I'm not ready for a comprehensive treatise on what my family has been through to get John where he is and allow him to pursue his dream in roadracing, but I have to speak out about the Lenz's and the influence they have had on us since we've known them. Since I first started corresponding with Michael in 2007, i have looked to him for inspiration and advice about the family life aspect of a driven young roadracer, and the challenges we face in providing opportunities to the kid without putting pressure on them. I have seen both sides of the coin, as have most race dads, and I promised myself and John that I would do my best to avoid being the "soccer dad" guy. The Lenz's have known us since we were racing XR50 motards, and pretty much every step of the way I've relied on the trusted advice of centered people like Mike Lenz and Keith Montgomery to give me perspective. For those who don't understand how we can put our young children in harm's way like this, I can paraphrase Dr. Costa when he said that if a racer does not want to race, no one can make him do so. If a racer does want to race, no one can stop him. Godspeed Peter, you were a role model to my son and to me. We will always remember you and the influence you had on our family. Troy Gessner
