Rich Oliver's Mystery School

www.richoliver.net
559-855-3089

Class: Flat track racing

Who Runs It: Oliver dominated the 250 GP class with 70 victories and five national championships. In his last year of racing, he led every lap of every race.

Where It Is: His front yard. Literally. When he retired from racing, Oliver wanted to get as far from motorcycles as possible. That didn't last. On a secluded ranch an hour from Fresno, he turned his driveway into a flat track, added a few turns and, before he knew it, he was teaching basic to advanced flat track. Oliver invites you into his house, and his wife Karen -- a skilled racer herself -- is a great cook. Think of this as a bed-and-breakfast gone ballistic.

What You Ride: Yamaha TT 125 dirt bikes, outfitted for flat track

What You Learn: Oliver says the Mystery School gets its name from the ancient Greek cults, which would select students and train them in exotic disciplines. It also refers to his experience as a racer: "No one tells you anything." When he joined the Kenny Roberts Team, he learned that to go fast on a pavement track, you had to practice in the dirt. It's softer, cheaper and more forgiving. Street riders who feel their rear tire slide are inclined to panic; experienced racers use the same slide to hang the back of the bike into a corner and drift. Once the bike is headed in the right direction, they pull the trigger and power slide out the exit. The lesson: The edge is not the edge. The edge is just the path to a different form of control.

Crux Move: Perhaps you've seen images of flat track racers, the iron "hot boot" planted, the bike pushed down almost to the ground, the rear tire kicking up a rooster tail, and wondered, "How did they get in that position?" It's the result of a series of decisive, but simple acts. Stomping the rear brake. Cutting the throttle. Downshifting without bothering to use the clutch. Shifting your weight to the outside peg and your butt to the outside of the seat. Extending your leg. Do it all in a single declarative act, and do it right, and it's a romp into pure joy.

Cost: Courses run one to four days; prices range from $195-$1575

Photos: Courtesy Rich Oliver's Mystery School

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