Been riding my (street)bike for mental(ptsd/agoraphobia/terror/fear/abuse)/physical(surgery/cancer/stroke/etc)/fatigue(cancer/radiation/thyroid/etc) therapy. Doing better. i Stopped by the moto-dealer yesterday, just to get off the bike, take a 'rest'. See a salesman, young guy, w/ a Road America hat on... Engage! Me ~ Road America, I Love that Track. Him ~ Yes, Me too, one of my favorites, I Race there. CCS? Huh? WERA? Huh, what? What? I do Trackdays! Oh.... I was the Fastest guy in intermediate, highest trap-speed going into T1, won some $. Wow! Only done 2 Trackdays and I am the fastest guy in Intermediate, faster than my buddy who .... Wow! Do you Know 'insert local CCS racer name here' ? Yes. Do you Know 'insert local CCS racer name here' ? Yes. Do you Know 'insert local CCS racer name here' ? Yes. blah, blah, blah, blah SUPER Nice kid/guy/youngman.... but ... he seems to be the moto-norm now. This is Far from the first time I have had a similar conversation. Back in the mid/late 80's (and I am sure before and after), it was a Big deal to be a Racer, held pride/prestige in Moto-community. Now doing a Trackday make you a Racer. You dont even have to 'Grid-up' to be a Racer. It is all clouded dog-sh*t now. I remember meeting/riding w a local 'fast' streetguy/TD guy back in 2016, same thing, every time he talked about the track to his wife, kids, other bikers, whoever, "Going to Race this weekend" "Went racing last weekend" "I Race..." There is even a local/shadetree who has a photo, a lone-photo on his shop wall, him on a hurricane in 1989, on local track taking the race school... lean angle = kickstand down angle. That would/will be his 'proof' he was a racer in the 80's/90's.... He is Held in HIGH regard locally/community. FAST ex Roadracer. A guy who did a school (1989), was at the back of the group, and never sacked up and raced. I have had multiple people/locals tell me, this guy tells a detailed story of competing/dicing w/ 'a young Nicky Hayden, on his 125 2-stroker', while the local guy was on a gsxr750 (Ronny Widmans' ex-racebike) .... and they were dicing/swapping back and forth... when I hear this shit, surprise and Anger billow out of my head. NICKY F@King HAYDEN(!!!) (RIP) of ALL the PEOPLE.... When i throw truth on this BS, the retort(s) is I am jealous of the guy, and my feelings are hurt, and I am a Liar. Everyone is a racer now, it doesnt mean anything anymore ..... Rant over.... I will be beeb attacked, I dont care, I dont care, Im bored, sad, I dont care.... Sir David Vaughn (Chi Town Hustlers) WERA/CCS/AMA/ASRA was in town and stopped by and saw me yesterday evening, for hours... Bench racing and hugs and laughs.... Turned a Horrible day, into a wonderful nite. God Bless.
Me too <3 And in my remedial Brain, that is a Big deal, a special thing, a fraternity, a proud accomplishment in Life's resume... <3
I will add this, though. For the brief time I was a racer, I did one track day and said no more track days.
I raced and have wood to prove it Can't wait til all these kids grow up so I can get back out there. Nothing quite like it...
Dave is good people. He was one of the original Chi town hustlers along with me and a few others. Always a good time hanging out with him , yeah this racer thing is a little out of hand.
I got red flagged on my second session out at my first ever track day in C group. They bumped me straight to A group because I was lapping everyone. where mah fuckin money! I find it difficult to even have conversations with other “motorcyclists” these days... I’m sure most of us here on the beeb would get along swimmingly in person because as far as I can tell, most of us have a pure motherfucking love of motorcycles. Most people dont love motorcycling, they love the IDEA of motorcycling. And there’s a difference.
I Love Sir David <3 Known him since 2001/CCS. Battled w/ him in 2002/CCS. My UPS Driver, he knows I am all F'd up... everytime I see him, he come up, trade hugs, tell each other we love you, etc.. a Friend!!! He sees me roll the number-plated bike out of garage maybe 6-weeks ago.... You Race? used too. My cousin Raced. Whats his name. Montez Stewart. OMG! That was one of my best (Chicago) Friends!!!!!!!!!!!! It's a small world <3
Several of those clowns around here. Back in the 90's they used to say they raced the "circuit". Meaning AMA Pro
"have had multiple people/locals tell me, this guy tells a detailed story of competing/dicing w/ 'a young Nicky Hayden, on his 125 2-stroker', while the local guy was on a gsxr750 (Ronny Widmans' ex-racebike) .... and they were dicing/swapping back and forth... when I hear this shit, surprise and Anger billow out of my head. NICKY F@King HAYDEN(!!!) (RIP) of ALL the PEOPLE.... When i throw truth on this BS, the retort(s) is I am jealous of the guy, and my feelings are hurt, and I am a Liar." I'm not going to say that I raced against Nicky, because that's not what happened. Instead, I was entered in a race that was run in combination with one that Nicky was in. This was IRP, 1997 and all that I recall is that he pretty much lapped the entire field about halfway through the race, and I'm pretty sure he was on that RS125 because I was racing Formula RD then and they grouped those races together. So all I'll say is...I was on the track with Nicky
Yep I would ride with the guys in the picture including Montez who was best friends with Reese (black guy on the right side) before we all started racing in 2000. BTW I am the white guy in the yellow spidi leathers.
That is AWESOME!!!!!! That is your memory/truth/resume!!!! Special memories <3 I used to suit-up and ride my bike to track to race WERA, (my racebike doubled as my car, lol). I would pit/sit in the dirt. One time Jamie James and his father (I had no clue who they were) motioned me to pit w/ them, water/chair etc... <3 They were SUPER NICE/KIND to me. I remember reading 'James' 'Quick Sand Gravel' on the back of his tattered leathers, and thought that was So cool to have name/writting on leathers, so COOL!!!! Your experiences/Memories, no one can Steal them, take them away. The local shadetree.... He make up his experiences/memories... all fabricated.. he never raced.... he just tells people he did and they all believe him. And when I say, 'Not True', they all call me a jealous liar. I hate 1/2 the local moto community Insane.