early in the race. Little time to spare before the LCQ, my dad got my bars straight and back to the line we were. A good gate pick would give me the confidence I was needing to get myself into second off the start in the LCQ. Let me say, those 6 laps where the longest of my racing career, but as the checkers waved I came across the finish line in second place giving me the final transfer spot into the main event. The emotions came flying down as I rode over to my dad in the pit area. I had achieved a goal I had set out to do, and with the up and down day I faced, there was no better feeling in the world! My dad told me on the line before the main to go have some fun, and that’s what I did. As the race went on I found myself making some moves to get myself into 7th. With two laps to go, a rider tried to make a pass on me in the whoops and came into my path which made us both fall. Remounting quick, I came across the finish line in 10th. All smiles after the long day of racing couldn’t have been any happier with how my day turned out.

Lane Shaw at Louisville Arenacross 2017Photo by Martha Farmer, MEPMX Photography

It feels so great to finally make the main where I belong. All the hard work I have been putting in is starting to pay off, and it has only fueled my fire even more. Going to take the weekend's excitement into the following weeks of training to get ready for the next round. Couldn’t do any of these if it wasn’t for the awesome fans that keep this great sport going, and all my great sponsors the make this possible including: JKOPMX, Proven Moto, Yoshimura, Works Connection, Enzo, Split designs, Texas Yamaha/Powersports, Dirt Tricks, Fox, 100%, Hinson, Rk/Excel, Cycra, ODI, Motorex, Pivot works, Vertex, Cylinder works, Twin Air, Braking, Atlas, Ride Engineering, My Parents, My Grandparents, Jay Wilson, Ralph Chisholm, Joe Hammons, Andrew & Jacki Short, Coach Seiji, Kris Keefer, and all my family and friends who support me.