One more lap ...

My mom is always full of stories about the stuff I used to do when I was growing up. How once when she was coming to pick me up from daycare when I was around 5 years old, I declared aloud that I was superman and tried to fly away from the top of the slide. Needless to say, it was more of a 'jump' ... well, being that I was 5 I am willing to bet it was much more of a face first plummet to earth. Apparently, from what my cousin has told me, I repeated this when I was 23 and in Vegas on a spiked wall outside of the MGM; but that is a story for another time and another place. The race weekend reminded me more of the story she used to tell me about the sandbox.

Round 2 - Disappointment

To disappoint in the eyes of another is pain, to disappoint in the eyes of one's self is to suffer.

Going into anything I do, especially competitive activities, I always give myself goals. I set my goals reasonably, never so far out of reach that they are preposterous, but not so shallow that they don't make me strive for a little more. Normally I am good about meeting them, at least a majority of them, at least the major ones; this weekend I met none.

Round 1 - Buttonwillow

Going into the first race of the season, I was totally unprepared. My lack of preparation for this race began a year ago. Last year I got my bike only a short time before the first round of the season, also Buttonwillow, and had yet to learn the bike and set it up. This was a new track and bike to me and my performance showed it. After the race last year, I said I would go back a couple times during the summer to get better at the track for next season.

Fast forward to the night before leaving for the season opener in 2011. I had yet to be back to buttonwillow since last year, my bike was torn apart, I have no brake system installed, I have to load the trailer. It was 4:30 am when I finally went to bed, only to wake up shortly thereafter to go to work, leave from work and get an incomplete bike to the track in order to race. I have been so busy with work and being a full time student, I have not even ridden my bike at full click since last September at a thunderhill trackday


- A complete and total lack of preparation -

With a little help from my friends...

Lennon and McCartney finished writing the song With a little help from my friends in mid-March 1967, written specifically as Starr's track for the album. It was briefly called Bad Finger Boogie, supposedly because Lennon composed the melody on a piano using his middle finger after having hurt his forefinger; but in his 1980 Playboy interview Lennon said: "This is Paul, with a little help from me."

Now, while I personally like the Joe Cocker version better than the Beatles' version, the point of the story is that success in music is much like success in racing; it can not happen without some help from others.

Bowling for Bikes

Lean out of the turn - Elbows up - Foot out - Sit Forward - Basically do everything backwards from what I learned road racing, that was the lesson of the day for me.

Showing up Monday morning at Stockton Motorplex I was tired, nervous and excited all at the same time. I sat outside the gates asking, "What am I getting myself into?"  The gates opened and I wondered my way into the parking lot, finding Brok's van and parked aside him. Brok and I took the opportunity of a desolate track to do a walk around. While walking around checking out the layout and surface conditions, Brok and I were able to talk about what we will be doing, and goals for the day. My goals for the day were simple, have fun and get comfortable sliding.

Backing it in

Getting ready for the upcoming season and still haven't ridden since September 2010 :( I have a trackday coming up, but it is likely to rain. What should I do?!?!!??

Go to SuperMoto school of course !!!

I have always preached in my kart racing schools, and moto coaching alike, "Speed is a by-product of control, control does not come from speed -  anyone can open the throttle"

I figure the slipping and sliding on a supermoto bike will help me gain greater levels of control for my road racing. Plus, as my girlfriend likes to point out, I will probably end up racing supermoto down the line too, because I have a competition addiction.

In the beginning there was moto...

After watching the final MotoGP race of 2008, I lean over to my girlfriend and say, "I am going to race before my 30th birthday". Eight months later, on my 29th birthday, I am sitting on the starting grid of my first race.