Why do you race.....

[Tom Fredricks]

Hey all. I know this was asked before, I did not answer then becuse i had to think about it. Since this past weekend at BHF i have found an answer. Why Do I race, My Father corner works for us racers in the mid-west. Although most of you do not know him, he knows and has video tape of just about all of us. My father is retired but like most people he can not sit still so he started working part time driving mentaly challanged people from their homes to work. well last night he called me and told me he was comming over to my house and to have my bike on the trailer we had to bring it somewere....OK no problem. Well it turns out he does nothing but talk about all of us and what happend at the track the previous weekend, He took me to 3 differant houses to show the people he drives around my bike and as he put it...to meet a real racer. I now know why i race, It is not to make me happy but to be able to see the smile on my fathers face as i go past him, It is going to my kids school (2 boys 6 & 10 always chasing frogs at the tracks)And hearing them brag and taking thier friends out to track. And for the smiles i put on 3 faces last night. I am far from a top knotch racer compared to the rest of you, But i hope 1 day each of you gets the feeling i had last night. I love you all and have a great day. ;D

[MELK-MAN]

thats great that your dad is bringing some happines to others. sounds like he's pretty proud of ya..

I do it just to get chicks...(yea, i wish). I have always loved motorcycles just for 34 of my 35 years was leary of owning a street bike. Now i have a few bucks to go racing and love every minute of it, and cant wait to go again when im not on the track. Track days were alot of fun, but racing brings it to the highest level of excitement.

[sdiver68]

Quite simply (I stayed out of this the 1st time around)-

I got into racing to get my Azz off the street, doing crazy, stupid things.  I have a son to live for.  :-*

I race because it gives me something to stay in shape for.  I race for the competive thrill of it.  I race for adrenaline.  I race because I love to talk perfomance and cycles, but only when backed up with real racing.  I race because many of the best people I know are fellow racers and their loved ones.  I race because I can always play golf when I'm 50.  I race because it keep me alive.  I race for the frustration and challenge of improving.  I race for respect, self-respect.  I race to keep from falling into the mindless "zombism" I see claiming the lives of so many.  I race because my natural abilities lend themselves to motorized sports, not basketball or baseball.

I hope others can understand, but I know most (outside our sport) don't.

[Chef]

ive always loved motorcycles!  as a kid i made myself a schwin. (southside ghetto of chicago, dad afforded us a bike, let it get stolen, hey; found a frame "OOOH a schwin!!! with pedals", couple months to hunt seat, wheels and handle bars, took out trash for 5, 10, and 25 cents, got REFLECTORS  ;D and streamers  8) DOOOD, im in! doin "no front wheel" wheelies ... who's da man??
pretty lady in the area, nice shape, caught this dude ridin a kz1000 all "hooked up" ! he had buddies up and down the street, drag racers and the like, drag bars D--A --MHHHHHN.... DOOD in this hood, Muhammed Ali might as well drive thru! those machines gave me an erection before i knew what an erect WAS !!!  street squid in the incubator.....
got my bike at 19 (cb400 Honda, same as my big brother) always dreamed of just riding on someones, anyones track.... never looked into it till some street riding buddies finally talked me into taking that 2 hr drive...
i've always loved "pushing the envelope", any bike or car/ truck, i mean every! i have "nailed it", i just gotta see what happens when its pinned,  .... after the cb400 came the cbr600f, then the 900rr and now the 929rr, cops never did catch me, but when im not riding and i see some "crazy" drivers, i dont feel as "bulletproof" as i have....  i always likened my street ride to a roller coaster that no one was able to stop, and make me go back to the end of the line  ;D   as long as i had another 5 bucks for a refill, all is good !
so..
to push the envelope, and have company at the same time..
no speed limit, no tickets...
safety in a guard rail free environment.....
the most extreme joyride (with ME at the controls)...
 JUST GOTTA LOVE IT!!!

VVVV
VVVV

[jgf]

because kim was calling me names!!! :o




actually if I could just cut and paste what sdiver68 posted i would, well done and exactly what i think! ;D

[Super Dave]

I road race motorcycles because of the exhileration that I can only get from it.  I'm not naturally gifted, I've just done a whole lot and learned from it.  

My friend raced AMA Superbike to pay for his car racing career.  He said car racing was more fun, but bikes were more exhilerating.

I really don't have anything more really to prove to myself or anyone.  I do it now because I love the community of motorcycle road racers.  I think that is one of the things that is so addicting...the friendships, the shared stress...you can't share what we do with someone that has not experienced it.

[clutch]

I race for the fun of it.  I know I will not be the next Rossi.  I race to improve on weaknesses at different tracks, to improve times and skills.  I love motorcycles. The adrenaline rush and exhileration from the speed I guess.  I wanted to get away from the street where one can get waffled by a 3000 pound cruise missle being driven by a cellular teeny bopper.  The track in my opinion is safer and more exciting.  Guys at work call me stupid.  I guess because they are jealous and never tried it..they stick to the street and say it is safer.  Racing and track days make one feel alive..I can golf when I am 60.  I like hanging at the track and drinking a beer at the end of the day and talking cycles.  Guess I have been a gear head since birth...Dad said it started with the big wheel and went to the Z50R, the CR80 the Kawi 250 then to street bikes.  I try to get more guys to do at least some track days but they refuse saying it is stupid...guess they will never know the excitiment of dragging a knee on the asphault at 90mph...too bad for them

[Super Dave]

I try to get more guys to do at least some track days but they refuse saying it is stupid...guess they will never know the excitiment of dragging a knee on the asphault at 90mph...too bad for them

You can't drag people across the finish line...


 ;D

[tshort]

Why?  

I have to.