Qualifying and heat races

Qualifying is the part of a race event that decides who makes it into the main race and in which order riders start. In road racing it is normally a timed session where the fastest lap counts. In motocross and supercross it can be timed practice, heat races, or both.

A heat race is a shorter preliminary race. The top finishers go straight to the final, while the rest may get another chance in a last-chance qualifier (LCQ). A good result also gives a better gate pick in motocross, which matters a lot for the start.

For amateur riders, qualifying is a good reason to warm up properly and plan one clean, fast lap rather than taking risks on every lap.