Racing means crashing. It is not an “if,” it is a “when.” And usually, it happens at the worst possible time.
When your kid goes down in a morning practice session, the clock instantly starts. You hear the announcer call a red flag, you see the crash cart head out, and your stomach drops. Once you confirm he is physically okay, the real panic sets in: you have exactly 20 minutes before qualifying to make the bike safe to ride again.
It is organized chaos. We drag the bike into the pits and Jamie starts triaging. The rearset is bent at a 45-degree angle. The clutch lever is snapped. The fairing is dragging on the front tire.
Jamie has learned to work fast. We learn that a heavy rubber mallet can fix a surprising amount of bent aluminum. We learn that zip-ties and duct tape are structural components.
In those 20 minutes, other dads will often sprint over to our canopy with spare parts or an extra set of hands. It’s a frantic, sweaty blur of wrenches and adrenaline.
When Jamie finally torques the last bolt and pushes the bike back to the grid with 30 seconds to spare, it is an incredible rush. But it also teaches you the golden rule of minimoto: always, always pack spare clip-ons.