What are your favorite memories of 2003?

[lbk]

Yep first year, but easily my favorite was on my first race weekend.

It was raining, and my bike stalled on the grid. Green flag dropped everyone took off. I tried to get the bike started while also moving it to the side. The officials were headed over to help get it out of the way and just as they reached me the thing fired up.

I was determined to not come in last in that race, so I took off. Ever corner begging for traction and would get wheel spin on exit. Coming downt the front straight forogot and took a big breath out of my mouth, shield just went to fog instantly while the tire is spinning through pretty much every gear.

Catch that tail guy, pass him then catch the tail EX rider (Combined race) pass him, then managed to pick off one more AM before the 8 laps was up. It was an absolute blast racing that day, and I felt great about my focus, and dealing with so many variables at once and not just saying screw it and rolling my bike off of the grid into the pits.

That was by far my favorite and probably most memorable race of the season.

[MZGirl]

I'm another racer who's 2003 season was their first.

The March Firebird East race in the rain, and being pitted next to Thomas Westfall.  He was cracking me up all day, and made our first CCS race weekend memorable.  He didn't have his leathers handy as he was changing, and announced "I guess I'm going to have to stand here in my underwear all day!"  Later that afternoon the clouds opened up and dumped a ton of water on the track.  "Not my beautiful Persian area rug!" Thomas jokingly screamed as the pits filled with mud and water.

Racing the entire season against Joel Dennis and his RZ350.  We had a blast together, and I really saw his riding improve.  We were always ribbing each other with friendly comments.  "You'd better have a piece of pie with your lunch," he would say.  "Yeah, well you'll be eating humble pie after our race" I'd reply.  He called me up over the winter break to make sure I was keeping the MZ for this year so that we could race Ultra Lightweight Superbike against each other.

Racing the entire season with my husband, Zac.  It's unique to be the husband and wife racing team where both of us ride.  After each race weekend, we'd recount each and every lap of our races on the drive home.  It made writing the race reports much easier.

Having my first crash during a race in May at Arroyo Seco.  Kim, the only other girl at the track, had crashed in the same corner that I did just a few laps prior.  The only two girls at the track that weekend crashed on the same race day, in the same race, in the same corner, and both were wearing brand new leathers.  We couldn't help but laugh at the odds.

Reuniting with our friend, Jim, at Buttonwillow.  He was the best man at our wedding 5 years ago.  Jim was also reunited with Molly, our pit bike ('80 Honda Express 50).  Jim holds the land speed record on Molly of 27 mph.  The weekend wasn't over until Jim did a burnout on Molly.

Accepting my championship trophy at the ROC awards banquet.  Being the only girl racer receiving an award was cool.  There were quite a few supportive comments as I stood up to receive my award, many from racer's wives that were saying "You go, girl."  I had a hard time giving my speech because I could see Zac's face and how proud he was.

Being surprised by the ASMA organizers and racers with a celebratory cake for my CCS national championship.  Although it's a different series, ASMA is truly a club racing family.  All of my fellow racers there were proud, and I couldn't keep it together when they all gave me a cake saying "Congrats Elaine" on it.  That was one of the few times I've broken down in front of an audience.

Looking forward to the 2004 season, which begins this weekend!

[porky]

 :) ;) :D ;D definitly getting to watch my wife doing so well on her 125 and clintching the se 125 championship!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[the_weggie_man]

The build up had to be watching Jesse Janisch improve every time he hit the track. So many people at Daytona ROC saying, "Who the hell is this kid?"

Then watching him start dead last at Rd Atlanta in the SV Cup and storm to 2nd. Taking the championship was just topping on the cake.

He kept me smiling all year. ;D ;D  ;D

Oh yeah, then there's just all you people out there that humble me every time I show up with your generous support of the Wegman Fund. Thank you all for so many great days at the track.  :-*

[Woofentino Pugrossi]

Beating Kim at the last 2 BHF HWSS races. ;D

[Super_KC124]

Spending the night in the Buxton's RV with K3 at MAM. Yes, I slept with Chris Onwiler, but I'm not proud of it. Waking up to the 60 mph winds, watching Jason Jenkins canopy shred to bits, slinginging a 55 gallon drum over his trailer, thinking sure sucks to be him, not realizing that my truck was parked on the other side, providing a nice backstop for said barrell to hit. :o Having a flat front tire at Gateway, lowsiding 3 or 4 times and somehow not crashing. ???(Who let the air out of my tire?)Making up a 20 second deficit in 3 laps in the rain at MAM. I still took second, but I was right on Jim Swans rear tire at the finish. Coming from the back row (twice, due to a red flag) trading paint with Simon on the last lap, to take the last $ spot in GTU (changed to a 8 lap sprint due to red flags) at Gateway. Meeting Kris Unger. What a wonderful person. ;D

[K3 Chris Onwiler]

The way Amy and Sara look after a night in St. Louis.

The way Linda and Larry shake their heads when they see Amy and Sara after a night in St. Louis.

Great!  It's 2:00 am, I can't sleep. and I just woke up my wife because I'm in the computer/trophy room laughing my butt off!  Thanks, Tiff!

Oh, and Kevin?  That night in the Buxtons motorhome was one of my favorite memories too.  You were awesome.  But I thought we agreed not to talk about it in public? ;D ;D ;D

[KBOlsen]

I've been thinking all night about what to say here...

There's a feeling that you get rolling through the gates on Wednesday night - every other problem in your life just kind of gets stashed on the outside.  Pulling into the paddock, watching  the "neighborhood" begin to fill up...

Sleeping in the Trail-O-Minium at Road America, using my newly-acquired tire warmers (Thanks, Monte!) to keep our feet warm in bed...

Sleeping in the Trail-O-Minium for the first time in the windy rain at Blackhawk... sending poor John outside to make certain we weren't being blown away to Oz...

Dodging the ice and mud, then sweeping the schmutz out of Turn 1 during lunch on Thursday at the April Blackhawk (thank you Robb for the gloves)... Dinner with K3 at the Mars Cheese Castle going up to RA, laughing all the way... Benji's shorts... NOT looking at Dave's bikini... Strawberry Hill with Dawn... Wood in the rain (THANK YOU LONNY!!!)... Seeing Mike Firca 100% back to "normal"... Passing Robb... Teasing Craig... Watching my van and trailer slowly roll towards the gate on Sunday afternoon 'cuz I spend too much time yapping ("Hey, Kim - isn't that your van leaving?"  "Umm... yeah.. HEY JOHN - WAIT FOR MEEE!!!")  Sorting photos in Jack's trailer, marveling at how FAST you all look (oooh, so THAT's how it's supposed to go)... Meeting Paul's parents... Trying to keep guys like Ike and Benji and Stumpy in sight for at least a few seconds so I can at least see how they "do it"...

Realizing that I have the best boyfriend and crew chief in all of racing and  hoping someday to be able to bring in the finishes he deserves...

Coming home from what should have been the Gateway weekend in October and finding in the mail the card that K3 passed around... I keep it on my desk at work and whenever I open it, a big warm hug comes out.

Going to the banquet and sharing in the thrill of everyone receiving their awards... so aware of all the time, sweat fun and money represented by each of those little trophies... and being absolutely, totally blown away when I realized what Rick was talking about...

[tigerblade]

Meeting Kris Unger. What a wonderful person. ;D

Who the hell is Kris Unger?  

[Super_KC124]

Who the hell is Kris Unger?  

What can I say. Look at the time of my post and yes, I'd had a few. :-*  

[tshort]

Well, Flip and I had quite a first year - so the whole thing is a memory that will likely stay with us a long time.  Favorites?  Well, first there was the racing - our first weekend at Road America, our first race in GTLights - coming in 4th.  And then waiting until the end of the day to find out that we actually got a plaque (!!), and wait, that's not all - a check for cash money.  It was a good thing we were inside a building or I do believe I would have floated back to Milwaukee...Having my brother, my niece/nephs, some friends turn out to watch thaat weekend made it even better.  And Edgar helping us patch up a blown radiator between events...and pitting next to Kevin Barker and Bob Domenz - fellow SV pilots, made it fun.  

All this - and we hadn't even raced at BFR yet...hadn't even met Team Stumpy and Aunt Judy, the Buxton road show, the Chi Town Hustlers, the Hog-hating, WWF-busting K3, the YPbagger, Key & Co, Hafners, or any of the other people who make it fun to think about the next season.  (By the time we hit RA we had already met some of the gang the previous year; There was Kim/John at a track day, and Rosno, who sold us our trailer, and proceeded to provide invaluable setup advice to us, especially early on; and Rick/Dean/Brian and the Learning Curves crew, who provided an especially realistic final exam for the licensing course ;)).

In general, tho...it's the starts, the holeshot - that really does it for me.  There is no greater big buzz than lining up with all those bikes and waiting for that dam flag...concentrating, listening to my breath, trying to think about... nothing .... ...... ...... ....... two board...click down the visor, first gear - "don't forget - upside down shifting" "Shhhh"...nothing...quiet inside the shell...heart rate wanting to race, trying to keep it low...one board...here it goes - calm..."follow your breath - in...out, in...out"...sideways...(heh heh - I LOVE this) ...that first little riffle of green cloth way down the track..YEAH BABY...don't *dump* the clutch, let it pull against the brake and the pavement...and LAUNCH... YeeeeeHaaaaaa.... absolutely tearing off for the first turn feeling like a land rocket in a pack of 10 or a dozen bikes, all trying to get ahead. Front wheel - even on the little Sv - is light, is it up? yep. Plant it. Roll, baby.  And ... there's a dead one - lost his chain -- saw it back there - was that a snake?  Nope - there he is, headed into the grass - nearly clipped his rear.  5-4-3-2 brakes soon...No F'ing way are you getting in front of me, pal.  I'm inside.  Hah.  C'mooooonnn, tires.  And...We're Off!  Time to go to work...where's 996?  where's 173?  OK  - *now* we're having fun. Blows my mind.

And if you don't race, you have no any idea what in the heck I'm talking about.

So, yeah, we had fun.  We have memories.

[Super Dave]

Flip...

Hmmm?  New nick name for the wife?