Motocross Madness by Franklin W. Dixon

lucky none of the other racers hit us while I was trying to help him.”
    â€œHe’ll pull through,” Joe said. “He’s been through some tough scrapes before.”
    â€œHis being out of the race sure puts Amber Hawk in a good position,” Frank commented.
    â€œYeah,” Joe agreed. “He was her main competition in this event. Even with the strange series format, I doubt anyone else will be able to beat her.”
    Frank rubbed his chin.
    Joe understood the gesture. “You’re thinking that Hawk might have had something to do with Henderson’s crash?”
    â€œIt’s possible,” Frank said. “Someone could have sabotaged his bike while he was signing autographs.”
    â€œBut she was right there, signing with him,” Joe said.
    â€œNot the whole time,” Frank noted. “And she could have had an accomplice.”
    â€œOr it could just have been an accident.”
    â€œA midair explosion like that, on a bike driven by one of the top motocross racers in the country?” Frank said. “It doesn’t seem likely.”
    â€œMaybe the police report can clue us in,” Joe said. “Your race is coming up—are you ready?”
    â€œAs ready as I’ll ever be,” Frank said, pulling on his riding gloves and helmet.
    â€œTry my tactic,” Joe said. “Go fast and make the jumps as big as you can handle. We’re not acrobats, so just try to be fast.”
    Frank drew the same heat as Paco Fernandez, who was competing to honor his sister. The elder Hardy fought hard during the race. He hit some soaring jumps and ultimately clocked a good time. It wasn’t enough to beat Paco, though, who even finished ahead of Hawk in the standings.
    Corrine’s brother seemed quite pleased with his placing. “Guess I showed that you don’t have to be famous to turn in a good ride,” he said to reporters afterward.
    Jamal did even better in his heat than Frank. He pulled off a couple of cool acrobatic moves during his run, including a no-footed can-can and a cowboy split. He posted a good time, too, and both brothers rushed to meet their friend after his run.
    â€œGreat ride, Jamal!” Joe enthused.
    â€œExcellent!” Frank agreed.
    Jamal pulled off his helmet and wiped the sweat from his forehead. “I almost skidded coming out of that cowboy,” he said. “I was lucky.”
    â€œThat was more a sign of practice than luck, Ithink,” Frank said. “Now that all of us are finished with the Mixed Freestyle, we can relax a bit while they run the rest of the heats.”
    â€œSounds like a plan,” Jamal said. “Who’s in the last run?”
    Joe checked the printed schedule they’d been given that morning. “Jules Kendallson, Marissa Hayday, Elizabeth Navarro, and two people I’ve never heard of,” he said.
    Jamal glanced over his shoulder at the paper. “Marissa should have a good chance in that group—assuming her sisters have stopped bickering long enough to prep her bike properly.”
    â€œThey seem like a pretty feisty trio,” Joe said. “What’s the deal with them?”
    â€œThey’ve done everything as a team practically since they were born,” Jamal replied. “Elena and Karina ride motocross too, and they’re pretty good. But I think they decided to maximize their winning potential by backing Marissa, who has the most experience.”
    â€œIt’s good having family to help you out in the pits,” Frank said.
    â€œYeah,” Jamal agreed. “Though it has its drawbacks, especially if a squabble breaks out.”
    â€œHey, want to grab some food?” Joe asked. “We can check the final standings afterward.”
    â€œI’d love to, but I promised Corrine I’d catch upwith her after my heat,” Jamal said. “We’ll compare notes for tomorrow’s dirt-track run later, though.