A 90 degree left hand corner sets up for a double-double and then riders fire across the start straight and past their mechanics.
Another 90 left leads to a stadium-long rhythm section. There are a few ways to attack this one, but I like one particular approach. If riders jump over the first tabletop, they can then go 3-3-2 into the next corner. Those triples allow them to jump from the smaller jumps and either clear entirely or land on the downside of taller jumps. That keeps riders low and fast, always the goal. If riders go on-off the first tabletop, they can still triple through, but they would be jumping from the tallest jumps in the section and gaining unnecessary height. It seems like a small difference, but the stopwatch would argue vehemently.
A 180 left brings riders back into the finish line jump and this is built as a triple but almost always gets adjusted to a double. I’m not sure why the triple aspect is drawn in on these and then removed almost without fail. In any case, riders will downside the landing and round a flat 180 right. This 180 will be inside dominant as there is no reason to go outside nor anything to pivot from.
Up next is the only whoops section and with a long lead in, they might remain blitzers all evening. The dirt in Houston is typically steadfast but with the winter storm just exiting, maybe there is more moisture than normal, and the jumpers get some deterioration late.
A 180 left brings riders into 5 jumps. Most of the 250 class will go 2-3 here but the quickest pathway is no doubt going 3-2. The tricky part is that getting the first triple will require a heavy seat bounce. A less effective alternative could be to hug the inside after the whoops and then going 1-2-2. I don’t foresee the 450 elite doing anything but 3-2 but every approach needs to be vetted.
Riders will cross the start in a backwards fashion and scream into a 180 right. Exiting the 180, this rhythm gets interesting on paper. The straight forward approach is to triple onto the tabletop and jump off. But the very tall single afterwards forces a reassessment. The goal would be to get up and over that tall jump and to accelerate across the first corner section and triple into the next corner. How to accomplish this is an interesting quandary. Ideally, riders would jump all the way over the tabletop but this looks challenging. Maybe a few of the 450 elite could make it? If so, they will have a gigantic edge. Watch this section and see how it shapes up. It could be critical.
A 180 left fires riders into a triple that feels non-negotiable for success and into lap two.