The April endurance races at Brechin Motorsports Park are the unofficial kickoff to the season, and they are absolute chaos in the best way possible.
Sprint races are about pure speed, but a two-hour endurance race on mini bikes requires an entirely different strategy.
It involves rider swaps, frantic pit stops (or as close to frantic refueling as we get in minimoto), and managing pace over a long stint. The kids have to learn that you can't ride at 100% qualifying pace for an hour straight without burning out the tires or exhausting yourself.
It teaches them the golden rule of endurance racing: to finish first, first you must finish.
The pits are hilarious to watch. Dads are screaming with stopwatches, kids are practically throwing the transponders at each other during rider swaps, and everyone is trying to shake off the winter rust.
It is a fantastic team-building exercise before the high-pressure individual FIM MotoMini rounds begin. Plus, nothing builds fitness faster than a 45-minute stint on a tight kart track in early spring.