Why do we race?

[lil_thorny]

in your own words, please write a little as to :
"why do I roadrace motorcycles?"
everyone is welcome... i am going to compile these
reasons or "rationalizations" for my peeps who
don't (yet) understand why we do what we do.
So, pls feel free and jot down a few things....
should be fun to read what we all have to say.
thanks,
Benji.

[MightyDuc Racing]

Short and sweet....  It's like owning your own roller-coaster...the ultimate rush.  There is no greater feeling than getting around the track 1/10th of a second faster than you ever thought you could. Nothing like it! ;)

[lil_thorny]

i myself started racing karts because of the thrill
of going faster than my bicycle. then moved up
to cars. Not as exciting as karts but the competition
was far greater. So my love of competition increased.
Then tried rally..fun..too expensive...way too scary.
Now bikes. Never seen so many smiles at the track,
i think it's because we all share that special something that I can't describe to people that don't
do what we do. A coworker asked me today what is it
like, why do you do something that is so dangerous.
I told him it's not as dangerous as you mighnt think,
then he said..well what is so great about it. I didn't
have an exact answere for him. What I did tell him
is that when I am on the track, all is forgotten.
1 month of frustration erased during 10 min. of
pure..... can't find the word!
thanks again for your input,
Benji.

[Dawn]

For mine and my husband's mental health.

Get up, go to work, work, go home, work there, go to bed.....

Get up, go to work, work, go home, work there, go to bed.....

Get up, go to work, work, go home, work there, go to bed.....

Get up, go to work, work, go home, work there, go to bed.....

Get up, go to work, work, go home, work there, go to bed.....

Race weekend!!!  Whoo Hooo!  The people, the bikes, the exhilaration of you and the machine working as one (we hope) and just being able to dice with someone.  

It doesn't matter if you come in first or tenth if you have someone to race with (or at least that is what Paul told me once).

Dawn  

[tshort]

This was from another board - I think it's pretty good:

An editorial from Cycle News...(c)

[/b]WHAT ROADRACING IS ALL ABOUT

The most important first lesson about racing is that it
is not about going fast around a track on a motorcycle.
It is about the sacrifice of all your earnings, your
equanimity, all your sleep, and your relations with your
loved ones and the rest of the world in pursuit of a
higher-placed finish.
It is about pushing your bike to the pits on a dead run
so you can hammer it back into shape and get it re-
teched, and then borrow another helmet in time for the
next race.  It is about healing at 100 mph in order to
finish the season on the track.
It is about lapping a full second better than your
previous best-ever, while abandoning the proper lines in
every turn trying to get past someone with more motor
than you.
It is about passing shaky Novices or over-their-head
squids regardless of the hazard, because you belong in
front of them.
It is about blowing by four bikes on the brakes, passing
another on the exit of the turn and taking off after
another bike that is barely in your sight because you
sacrificed and sweated and stressed and risked and you
aren't about to waste it all.
It is about putting together the fastest four laps of
your life and racing neck-and-neck with someone else who
is also putting together the fastest four laps of
his/her life, taking it to the max, trusting the other
rider to do the right thing, just as they are trusting
you not to take them out.  All to finish mid-pack one
more time.
It is about giving up on making anyone who is not a
racer, understand what it's all about.

[StumpysWife]

Stumpy & I wanted him to race this year so we'd know we wouldn't have any regrets later in life....

There's nothing worse than wishing you had done something when you had the chance.  

[MightyDuc Racing]

I too am racing this year to avoid the regret of never trying.  I also left out an important one...the people!  Everybody is great, and everyone helps everyone, except that Red Bull Ducati dude from the SE...lol.  Brags about all their cash and spare motors....etc, etc...then tried to get $10 from me for a little bolt...LOL.  Got it from Michael Mills....thanks Mike!  By the way, the Red Bull guy crashed and didn't get to race Supertwins either.  I think I had a little something for him if we had gotten to go at it. ;)

[dwilson]

Unless I'm on the edge of life as I know it, the world seems too boring to be worth while.  Road racing is the only experience that relaibly scares the hell out of me.  My shrink says I'm A.D.D.   8)

[lil_thorny]

Don,
I am ADD.... LMAO!!!! ;D ;D
Benji.

[Chef]

i LOVE motorcycles !

i LOVE competition !

the track, and the clock is competition enuff, BUT We have friends AND strangers that share the same INTEREST as we do. cant beat it.

i LOVE stressing my skill level !     i LOVE improving my skill level.

i have something that peaks my interest (for several reasons)..

some love weight training, some love to view nascar (it peaks their interest)
some love to sit at wrigley field and drink beer to cubs games  ??? (it peaks their interest)

before (as a kid) i played basket ball in the rain, and into the wee hours of the mornin, it peaked my interest....

some people sit on the couch and eat ice cream, hey, it interest's them...

you got yours.....  i got mine....

[Chef]

OH,

and i LOVE finishin in front of lil Thorny Benji    ;D

[Baltobuell]

 You laughed at the ADD remark. Nothing will keep your attention like counting down brake markers! ;D