Does anybody have any info about him? Back when I was a club racer in the mid 90's, when the AMA came to BIR and I was out in practice - I got to follow him around and had never seen anybody ride a motorcycle that smoothly in my life. I believe he was riding the smokin Joe's Honda at the time. I have used the #68 since that weekend. Any info - good/bad is appreciated.
Well, the classifieds is a weird place to ask so I'll move thins but yeah, still see him around town every so often.
Far as I know,he's still in Canton Ga.I had the honor of selling him a KTM 50 for a young man he had with him years ago when I worked at Cycle Products.Always a cool ,friendly guy. If anyone knows how to get a hold of Sean,David,or Rob from the old Yamaha of Canton,Im sure they could help.
I know how to get ahold of all of them and probably have Mikes cell still but nah. Like I said, see him around, it's been a couple years now since he stopped by the office but was doing well then.
I raced a harescramble with them yrs ago in I believe Alabama.They ran A class,and was giving me advice in my C classs race. They were all pretty disgusted with my dirt riding Miss seeing those guys! Tell em to check in here when ya see rm again!
I remember watching that dude at club races w the fringed leathers riding a GSXR 1000 beating the snot out of all the kids. Fast dude and he could wheelie pretty good.
I had the honor of him being the first of many to hand me my ass during my first PN Sunday race at Tally. He was leading C Expert and I was bringing up the rear in HWT. As I got to what is now called T3 (this was before the "new" configuration") he dove underneath me in a flurry of leather fringe, followed quickly by two or three other guys passing me on either side while my ass progressively drew up tighter and tighter and I desperately tried to hold what I laughingly called "my line." Good times.
Smith was one of the clutch in and click all the downshifts off then let out the clutch guys wasn't he? Crazy way to enter a corner.
i started club racing in 2003, and he was a Michelin rider at that time making some good contingency cash. around 2006 Brian Stokes had an injury and Mike raced his #91 bikes for him to make some $$. Roebling road he gridded up, i had just purchased Brian's 2005 gsxr1000 and mike came from the back, tucked the front passing me for the lead in T1 but came back on track, and passed us all and me at the line for the win.. cool stuff. Mike kept to himself most of the time, and when some $ was on the line, he didn't share info or have a laugh with ya, but if you were patient and respectful, he'd talk and share tire info and little tricks. As many said, wicked smooth, and super fast. cool having him doing club races with us. Couldn't miss those tassels streaming off his arms either.
He's passed me many times at Tally and Road Atlanta and I was just in awe lol... I remember one time at Tally (old config) we were running clockwise and he came under me going into the circle, but I stuck right to his rear wheel, until we both picked up the throttle and he was like 10+ bike lengths ahead of me going into the 90's But I held my head up high that I 'matched' his corner speed for 1 corner.
I went to visit a friend once that crashed out bad at Road Atlanta.He was bragging about how he holeshot,and beat Scott Russel into turn one.He then proceeded to make his way into the grass,and tires and destroyed his bike. He was all bandaged up laying in a recliner smiling..
Many years ago, early 2000's, Mike on his GSXR 1K passed me, going underneath through 13 and 14 at Jennings. He was on it hard all the way to the outside of 14 and was headed to the absolute edge of the front straight. I remember thinking " OH SHIT he's going off!" At which point he made a liar out of me in my own head. He lifted the front, pulled the bars to the right and rode the back wheel all the way down to turn one. I swear he pulled the front over a good 18 inches to get the rear pointed away from the edge.