Too old to race?

Wish you all the best of luck. Having had a big highside in ‘22 I quickly realized that I’m not in my 20’s or even 30’s anymore. Bashed my head and ruined my x14 and had some pretty good bruising. It’s not the lack of fun riding hard, it’s the realization that others may have to babysit me if I don’t recover well or at all. No way I’d race just to be on the track, I’m too competitive for that. I do love seeing the older guys at the track, it’s motivating.

 

I'm going as long as Mr. Roper and he ain't never stopping.

 

At 59 years old and a 28 year break away from the track, I now find myself prepping 3 bikes for the upcoming season. I have 2 FZR400’s for vintage classes and a Ducati 1198 for god knows what. I find it’s great motivation to stay in shape.

 

You guys got some years on me but I'm still rubbing elbows with the young guns.
At the CSBK (Canadian Championship) made podium (2nd) with two guns that were 6 years younger then me, both of them combined lollll

I turned 51 last October.



Plan on doing the D200 again this coming March. Finished 16th last March

 

ill be coming out to give you guys headaches at the regionals this year.......................52 or 53 cant remember,

 

Yes... Super-Series is growing and so is the talent.
Welcome back Jim. Jim correct ?

lolll can't remember... Ya I stopped counting too but my passport reminds me constantly about my age

 

Thanks for making me feel like a kid. All of you guys are my heros! I'm knocking quite hard on 50's door.

 

Once in a while, I get in a conversation about vintage bikes or racing with someone from work. I have a few bike pictures in my phone I show them. The only race picture I have is me on track obviously with a helmet on. Any time I bring up that picture the next words from the observer is when was that taken. They think I'm going to say 1996 or something. I say I don't know, about two years ago but I'm still racing. From the look on their face they are trying to decide if I'm lying.

 

I'm 68. I didn't ride a motorcycle between October 2003, when I blew up my Duc 853 at the GNF, and picking up a Yamaha MT07 superbike-build in July 2020. Wife said she'd prefer I road race motorcycles to mountain bike racing, because there are ambulances and EMTs at motorcycle races. That was all I needed to get going again. I'm not quite as fast or fearless as I was, and I put a lot more effort into my fitness than when I was younger, but I'm still competitive enough to enjoy (and occasionally frighten) myself. I won the 2023 AHRMA SOS 1 National Championship on my 690 Kramer and hope to repeat again this year. Since I don't "work" any longer, I enjoy having a good reason to get up and going every day, and keep myself fit. And then there are all the weird and wonderful folks you meet traveling and racing around the country. Happy New Year!

 

Very inspiring thread , entering my 5th year of Wera Southeast and once a year Ahrma for the Tally round and also my first year as a Expert . I will be turning 59 years old this year and plan on staying in the fun for as long as i can within reason . Killswitch sold me his toy hauler so no more back breaking cot slumber . cheers

 

Damnit, just the thread I didn't need to see....Turned 54 recently....'23 was the lst year away from the track in 30 yrs. Granted, i've only been doing trackdays for the past 10 yrs, but was winning ALOT of them. lol

Turned my fastest times ever at Putnam in '22, a blistering 1:14.4

Sitting here this evening watchin' motogp highlights on YT, gettin' goose bumps and shit.

But like a few have said, my balls have shrunk a little and I think about the future more than ever. I'm a single dood with nobody to wipe my butt if shit happened, literally. A promotion at work (more $$$ of course) which is allowing me to start another chapter in my life and with retirement 10 yrs away, the track wasn't a risk i was willing to take anymore.

But I always thought about one last hoorah and race a full season, just to beat up on the youngsters.

 

Hee Hee

 

Last time I thought I would beat up on youngsters was 4 years ago, and some little girl named Kayla gridded up next to me I learned to have nothing but respect for any kid out there. Now I just want to be the first old guy across the finish line.

 

I remember when I went from offering tips to certain young people at Boxshop to having to remember when I was faster than them 'cause I'm not now.

 

I'll settle for having fun and one perfect corner per race. My expectations are smaller than my social security check.

 

66 here. Haven't sprinted in a few years but managed to run 20 or so endurance races over the last five seasons. Plan on being back out there in endurance this year again and need to work on a V7 bike for a repaved Mid-O!

What else am I going to do...take up golf?

 

Oh and I'll be 68 later this year, planning on being out on track at least twice this coming season, missed seven seasons since my first race in 1975, four of which were due to health reasons.

 

I quit road racing in 2017 at age 68 after a nasty high side at Sears Point busted all my ribs on my left side. I also had a really tough and slow recovery. Leading up to that I had been thinking it was about time to call it a day, I could tell I was beginning to lose my edge a bit, mental-wise and hungry-wise. The crash and slow recovery really had nothing to do with my decision, we’ve all been hurt and come back, it just served to remind me it was just time. At that point I had been racing continuously for 50 years or so and there really wasn’t anything I ever wanted to do on two wheels that I hadn’t done. Although I was totally lacking any talent whatsoever I had managed to race all over the country for all of my life, on all kinds of bikes, entertaining the hell out of myself, and I still loved doing it. I miss it for sure but I have zero doubt it was time to stop when I did. My theory— Everybody’s different but you’ll know when it’s time to hang it up, and until you get there age is just a number.

 

Turning 70 this year.
I hope to be back as soon as I can build a new bike to replace the one I destroyed at nelson ledges this year.oh and that crash didn't do my already broken body any good so my knee won't get to the footpegs just yet.

 

Dang Tommy, did the H2 get torn up? If you don't remember I hung around your pit at a 2022 Nelson Ledges race.

I would like to add, that old guy is quit fast on his smoke bike.