Rider Interview - Durel "Rud"

Durel's journey to the track started in France, where he competed in the grueling 24-hour rollerblade competition at Le Mans. After moving to the U.S., a visit to a motorcycle expo in 2018 reignited his passion for speed. By 2019, he was tearing up tracks and never looked back.

I had the chance to catch up with Durel, known as "Rud" on the track (a clever reverse of his name), to talk about his experience and share a few track days with him over the past couple of years.

Let’s dive in!

Let’s start with the basics—how did you first get into motorcycles, and what made you decide to take that leap onto the track?

Quite a long story.

I used to be on different wheels back when I lived in France, Europe - ROLLERBLADES!

Speed and endurance were my specialties. Many people know the 24 hours of Le Mans for cars and motorcycles, but there are all kinds of 24 hours at the Bugatti circuit. One of them was skating for 24 hours.

I did it for 8 years; it was physically demanding.

One of my skating partners started including me in his friend circle. These guys would speak a language I didn’t understand: motorcycle talk.

I was so intrigued by their passion for motorcycles that it was only right for me to get my license to fit in. I bought a bike, and they started taking me to Le Mans (Full circle) to watch MotoGP. My first time was shocking, the speed, the crazy fans, the noise and burning tires in the village all night

My friend worked for a big motorcycle company; he would often be invited to ride at Le Mans. He would tell us how cool it was and who pro riders were there.

The other friends started going to a local track, too. I wanted to do the same, but my friend gave me the best advice at the time: not to do it because I would lose all my money. My student pocket change was not enough anyway. 😅

Fast forward, I came to the US.

I went to the motorcycle expo in 2018. I grabbed a brochure from an STT (Sport Bike Track Time) stand. Decided to live that dream finally.

I followed the instructions and picked up new gear and tires like I was all-in. I did my first track day at the start of the 2019 season—a big mistake—because I haven’t stopped since.

Two seasons in, I quit street riding and still haven’t looked back.

Thinking back to your first track day, what was going through your mind when you rolled out for that first session?

I was overwhelmed with excitement and nervousness at the same time. The disbelief of fulfilling an almost forgotten or what I thought was an impossible dream for me made it magical.

You’ve made the jump from Novice, to Intermediate to Advanced, what were the biggest challenges along the way, and what clicked to help you break through each level?

I was trying to go fast in Novice and wasn’t learning anything at all.

I would listen to my coaches and have a plan. Once on track, the excitement of twisting the throttle would take over. My biggest issue was target fixation.

When I took advantage of coaches in almost every session, the positive feedback started pouring in. I made progress, and as a result, I moved up. ❤️

The intermediate level is where I had the most fun, due to the huge disparity of pace between riders.

I would always target other riders and try to make a pass or find a riding buddy instead of focusing on working on something and applying the correct techniques. Therefore, I was inconsistent but having fun. Every lap was different,

It took me a while to focus on my riding rather than riding without purpose. Eventually, I realized I was not making much progress. I started seeking help from faster riders and coaches, who always gave me something to work on.

Then came trail braking, one day I went hot in a corner. Had no other choice than holding the brake lever, I naturally let go slowly. When I made the corner, I could not believe it. Right away I was addicted to how good that felt. My riding took a leap when I mastered it after hours of practice.

The advanced group wasn’t fun at first; everyone would fly by me, which put some pressure on me. That self-pressure forced me to ride on the limit and make lots of mistakes. I was tired after two laps because I was pushing everything and thinking I was flying. hehe

I knew then that I had so much work ahead. The first thing was to slow everything in my head by working on my vision, being consistent and predictable.

Next, learn from everyone, one corner at a time. The pace started to come, I was able to follow some riders more than one corner and see what they were doing. Turning early is my challenge to this day. Work in progress.

Now I ride comfortably in my group, always striving for progress, keep being safe and a better rider.

What’s a piece of advice you wish you had been given earlier in your track journey?

To start on a smaller bike if able to do so, knowing I would be doing this for a long run, it would have been better to learn my fundamentals on a smaller bike instead of fighting the power I had underneath me.

If you had to describe your riding style in three words, what would they be and why?

1. Traditional.
   I try to keep my bike upright as much as possible to reduce the lean angle. Working on shifting my body more inside the corner. Looking back in the intermediate group, it was not always this way. I leaned on purpose, you know, to have my knee down ah ah ah. Now, there is a bit of fear of losing traction and having the bike washing underneath me.

2. Smooth,
   I do not exaggerate my actions to avoid upsetting the bike. I make myself small and light on the bike, and I am gentle with my input.

3. Conservative,

   There is no prize at a track day. I tend not to find my limit even though I get carried away occasionally like most of us. 😎 I ride taking less risk and don’t use a lap-timer. I don’t want to be disappointed and I don’t want it to get to my head, so I push unnecessarily.
   
   I respect my fellow riders and leave them space when needed to avoid any unnecessary outcomes. Unfortunately, I tend to be stuck behind riders when I need to make a pass because I think about it, and then it is usually too late.

What’s been your most memorable or wildest track moment so far, good or bad?

I would say that riding COTA was the best experience of my riding journey. From my day discovering MotoGP to becoming a big fan of the sport and watching them riding that iconic track. The goal was to see MotoGP Racing live, which I haven’t done so far, but somehow I found myself riding there twice and cannot wait to return. It is my favorite track.

The least memorable was last year; I had a high side due to a mechanical issue. I came out of it OK, yet it shook me a bit and left me working on getting my confidence back.

Track days can be intense—what’s your favorite way to wind down after a long day of riding?

Indeed, it is. Recovery is really important, especially on back-to-back weekends.

I usually give myself a couple of days of effortless activities. Unfortunately, most of us have to work the following day, outside of my contributions at work.

The couch is my best friend when possible. Resting, hydrating, and healthy eating (working on it) are part of my routine.

What’s the best (or worst) piece of track advice you’ve ever been given?

The best advice is not to spend money on unnecessary and fancy parts but rather invest in my seat time. I did exactly that. I also stayed on the same bike since I started and made changes when I felt that it was the right time to do so. I like to take my time when it comes to upgrading.

A good example is that this year will be the first time being on slick tires, overdue, but I have something to be excited about to start this season. The truth is that I’m broke. :)

The worst would probably be, “Go Race; you will be faster.” I cannot imagine racing early in my debut, rubbing elbows with other riders.

Death wish. 💀

 If your track day had an official soundtrack, what would be your theme song?

I’ll have to go with "Till I Collapse"  by Eminem. Great song for extra motivation. Specially on those hot days.