Why do you race?

Started by SliderPhoto, November 15, 2002, 01:07:45 PM

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Bam55

I have been part of this community now off and on for 12 years.In the last 4 years of continuous participation I have been fortunate to win about 20 races. I have been realy lucky to have great support from people like Dave Rosno(VRS) and Brian Baker(Baker Race Gear) This year and last year the thing I noticed, winning is great and all but riding in races near and around my friends is this sh*t! I was lucky enough to pass and be passed by some of the familiar names. I was put in the grass for just enough time to register a 10 in the "pucker factor" by one of last years best riders in the mid-west, when in the pits he informned me that passing him was going to be work at any time, Thanks Dr. Purk! ;D    
  So why do I do this, at first it was to win, as reality kicked in and I realized I was easily ten years out of my prime. I don't have alot, if any $. I can't afford to crash at all anymore. Winning has still remained in the goals when it doesn't I'll quit. But just being on the track, being fast enough to bug people and make them work for top five is my goal. But the real reason I still do this, EXITEMENT! I am a maintenance peson for a large manufacturing company, I need excitement, and due to the fact that I have two kids, the kind that is legal.
   I have become friends with pretty much all of the vendors Jack Beaudry 8),Tom Mason :P, Cindy :), and so on. Racing at the club level is a family enviroment, if you haven't found that, stop sitting by yourself every night and go meet some of your competitors.  
  There alot of cool things about club racig, but if your not about sixteen and have about $100,000 for your club level program, don't take it super serious and have fun.

Bernie


Gixxer124

 ;DIt has rules and that gives me something to whine about. ;D ;D

Super Dave

QuoteChicks dig it. ;D

Right.  Never worked for me when I was young.  They seemed to want to do things during the summer weekends when I was gone RACING!

Why?  Well, I think I've done it all now.  So, I don't have to anymore.  But I enjoy it.  Like Bam55 said, it is a community of people, maybe a crack house, but nice people.

Years ago, I raced to get a ride, or to get some money, maybe a factory ride.  Then I did get the opportunities to ride other peoples stuff.  Now, with the school being 10 years old, it is fun to be a part of others personal victories.  

Why do I win?  I'm obstinate.  I'm patient.  So, I don't need to win.

Why don't I win.  I don't need to win.  And I'm too involved in others stuff to do enough work on my own set up to have it like I should.
Super Dave

OmniGLH

Number one:  it's hella fun, regardless of how I finish  :)

It gives me something to work at, something that I can see/feel progress and improvement.  Plus I love the competition.  I've wanted to race *something* for as long as I can remember.  Racing my friends on bicycles, roller blades, downhill skiing (THAT got ugly...)  I wanted to race cars (Porsches, specifically) but that's just too damn expensive.  Plus, I took a few driving schools, and learned that I wasn't the "natural" at it that I'd hoped I was.

I started racing MX, sucked at that too, but at least I was racing.  Then I met DanO, started riding like a retard on the street, decided to try roadracing... and as it turns out, I'm pretty good at it  :D  Plus, I like the gracefulness of it.  Being smooth, precise, and in control seems to reward more than just "hanging it out" - which kinda describes my personality anyways... so we're a perfect match  :)
Jim "Porcelain" Ptak

TZDeSioux

I race because it makes me feel good regardless of how I finish. If I could still skateboard..I wouldn't be roadracing. Each time I'm out on the track.. I can pretend to be Biaggi, Kato, Schwantz.. whoever.

Why do I win? I don't..
Why don't I win? Because I'm slow

FullMoonRacing

...for the occasional multi-lap battle (for 2nd or 3rd to last place) in which I finally overtake the guy on the white flag lap, and beat him to the checkers.  <..and the crowd goes wild!! - WHAAAAAAAA...>

THOSE kind of races make the whole season worthwhile.  

YTAK_Racing

1.  I  have never met so many nice people.  Its seems that everyone is high on the same drug as I am and everyone is at their best at the track.

2.  Last year as a first year amature every so often I would get in a dice with someone. A clean dice. passing each other 2-3 times a lap.
 ;D
 ;D
YTAk

khanson

Ahhhh....the reasons go on and on.

For starters......most that know me...know that my day job is I'm a Detective.  I've done all the kickass stuff over the last 9 1/2 years that I've been a cop.  I've been on the Gang Unit, worked dope, and I've probably smashed around 500 doors in with a ram while on the SWAT team. I've been in countless footchases with people, been shot at and taken plenty of guns off of people.  Thats the cool stuff I get to do, however police work isn't like that all of the time and I deal with dirtbags everyday at work, the people you dont' want to deal with.

Whenever I come to the track, my buddies always want to here cool cop stories. Since I've seen my share of crackheads and heroin addicts in my life....we as motorcyce racers have a very bad crack habit!!!!!!

Where else can you go spend 10-40k club racing for a little trophy!  There is something definitely wrong with us.  However, when people at work look at me like I'm nuts or stupid for spending the money that I do racing......I simply smile and tell them that I'm living life and not bitching about the things that I want to do or wished that I could do.  How many of you hear your co-workers whining all the time about how miserable life is?  When I'm dead and being eaten by bugs in a wooden box or ashes in a vase....at least I know that I enjoyed life doing what I wanted to do.  

All the money in the world can't replace the great friendships and people I've met at the track over the last  1 1/2 years.  I think that one of the reasons I like sleeping at the track because you're able to hang out with people at night.  Plus it's cheaper!

I've been priveledged to have the opportunity to become good friends with Dave Rosno and I consider him my mentor.  I know I started late...so I'm trying to shorten my learning curve and lessen my crash repair bill by seeking out people who know what they are doing.  I think he gets just as much fun out of seeing his students win as he does winning himself.  One of my favorite races this year was duking it out with Dave in a race stuffing each other several times.  My other favorite races also involved good hard races with friends I've made at the track.  There's something incredible about racing hard against your buddies.  

Other reasons I'm an addict.....

Believe it or not, I would do this any day over chasing bad guys.  I just haven't figured out how to make it a full time job yet.  I've done both....and trust me, this is more fun.

I'm competitive and like to push myself to new limits.

The racing culture is like one big extended family.

Where else can I talk about bikes stuff 24/7.  My co-workers and wife get tired of it.

There's something spirutual and refreshing about racing a motorcycle, trying to push it to or beyond its limits around the track. I know a goal of mine is to be able to push the bikes limits in every corner, I haven't reach it yet, but I'm still trying.

I like the mental challenges of it.  After the season, it really started to hit home how important the mental part of racing is.  I find myself thinking about racing ALL OF THE TIME trying to figure out how to improve in every aspect.

Sorry, I got a little winded, however you caught me on a sunday after a good nights sleep. :D

Kevin
Kevin Hanson<br /><br />www.SafetyFirstRacing.com<br />Safety First Racing<br />847.357.1309

Thingy

Geez Hanson-

And here, I didn't think you would have anything to say...

PS - I do like hearing the cop stories!
-Bill Hitchcock
GP EX #13
Double Bravo Racing
'01 Ducati 748

Tuck your skirt in your panties and twist the throttle!

Baltobuell

#22
 Kevin! Now you have Trey Bone all parinoid.

schpreck

Xian said it perfectly...

Why do I race...
Well I am sure I could go on about some profound logic of pushing ones self to the limits... or how it might gives me the feelings of mortality..
but when the dust settles, I race because I can't imagine not racing