I met a 'Racer' yesterday.....

Truth of it is, I didn't know who Nicky Hayden was. He would have been 15 years old then and all I remember is people coming up saying this kid is really fast. It was my first year and 1st or 2nd race with WERA...I was too busy just trying to keep from hurting myself!

 

Shit...I started with wood and then raced...then got the true trophys (scars)...

 

Man, I remember Stewart. Raced with Kurt Hall too. I think we were both racing GPZ550's back then. Yes....I'm old.

 

Somewhere I have a picture of me on my Ducati scrambler in front of Jeff Smith on his BSA during an MX race. (I know... Way back in the way back machine). If I show it to anyone, I usually don't mention that I'm two seconds from getting lapped.

 

Back when I was a dirt people I was the intermission for Bart Markel..... so see I was passed by famous at an early age and the trend continues.

 

Reese Golladay (sp) is his real name.

 

This is my first time racing, Kurt Hall tech'd me and befriended me. He would send me Metzler take-offs to help me (I was VERY POOR).
I was wearing 'Donated' Tim Mertin's (AMA Flatracker #34 Bellville Honda) leathers.

 

I have alot of customers like that, couple hundred miles a year but they can say they've got a bike in the garage.

 

Maybe I am in the minority, but I make it a point to say "No, I don't race. I just do track days." I have too much respect for my friends that do race or did race to claim that I raced. I do remember a young Jake Lewis blowing my doors off at a Road America track day about 10 years ago, but that is a far cry from racing with him.

Also do realize the lines are becoming more blurred these days as track day orgs are hosting races now. CCS and WERA experts and even an occasional MA racer have competed at these races, so they are not slow and the grids can be fairly large.

 

Hall was a good dude...kind of quick too....LOL...

 

I have never raced and probably never will. Respect and thanks to the guys who do for sharing their knowledge and experience. There are definitely a lot of "riders" out there who think they are racers, usually a couple sentences into a conversation and the amount of BS pouring out gives them away.

 

FTFY

IMO, someone is either a racer, or they aren’t. And that always holds true.

At the moment, I don’t know if my aftermarket spine (and subsequent nerve damage) will ever let me grid up again.

But if someone ever asks me if I am a racer, the answer will always be “Yes”. When I’m 97 years old, the answer will still be “Yes”.

 

Wait a minute, what is this defeatist bullshit, did we quit when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?
And yes I know if you can, you will.

 

Dave Vaughn is a great guy who corners low!!! He made a great impression on me and was someone I looked up to when coaching at the track.

 

And that's what they make karts for anyway.

 

Yes! Great racer! Great man.
I Love Sir David VERY Much <3 !!!!!
It was, and always is a Blessing when he is in town and comes to see me, a Blessing.
I love him very much.

 

Duuuude...you race people on stationary bikes. There was never a question.

 

I screen-shotted this... I will post this pic on FB someday, when needed.
EVERYTHING is in this writting/pic!
<3



You are either a racer or not!
If you are a racer, You love fight/competition on the tarmac... That is a Racer <3

To everyone that has ever raced.... Once a racer, always a racer, because it comes from the Heart... and as long as your heart pumps blood, you have still a racers' heart... you are a Racer!

 

Oh hell no, I’m not giving up. Ever.

They originally said I would be in a wheelchair for 4-6 weeks after surgery, and using a 4-legged Walker for 5-6 months after that.

I was walking under my own power 6 weeks out from surgery.

Granted, it was ugly, slow, awkward, etc…but I was fucking doing it.

I’ll never stop trying. That’s why I said “I don’t know”, instead of “I won’t”.

I’ll be the dude who will be 80 years old, still in the gym, and saying “I’ll race again, just fucking wait and see…”.

 

I can’t even argue that.