Knowledge Base

Races at Chuckwalla Valley Raceway

September 20, 2016 By Carol Carpenter

I sat down to write about the September 10th track day, but after watching Caroline Olsen and Benny Solis race on Sunday, I felt compelled to write about my trip first. Chuckwalla Valley Raceway is about 3.5 hours southeast from Santa Clarita, CA where I am presently residing, off the 10 Fwy by Palm Desert and Joshua Tree National Park. To say it was hot would be an understatement (I mean huge), it was scorching (the high was 110 degrees that day), so the thought of riding and racing in triple digit weather did not sound in the least bit appealing. The track is 2.68 miles with 17 turns and the entire track can be seen from the bleachers by the hot pits. I arrived to see Jason Pridmore (Star Motorcycle School www.starmotorcycle.com) coaching this duo at their pit. The series is Chuckwalla Valley Motorcycle Association (CVMA – www.cvmaracing.com) and it was their first round of races of the season, they don’t start until late when the weather is more manageable and ride through the winter and spring, I can totally understand why now.

Upon my arrival I was met with smiles and hugs from everyone as they were getting ready for the first race of the day which Benny and Caroline were both entered in. Benny Sr. (Benny’s Dad) is Benny’s pit crew, always there encouraging and handling the bikes in the pits and the board at hot pit while Marco (the one in the background) does data acquisition. Caroline was racing Benny’s backup bike and to watch the two of them talking was heartwarming, they are each other’s support system, encouraging each other all long the way. The first race ended with Benny taking first and Caroline, second which ended up being the way it went all day for the races they were both entered in together. However, on the one race with just Caroline, to see her do her thing was nothing less than pure art. She is so smooth and determined and to just imagine what those guys felt as she took the lead with an amazing start, I could only imagine it as deflating. I did watch them try to catch her, but it didn’t take long for her to break away. What’s even more impressive is that she wasn’t on her own bike, a slight disadvantage, but she rode it like she had be on it for years. And Benny, he’s amazing, lightning quick and so in control, in fact he won every race with a significant gap to those placing second. Not to mention his amazing hair even after the helmet came off (see picture below)!

Pre ride talk

I got a chance to speak with both Benny and Caroline between races in the trailer and for two 20 somethings they are wise, focused, disciplined and kind. In particular, Caroline and I got a chance to speak in private about our industry, this gal is a fireball, you have to be in a male dominated industry, as well as thick skinned and strong willed. Listening to her I had nothing but admiration for her dedication, overcoming adversity and becoming one of the fastest, if not fastest girl in the US today. Being in the age of social media, you can become easily mislead, people posting about how fast they are or in cases of the female variety using their feminine wiles to get them noticed (not that there is anything wrong with that, but what are you saying, I’m fast or I’m hot). True talent doesn’t require talk or pictures, the proof is in performance. These two not only deliver, but they do it with a humble nature. To me it says a lot about the way they have been raised. I am looking forward to seeing these two rise to the top and what makes it extra special is knowing them and how deserving they are of it.

Jason is the consummate coach, making sure they are hydrated, talking to them immediately before they race and right when they get back in the pits. He’s timing, watching every corner, pass, supporting and cheering them on from the pit wall. You can tell he loves what he does, but above all he cares deeply about them and wants the absolute best for them. There is a mutual respect and a lot of ribbing, I had a great deal of fun watching everyone have their turns with each other. David Kolb, who drove up a handful of bikes from California for our two day event, was also racing on Sunday and JP was there at the wall for his races encouraging him all along the way. With this group you aren’t just friends, you are family and that’s what this sport is all about.

We are currently ironing out dates with JP and his crew to join us again next year and we hope you will take this opportunity to join in and learn from an amazing coach and his talented riders, otherwise you will have to wait for the following year. The information and techniques you will learn will open your eyes and watching everyone have these moments of clarity made putting these event days on worth it.

Looking forward to next season, now get out there and ride!

Track Days

August 25, 2016 By Carol Carpenter

I went to support my friend Cory Osburn on his last day to receive his endorsement card for successfully completing and passing his 3 day course with WMST. He had three great instructors, Chris, John and Ed, who welcomed me to stay and watch, cheer and proudly watch him pass this course. Upon completion of the testing, Chris stated something to the graduated class that seems like common sense, but many people don’t do it. Not only get seat time, but get coached properly, seek out more classes and instruction, build upon what you just learned. I can’t stress enough the importance of doing that, you just learned something, now go out and practice, practice a lot, if you don’t it will be forgotten. Practice with a plan and set a goal for yourself every time, it can be small like going up and down your street to get comfortable with your bike, then head out of your neighborhood, then tackle the freeway. Some people read to gain knowledge others do better by doing and attending classes, it’s up to you, but make sure you check in time to time with someone who can actually help you assess if you are improving or creating bad habits. Bad habits are hard to break and when they become second nature your tendency is to revert to them since the new concepts are harder to implement as they require more focus and concentration.

Riding is an amazing sport and for those of us who love it, we understand it is a never-ending process. You will never be able to fully appreciate what your bike is actually capable of, it is an incredible piece of machinery that you will get to know and love like your best friend (only it won’t drive you nuts). Some days you’ll feel like one with it and other days it’ll seem like a complete stranger to you, that’s completely normal but remember that the bike is the constant, it’s you that is inconsistent so if you are having an off day just be aware and adjust your riding accordingly. I still feel a great deal of anticipation and adrenaline every time I climb on to one of my bikes (each one rides so differently) yet somehow once I’m there, everything quiets down and fades away. Riding for me feeds my soul, quiets my mind, centers me and reminds me why I do what I do. Find a group or a friend(s) and get out there. Skills are tools that need to remain sharp so the more you practice technique the more comfortable you’ll start to feel in no time. Don’t let those tools and skills get dull and never be complacent about your riding. Things happen and they happen quick.

Track days are great for practicing, it is a controlled environment, controlled conditions and depending on which track organization you choose to signup with, can either be a great experience or one you may never attend again. For those new to track days look for providers who limit riders per session it will be a more relaxed environment for you to practice and learn instead of a stressful experience as you get buzzed or end up in a pile up in the corners. If you are more experienced you make those decisions of signing up knowing there is a chance of a lot of traffic. Make informed decisions based on your skill level. I’ve instructed at several organizations and I’ve seen tears, frustration and outright anger because of traffic on the track, just do your homework and make sure you get the most out of your day. With less riders there is more time to work on your technique and you spend less time figuring out how to negotiate your way out of traffic. Makes sense right? Nothing is worse than being super excited to ride and then encounter a misfortune in your first or even second session, it ruins your entire day. It can be due to individuals who can’t hold a line, someone clearly in the wrong level, a mechanical issue, lack of focus, too many people on track, etc. As an instructor through the years for track organizations, I’ve seen some pretty interesting things and knew that there had to be a better, safer way to put a track day on. If you haven’t had a chance to attend, sign up, we provide the perfect environment to learn, have fun, not feel self conscious or intimidated and our biggest joy is seeing you happy at the end of the day and smiling ear to ear. Our last day is on September 10 at The Ridge Motorsports Park and it is limited to 30 riders in each session. There are control riders and instructors there at your disposal and the classroom is free to everyone who wants to attend. Don’t forget to bring anything you might want to sell, barter or trade with other riders…you never know what someone might have that you absolutely can’t do without! (OK That’s the fashionista in me) Signup at www.motovixens.com/ccevents

Looking forward to seeing you out there!

June 27-28 Event Report

July 5, 2016 By Carol Carpenter

What an incredible two days at The Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, WA with Jason Pridmore, Caroline Olsen, Benny Solis, Redspade (Anna Rigby), her hubby Steve and David Kolb (marketing/social media/transportation-jack of all trades). We couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to come instruct and ride, than this crew. The weather was stellar, the people were in wonderful spirits and the pits were filled with riders grinning from ear to ear. Jason being the consummate professional and perfectionist squeezed in a lesson plan so filled to the hilt that it will require the remainder of the year to work on the intricacies of those techniques to feel confident enough to execute them consistently. The general consensus being that those who took the special session learned more in one day than they ever knew was possible.

In an environment of overcrowded track days and after instructing in many so overly filled every session that it was more a parade lap than the chance to work on practicing your techniques and working on your riding, we proved there is a better solution. The danger associated with overcrowded track days comes down to the sheer numbers of individuals on the track and the various skill levels. The two combined lead to crashes that could be avoided if we had less people on track and more room to maneuver. If we can provide an environment with far less riders where people can learn, go faster, is significantly safer and you can get knowledge from a renown world class coach who you can ask anything wouldn’t you want to? It’s a question I’ve asked myself through the years and after witnessing this during our event days, know that this dream is now a reality. Less traffic on track means more opportunity to work on your riding, making that plan and being able to implement it to practice and improve the timing and confidence of that technique.

JP and his crew are amazing people, not just referring to their riding abilities, but as individuals. Knowledgeable, kind, helpful, gracious, lovely and immensely talented people who truly want to better this sport and raise rider education awareness. JP having retired from racing, although still quite involved in training riders such as Caroline Olsen and Benny Solis (who are on the rise in MotoAmerica) as well as commentating with beIN sports for MotoAmerica, is still at the top of his game. JP and his crew rode with our clients, towed and instructed them and by the end of the day I saw remarked improvement in each rider. Sitting in the classroom and listening to JP teach and answer questions made me want to hop on a bike and go out and ride with all of them but alas I could not and still run the show. JP’s teaching style is one I’m especially receptive to, purely because when a question was asked, it was answered with facts to support the answer. No one left that room without a plan to adhere to on their session out on track, yet with that mission there was a levity and ease knowing that while we are working on these drills, we can’t forget why were are doing this…our love of riding. While this sport is inherently dangerous and things can happen, with the proper training you can only improve…your riding, knowledge and confidence.

From the outpour of emails, texts and calls since the event it is clear to me that people want more of what we offered with JP and our event days. When I started instructing, it was different, there was a sense of family and community in the organizations, but over the years that has changed. My goal is to kill two birds with one stone, provide an environment where staff feels appreciated as well as a part of a family and the clients have the best experience possible while in our care. I do this out of passion, for the love of the sport and keeping riders safe. This is not a lucrative business (very seldom is one done from passion), I could very easily just do track days and jam them full of people, but I love this sport and teaching riders is important to me. A great deal of planning goes into keeping costs down to pass them on to the clients, this is in hopes we make lifetime riders from everyone we touch. Whether you ride a cruiser or a sport bike, we just want to you have the skills necessary to enjoy this sport and share it with everyone around you. If you missed our event with JP we will be bringing him back again next year, so stay tuned for the announcement later this year (once I can pin him down with a schedule).

Our second day ended with a birthday celebration for Troy, the last two years have been celebrated at the track and how poignant since motorcycles brought us together three years ago. Clint and Di prepared a feast for JP, Caroline, Benny, Anna, Steve, David, Troy and I where we stuffed ourselves then got everyone on horses to show them what horsepower used to mean! The friendships we developed from this event, the memories and laughter we shared are experiences that we will remember for a lifetime. More than being about business is the sense of community and family which we will strive to bring back into our industry. Passion fuels my desire to make this successful, giving people opportunities that are hard to come by and options to achieve their goals, creating an environment to develop and grow, supporting our industry by providing continuing education to riders and advocating for rider safety.

Come out and ride with us, we have another date on September 10th and signups are limited. JP will be in New Jersey, but Troy Cook will be holding classroom sessions which will be listed the day of the event. The schedule will be that of a typical track day, 20 minute sessions every hour. Check the event listing for more detailed information.

Special thanks to Oliver Jervis (for breaking in my new bike and driving me around the track in his snazzy car), Spero Benias, Wendy Leber, Chrissy Wiley, Jenny Besaw, Brian Pinkstaff, Moaka Clay, Alan Schwen, Steve Cook, Troy Cook, Pat O’Connor, Adan Mendoza, Matt Staples, Chris Larabee, Tyler Oxos, Matt Darling, Marie Kile, Renee Johnson, Cory Osburn and James Ketchum who with their dedication and support on these days made it possible for me to focus on making this event fantastic for all who attended. Thank you Clint and Di for the lovely BBQ and fun at the farm for the gang after our two day event, they had more fun than they ever could’ve imagined. Also, huge thank you to Fred and Andy at the Ridge Motorsports Park for allowing us to take it over and put on an amazing two days. Not to be excluded all of our sponsors who so generously donated products to help make this event truly special: Ducati Richmond, Pacific Powersports, Triumph of Seattle, South Sound Honda, South Bound Honda, I-90 Motorsports, Sena, AGV, Dainese, Dunlop Tires, Cycle Gear, KFG Racing, Mike Sullivan, Cycle Wipes and Racer Gloves.

Getting to know Jason Pridmore

May 31, 2016 By Carol Carpenter

In our continuing “get to know” series, I wanted to do a blog on JP. I have never met JP face to face, but have spent many hours on the phone speaking to this amazing and kind man, which strikes me as surprising and refreshing since I’m around type-A men who are usually ego driven (excluding Troy of course). JP is not like that, he’s genuine, self-deprecating, humorous and kind. Not at all what I expected from such an accomplished individual as himself. He doesn’t want to talk about motorcycles, he wants to talk about life, how you are, how he can help, …he is a very giving individual. I wanted to ask him some serious questions and some fun ones too and there was a question I had asked him at the end of our Q & A that he answered with such humor, which I can’t print, that reminds you of what you already know…he’s awesome!

CC: For many new to riding, they might not know of you, can you give us some background and a summary of your accomplishments? (JP is very humble, he doesn’t like to list his accomplishments or talk about them)

JP: I’ve been riding since I was 2yrs old. I was lucky enough to be born into a racing world, my father Reg is a 3 time AMA Superbike Champion. Been very fortunate to win a number of AMA races along with countless podiums and 2 AMA National Championships. Also, I have won 2 FIM World Endurance Championships including winning at the Le Mans 24hr in 2014. Up until last year I was the only American to ever stand on an FIM World Supersport podium and was also very fortunate to race in World Superbike. I’ve raced all over the world, I have been a very lucky guy.

CC: What do you feel is your greatest moment or accomplishment while you were racing and now post racing?

JP: Wow, honestly there have been so many great memories. Winning my first AMA National at Brainerd, Minnesota was amazing. Most don’t know that I won the Imola 200 in Italy. Winning Championships are always pretty defining and I was fortunate to scoop up some of those all over the world.

Post racing is easy. Helping people realize their riding goals, working with military and mentoring kids. All those make me keep going everyday.

CC: What do you consider as your defining moment and why?

JP: Not sure I can think of one. I do know this, nothing beats pulling into the winners circle and seeing your team, family and friends overwhelmed with your success. I had some moments racing that I only wish I could relive one more time.

CC: Do you have any pre-riding routines and/or superstitions? For example, Aaron Yates used to wear the same socks until he crashed, do you have a list of things you do on and off your bike?

JP: This is a funny one. I never went to sleep the nights of race weekends on my back with my arms folded across my chest. Always creeped me out, I am sure you can figure out why.

CC: What is your favorite post victory riding memory?

JP: Having my mom (Who doesn’t love this guy?) at the races anytime I won was so rad. Taking Richard Stanboli for a victory lap after winning the Formula Extreme Championship, that guy was amazing to work with.

CC: Who do you admire, consider a hero or a mentor?

JP: My dad for sure, couldn’t have ever got where I did without him. Ken Greene is someone not many know but I look up to and admire to this day, incredible rider and mentor to me.

CC: What is something about you that people don’t know?

JP: As much as I travel, I am a homebody. I would do almost anything to just chill in my house and enjoy my time at home. Also, I was the first guy to win an AMA National on the GSXR 1000 which was at Sears Point in 2001 in the bikes very first race. Good trivia question for people. I qualified for the US Amateur Golf Championship and 2 US Mid Amateur Golf Championships. Guess that’s 3 things, haha.

CC: Other than your current sponsor, what is your favorite bike of all time you’ve ever ridden? (JP is currently sponsored by Kawasaki)

JP: Ridden so many bikes but the bike I won my Championship with Richard Stanboli on in 2002 was incredible. Can’t say it was the funnest at times because it was straight violent but it made me a better rider. 2002 GSXR 1000. Also, my very last race was the Le Mans 24hr for factory BMW, bike was amazing and made me wish I was 20yrs younger so I could keep racing.

CC: You run Star Motorcycle School, why do you feel rider education is so important?

JP: Bikes these days are incredible. I see too many people that have plateaued with their riding and have stopped their advancement. Being able to break down the fundamentals again will make people think about what they are doing again and make them better and safer riders. I know what almost every rider out there wants, to get faster!!! Let’s take the time to learn every technical aspect of riding so we aren’t riding off into a dark room. Too much seat of the pants riding out there, I wanna fix that.

CC: You’re a golf addict, can you tell us what got you started? Who you admire most as a golfer?

JP: I miss racing a lot. But there comes a time when you have to realize you have to move on as an athlete. I never accomplished everything I wanted to as a racer but it wasn’t because of lack of effort. Golf now is something that allows me to keep my competitive juices going. It’s such a hard sport and I get so much satisfaction playing well.

I recently played 54 holes of golf with Rickie Fowler and was a fan before we teed it up. Now I have huge admiration for him. Besides being top 5 in the world, the guy is just pure class.

CC: Do you feel golfing helps your riding? Why?

JP: No doubt golf has helped my riding and riding has helped my golf. Both sports you can really only control what you do, can’t control anyone else. Golf has taught me patience even though I don’t exude that trait very well sometimes.

My thanks to Jason taking his time out of his busy schedule to participate in this Q & A. He travels nonstop coaching and announcing, most of the time I had conversations with him while he was driving to yet another airport. He’s a trooper though and the consummate professional, he actually felt guilty that he was late in getting his answers back to me, yep that is the type of guy he is.

Jason Pridmore will be at the Ridge MotorSports Park June 27-28 for a special two day event. There are 3 groups that rotate throughout the day. Group 1 and 2 are track only groups, Group 3 is the special session with Jason Pridmore in the Classroom and on track. Group 1 and 2 are open to all makes and models of bikes and both men and women. Group 3 on the 27^th is dedicated to women and the 28^th to men. We have confirmed Caroline Olsen will be joining us as well as Corey Alexander. This is an event you won’t want to miss, there has never been this much talent on the track at one time in the PNW. Save yourself time by signing up online and reserving your spot for this special event. Look forward to seeing you out there for this amazing event and opportunity to meet and learn from some of the most talented riders this track has ever seen in one place at one time!

Who is RedSpade?

May 11, 2016 By Carol Carpenter

With the upcoming event on June 27-28 I thought it would be fun to interview a few people who are special guests so you could get to know them more personally. For our first installment, RedSpade, aka Anna Rigby, will be our subject. Jason Pridmore, our guest speaker and coach for the upcoming event, made the introduction and it only took a few minutes of speaking to Anna before I realized that JP associates himself with people very much like him. Anna is very sweet, centered and humble, which I find so refreshing in this sea of narcissism and social media. Let’s get to know Anna who will be RedSpade for the purposes of this blog. I want to thank Jason and Peter Bacon, Marketing Manager for Dainese, North America for supporting us and our mission to educate riders by providing events where riders can learn from the best coaches out there today. Anna and her husband, Steve will be at the Ridge on both dates, please don’t hesitate to come and say “hi”!

CC: I first took notice of you when JP mentioned you and asked me to check out your Instagram under RedSpade. What inspired that name?

RS: I wanted to come up with something unique, memorable and symbolic. The name “spade” comes from the Italian word “spade” or “sword” which often represents logical and rational thought cutting through uncertainty and falsehood. The spade is also usually the most powerful suite in a deck of cards and a sign of luck. I assigned the color red to it to make it one of a kind and unique. At the time I had fiery red hair so the color was symbolically a representation of a part of me. Later on for our logo the spade took on a shape of red and white rumble strips which specifically correlates to our company [RedSpade Racing].

CC: I love it when company names carries a deep personal meaning, it reminds you why you do what you do and it shows in every decision you make, person you touch and keeps you driven.

CC: I love the pictures you post how’d you get started in documenting your journey?

RS: I fell in love with the machines and the atmosphere of track life—which is really where I was officially exposed to motorcycles. After shooting a few local WERA races I realized that I was in love with the way guys piloted these machines and I really wanted to ride one myself (at the time I was only a passenger with my husband). Since my feed already consisted of motorcycle photography it was a natural progression that I started documenting my journey from my first MFS class onward.

CC: You are the ambassador for Dainese/AGV, can you tell us how you got involved?

RS: Funny story actually—I’ve always been a fan of Dainese and their products. They always seemed to be the best quality and had the best designs. But when my husband crashed twice on the street and walked away safe and sound in his Dainese leathers I was sold. In general I posted a LOT about safety and proper motorcycle gear. 4 years ago when I started riding there weren’t as many gear choices for women as there are now. I remember reaching out to Dainese begging them to create something more for women and that many sizes weren’t readily available in the US. It wasn’t until 2 years ago that Dainese reached out to me and asked me to come on board as one of their brand ambassadors. They had told me they were watching me on social media for some time and simply liked how I represented the motorcycle community and the sport. I was floored, to be honest I still can’t believe I get to work with a company I believe in so much.

CC: I still believe the choices are slim. However Dainese was the first street gear I bought, loved and continued to add to because of how flattering it is for women. In fact, my very first race suit was Dainese and it’s been crashed over and over and it’s scuffed up but it’s still in one piece! It’s not as beautiful as it was, but I use that suit now as a rain day suit or loaner suit for gals who want to two up at track days. I still think we need more choices with color and designs, but Rome wasn’t built in a day. Wearing a small boot size, Dainese is the only boot manufacturer I can wear. I wear a Dainese 6 (36), they fit amazing and while you can’t get the top of the line race protection, you can get pretty damn close with their boots. I am sure there will be changes with the increase of women riders and their demand for better looking and fitting gear, ladies will make that known for sure!

CC: When did you get introduced to riding? What enticed you to ride?

RS: I guess that goes back to your previous question about me shooting photography. Racing was sparked my interest to ride really. I was super impressed with guys dragging their knee and getting low to the ground—that was like absolute black magic to me. At the time I was absolutely terrified and never thought I would get to experience it myself, but I dreamed of it. It wasn’t until I met a female racer that encouraged me to go take the MFS course and see if it was for me. Until then I hadn’t seen any females ride like that and I honestly didn’t even know it was possible. She single handedly convinced me to take the riding course and jump-started my journey.

CC: That’s why I want women to see other women ride, not everyone started at a young age, many of us started much later. We are all different, from our goals to our knowledge and understanding of riding, I want them to understand that persistence, practice and perseverance go a long way in helping them get confident and building their skill set. We need to help encourage other gals and give them the tools they need to succeed at their goals.

CC: Who sparked your interest to ride and why?

RS: My husband Steve definitely was the key person to spark my interest. All the men in his family ride or rode at one point or another. Steve also rode dirt bikes and trails when I met him so there was always a history of two wheels with him. As a matter of fact, our first date was a story in itself—we ended up crashing and my right leg got all rashed up pretty bad. But that was over 16 years ago and who would have thought that 12 years later I would finally build up the courage to learn to ride myself.

CC: It’s exciting to see an increase in women riders, what words of encouragement would you give them?

RS: This is still very much a male driven sport whether you’re just a casual street rider or aspiring track addict. Don’t get discouraged if you aren’t as fast, as skilled or as talented as others. Riding is a very personal skill that you develop on your own and within your physical and mental abilities. I learned this the hard way 2 years into my riding. I was so blinded by trying to be a better rider that I was beating myself up and struggling, I had lost the joy of riding because I was getting ahead of myself. All my riding friends and family had been riding for years and were quite skilled, I was and still am the slowest—I took this very personally. I had to re-evaluate what I wanted out of riding at that point and find my center again. Everything will come in due time as long as you keep working towards your goals, but don’t let your goals overwhelm and control you.

CC: Couldn’t have said it better. We are all competitive by nature, but this is very individual, treat it as such, once you start comparing yourself with others you lose sight of your goal. We tell everyone to ride within your abilities and comfort zone, but that can be hard to do when you want so badly to be up front with the fast guys. It’s not about only being fast, it’s about being fast safely and within your own mental and physical abilities. We are all very different, stop comparing.

CC: What do you currently ride? What is your dream bike?

RS: right now I have 2 bikes—both 2008 cbr600rr. one is pretty much stock for street and the other is a race bike I bought from a track coach—It’s loaded with goodies that makes my street bike jealous 😛

I’m not sure I have a dream bike really. I’m very practical which is why I own Hondas (they take a mean beating and still keep on going!) I would have to saw that for a practical bike I would love to own a new 636 Kawi—I really enjoyed it when I rode at the Start School and the electronics made it so easy to handle compared to my Honda. If I could have a money pit of a bike I’d definitely go for a looker like the Panigale!

CC: OK, I have to confess I bought my dream bike, I love it and it’s only been on the track a few times (figured my luck would eventually run out there). It’s the 848 EVO, I bought it the last year it was made knowing it was now or never. It’s my go to street bike, twins are so much fun to ride on the street and when it looks equally beautiful, what could be better? Italians know how to make things sexy and that bike is just that!

CC: Do you ride on the track and on the street, which do enjoy more?

RS: I still ride both street and track, but I most definitely love the track to death. I feel safer and excited when I ride the track, at the same time it’s my meditation and truly the only time I feel alive. As for the street I tend to stick to country roads and mountains. I still struggle with tight curvy roads so I get a bit stressed out—I definitely don’t like riding around cars. I didn’t have this feeling when I started riding, the more track I do the more street unnerves me. There’s just too much that can go wrong and it’s all out of my hands.

CC: What challenges as women do you feel we face as motorcyclists?

RS: To be honest I’ve always felt that riding a motorcycle was one of those things that either sex could do pretty damn well. I gotta admit though that I get a mixed bag of responses from men when I pull my helmet off and I can’t always tell if they’re genuinely bewildered, intimidated or being condescending lol. Apparently even though I know so many ladies that ride, we’re still rather rare. I think we are still seen as feeble and weak which is a bit frustrating, although I understand that physically I will never be as strong as my husband or have the stamina. However I get to encounter some commentary on social media that is always making me question if certain people are still living in the 50s lol! I suppose this is true for any sport or profession these days though.

CC: What do you feel about gear and safety?

RS: I definitely have a strong stance of motorcycle safety in general. I try to keep my opinions to myself these days but since you ask 😉 Nothing about riding a motorcycle is safe. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it, but it means that you should value your life, the life of your friends and family, and do everything in your power to ensure your safety. Basically I would like people to be mindful and responsible for themselves. I cringe when I see girls in leggings and sneakers on their bikes. I hear it all the time “I know what I’m doing, I know I can get hurt and I’ll deal with it when it happens.” Wrong. You won’t be the only one dealing with it—your family and friends will be the ones taking care of you. I look at it this way, if I can minimize my time in the hospital when I eventually crash, then why not? Accidents happen and it’s inevitable. Maybe I’m so adamant about this because of all the terrible accidents I’ve seen in the last 4 years of my riding—I ride mainly in the mountains and accidents there are extremely unforgiving. Many if them would have been much worse or fatal if there was no gear involved. And some of them were exceptionally tragic because the people involved weren’t geared up. Gear isn’t a save all, but in the end I just don’t want to have any “what ifs” or regrets.

CC: I agree completely. Ignorance is not bliss in this case. My stance is if you choose to not gear up, you clearly haven’t crashed bad enough to think you are lucky to just walk away with minor bruises and scrapes. Anybody that has crashed knows and won’t risk it. You don’t necessarily need to be the one to make the mistake, but you are the one that will live with the repercussions. It blows my mind people don’t ride with gloves, our instinct is to put our hands down to break a fall, why would you make that choice?

CC: What’s your favorite motorcycle quote?

RS: Well that would have to be Marco Simoncelli’s “You live more for 5 minutes going fast on a bike than other people do in all of their life.” This speaks to me on a very personal level bc if it wasn’t for riding a motorcycle I wouldn’t be here in life and having so many wonderful experiences and meeting so many great people. I used to be extremely introverted and shy; riding helped me overcome many of my fears and taught me to believe in myself. Where I would normally say I can’t now I believe I can and am no longer afraid of failing and trying again 🙂

CC: Great Quote! Motorcycling is a wonderful community to be a part of, I have met the most interesting people and it has enriched my life greatly as well. Thank you so much for taking the time and letting us get to know you better. I look forward to meeting you in person at the June 27- 28 event!

August 13, 2015 Event Report

August 19, 2015 By Carol Carpenter

"2-Fast Track Day on August 13, 2015 at The Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton WA. Photo taken by Ian Tanaka"

MotoVixens track day at The Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton WA. Photo taken by Ian Tanaka”

What an amazing turnout of ladies and men for the Women’s Event and Track Day! Ladies your enthusiasm and determination on this day was inspirational and men, I loved the ones that showed up in their tutus to support their gals, be their pit bitches and brali boys, very cute! I can’t say how excited I was, except that the lack of sleep for many days prior probably didn’t reflect how overly surprised I was at the turnout of riders both male and female. This women’s event was designed around having a perfect learning environment, low numbers, vip treatment, catering and Ken Hill, the best riding coach out there, as well as the added bonus of the best woman rider currently out there, Elena Myers. We wanted those who signed up to know they were being attended to by the best instructors in the track community with the most knowledge and that their questions would be accurately answered by either Ken, Elena or one of our staff. It was important that our ladies understood we were there to help them with whatever they needed and it showed when we had one of our ladies go down in the first session. She was fine, a little shaken, but she was more concerned about her bike and that she rode in. She rented a Ninja 250 for the next session and when lunch came we got her bike and everyone in the pits banded together to get her the parts necessary to get her bike back together so she could finish off her day. This is the motorcycle family, we take care of each other, we don’t ever leave anyone behind, it makes me terribly proud of everyone that was on my staff and vendors for making her day.

“MotoVixens Track Day on August 13, 2015 at The Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton WA. Photo taken by Ian Tanaka”

The classroom sessions started with the ladies getting booklets to record their progress, write down key points, morsels of information that they felt would be important to their development. As the day progressed the room became more and more crowded, instructors sat in on the classroom session as well as marshals who wanted to hear what valuable knowledge Ken would impart on the class. It was impressive to see the classroom so full each and every hour then watch the sea of women depart the class to get on their bikes to ride on track with their instructors. What an amazing sight to see 25 women on track with their instructors, learning, improving and excited to take the lesson in the class and execute it on track. No one knew how 30 minutes was going to start affecting people, but around the 4th or 5th session ladies were getting beat and their focus was starting to wane. So next year we will do the 20 minute format with 3 sessions still limiting the maximum riders per session. The overall consensus is that Ken had an amazing way of simplifying things, methods, techniques and concepts so that it was easily digestible for the ladies. He has an aura and confidence from his years of experience that helps even the most nervous to feel more at ease and his willingness to be part coach and part psychologist to help you get over what is holding you back is what makes him the best at his job. Then Elena riding on track with the ladies, speaking to them in the classroom, open to photos throughout the day and just the fact that she carries herself so well at 21 years of age makes you believe that the right type of parenting makes all the difference. She is a credit to our sport, her parents and herself. I had the pleasure of spending time with this young lady and not only does she have a wicked sense of humor, she’s a very well spoken intelligent young woman. I look forward to following her career for many years to come.

“MotoVixens Track Day on August 13, 2015 at The Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton WA. Photo taken by Ian Tanaka”

The Track only session was a group of men who really enjoyed the open track for 30 minutes each hour and when I got the opportunity to speak to some of those guys, they looked at me tired, sweaty and happy at having spent the day playing on a track with minimal traffic. I was told over and over, put another one of these on and I will sign up in a heartbeat! While most of the love went to the ladies session the men didn’t get neglected, they got to have marshals and instructors who are fantastic riders, help them in their session. However, many did find me to ask if I would bring Ken up to do a men’s day and the answer is YES, we are working out details so stay tuned. I do believe this school will be a sell out in days so if you want to be in the know, make sure you tell your peeps to signup on the website as they will be the first to know as soon as we have dates confirmed. While I won’t open up registration till the beginning of the year, it will allow you to save the date and start thinking about the wealth of knowledge Ken will impart on you to help you get one step closer to the rider you want to become.

“MotoVixens Track Day on August 13, 2015 at The Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton WA. Photo taken by Ian Tanaka”

Thank you again to all my sponsors: Ducati Richmond, Pacific Powersports, I-90 Motorsports, Triumph of Seattle, South Sound Honda, South Bound Honda, Paulson’s, South Sound Motorcycles, WMST and Family First Allstate. Special thanks to Alan and OPRT for their help in staffing the event. Thank you to my supporters: Sena #RideConnected, Forma Performance Boots, The Beauty Lab, Cycle Gear, Raci Babi, Massage Envy, Ambrosia Medspa and Cycle Wipes. To the vendors who came out and provided services, thank you Premium Rush Rentals and Tires, Jason Tanaka and KFG Racing for helping our day run smoothly. I can’t thank all of you enough for making this event the success it was!

“MotoVixens Track Day on August 13, 2015 at The Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton WA. Photo taken by Ian Tanaka”

Adam will be bringing Rickdiculous and Ken up the the Ridge next year and I will be working with them in booking dates before or after their days for my events. Whether you are new to riding or been riding for years, continue learning, exploring, pushing your limits, that’s what makes you a better rider. I have an enormous respect and passion for this sport and want to share it with others, I hope you will be a part of one or many of my events in the years to come as well as visit me at OPRT where I instruct. For those who want private instruction, please contact me directly, throughout the year. I look forward to seeing you all out there again next year and stay tuned for updates about the events for next year. It is about imparting knowledge to make lifelong riders of all of us.

Vixens Ride!

Motorcycle Racing

July 21, 2015 By Carol Carpenter

Racing isn’t for everyone, it requires a certain level of skill, tenacity and hard work to achieve a level that most people will not have the time and funds to accomplish. I’ve heard people be blunt in saying that racing isn’t for the faint of heart, if you are willing to stack $100 bills and light them on fire then you may be crazy enough to race. I chuckled at this comment, but had I been smarter, I may have actually turned and ran. However, I am who I am, I love a challenge and instead of heeding that comment and taking it to heart, I decided that it was something I wanted…needed to do to prove to myself I could accomplish that unlikely goal. If you are interested our local club racing chapter is WMRRA.

It has been a journey to get my expert license, to race those ten races and finish. Just because you sign up for ten races doesn’t mean you get credit for them, you must finish, which means you cannot crash and you must cross start/ finish. I’ve done more than ten races and crashed out on a few, it is heartbreaking, you question your abilities, the pain of the injuries makes you second guess your skills or your bike, you get the picture. As a racer, you are constantly trying to improve yourself or your bike to give yourself the upper hand. Let’s be clear, I don’t have the latest bike, I have a 2004 Yamaha R6, bone stock and with Ohlins cartridges and a GP suspension revalved and resprung rear shock (cuz I’m a girl), Vortex brake and clutch levers, rearsets, clip ons, case covers, sprockets, sliders and chain. There is no slipper clutch, no electronics or gp shift. It’s old school and it has made me a smoother rider not being able to rely on electronics to save my ass. What I have developed is skill and smoothness, no dumping clutches, trail clutching and trail braking, learning it takes patience to initiate a turn with precision at times and that multitasking all these things as you are entering a corner in triple digits is an accomplishment like nothing else. Not everything goes right all the time, timing can be off, your mind not clear, so many things can happen to mess up that could be perfect turn, but it is the trying over and over again to do it that says volumes. We are not anything if not tenacious and seeking that feeling of the perfect lap (i.e. the drive onto the straightaway, patience to your brake marker, braking, gear selection, trail clutching and trail braking to the apex, letting the bike finish the turn, rolling the bike up on the fat part of the tire to get the perfect drive out of the exit, repeating this process 16 times a lap at the Ridge Motorsports Park) is what brings us back over and over.

June 27, 2015 I finished my last novice race and when all was said and done I came in 7th. It was a personal goal that I achieved on that day, I had promised myself one day I would get my expert number and at least place in the top 10 and that day I did both. I went from #809 to my chosen number #72. My love of riding, whether it is on the track or on the street, is about passion for a sport unlike anything else. Anyone who rides understands, those who don’t, think we are bonkers risking our lives. It just appears that our sport raises more fear in people than many other sports, yet I find motorcyclists to be some of the most interesting intelligent individuals out there. Even if you never race, come to the track, take lessons from a trusted individual, read, absorb as much information on how to be a better rider. In doing so you will be a rider for life and reap the benefits of that information when a situation arises that requires you to use your skills appropriately. Ken Hill was the person that said to me, “Practice makes permanent” meaning practicing without a plan means the development of bad habits that will be hard to break, so go into every practice with a plan and make “Perfect practice permanent.”

Women’s Event and Track Day

July 4, 2015 By Carol Carpenter

For those who are savvy to track days, just skim to the section that applies to you, for those who are virgins to track days…let’s get you comfortable with the concept. Track days typically are structured with three 20 minute sessions per hour distinguished by groups, a level 1 (novice), level 2 (intermediate) and level 3 (expert) or something of that nature to clarify which group you will ride in. Most track days will limit their sessions to 40 people per session not including their marshals and instructors. Marshals are individuals who ride the track to police traffic and help those riders who require assistance or go to a corner to help deal with a crash. Instructors are assigned to students and are specifically there to help those individuals. Instructors and Marshals wear different color vests (depending on the track day company) and are there for the customer’s safety. If you see a person wearing an instructor vest, be aware that the student (who is also wearing a vest) will be either in front of or directly behind the instructor…do not try to pass in sketchy areas, try to complete a safe pass by both of them. For this Event, we are doing two half hour sessions…that’s a whole 30 minutes on the track to warmup, get your groove on and then push your limits a little to really test your skills. For those attending the track only session which is open to all riders, male or female on any bike, Mike Sullivan will be offering up private lessons so sign up at registration. For both sessions, there will also be signups for 2 up rides, if you’ve never gone 2-up on the track, I highly recommend it. It will open up your eyes to how late and hard you can brake and how quickly you can get on the gas. This is open for male and females so please sign up in the hospitality tent as soon as possible.

For my Women’s event on August 13 at the Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, WA, we wanted to make this extra special, do what no one has done here before and provide an incredible experience for everyone involved. We wanted to get the best riding coach out there to run the classroom and teach riders concepts and techniques the top riders use and apply that to their level of riding. Having that solid foundation to build from and reference, as your skills and confidence increase, is invaluable. We asked Ken Hill, currently coaching at Rickdiculous and Yamaha School of Champions, and he was thrilled to jump on board and bring his knowledge and teaching methods to us for this event. His willingness to better the sport through education speaks volumes, his enthusiasm, charisma, understanding and wit make learning fun and easy. The list of Ken’s clients include many top level riders today and I consider it an honor he would agree to come do a school for us gals up here, so you really need to jump on this unique opportunity. Now to add icing to this already amazing cake, we asked Elena Myers to join us. She is in her own right a very accomplished rider, but what people do not realize is how down to earth and sweet this gal is. Not only is she inspirational, she is kind, not what you’d expect from someone who has accomplished so much in her life and at such a young age. Ladies, you are in for a treat, she will be riding with you during your sessions on track while Ken will be at pit wall and signaling people in for drills to work on. Elena and Ken will be working hand in hand while you are on track to help you get the most out of your day. The classroom session will be 20-25 minutes and for those who would like to stay and ask questions, Ken will be available to do so while we are making the transition to the track at which time Ken will be in the hotpits eagle eyeing people to get them to work on a specific topic. The half hour after lunch we’ve discussed bussing people to corners to watch Ken, Elena and some other racers come through and discussing what it looks like when you come in too early, too late, with too much lean angle, etc. This allows a bird’s eye view of what you should be working on when entering and exiting those corners. To sum up we will have 20-25 minutes of classroom time followed by 30 minutes on the track throughout the day.

The cost of this event has been a topic of discussion, so let me clarify, renting a track and hiring coaching out is expensive which is why most track companies rent a track, provide their own teachers, instructors and marshals (at no cost) and then fill them (or overfill them) to make money. A normal track day consists of 120+ signed participants riding in one of the 3 sessions, we are offering 2 sessions with 60 people, a total of 30 per session. This event and track day was designed to make your experience at the track, whether it is your first time or you are a track junkie, memorable. Everything we can think of is being provided from top level coaches and riders to help with this day to catering, hospitality tent with snack and drinks, provided by WMST (Chris Johnson) and Allstate, dealerships and demos, prizes and giveaways. Some of those prizes have a retail value of $200 (i.e. 2wheeldynoworks dyno, OPRT track day, Forma Boots, Spa treatments, etc) and there are loads of little giveaways sure to make you smile, including Cycle Wipes and a signed poster from Elena Myers for all sign ups. Let’s talk about the 30 minute sessions vs. 20 minute sessions…you are getting just over two extra sessions this day than you would get in a normal 20 minute session track day (which BTW ranges from $190-$220 for just the track day to $255-$320 with instruction included). Our pricing is competitive and designed to help us break even. This allows us to hire those top level coaches which make this event completely one of a kind. To top it off, both of these sessions are limited to 30 people per session…Maximum track time with minimal traffic. Imagine how much you can learn with all that extra space and time to do it in? For an additional $100 you will get top level coaching in the Women’s Event (as well as the following) and for the track only session additional track time, limited signups for more actual available track, VIP treatment, catering and memories to last a lifetime. Jason Tanaka will be on hand to take pictures on and off the track which will be available after the event just visit his website at www.JasonTanaka.com. In addition, Phil Melnyk of Premium Rush Pirelli will be in the pits if you need tires and KFG Racing will be there to setup your bikes. You can not miss this event! Sign up at www.MotoVixens.com/events, spaces are limited!

Thank you to all our sponsors for making this event possible! Ducati Richmond/Pacific Powersports, I-90 Motorsports, Optimum Performance Rider Training, Triumph of Seattle, Paulson’s, South Sound Honda/South Bound Honda, South Sound Motorcycles, WMST, Kevin Gibboney – Allstate, 2 Wheel Dynoworks, Sena, Forma Boots, The Beauty Lab, KFG Racing, Jason Tanaka Photography, Cycle Gear, Premium Rush Pirelli, Cycle Wipes and Raci-Babi.

Track Days

July 4, 2015 By Carol Carpenter

oprt_logo_full_new I was recently at the track more days of the week than not, not complaining at all, most people would kill to be in my position that is for sure. I’m fortunate to be in a position that allows me a bit more freedom to schedule myself out and unless there is a project that I absolutely must do, I can make myself available to be at the track to fulfill my passion…helping others learn to ride. I was recently at the Father’s Day track day with OPRT on Sunday and we had a full house, as usual, level 200 was full and people signed up for levels that were either above of below their skill set. As the day progressed and people were shifted to their appropriate levels, things started to mellow out and everyone got in a groove. I was teaching a student in level 200 and due to some technical difficulties I had to pull off, check my bike, then I jumped back on to find my student. I came across a rider that looked a bit confused about the lines so I tried to block his inside so as not to have him spooked by passing riders, he tended to swoop a bit so I figured if someone tried to pass they would notice that, back off a bit and then choose a safer place to pass. I must remind riders all the time, it is the passing riders responsibility to execute a safe pass, if you can not, just don’t do it. It leads to bad consequences…as we saw on this day. [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3T7XbD8u-Y[/youtube] As we both entered turn 10 the rider behind us decided he wanted to pass so dropped back a bit and went to the right in hopes of getting a straight shot into 11, however as I previously mentioned the rider I was protecting would swoop, which is exactly what he did causing the rider who wanted to pass to panic and brake so hard he did an endo. This led to a scattering of bikes and one rider behind to hit the rider that went down, all this was caught on a video that was posted on youtube and I later shared that on my timeline. Never overtake someone until you watch them through a few turns, just understanding what they feel comfortable doing helps you make a judgement call as to when it is safe to pass. All in all, the rider looked ok and he rode off the track 2up with a Marshal.

The next day was a track day for South Sound Honda and I rode around the first few sessions to get warmed up then noticed some gals that could use some help. I came across a gal named Julie and helped tow her around a bit to get her to follow my lines and she did awesome. Next session I found a young gal named Sienna, who was pitted with her father and boyfriend and asked if they wouldn’t mind if I took her around a bit? She was on a CBR250 and she was new to the race track, but had been on dirt tracks most of her life. We did a few sessions together getting her used to riding a race track and trying to teach her to the lines to help her acclimate getting her track legs. I then went back to Julie and we hopped on and we were planning on doing a few lead and follow laps, first I let her lead to see if she was paying attention, then I got in front and led. During this session I was hit as a rider tried to come on the inside of turn 12 and as I was leaning over felt my bike start to slide, then as I was accelerating out, I felt a big clunk. I was unaware I had been hit and the rider that hit me had high sided, until I heard the scraping of metal behind me, I shook my head and motioned back to Julie to follow me as we would go for another lap. When we came around we saw the rider was ok, but there was fluid on the track so they motioned us to one side and we got up a hand to exit the track. This was Julie’s first time on the track and she was stunned to have witnessed the crash, but saw that despite being hit you can still stay upright and continue on. A great lesson that could never have been described, but only witnessed. Upon entering my pit, I told my boyfriend, who is hard of hearing, I was hit. He said, “I know someone high sided and crashed.” At which time I repeated a little louder, “No, I was hit honey.” “Oh” was his reply as I got off the bike, “Are you OK?” Yup all good and then we looked at the bike where we saw that he had hit me, his bike flipped and his handlebar came down on my passenger cowl and took a chunk of paint and scraped the tail section as is came down. That explained that clunk I felt. The guy that crashed seemed fine and the only thing he was upset about was telling his wife.

Track days are fun, they are for learning and pushing your limits a bit to see what your bike can do. Bear in mind, you will never be able to outride your bike’s capabilities, so don’t try, everything in baby steps. The track is a safe controlled environment consisting of the same corners lap after lap for you to try to perfect your entry and exit speed, your lines, gear selection, braking, reference points, etc. If your goal is to drag a knee or get faster, you are that guy that will either end up crashing or causing a crash. Getting faster is about practice, not just practice, but repeated perfect practice. You are never going to be perfect, but you can get close once in a while and that is what will bring you back, that pursuit of perfection. Everything is a byproduct of the last, in getting more skilled, smoother, faster, you will naturally drag a knee or a knee and elbow, but that shouldn’t be your goal as it can lead to dire consequences. All the skills you acquire at the track directly translate to the street, but at a different speed and with far more obstacles to be worried about. Vision, which is learned at the track, helps a great deal with this as well as reference points, the speed you must acquire information is much faster at the track and once you’ve gotten acclimated it is amazing how slow things happen on the street. It gives you the ability to troubleshoot and create escape routes just in case. You will find that your mind works quicker and your ability to predict obstacles or accidents is heightened after you start making track days part of your life. Track days can be an incredible learning experience, a place to hone your skills, a place to release stress, ride at ridiculous speeds without getting a ticket, being part of a community and push your limits in a safe environment. While my last two track days saw some crazy things, the benefits far outweigh the risks. You will learn more that you’ve ever imagined and you’ll end the day hot, sweaty and feeling completely drained, but it will be with a gigantic smile on your face.

Endurance Racing

May 27, 2015 By Carol Carpenter

Team shot before the races

Memorial Day weekend was WMRRA’s Sprint and Endurance races, which has been consistently iffy where weather has been concerned and if it was anything, it was consistent. Greg Canright (number 888) has been asking me for years to join the endurance races telling me how fun they are, but in my mind just seemed like too much work so I never signed up. Well, I have to say after doing it I’m sorry I hadn’t done it before, the teamwork and camaraderie was amazing and throwing together a team with sheer ignorance was a blessing. Chris Johnson, owner of WMST, came to me saying he wanted to do an endurance team and got Phil Melnyk of Pirelli and Premium Rush to donate the tires, would Troy and I join the team? I offered up my bike for the race and we had originally signed Matt Staples (lovingly known as the Ginger Avenger), but he got injured Sunday during the race and had to pull out. So there was our team Chris, Phil, Troy and myself with Phil as the only person who had any experience or idea what this race would entail. We assigned roles and responsibilities, items that were necessary for that day and Troy got busy making the bike ready for the 6 hours of riding my R6 was going to endure.

Fast forward after the sprint races, most everyone had been there since Friday (track day) and feeling pretty beat, yet there was an incredible excitement and energy in the pits on Monday when the paddock started stirring with people. Everyone had staked out their claim for real estate along the wall the night before, literally sitting on the concrete barriers before trailers were even out to make sure they got a prime spot. The weather never did give, it was misty to misty and dry most of the day and cold, not optimal conditions for the race. The canopies went up and teams started their setups, bikes were fueled and prepped, riders were getting geared and discussing order and time of each rider, signals for emergencies or wanting to come in next lap. The rules of the race requires an expert to start and end the race for the first and last 30 minutes, then the order can be determined by the team and the length of time each rider wants to be on the bike.

Shot with my R6 after 6 hours of riding

Each tank can take about an hour of riding and holds close to 4.5 gallons so we could ride till the light came on or just come in when we got tired. Only one bike can be used, but a team can have multiple bikes with multiple riders in case one crashes out. Troy had a great start and I came on deck next, followed by Phil when we encountered our first little setback. He had only been out 2 laps and we heard over the radio he was pitting out, so we knew something was wrong…one of the rearsets was dangling, the bolt had backed out. No one had thought about that so we did a mad dash to the trailer for parts, which hurt us for time, but since we had agreed we were doing it only for fun we wouldn’t stress. After what seemed like forever we got a bolt (from another Vortex rearset), loctited everything and sent him on his way. Phil was followed next by Chris and I got hydrated and fueled up myself to be on deck for my turn. When Chris came in we checked out the tires and they still looked decent so I went out again, but at this point the tires were getting worn and the team knowing this they had prepped another rear for the remainder of the race. In I came after my turn and the bike was placed on its stand as the tire was changed as quickly as Troy could get it done, then with a tap of the back off Phil went. While picking up Troy realized he forgot the spacer in the wheel and we had to ask control to black flag our rider to pit in. Phil had only completed 2 laps and came in wondering what happened, but a quick redo of the tire swap and safety wire and off Phil went. Phil loves riding and he was so focused all of our attempts to get his attention down the front straight went unnoticed, the rule required an expert to complete the race so we had to get him back in, we finally asked control to black flag him. Troy finished the race for us, no one crashed, we had a few snafus and poor Phil got black flagged twice (although he wasn’t in trouble we just needed to get his attention), we didn’t have a program down for issues and we didn’t have a quick fuel can, but we ended up 7th out of 15. Not bad for a group of riders who threw together a team at the last minute completely unaware of what they were getting into.

If you’ve never done an endurance race, you should! Get a team together, 4-5 is perfect and no one gets too tired. Have spouses join in for moral support and help, it was more fun than I ever thought it would be. We had a team next to us that was just a blast and while everyone is competitive, it’s really just about the love of the sport and sharing that with others who have the same affinity. The season is upon us and track days are rampant, find one and signup to really understand why we love this sport so much. If it is your first time on track, sign up for a school, if it’s been a while get a refresher. Riding is a dangerous sport, but we can take the element of surprise out of it by arming ourselves with knowledge and skills. See you out there on track or on the street!

Vixens Ride!

Too much excitement!