It's Trailer Time!

Well the new Geezer Gears Racing Trailer is now officially done.  We ended up with the Genesis 23SS model, and that should be enough room to take our bike, gear, tools, and crew from race to race in style.

Now comes the hard part - the drive to Mesa, Arizona to pick it up.  We still have D-Rings, a Pit Bull Trailer Restraint System, back-up cameras, load stabilizers, etc., that still need to be installed, but we're hopeful that we can be heading back home early next week.  I thought Pueblo was hot - they are expecting 105 degrees+ every day that we're down there.

I've been reading the on-line copy of the owner's manual.  There's a lot to know and a lot that could go wrong with this puppy.  As our wives say, the chances of something going wrong is greatly amplified when Roger and I are working together on a project!  I know I'm bucking the trend by reading the instructions, but for a small racing team like ours we need to take extra care of our new toy, ah, trailer....

Don't know what we'll call it - maybe that should be a contest for our Geezer Gears Blog readers!  At 30 feet there is a lot of room on the side for any sponsors who would like to step up and buy a spot on the trailer - including the coveted back door spot!  Shoot me an email if you are interested.

I'll be blogging / Tweeting / Instagramming our (mis-) adventures along the way so stay tuned!




On a more serious note we'd like to pass along our condolences to the family of Carl Sorensen who died during practice at the 2015 Pikes Peak Hill Climb.  Carl ran the tech inspections on race day for the Motorcycle Racing Association in Colorado.  There is a Memorial Fund that has been set up to help offset the family's financial burden:

http://www.gofundme.com/xy926c





See ya' at the track!

Pops

Pueblo - Epilogue

Believe it or not, your Geezers managed to survive the long, hot weekend!  Sure we needed a shower and a nap when we got home but we made it!  A big round of thanks to our families for letting us do what we do (no matter how crazy it sounds), and for holding Father's Day dinner until after we woke up from our naps!

The weekend races at Pueblo are now in the books.  We came away pretty much unscathed although a bit dusty from all of the kitty litter on the track.  A big shout out to the MRA-Colorado staff and field crew for doing what the could to keep the track in racing condition all weekend.

It's hard when you come up to a patch of kitty litter on the track.  So many things race through your mind so you have to battle harder to stay focused.  For us old guys our minds are usually filled with thoughts like: "don't crash", "set up for this curve", "is my blinker on?", "how much longer do I have - I really have to pee".  For us old Geezers, seeing the residue on the track reminds us of our mortality and how much little time we have left to make our mark in this world.

We picked up a few points and we hit our personal goals for the weekend.  Remember we're just a couple of old farts doing what we can to get out of the "honey-do list" back at home.  We don't have sponsors and we don't have a pit team and we don't have a lot of tools or equipment.  If we can't fix it with what's in our toolbox or with duct tape we just make due.

For us it's the friendships and fellowships that we have with fellow racers that mean more to us than the points.  Yes, we may learn a thing or two about setting up motorcycles or how to set up for corners, but at our age we are just out to have fun.  Thanks for all old friends (and new ones) who stopped by our pit and shared some time and stories with us this weekend.

So what's next for your Geezers?  It looks like we will be in Mesa, Arizona in 2 weeks to pick up the toy hauler.  If your a fan of the Geezer Gears Racing Team you can follow our antics via Twitter and Instagram as I'll be sending out updates as we go.  I'll be reviewing pictures and racing footage with Roger to see where we can improve and I'll also be looking for images to post to our blog.

Again, a big THANK YOU!! to our families and friends that have supported us on this crazy adventure! 

Life is short - hug a Geezer!

See ya' at the track!

Pops

Happy Father's Day!!

Happy Father's Day to all of the dads out there among the interwebs!

Father's Day breakfast was eggs, sausages, and potatoes - Geezer style! Slept well despite waking up in Pueblo.  There was a spider on my tent this morning that looked like a scorpion - it had a leg in the back that looked like a stinger.

Decided to go with my dome tent that I got from Montgomery Wards about thirty years ago.

Roger went with some new fangled style of tent.  Wasn't sure what it was supposed to be at this stage.

We are awaiting the start of the racers meeting.  Look for my recap of today's events!

See ya'  at the track!

Pops

Pueblo - Round 3 - Day 1

I don't mean to sound rather dramatic, but racing in Pueblo is an experience.  Typically racing here means hot, dry conditions  - I mean really hot and dry.  Today was no different, and tomorrow will be even worse.

Now don't get me wrong, I have fond memories of riding my dirt bike here and watching Roger teach my kids how to ride here, but that was a really long time ago!  I'm not saying I am old and can't handle the heat, but as we age there are certain liberties we get to claim.  Mine are life, liberty, and the pursuit of air conditioning!

Pueblo is our State's reminder that we are actually a desert environment and desert settings can be extremely bad ass..  The grass that grows here has prickley things on it, there are large lizzards here, and if you are observant you might see a rattle snake or two.  The further away you get from water the harsher the environment is, and there is a lot of harsh in Pueblo.  Even the pretty little birds that hop around looking for bugs are bad ass  - I swear that one hopped up to me, spun its head around, and threatened to pick my eyes out when I sleep tonight.

We've had 3 red  flag stoppages today, and the day isn't over yet.  The first crash required 2 ambulances.  After the second crash large, buzzard-like birds could be seen circling over the track.  

The corner worker by us is standing in a stand and the heat shimmers are so great that you can't see the ground below his feet.  Imagine coming out of a right turn, hitting the throttle and accelerating quickly, only to see what you think is Jesus dressed in white floating in the air in front of you.

Racing in Pueblo is special, not because saying you raced here in the summer is considered a feat worthy of a badge of honor, but those who race here have an unique bond between them.  They know of the harsh conditions, the sudden wind gusts, and the surprise sand storms blowing in  - and that's just on the track!

I have hunted around Pueblo and in other places in Colorado, but the strangest creatures I have ever come across happened here outside Pueblo.  I'm not saying that I've seen a Chupacabra or Bigfoot (ok in all honesty I did see a Chacabra near Pueblo), but I've seen more unusual incidents here than anywhere else I know.

The goal of Pueblo  is survival.  Dont get lost.  Don't get hurt. Stay hydrated. Dont eat the peyote.  After  Day 1 the Geezer Gears have survived.  We will set up our tents, have a frothy beverage, and rest up for another exciting adventure in the land of ....

Pueblo.

See ya' at the track!

Pops

Another Upate From Round 2

I have been going over the pictures and videos from Round 2 and I think it is safe to say that our team rider Roger is getting more comfortable on the bike, with the track, and with the modifications we are making to the bike.

I have some pics to post once I am done going through them.  Here is a pic of Roger showing off another expertise of his:

Nothing beats track food. We had sausages, potatoes, red onions, and veggies - and a few secret ingredients:

We will pick up the new trailer early next month so we had to rough it and camp in tents.  Now when you get to my age there are things I don't scrimp on, and one of those things is comfort.  I got a  lot of crap for my accommodations but I slept well and woke up refreshed.

Yes, that's a 14 inch air mattress in my tent so go ahead and be jealous!  I also had my hunting ear plugs and an eye mask so once I hit the mattress I was out cold!

Out of the 4 races we were in (2 on Saturday and 2 on Sunday), we were just out of the top 10 on the 2 races on Sunday.  We have a lot of room for improvement and out next chance for that will be at Round 3 next weekend in Pueblo.  

I am packing plenty of waters and Gatorade to keep us cool, plus I am bringing a large fan and an extension cord to plug into the generator.  Pueblo tends to get rather warm so we are going to be prepared.

Please come out to Pueblo and support your Geezers!

See ya' at the track!

Pops

Round 2 Recap

Motorcycle Racing in Colorado has now officially begun.  After a rain soaked opening weekend that saw both days cancelled, we finally got to racing this past weekend.

Friday was a lapping day - a big round of thanks for the Motorcycle Roadracing Association for making that happen!  Unfortunately we couldn't make lapping day so we arrived bright and early Saturday morning.  When we pulled up the lot was already full of campers and trailers but we managed to find a spot to sneak in and set up.  That's a sure sign of success - when you arrive early on Saturday morning to a packed pit and camping area!

We put our bike through tech and while Roger (our team rider) attended the rider's meeting I set up our pit for the weekend.  After the meeting we got the bike prepped and Roger made his way out on to the track for morning practice.

It's important to remember that we're new to road racing, but not necessarily new to motorcycle racing.  Roger has raced enduro, motocross and has even drag raced motorcycles with much success.  However the skills used in road racing are different than what he has used in the past so there is a lot of learning and unlearning we have to do as we get into this.

We switched our shifting on this bike to GP shift (which is backwards from normal shifting), braking and braking points are different, angles into and out of curves are different, and sliding the back tire doesn't really exist here like on dirt.  Add in the amount of lean the bikes take to make the corners and the 'slightly' additional weight we older guys carry and have to adjust for and well, no wonder it will take us a while to get comfortable.

Our races on Saturday went as we expected and we met our team goals in those races - don't get lost, get comfortable on the bike and on the track, and make it back to the pit safely.  Saturday afternoon and evening we made a few adjustments to the bike and Sunday those adjustments really helped.  We shaved off 5 to 8 seconds per lap with the tweaks we did, and that made Roger a bit more comfortable on the bike, which in turn made him a bit faster on the track.

With our races out of the way early on Saturday we were able to watch the main event Saturday afternoon - the 4 Hour Endurance Race.  There were 3 categories - "Pony Express" (multiple bikes and riders with one transponder being used as a baton between riders), "True Endurance" (one bike with multiple riders), and "Titanium Butt" (one bike one rider).  There was a pretty bad crash just about midway through the endurance race but thankfully broken bones will mend.  The endurance race ended just before the sun slipped over the horizon.  A big thanks for the corner workers for putting in a long day on the track.

Our next round will be in Pueblo, Colorado.  We'll have to camp that weekend because our trailer won't be ready in time.  Too bad - it's always hot in Pueblo!

Now that we're back to racing (and hunting season is over) I'll keep the blog updated better.  I'm working through the videos and pics from the weekend and I'll post those as I get them ready.  You can always catch us on Twitter ( @GeezerGears ) or on Instagram ( geezergears ).

See ya' at the track!

Pops