As we bid farewell to 2014 and await 2015, it's time for the obligatory year-end lists....
I am reviewing the racing video from this year as I sit in my nice warm house while outside it's freeking sub-zero outside! I almost wish it was August and we were back at the hot & dry Pueblo Motorsports Park.
Although we were late-comers to racing this year I think our rider Roger did his best racing at Pikes Peak International Raceway. He seemed to be really comfortable with those large banked corners. That does seem a bit surprising given his background in motocross and enduro and all of the times we used to ride dirt bikes down in Pueblo. Granted the dirt is different than the pavement but Roger does have a collection of trophies from drag racing his motorcycle in Pueblo so he's used to the long straight-away.
Next year we plan on traveling a bit more (see previous blog entries regarding our trailer search). We're talking about racing all along the front range from Wyoming to New Mexico, and we're thinking about racing in Kansas, Nebraska and maybe a trip to the Miller Motorsports Park in Utah. So for our first category - "Favorite Track of 2014" I would say it was by far PPIR. We raced better there, we had great pit locations, and the women were much prettier there (hey - we're old but we're not dead!).
Next category - "Favorite Pit Food of 2014". Ok I know it seems like it's a rather strange award category but I get hungry watching Roger work so hard out on the track. I'm a rather simple kind of guy - I like my beer and brats, but I've been known not to pass up a good burrito or enchilada or two. I've got to give the award to the Colorado Motorcycle Racing Association's year-end barbecue.
Next up - "Favorite Walk-Up Song of 2014". Ok so I know that walk-up songs are more of a baseball thing but I can really get jumping when I hear a great tune. While Roger gets all of the glory it's us grunts in the pits that really have it rough. He goes through his pre-race routine mapping out the turns in his head and clearing his thoughts of everything else. I have my own pre-race routine in prepping the bike, prepping the rider, and most importantly, prepping the race time drinks and snacks. Talk about hard work and incredible pressure - imagine the stress of mistakenly grabbing the Doritos and salsa thinking you got the Ruffles and root beer. I find that having pre-race music helps me think clearer so I won't make the Doritos / salsa mistake again.
Here are my top tunes leading up to race time: "Hells Bells", "Stranglehold", "Rock & Roll", and "Are You Ready". I like how it builds in tempo up from the slow start of "Hells Bells" to the balls out pace of "Rock & Roll", and then it gets highly cerebral with "Are You Ready". My "Favorite Walk-Up Song of 2014" goes to Creed's "Are You Ready".
I'll come up with more awards and lists in the coming days. Until then, have a safe New Years and we'll all be back at it before you know it!
See ya at the track!
Pops
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Thursday, December 25, 2014
Merry Christmas!
Well the Christmas tree finally went up and the house got decorated. Funny how some people are particular with what goes in the tree as decorations - ornaments yes but spark plugs no. Who knew?
We've been looking at trailers for next season and we've got a few that we like. First you start with the trailer necessities like AC, fridge, microwave, a place for my tool boxes, my easy chair, and, as Roger (our team rider) likes to point out, the ability to store motorcycles. Then you move into the next level of 'would be cool to have' like hot tubs, sun deck, plasma TV, satellite dish, Wi-Fi, etc. To get to the next level beyond the necessities takes mad negotiation skills, or a bunch of incriminating pictures! Stay tuned - negotiations are about to get interesting!!
New racing plastic has been ordered and that will be a project for next month. I'm still trying to convince Roger that a turn signal that is always blinking is a good tactical option for racing. How many times have you come up on an old man with a hat driving on the highway with his blinker on and you slow down because you aren't too sure if he's coming into your lane or not!
We're trying to come up with colors for the bikes. Roger likes white but I'm thinking something more like the orange-yellow color of Preparation H. Now stay with me on this one - if you are riding a motorcycle on the track and it's hot and you start sweating chances are your roids might start acting up. If you roids start acting up you lose focus on the track and all you can think about is.... Preparation H! If your riding a bike that is the same color as Preparation H your mind convinces your roids that they've been treated so they don't become a distraction anymore. Now doesn't that make a lot of sense? If you like that idea you should see what colors I've come up with for his leathers next season!
Well the kiddos are here - someone told them that Santa dropped off some presents for them so they are waiting for me to come so that they can open them. From our pit crew to yours, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
See ya at the track!
Pops
We've been looking at trailers for next season and we've got a few that we like. First you start with the trailer necessities like AC, fridge, microwave, a place for my tool boxes, my easy chair, and, as Roger (our team rider) likes to point out, the ability to store motorcycles. Then you move into the next level of 'would be cool to have' like hot tubs, sun deck, plasma TV, satellite dish, Wi-Fi, etc. To get to the next level beyond the necessities takes mad negotiation skills, or a bunch of incriminating pictures! Stay tuned - negotiations are about to get interesting!!
New racing plastic has been ordered and that will be a project for next month. I'm still trying to convince Roger that a turn signal that is always blinking is a good tactical option for racing. How many times have you come up on an old man with a hat driving on the highway with his blinker on and you slow down because you aren't too sure if he's coming into your lane or not!
We're trying to come up with colors for the bikes. Roger likes white but I'm thinking something more like the orange-yellow color of Preparation H. Now stay with me on this one - if you are riding a motorcycle on the track and it's hot and you start sweating chances are your roids might start acting up. If you roids start acting up you lose focus on the track and all you can think about is.... Preparation H! If your riding a bike that is the same color as Preparation H your mind convinces your roids that they've been treated so they don't become a distraction anymore. Now doesn't that make a lot of sense? If you like that idea you should see what colors I've come up with for his leathers next season!
Well the kiddos are here - someone told them that Santa dropped off some presents for them so they are waiting for me to come so that they can open them. From our pit crew to yours, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
See ya at the track!
Pops
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)