Board Track Racing

Board track, the motordrome, it was a type of racing motocross, popular in the United States between the second and third decades of the 20 th century, where competition was conducted on the race courses with oval surfaces consisting of wooden planks. Although the tracks frequently used motorcycles, many different types of racing cars competed also enough to see the majority of the decade of the 1920 American national championship races contested in such halls.

Despite the fact that since the beginning of 1930, board track racing had fallen out of favor, and ultimately obsolescence, taking into consideration both the perceived risks and the high cost of maintenance for racing wood panels, several of the most important aspects, including technical emphasis on raw speed produced by the sudden slip, profuse road width to allow overtaking stable between competitors, and the development of large-scale grandstands surround many of the lessons have continued to affect the American motorsports philosophy to the present day.

The first track of the vessel opened at the Los Angeles Coliseum Motordome near Playa del Rey, California, on April 8, 1910. Based on, and use the same technology as the French velodromes used for cycling, the song and others like it were created in a 2 inch x 4-inch boards, and saves up to 45 °, and some places, such as Fulford-by-the -- Sea and Culver City, boasting unconfirmed bankings higher than 50 ° or more. Around half a dozen sections to two miles long had been opened by 1915. By 1931 there were 24 pieces of operation of the vessel, including the tracks in Beverly Hills, California, Atlantic City, New Jersey, and Brooklyn, New York. The pieces of the vessel popped up due to the simplicity of construction and the low cost of wood

Skydiving training methods

The Basics

First, you will need to find a skydiving school with a good reputation. This is a fairly easy thing to do. The internet, phone book, and local airports are full of them. Next, you will need to check your pocket book. Skydiving is one of the more expensive sports to learn. Then, you will need to decide how you want to learn. There are three methods of training: tandem, static line, and Accelerated Free Fall (AFF). All of these methods have their benefits and drawbacks, but we will touch more on those a little later.

What's First?

Health and Safety.
First, you must consider health and safety. Know the risks involved before you get involved. Skydiving is not chess; you will not be sitting on an uncomfortable concrete bench moving your pieces around a game board. You are going to step out of an airplane and, in freefall, will reach speeds of up to 250 feet per second… that is 110 miles per hour!! If you have a bad ticker, unregulated high blood pressure, or any number of other health problems, speak to an instructor and discuss your options in detail. Also keep in mind, even the best of the best in this sport sometimes hit the ground a little harder then they intend to. So, bad knees may also be a consideration. DO NOT be afraid or embarrassed to discuss these things with your instructor before making that first jump. It is always preferable to hit the ground safely then to plant yourself in it. Truthfully though, with the proper preparations and instruction you would be more likely to develop cataracts from reading this article then suffer a serious injury from skydiving. Listen to your instructors, know your equipment, and never assume you know how to do something just because you saw it in a movie.

Which Training Method To Use?

Training Methods
As I researched information, I discovered that there are three approved methods of training to become a licensed skydiver, the Tandem jump, the Static jump, and the Accelerated Free Fall (AFF).

Tandem
The tandem jump is the easiest and quickest method to get into the air. With ground training typically lasting about 30 minutes, you will then jump out of an airplane while strapped to the chest of a professional Tandem Instructor. After three or four of these jumps and completion of the approved First Jump Course (ground school), a student may then move on to the next level.

Tandem jumping, however, does provide an opportunity for the adventurous spirit who may not quite meet the physical or proficiency requirements for the static line or accelerated free fall jumps. By relying on tandem instructor's skills, it may still be possible to experience the extreme thrill of skydiving.

Static Line
Static line skydiving was developed by the military as a safety measure for paratroopers. It is used for instant and reliable deployment of parachutes at a relatively low altitude, about 2000 - 3000 feet. Basically what happens is a specially designed cord is attached to the plane and to your parachute. As you step away from the plane, the cord immediately deploys your parachute for you. No fuss - no muss. After about two of these jumps the student begins demonstrating mock-pulls of a dummy ripcord. After about three of these jumps the student is then ready for their first free fall.

Accelerated Free Fall
This is the way to go for the adrenalin junky out there. Why? You get to free fall from jump one!! Of course this method is a little more expensive due to the fact that you will have two instructors jumping with you, and, although you will be in free fall, the instructors will maintain hands-on contact at all times during free fall. After a few jumps like this, you will begin doing it on your own with a single instructor giving more advice and training. This method will get you your class a license a little faster.

Training Completed!! Really?

After Class
After you have completed 4 to 5 hours of ground school training and have made 25 jumps, you are qualified for a license and can keep going all the way to your D license, requiring 500 jumps. But once you have your license, are you really done? The answer to that question is no. As with any skill, you never learn everything. There is always going to be that next skill level to work towards. New equipment and techniques are being developed every day. So the only thing left to do now is to get started! Have fun and good jumping!

Racing ATVs at any Level

Those of you who enjoy riding all terrain vehicles as a sport know the wide spread competition among ATV racers. Some ATVers race their quads recreationally amongst their friends and others are much more serious racers. The serious ATV riders compete in races around the United States, some even around the world. These racers are most likely amateur or professional grade, meaning ATV racing is their life.

Along with dirt bikes, ATV quads are a type of motocross racing in most cases. Other ATV riders race in cross country competitions, such as the tournament in Las Vegas where riders race miles across the Mojave Desert. In the ATVing and off road racing world, there are many already well established annual competitions in places such as Arizona and California, just to name a few.

Each race, whether it is a traditional tournament or a newly established competition, will include a different ranking of racers. Some competitions are designated as professional races, where ATV riders are awarded the largest prizes of any competition for winning. Professional and high ranked competitions are, of course, the most popular, have the largest audience and contain the most rigorous racing trails.

>From professional ATV racing, other types of tournaments taper down to
amateur and recreational riders. All types of ATV racing competitions draw a large and diverse crowd of supporters and spectators. Racing ATVs is a very competitive sport among the participants, and even down to the smallest local races, riders are serious about their sport.
No matter how diverse the varying types of ATV races may be, the diversity within any given ATV competition is greater. Within each ATV tournament many different types of riders are involved. Whether it is a single race or a series of races, riders are classified into racing groups, which are the riders they will be competing against essentially.

The racing classifications are determined by different standards, depending on the rank of competition you are involved in. The type of ATV you drive, its capabilities and motor classification are the main determining factors in grouping ATV racers. In 2004 the standards and rules changed for which class you and your ATV fall in, and they will continue to change as administrators figure out what rules run the best races.

As a result of the multiple classifications of ATV riders, there may be several first place winners in a single race if several classifications are racing the same track at the same time. The classes of riders are only the beginning of diversity within a race. The multiple types, styles and designs of ATVs are reason for the different classes, which creates even more variety in the sport.

While the competition level among ATV racers is high, there are still those who are learning or they just enjoy racing recreationally. For these types of ATVers, you can find local trails or racing tracks. They will often coordinate ATV races with whatever riders are available and some tracks will plan a weekend tournament for all local riders.

New Year Honours for sports stars

England rugby union coach Brian Ashton and retired former captain Jason Robinson are among the sportsmen and women featured in the New Year Honours.

Ashton, who guided England to the World Cup final in October, is made an MBE and ex-Sale skipper and rugby league great Robinson becomes an OBE.

Brendan Foster, the 1976 Olympic 10,000m bronze medallist and founder of the Great North Run, is appointed CBE.

Snooker star John Higgins is made an MBE and broadcaster Des Lynam an OBE.

Gordon Taylor, the long-serving chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association, is made an OBE, as is former Arsenal goalkeeper Bob Wilson for charitable services through the Willow Foundation

Rachael Heyhoe-Flint, who captained England's women's cricket team to the inaugural World Cup title in 1973, also becomes an OBE. She was the first woman to sit on the committee of the formerly men-only Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC).

Peter Jones, the former chairman of the Tote, is appointed CBE for services to racing.

Brian Cookson, president of the British Cycling Federation, is made an OBE, as is Mick Gault, who won 15 Commonwealth Games medals in shooting.

MCC head coach Clive Radley, ex-runner Derek Ibbotson and Frederick Seaward, head groundsman at Wimbledon, are all made MBEs.