February 2011

The Inside Line

February 2011, Issue Number 1

C M RA • P O

B o x 10 117 7 • F o r t

W o r t h , Te x a s

7 6 18 5

• 8 17 - 5 7 0 - 9 7 7 9

2011 CMRA EVENT SCHEDULE TE E L P M CO

D

February 18 - 20

Friday: CMRA Racer Practice / CMRA License School

Mercedes-Benz of Sugar Land Road Course Angleton, Texas

Saturday: Mini Sprints / 2-HR Mini End / 5-HR Big Bike End

April 1 - 3

Friday: LSTD Track Day / CMRA License School

Texas World Speedway College Station, Texas

Saturday: Mini Sprints / 8-HR Big Bike Endurance

April 29 - May 1


Eagles Canyon Raceway Decatur, Texas

Saturday: Mini Sprints / 8-HR Mini Endurance

Sunday: Big Bike Sprints


Central Motorcycle Roadracing Association PO Box 101177 Fort Worth, TX 76185-1177 Office Phone: (817) 570-9779 FAX: (888) 334-0166 www.cmraracing.com

BOARD OF DIRECTORS President - John Orchard - [email protected]


Vice President - Ronnie Hay - [email protected] Treasurer - Norm McDonald - [email protected] Christopher Corder - [email protected]

May 20 - 22

Friday: CMRA Racer Practice / License School

Hallett Motor Racing Circuit (CCW direction) Hallett, Oklahoma

Saturday: 2-HR Mini End / 5-HR Big Bike Endurance

June 10 - 12


MotorSport Ranch (CCW direction) Cresson, Texas



Ty Howard - [email protected] Steve McNamara - [email protected] Bill Syfan - [email protected]

Saturday: Mini Sprints / 6-HR Big Bike Endurance

Administrator / Club Secretary - Nancy Selleck [email protected] Director of Competition - Walter Walker

July 8 - 10

Friday: CMRA Racer Practice / License School

Hallett Motor Racing Circuit (CCW direction) Hallett, Oklahoma

Saturday: 3-HR Mini End / 4-HR Big Bike Endurance Sunday: Big Bike Sprints

[email protected] Chief Corner Working Marshal - Barry Nichols [email protected] Awards Ofﬁcial - Roxana Nichols

August 5 - 7



Saturday: Mini Sprints / 6-HR Mini Endurance Sunday: Big Bike Sprints

[email protected] Electronic Scoring - Kim Walker [email protected]

August 26 - 28


Track Chaplain - Fred Chapman

MotorSport Ranch (CW direction) Cresson, Texas

Saturday: Mini Sprints / 2-HR Mini End / 4-HR Big Bike End

[email protected]


Rider School Instructor - Steve McNamara [email protected]

September 23 - 25


Chief Tech Inspector / Newsletter - Linz Leard


Saturday: Mini Sprints / 6 HR Big Bike Endurance

[email protected]


Photographer - Barry Nichols / foto41.com

October 21 - 23


Texas World Speedway College Station, Texas

Saturday: Mini Sprints / 2-HR Mini End / 5-HR Big Bike End Sunday: Big Bike Sprints

[email protected]

Cover Photography - Linz Leard / NineSevenImages

JOIN THE CMRA TODAY! 2011 Fee Schedule

Advertise Your Business in

COMPETITION LICENSE • $145 – Annual; $105 after July 10th; $55 after August 28th • $25 – One-Weekend (one time per year) • $25 – Junior Motard A full membership is the required membership level to race CMRA events. Includes all of the perks of an Associate Membership, plus riding privileges - race number, awards, prize money, etc. Applications are available at race events or request one via email at [email protected]. You can also download one at http://cmraracing.com/forms.html.

Contact Nancy Selleck at [email protected]

The Inside Line Advertising Rates: Ÿ Business Card Ad - $25 per issue, $200 per year

ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP • $70 – Annual; $40 after July 10th Associate membership allows volunteer participation as a race official along with a host of benefits, subscription to The Inside Line, the CMRA's official newsletter, access to members-only Message Board on the CMRA website, voting rights and racer discounts at participating local motorcycle shops and with participating vendors. CMRA LICENSE SCHOOL • $75.00 • No charge for Junior Motard School SPRINTS • First Entry - $75.00 • Second Entry - $55.00 • Each Additional Entry - $35.00 • Superstock E - $50.00 (no matter how many other entries) MINI SPRINTS • First Entry - $40.00 • Each Additional Entry - $30.00

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Advertise Your Business on the CMRA Website!

JUNIOR MOTARD • Entry - $10.00 (No Post-Entry Fee and No Transponder Required) ENDURANCE • Big Bike - $45.00 per hour • Minis - $35.00 per hour OPEN PRACTICE • Saturday - $35.00 • Friday - Hallett Motor Racing Circuit (HMRC)- $125.00 full-day; $70.00 after lunch. • Friday - Mercedes-Benz of Sugar Land Road Course (MSRH) - $140.00 fullday; $80.00 after lunch. (fees are per racer for sprint; per bike for endurance teams) TRANSPONDER • Purchase - $420 • Rental - $50.00/weekend ($420 deposit). 50% of rental fees can be applied toward purchase. Rental receipts required. MISC. ENTRY FEE INFO • Expert Sprint Class Champions – $35.00 off one entry for each championship • Big Bike Endurance Class Champions – $90.00 off one entry for each championship • Mini Endurance Class Champions - $30.00 off one entry for each championship • Post-Entry Fee (At-Track Entries) $10.00 per entry form

Contact Nancy Selleck at [email protected]

CMRA Website Advertising Rates: Banner Ad w/ Link - $150/ month, $1250 per year Banner Ad w/ Link plus 1/4 Page Newsletter Ad (Package) - $300 per year

By John Orchard, President, CMRA BoD Charging into 2011! Another season opener has come and gone. The CMRA has a long history of traditions. Opening weekend always falls in late February, and up until last year, Oak Hill Raceway was the preferred season opener venue. However, with the unavailability of OHR as an option for the second year, the CMRA booked the first event at MSR-H where we successfully kicked off the 2011 season opener. Thanks to all of our Houston members who welcomed us to their ‘home’ track. It was great to see the enthusiasm of everyone at the track and a solid turn out for the entire weekend. Also, thanks to Walter, Nancy and the entire staff who stepped into a new track, figured out the nuances of a new venue, navigated a few weather variables and put on an outstanding race weekend! Next on the schedule is Texas World Speedway, featuring the 8 hour big bike endurance

race

sponsored

by

Brooks

Gremmels and Shogun Motorsports. Whether you’re a veteran team or relatively new to endurance racing, the 8 hour is always a GREAT event. If you’re on the fence about putting a team together and entering, I would encourage anyone to pull the trigger and make it happen. Finishing a successful endurance race as a team and competing against a wide range of competitors and teams is always a significant accomplishment. Endurance racing is as rewarding a form of racing as there is, and it’s another of the great traditions that represent the CMRA! Don’t miss out on your opportunity to participate!

Story by Linz Leard and Bill Syfan, Photos by Bill Syfan The CMRA was well represented at the AMA’s 2011 Pro

CMRA regular, Dustin Dominguez, qualified a Ducati

Roadracing season opener at Daytona on March 11 and 12.

848 in 3rd place in the AMA’s SuperSport class. In practice

In the Superbike class, CMRA alumni, Tommy and Roger

and qualifying, along with his Ducati, Dominguez also tried

Lee Hayden qualified 2nd and 3rd respectively. In the races,

his hand at an ex Moto-ST Aprilia, but abandoned the bike

Tommy captured a pair of

after only a handful of laps

podiums with a 2nd and a 3rd,

because it needed more sorting

and Roger Lee recorded a 5th

out than his 848 did, and he felt

and a 15th place finish.

it best to concentrate on the

In the Daytona 200, CMRA

Ducati. Dominguez recorded a

alumni Danny Eslick qualified

pair of 5th place finishes in the

4th, Dane Westby qualified 9th

AMA SuperSport races on the

and Cory West qualified 13th

Ducati. Dominguez said, “My

position.

The race was a

first race start was pretty good,

mixed bag for these three

but I got a horrible start the

racers,

Eslick

second time. Coming out onto

suffered a big crash at speed

the banking I almost highsided,

when his front tire tucked while

and it allowed the pack behind

on the apron of the banking,

me to suck right up to me, and

and Westby’s solid top-10

then it was just a battle. Going

finish was thwarted on the last

into Turn One I could pass

lap when he tangled with

them all.

another rider and went down

them enough in the infield

though,

as

in a huge crash on the front straight.

Westby, who was

lucky to walk away from his

I was able to gap

where I could stay ahead of Dustin Dominguez sits on the grid at Daytona.

them through the chicane, but then they would draft me

massive crash with a only thumb injury, would be credited

around the banking. On the last lap, there were a couple of

with a 13th place finish when the scoring was all sorted out.

people that drafted past me and I was able to suck up in a

Cory West, though, had an excellent day, and in a photo

double, triple draft, and barely squeeze off what I did. I’m

finish, came up a mere 0.029 seconds short of the win to Jason DiSalvo.

just glad to get out of here with as many points as I got.”

Ricky Parker, who won the 2009 AMA SuperSport championship, piloted

his

Yamaha YZF-R6 to a 13th place qualifying position for the Daytona SuperSport races. In

the

races,

Parker

would

score a pair of 9th place

finishes,

with both of his finishes a draft battle to the line with

the

bikes

Dustin Dominguez, (68) in 3rd spot on the grid, awaits the green flag in the AMA’s SuperSport race at Daytona.

around him. After

the second race, Parker would say, “Today was a little better, but not really. I missed the hot lap by 12 seconds, so they gridded me on the ninth row instead of the fourth row for the start. The second start after the red flag, I was up to the fourth row or so by Turn One. We were a little down on horsepower this weekend, and this is one of the tracks where you really need some. Today we had some set-up issues on the front end, and it was tucking the whole race. It was really hard. The closest thing I could tell you is like flat tracking it. I was sideways coming out of the corner and sideways going in, and the front end was moving around a lot. The main thing was to finish on two wheels and gather up some points for the next round and running for the championship.”

Ricky Parker does a little pre-race stretching before the start of the SuperSport race at Daytona.

racing success can be traced to its first year of existence, 1988, when Kevin Erion, with help from his brother Craig, built and raced a Hawk GT in the AMA’s Pro Twins GP2 class. Kevin won the GP2 championship that year on a highly modified Hawk GT, and a company (Two Brothers) was essentially launched from this racing success. Other Hawk GT race bikes followed, and the bike became one of the hottest steeds you could own and compete on at the time, Story by Linz Leard, photos by Linz Leard

albeit somewhat niche. Its forgiving nature and willingness to

and Barry Nichols / foto41.com

be hotrodded meant that it was quite effective in the light-

If you stick around anything long enough, you’ll likely see that the old becomes the new again. Motorcycle racing is hardly an exception to this rule. In the late 1980s, Honda

intro-

duced

the

NT650,

also

known as the Hawk GT. The bike

was

V-

twin

powered

and sort of a Universal Japanese

Motor-

cycle, or UJM. It was, though, only a minor success on the street for several

reasons,

including a generally anemic engine and a lack of wind protection. Still, the bike was quite advanced for its time in other ways, owing this advancement mostly to its racederived twin-spar aluminum frame and single-sided swingarm. The Hawk was light, nimble handling, and had good brakes, too, as long as you didn’t ride it too hard. The Hawk GT was undeniably a neat little bike, but it confused the American public, with whom horsepower is king, and many of the machines languished on the showroom floor of the dealerships. But while the Hawk didn’t sell very well as a street bike, it became a surprise hit on the race track. Much of that

weight classes. The Hawk’s run as a viable and competitive lightweight race bike slowed over the years as the model aged, but

its

ultimate

death came essentially overnight with the appearance of the Suzuki SV650

in

1999.

The Suzuki was everything

the

Hawk was, only better.

The

SV

made the Hawk instantly

obsolete,

and the little Honda slipped unceremoniously from the racing scene. But just because the Hawk was dated as a competitive race bike in the lightweight classes did not mean it ceased to be fun. As a street bike, the Hawk GT enjoyed a solid cult status, and as a race bike, it slowly began to surface again in specialty racing organizations like AHRMA, rising from the ashes to turn wheels on the race track once again. The out of style had become stylish again, albeit in small numbers, and with its own eclectic kind. Which brings us to the Hawk we have here, a bike that is owned by Wil Kitchens. Kitchens’ bike is a 1990 model Honda Hawk GT647/NT650. If you’ve ever shared a box of wine with Kitchens, you know he is a bit of an eclectic guy

who likes to be just a little bit different and a little bit offcenter, so a Hawk GT is quite befitting. You simply cannot be too mainstream and want to own and race this motorcycle today; you have to want to take things apart and put them back together again, and you have to want to have fun doing it. Perhaps just as importantly, it is paramount that, in order to own and race this bike in modern times, you don’t take yourself too seriously. That’s Wil Kitchens. Kitchens says his decision to buy and race the Hawk was born from a combination of “not being enough of a big boy to handle a real bike,” and being offered a killer deal on the little Honda by an ex-racing teammate of his. Of his Kawasaki ZX6R he raced in 2009, Kitchens says, “I wrecked a lot and never finished in the top ten. I decided to get rid of the big bike and buy a lightweight.” Kitchens moved to the Formula 2, Clubman and Classic classes for 2010. In the Clubman class, Kitchens found the most success, winning the 2010 season championship. Kitchens, though, doesn’t feel he earned that championship, saying, “the other rider who was in the running for that championship, Ryan Ambrose, is much faster and far more skilled than I,” and credits a part of his 2010 championship to the fact that Ambrose’s bike suffered more mechanicals than his own. Kitchens says he’d like to earn a 2011 championship by winning races, and not by breaking down less than his competition.

admits that owning the bike is fun and different, too, saying,

Kitchens has, in his mind, somewhat lofty plans for that the Hawk is “[censored] weird”, but that it is “nice to have his Hawk GT in 2011, and is planning to campaign it in one of the few bikes in the paddock that stands out, and several classes, in hopes of amass-

that’s completely unique.” Kitchens

ing enough points to crack the

says that there are few race bikes like

CMRA’s overall top 10 at the end of

the Hawk GT anymore, at least in the

the season. With tongue firmly plant-

CMRA, and therefore part of its lure is

ed in cheek, Kitchens says, “my ulti-

having it on the track on race day.

mate goal, and the reason I’m putting

Kitchens admits that he’s drawn to the

this poor old bike through that many

eccentricity of the little Honda. In the

races, is to earn a top-10 Expert

same breath, though, Kitchens will

overall finish. I think that I’ve got a

point out the downside of the bike,

reasonable chance at doing that this year.” But then Kitchens saying that his least favorite part of the bike is that is that it’s follows that statement by saying, “I’ve been looking into “old” and that “it breaks all the damn time, or it did last year, purchasing a bridge, too, and I hear there’s one in San anyway.” Kitchens, though, says he thinks he’s got a handle Francisco that’s up for sale.” Kitchens, though, readily ad- on the reliability issues the bike has suffered from in the past, mits that the bike is a hoot to race. He says that lightweight but maintains that “there’s still going to be weird crap that bikes are easier to handle, and more fun to race. He also breaks or falls off” the bike on race day.

project, an exhaust that keeps loyal to the nature of the bike. Kitchens says the exhaust system is “cobbled together” from stock headpipes, a collector, and a stubby muffler can from a Yamaha R6. (Kitchens painted the can green because, well, he could.) Kitchens says that dyno testing has shown that his pipe combination produces the same peak HP as a full aftermarket exhaust, but does so with a fatter midrange. A popular Hawk race bike modification back in the day was to graft a set of Honda 600 F2 forks onto the front end of the motorcycle. This provided a fully And what of the bike? Well, Kitchens has done quite adjustable fork offering more tuning ability, more rigidity, and a bit of research on the Hawk and has determined that it has more braking power because of the F2’s dual rotors and been a roadracer for most of its 21 years. He says a previous calipers. Kitchens has done this modification, and then he owner raced the bike in WERA a few years back, and before installed EBC brakes in his calipers to ensure the bike would that, the bike belonged to another WERA guy. And so on. stop when called upon to do so. The forks have Racetech Kitchens says, “I’ve talked to two or three of the previous internals but original Hawk non-adjustable preload caps. The owners, and as far back as I’ve dug in the bike’s history, it’s rear shock is a Penske unit, and both the front and rear been a race bike.”

suspension is set up by Roger Albert at OnRoad OffRoad.

As a long-time race bike, the machine has some The wheels are a combination of a stock F2 front, and a tasty bits on it that customarily follow race bikes around, Marchesini rear from a Ducati. Of the rear wheel, Kitchens especially do-it-yourself (DIY) hotrods from the Hawk’s glory says, “I’m really not sure what type of Ducati it’s from, but it days. Kitchens says the bike’s engine has custom light- looks snazzy, and I picked it up for cheap from eBay. It’s got weight pistons, a Falicon Supercrank, Carrillo rods, a total loss charging system, ported heads, Keihin flatslides carburetors, and a few other modifications that help it pump out almost 85 RWHP, yet still remain legal for the classes he races. Hawk engines were, from the factory, notoriously low performers, putting out less than 40 RWHP, so getting double the power from the same basic platform requires more cooling capacity. For this, Kitchens adapted a radiator from a Honda Magna. Routing the burned hydrocarbons from the cylinders is a true DIY

a completely custom rear spindle in order to mount the Duc wheel. It saved a ton of weight, allows for a wider wheel, and most importantly it’s shiny!” John Hutchinson at South Central Race Center supplies the Bridgestone tires that Kitchens rolls around on. The bodywork on Kitchens’ Hawk reflects even more of a DIY feel, and consists of a modified Formula 1 Composites fairing made for a Honda CBR600RR, with a tail section from a Honda RS125 grand prix bike. Kitchens says he was planning on buying a super-expensive set of Honda RC211V bodywork for the bike, but then noticed that the 2003/2004 Honda CBR had the exact same styling as the RC211V. Kitchens admits that the F1 Composites bodywork has a reputation for being “super cheap eBay stuff”, and that fitment can sometimes be an issue on the bikes it is designed for, but since his is a completely custom fitment anyway, he isn’t concerned about that, and the bodywork fits quite nicely. Kitchens says that to get the bodywork to work on his bike required some “custom bracketry, lots of zipties, and a few boxes of wine”. He is, in his own words, “preased” with the finished product. Kitchens then installed some Woodcraft rearsets, bolted on the mandatory Vortex clip-ons, and adapted a shifter from a Honda VFR sport touring bike. The stock shift linkage on the Hawk is a rod-type, and doesn’t respond very well to a GP shift pattern because the angle the linkage has to be at doesn’t allow for a very smooth shift. The VFR shifter, though, is a solid lever with no linkage or rod and, Kitchens says, allows the bike to have GP shift that works flawlessly. Kitchens also points out that his bike has “tons” of custom machined pieces, and that most of it is there to reduce weight. The rear spindle is a few inches shorter than OEM and eliminates the stock Hawk’s cush drive. It also affords the slick Ducati wheel to be bolted on, and, as a bonus, weighs a few pounds less than the stock unit. The subframe is from HiPerform, and is pretty much made up of just a few stout pieces of aluminum, which saves quite a few pounds over the stock steel subframe. Another old-school, go-fast item that Kitchens’ bike has is a total loss charging system. The rotor/stator/regulator/rectifier have all been removed to save weight and, as a result of the process, this allows the bike to rev up faster. Starting the bike requires an 8-cell lightweight battery like you’d find in an RC car. Since the bike doesn’t have a charging system, everything electrical that’s not absolutely necessary has been eliminated, even the original electronic fuel pump has been replaced with a vacuumpowered unit from an SV650. What little juice the bike does make, is routed through a custom wiring harness that Kitchens built, saving even more weight. So Wil Kitchens’ Honda Hawk GT is a definite throw-back to a different time in club racing, a time when DIY was still prevalent. About the time the Hawk was starting to disappear from the club race scene, building a race bike was just beginning to go out of style. By the middle 1990s, doing anything but buying a bike off the showroom floor, safety wiring it, and mounting sticky rubber on the wheels had become a thing of the past. Owning a bike like Wil Kitchens’ Honda Hawk GT means rolling up your sleeves and getting your hands dirty once in a while. After all, if you’re gonna do this Hawk GT thing you’d better be prepared to work on stuff. Kitchens doesn’t mind one bit. Racing the Hawk also means standing out in a sea of normal looking late model GSX-Rs, YZFs and ZXs and the like, and grinning from ear to ear when you roll off the track. It’s that fun and it’s that different. Kitchens, indeed, likes to have fun and thrives on being different. And the Honda Hawk GT suits him just fine.

Story by Linz Leard, Photos by

February 19, 2011 Mercedes-Benz of Sugar Land Road Course (MBSRC),

Barry Nichols / foto41.com

Angleton, Texas Typically the first race of the season draws a large The CMRA kicked off its 2011 season at Mercedes- entry count, and this race was no exception, garnering 626 Benz of Sugar Land Road Course (MBSRC) in Angleton, endurance and sprint race entries. Because the CMRA hasn’t raced at MBSRC in

Texas on the weekend

of

February

18-

more

RMJ Racing (46) captured a close win in the Mini endurance race.

than

two

years, the venue is

20. The event

essentially a new

marked

not

track for many, and

only the first

quite a few racers

race

wanted to learn the

of

the

2011 season,

course

but

nuances, therefore

also

the

its

return of the

a

CMRA to the

showed

2.38 mile, 17-

Friday

turn Angleton,

practice.

Others,

Texas, venue

though,

mostly

for the first time

those who were

since

familiar

July

hefty

and

crowd up

for racer

with

2008. The weekend got rolling on Friday with a CMRA- MBSRC, were simply trying to get a leg up on their competition sanctioned racer practice and CMRA license school. On by getting in some extra seat time. Regardless of the reasons, Saturday, the schedule included a full slate of Mini sprint those who rode on Friday were treated to some very races, a 2-hour Mini endurance race and a 5-hour Big Bike accommodating weather that saw clear, blue skies and endurance race, and Sunday’s race schedule was chock full temperatures that stayed in the upper 60 degree F range with of Big Bike sprint races that were competitive, entertaining humidity at a very bearable mark. and, in some cases, a bit surprising. Some of the old guard

By the time Saturday morning dawned, however, the

stood firm and established, but in other cases, new guards weather had thrown a curve ball to the racers and to the CMRA showed up and asserted themselves. When the weekend staff, with a thick fog rolling in and blanketing the race track. was done and the last bike had crossed the finish line, some With next to no visibility, race control had little choice but to very fine and competitive racing had taken place, and had delay the start of the day’s events until racing activities could set the tone for a great 2011 season.

safely take place. Pushed back over an hour, eventually the

day did get started, and the Minis took to their course, an and Howlie Boyz right on their heels. But, with about 25 abbreviated version of the larger track, for their sprint races minutes to go in the race, Team Sidewinder solved their and for the 2-

technical

hour

gremlins and

Mini

endurance race.

made

a

In Mini

charge for the

endurance

front of the

action, it was the

pack

Formula 4 entry

Ultimately the

of

Scarey

team’s run fell

(Greg

just a biscuit

Anderson, Sam

short. When

Carey)

t

Racing

on

a

again.

h

e

Kawasaki Ninja

checkered

250R who took

flag

the point early

T

on, leading the thirty

other

flew, e

a

m

Sidewinder

Team Sidewinder (17) rode hard but came up less than a second short of a win.

was in front of

starting teams in

the field and

the first laps of the race. The team laid down some very quick appeared to take the win, but in CMRA endurance racing, the laps, including a 1:07.707 on lap 37, the fastest lap of the race is over when the clock stops, not necessarily when the race, to try and gap the rest of the field. However, several rider takes the checkered flag, and at the two hour mark, other Formula 4 teams would not be denied a chance at the when the race was officially over, it was actually RMJ Racing front of the pack, and refused to let Scarey Racing run away that was in front of Team Sidewinder by a mere 0.978 and hide.

seconds. Scarey Racing finished the race in third place, a

The 2010 Overall Mini endurance champions, Howlie little over 13 seconds back of RMJ Racing. All three teams Boyz (Dean Thimjon, Jason Swan), also Ninja 250R-mounted had amassed 100 laps in the 2-hour race. were in close tow, and RMJ Racing (Brandon Altmeyer, Ryan

In the Formula 5 division, it was the Kawasaki

Max Johnson) on another Kawasaki Ninja 250R remained KLX160 of Top Dog Racing (Tim Johnson, Joy Size) who just a little back from Howlie Boyz. Unbeknownst to these claimed the win over the Honda CBR150 of J&R Racing (John three Kawasaki teams, however, Team Sidewinder (Derrick Spencer, Renee Spencer) and the Aprilia RS150 of Patman, Derek Thomas, Linz Leard), the 2009 Overall Mini Rheenracing Too (Brad Schutz, Steven Gaspard). In the endurance champions, riding a Honda RS150R, were on the Formula 6 class, it was Perpetual Motion (Linz Leard, Derek move. After starting in the last spot on the grid due to a Delpero, Jay Newton), riding a Yamaha TTR125, claiming decision to enter the race just minutes before registration the win over the Derbi GPR125 of GPR Racing (Michael closed, Team Sidewinder, with Derek Thomas aboard, sliced Chiniewicz, Xander Chiniewicz). through the field and, by the one-hour mark, had established a one lap lead in front of Scarey Racing and Howlie Boyz.

The Big Bike endurance race was next up, and 28 teams gridded under mostly cloudy skies to have a go at the

The lead that Team Sidewinder had, though, would track for the next four hours. With the 2010 overall champions, evaporate in the second hour when the team struggled with Moto Ace, taking a break in 2011, a new endurance champion technical problems and slid backwards in the order. By this is set to be crowned, and the only thing left to do is determine time RMJ Racing was in front of the field, with Scarey Racing which team that will be. When the starter threw the green flag,

it was the Yamaha YZF-R6 of Village Idiots (John Orchard, least one occasion themselves. Before the end of the race, Chris Headley, Brandon Cleland, Blake Cochran) that set a the team would suffer a fall that would cost them time, blistering pace early on with Brandon Cleland at the controls however, and they would slip backward from the lead group of the bike. Cleland and Village Idiots reminded the other by several laps. teams that they

All

are a force to be

while the Kawasaki

reckoned with, not

ZX-6R of Lone Star

only for a class

Track Days (Mark

championship, but

Neimi,

Andy

for

Galindo,

Gabe

the

overall

the

e n d u r a n c e

McClendon), were

championship as

riding a very quick,

well.

calculated The Idiots

stormed

to

and

error-free

pace,

a

and had worked

healthy gap over

their way into third

the KTM RC8 of

spot overall. Not

Quadwealth/S CRC (Ty Howard, Jeremy

Quadwealth/SCRC (35) took a while to figure out the bike, but made it work in the end.

far behind them, and

Louder,

applying

steady pressure to

Derek Wagnon) and the rest of the field. Meanwhile the the lead pack, was the Kawasaki ZX-10R of GMAN Racing, Quadwealth/SCRC team was battling issues created mostly being ridden by the father and son team of Harry and Garet by a lack of rider familiarity with the big, orange KTM RC8 as Tomlinson. two of the team’s four members had only logged a handful of

The last hour of the race pitted Quadwealth/SCRC

laps on the bike

versus

prior to throwing a

Idiots

leg over it during

overall win, with

the race. Never

the

two

teams

too

recording

very

far

behind

Village

Village for

the

Idiots,

solid, very quick

Quadwealth/S

laps. Ultimately it

CRC

was the KTM RC8

riders

methodically took

o

their turns while

Quadwealth/S

they figured out

CRC that would

the

take the checkered

motorcycle

and adapted to the course. Meanwhi

Village Idiots showed that 2011 won’t be an easy year for the competition.

f

flag over Village Idiots,

but

the

margin of victory

le, CS Carey Racing (Greg Anderson, Brent Wood, Matt Hall, was a relatively small half lap after four hours of competition. Ricky Parker) were riding a very strong race on their well- Lone Star Track Days held on to take the last podium spot, prepared Yamaha YZF-R6, and took a turn at the front on at two laps down on the winners.

Team Kamikaze Lone Star (8) won the Formula 2 endurance class.

perennial front running team of Faltless Racing (Eric

Falt,

Bradlaw,

Robert Clayton

Schutz, Bill Erzal, Ted Phillips), also riding an SV650. Former Formula 2

endurance

champions,

Hellcat

Racing (Blaine Johnson, Kier Johnson) rounded out the F2 podium on another SV650. Post-race, both Quadwealth/SCRC and Village Idiots had lots of praise for their new teams, and both teams With Quadwealth/SCRC’s overall win came the class expressed that they are looking forward to the 8-hour win in Superbike A. GMAN Racing brought their bike home endurance race at Texas World Speedway, a track that both in 4th place overall, and second place in the Superbike A class team’s riders know well. You can hear the post-race in front of the Yamaha YZF-R1 of NORDCO Racing (Brandon comments from Quadwealth/SCRC’s team owner, John Young, Todd Larson, Michael Rochester), who piloted their Hutchinson, here, and the post-race comments from Village Idiots rider Chris Headley here. bike to an 8th place overall finish and third in the Superbike A class. Village Idiots recorded a very fine second place overall which meant that the team took top spot in Superbike C in front of Lone Star Track Days and CS Carey Racing. In

the

class,

Formula

2

the

Suzuki

of

Team

SV650

Kamikaze Lone Star (Darrell Ricks, Olay Bayramoglu, Shacklee, Hay)

Frank Ronnie

upset

the

Team Penetration (28) powers through a corner at MBSRC during the 4-hour endurance race.

Story by Linz Leard, Photos by Barry Nichols / foto41.com February 20, 2011

Formula 2 Expert race, Ricks came from the third row, and

Mercedes-Benz of Sugar Land Road Course (MBSRC),

dispatched the Adams Family, Daniel Adams and Shawn

Angleton, Texas

Adams, both riding Suzuki SV650s, early on. The margin of victory at the end of the race was almost 15 seconds.

Sunday at MBSRC dawned much like Saturday did,

In Superstock D Expert, though, it was a little bit with heavy fog rolling in and delaying the start of the day’s different story when Ricks slowed his pace some and Daniel racing. Eventually the fog burned off and gave way to sprint Adams picked his up. Adams ran the quickest race lap this racing action, though, and with 19 separate sprint races on time, but still came up just 0.064 seconds short of Ricks at the tap, the very sizable spectator crowd, which included Colin finish line. Shawn Adams crossed the stripe a further 11 Edwards, Sr., was treated to some seriously entertaining seconds back from the winner. In the Lightweight Twins Expert battles and set the tone for the 2011 season. It wasn’t race, Ricks, starting from the 5th row, brought his A game back exactly business as usual for everyone; some things stayed out and used it on the rest of the pack, running deep into the the same, but other things changed, raising a few eyebrows 1:41 lap time range, and besting former CMRA number one in the process. plate holder, Chris Romeo, also on a Suzuki SV650. Shawn In the Expert races, the biggest winner on the day Adams climbed the podium again, taking the last step on the was Mandeville, Louisiana’s Darrell “DJ” Ricks. Ricks rostrum. Ricks’ last race of the day, Superbike D Expert, carried witnessed him over his Brandon Cleland (5) won three turning his best Expert sprint races on Sunday. winning lap of the day, a ways from 1:41.133, to 2010, and claim the win claimed the over Chris victory in Romeo and each of his Daniel Adams four sprint once again. classes, Brandon Formula 2 Cleland, a Fort Expert, Worth, Texas, Superstock resident, was D Expert, also a big winner Lightweight on the day, and T w i n s bagged three Expert, and wins of his own Superbike on Sunday, taking home victories in the South Central Race D Expert, piloting his Suzuki SV650 each time. In the Center Superstock C Expert, Superbike B Expert, and Island

Racing Services Superbike C Expert races. (Cleland might Cleland to a comfortable margin of victory of 5.517 seconds, have had a chance at a fourth race win, too, but he missed and leave Lescale and Cockrell to fight over who would take the call to the grid and had to start from pit road.) Cleland’s the second spot on the podium, a battle that Lescale would strong performance made more than a few wake up and take ultimately end up winning. notice, and one competitor who wished to remain anonymous,

Over the course of the day much of the crowd was

was heard to say, “Cleland has always been strong, but, watching Ty Howard, who has never turned a wheel at the sheesh! Where did that come from? I didn’t really see that venue on his KTMs before. Would Howard eclipse his own coming. I have to step up my game.”

track record set in 2008, or would he struggle? Would he

In the South Central Race Center Superstock C extend his perfect streak from the 2010 season into the 2011 Expert race, Cleland, starting from the middle of the first row, season, or would his reign at the top of the CMRA pack come used his Yamaha YZF-R6 to outrun the Yamaha YZF-R6 of to an end? Well, there was some drama because the Argyle, Nemo Cockrell by 1.797 seconds. Cockrell held a good pace Texas, resident had sold his 2010 race bikes, but his 2011 early on, but

machines were

finally relented

still in Austria,

and

Cleland

so Howard had

was able to

to borrow his old

open a little

KTM

gap between

endurance bike

the

for

two.

RC8

his

sprint

C a r l o s

races. Howard

Lescale, who

said the bike

had notched a

lacked a “solid

win earlier in

set-up”,

the day on his

was “down on

Yamaha YZF-

power” relative

R6,

to

to his old sprint

a

machine,

settle

had for

third place this

Ricky Parker (196) leads John Orchard (51) in the B Superbike Expert race.

time around, a little more than six seconds further back.

and

but

still the bike was good enough to pilot to sizable wins in the RaceworX Superstock A Expert

In the Superbike B Expert race, Cleland came under and Superbike A Expert classes. Howard, though, would see fire from Lescale, with both riders running very quick mid 1:36 his win streak come to an end in the Formula 1 Expert race lap times, but at the checkers it was Cleland who was able when, due to a series of small, but unfortunate events, he to pull out a 1.983 second victory over Lescale. Dustin would miss the call to the grid. William Guthrie would use his Dominguez, still trying to come to terms with his new race BMW S1000RR to win that race, breaking Howard’s race win mount, a Ducati 848, took the last spot on the podium. streak in the process. Many people noted that while Howard Cleland, Lescale and Cockrell would have a final rematch in recorded the fastest lap of the weekend at a 1:34.433, clocked the Island Racing Services Superbike C Expert race. Knowing on lap 2 of the Superbike A Expert race, his lap record of that the other heavy-hitters in the middleweight classes would 1:32.040, set more than two years ago while riding a Suzuki be right there with him, Cleland upped his game again and GSX-R750 didn’t get close to being breached. When asked ran some incredibly quick lap times, recording a best lap of why the weekend didn’t produce any laps close to his lap 1:35.888 on the circuit. This pace was enough to propel record, Howard said, “Well, I think the wind was a big factor.

It was very windy and that affected everyone; certainly

it affected

my ability to get that last bit out of the bike. Also the track is quite a bit bumpier than it was in 2008. I think that’s a large part of it, too.” In

the

Novice division, it was

Ryan

Johnson

Max who

needed to clear the

Ryan Max Johnson (646) leads Ryan Warren (63), Jeff Kulchinski (138) and others in the Lightweight Twins race.

most room in his trophy case when he got home. The Abilene, Texas, resident Will Zamora, was quite impressive at his first CMRA race claimed victories in the Road & Track Suspension Formula 2 weekend, too, capturing three wins in three classes on his Novice, OnRoad OffRoad Suspension Superstock D Novice, Yamaha YZF-R1, Superstock A Novice, Superbike A Novice, Ridesmart Motorcycle School Lightweight Twins Novice, and Formula 1 Novice. Fastline Motorcycle School Superbike D Novice and Road &

As soon as the last race was in the books, racers

Track Suspension Formula 4 classes. Provisional Novice, began talking of the event and the venue, with many giving mostly

positive

reviews. Some racers said they’d like to return to the track in the future, but still others

were

concentrating on more immediate tasks, such as the next race at Texas

World

Speedway in College Station, Texas, when the CMRA returns to action on the weekend of April 2-3 for the second round of the Will Zamora (713) showed some speed in his Novice races.

2011 race season.

The ‘Racers Write’ column is intended for racers, or family members of racers, such that they can provide a first person perspective of their racing activities. The ‘Racers Write’ column is open to any racer who wants to submit a thoughtful, wellworded story about their race day activities. The Inside Line encourages racers to submit race day reports, and will, at its discretion, publish any story it deems worthy of print as long as content minimums (more than a few sentences, in story form, somewhat entertaining, etc.) and submission deadlines (not later than seven calendar days after the event) are met. I’ll even include photos of you if I have some, or you can submit your own, just be sure to credit the photographer. You can mention sponsors in your write up, but pure press release formats will not be accepted. You can submit your first-hand perspective at [email protected]. I can’t guarantee that you will get published in The Inside Line if you do submit an article, but I can guarantee that you won’t get published if you don’t submit an article. - Ed.

Friday was a beautiful day and Jay ran a half day practice splitting time between his heavily modified 2006 Honda NSF100, and his 1995 Yamaha TZ125. Although Jay had not been on a bike since early December, he looked really comfortable and very confident in all the sessions, and was producing some quick lap times. He was very excited about his chances for some podium finishes this weekend. After a complete bike overhaul on the Honda NSF during the off-season, and quite a bit of stress as to whether or not the bike would even be ready for the first race, it was finally GO time!

Saturday morning brought the Mini warm-up

practice, and again Jay looked great on the bike, even though the track and weather conditions were less than desirable – late night drizzle and a heavy early morning fog produced a slick track. I was questioning myself when I was putting on the Bridgestone rain tires, but the track dried enough during practice to run the slicks. John at South Central Race Center Story by James Newton, photos by Linz Leard

supplied the Bridgestones, and they gave Jay the grip he was looking for. On the Billy Wiese-built WRW Racing powered NSF, Jay won the Formula 5 and Formula 6 sprint classes, and he looked strong doing it. Then Jay and his teammate,

Round one of the 2011 CMRA season is now in the Derek Delpero, took to the track for the 2-hour Mini endurance books, and what a great start to the year it was! The season race, riding a stock-motored, Linz Leard owned Yamaha TTR opener

was

this

past

125 mini-motard in Jay Newton (314) rails around a corner at MBSRC on his Honda NSF100.

the

Formula

6

weekend

at

MBSRC

in

would have a very

Angleton,

solid run on the

Texas,

and

day, and ultimately

there

was

take the class win.

s

o

m

e

class.

The pair

The

Mini

absolutely

endurance victory

fantastic

ended the Mini

racing! Open

day on a high

practice

was

note, and gave

Friday,

Jay the confidence

with the Mini

for Big Bike sprints

Sprints,

on Sunday.

held

Mini

endurance,

The weather on and Big Bike endurance being held on Saturday, and Sunday morning was similar to that on Saturday, but again Sunday capped off the weekend with the Big Bike sprints. Jay rode very well in the warm-up sessions. Jay’s Yamaha

TZ was equipped with new clip-ons supplied by Apex where the problem was, and it was not the rider. It is now Manufacturing, and they proved to give Jay added comfort time for us to put some resources into the little Yamaha TZ. on the little Yamaha.

This year P1 is supplying Motul It will be ready for the next round at Texas World Speedway,

lubricants for the bike along with VP C12 racing fuel, and the as will Jay. TZ seemed to like both of these and ran very smoothly.

Overall, we are very pleased with the results for the first

As the day progressed, the weather cleared, the sun CMRA round of the year, and are impressed with the talent came

out,

a

n

d

and the wind

determinat

picked

ion

up,

Jay

so we made

showed over

some jetting

the weekend.

changes.

It

Unfortunat

learning

ely

Jay’s

experience

TZ

and gave us

proved to be

valuable

no match for

information

some of the

to go forward

other bikes

with for the

in

rest of the

stock

the

classes he ran in, and he ended up

was

year. Jay Newton (97) in full attack mode on the Perpetual Motion mini motard F6 endurance bike.

13th in F2,

a

We

thank all of our

great

sponsors

-

and 5th in 125GP. We were severely underpowered and Alco Automotive, Apex Manufacturing, Arai Helmets, geared completely wrong for MBSRC.

I also made the Bridgestone, Hercules Sealing Products, Impact Safety

mistake of sending Jay out with a clear visor on his Arai Armor, Motul, OnRoad OffRoad Cycles, P1 Racing, South Corsair RX-7 in a very bright setting sun near the end of the Central Race Center, The Holeshot, VP Racing Fuel, WRW day when the sun hangs low this time of year. Jay was very Racing - for their continued support, and we look forward to disappointed at the end of the day, but it was obvious to us a winning season!

Story and photos by Linz Leard I recently sat down with Colin Edwards and asked him a few

Colin Edwards is the Texas Tornado. Around these parts

questions. I videotaped the interview, too. The idea to go beyond Edwards, or CEII as he’s also known, doesn’t need an a pen and paper interview was hatched while beating around his introduction, but in case you’re not up on his stellar newly-formed Texas Tornado Boot Camp one day. I had a video

accomplishments, you should know that Colin is a multi-time

camera with me so I thought it would be cool to capture the interview, host it on one of the video hosting sites, and then link the video in The Inside Line. Or embed it. I dunno, but that was the

point,

something

to

CMRA, WERA, CCS champion. He’s an AMA Champion. He’s also got a pair of World Superbike Championships. And he’s a MotoGP

do

interesting

with the video. When we were done

Colin Edwards at his Texas Tornado Boot Camp with his “LNOR” Mustang and a few of his fleet of Yamaha TTR125s.

star.

He’s a

CMRA Hall of F

a

m

e

kicking up some red dust,

m e m b e r .

and all the bikes had

Edwards has

been put away, I set up

made his living

my video camera, pulled

r a c i n g

out the list of questions

motorcycles

that had been compiled

the rest of us

by asking a few of my racing enthusiast friends

dream

to submit some random

riding. But he

questions, and sat down

is well known

with CEII at a nearby

around

Boot Camp picnic table.

world for not

The 20-something minute interview went off nicely, and Colin was as candid and entertaining as ever. Good interview and sweet video, we both thought. But then later I screwed it up. It’s an ugly story that involves a combination of Adobe Premier Elements, and a guy that doesn’t

about

the

only being a very fast motorcycle racer, but also being a Texan. He’s also a down-to-earth, regular guy. You don’t have to ask him about that, but if you do, he’ll tell you so. And if you hang around him

really know how to use it yet. Short story: the audio portion of the for a while, you’ll see that, too. interview was accidentally deleted on the master video, and the back-up video was recorded over before the screw up had been Inside Line: Hey Colin, so you just wrapped up some discovered. Man, I suck.

pre-season testing in Sepang. How did that testing go?

However, not all of the Gods of Cruel Fate were conspiring against me. It just so happens that I managed to transcribe the interview before I attempted to get creative and then inadvertently deleted the audio track. Given that, I’ve done my best to post the questions and answers as they would have been heard in the video, thus the interview sort of reads like a conversation. – Ed.

Colin Edwards II: Oh, man, it was great! It was a really nice test, actually. The Tech 3 Yamaha is all new for this year. Engine, chassis, electronics, brakes, it’s all been updated. I see now how those guys on factory Yamahas were so fast last season! [Laughs] But yeah, it was a good test. The bike is

I need to make a few

got everything, you know? First gear corners, fifth gear

adjustments here and there with the bike, fine tuning stuff,

corners, a wide open straight, off-cambers, blind corners,

but you always have to do that. What we have now is very

elevation changes, it flows really nice. It’s a very fun track,

good; it’s a very solid package. I’m excited about 2011, about

technical track, too. It’s the best track in the world, I think.

the race season. I think we can be in the thick of things this

It’s not easy to go fast at Phillip Island, either. Always a

year. That said, I sure hope the other guys haven’t made

challenge to go fast there, you know? And hey, it’s in

similar improvements. [Laughs]

Australia, too. The water is right there, very scenic. It’s just,

working well and I feel good.

you know, it’s beautiful where that track is at, just an IL: Ah, you’ve done the interview thing before, I see. [Colin

awesome place. The food is good down there, too. [Laughs]

laughs] My next question was going to be about the bike. I was going to ask if there were any significant changes to the

IL: How about the food? When you’re traveling abroad,

Tech 3 Yamaha for 2011, or if it is essentially the same bike

where can one find the best food?

as 2010 only with some updates? CEII: Ah, you know, there are lots of good places to eat over CEII: Yep, it’s all new, or a lot of it is new, lots of changes.

there. As I mentioned, Australia is great, but I’d have to say

Pretty much a new bike. The motor is changed, it’s new, and

that Italy is the best. They have the best food, those guys

it is quite a bit faster. The electronic bits are new and better.

do. I don’t know how they do it, it might be the olive oil or

The chassis is new and so far I like it, it seems really good.

something, I don’t know. [Laughs] Of course you remember

Brakes are new, better, and stronger. You know, it’s basically

that we [Edwards and his family] lived there for a few years,

a whole new package and it feels good, feels competitive, like

right? We ate there a lot. [Laughs] But yeah, I don’t know

I can go fast on it. I think it’s a good combination and a great

what it is exactly, but Italians are passionate about their food and they know

place to start the 2011 season at. I’m stoked to be

Edwards on his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 during pre-season testing. Photo: Courtesy Jonus Henri Chan.

how to cook. But that’s not to say

on the Tech 3

other

Yamaha

don’t have great

this

places

season, and I’m

food, though.

hoping to deliver

mean, if I’m in

good things.

Japan,

I’ll

I

eat

more than my fair IL: Most of us

share of sushi,

Americans

will

but Italian food is

a

just, you know,

race

that’s where it’s

never

ride

European track.

They are

different

at.

from

most of the US tracks in many ways, of course. What are your favorite tracks

IL:

Have

you

ever gotten a speeding ticket while driving over in Europe?

on the GP schedule? CEII: Yeah, you know, I did get stopped for speeding once. CEII: Oh, you know, there are some tracks I really like, but I

[Laughs] I have been pulled over. I was doing like 60 [kph]

think the best track is, hands down, Phillip Island. I mean, it’s

in a 50 [kph] area in my RV going to a race and I got pulled

over. Right away I was like “What’d I do, officer? What’s

a switch in my brain and shut all that stuff down and then I’m

the problem here?” [Laughs] You know, that whole “I didn’t

not even connected to it anymore so I can concentrate on

do it, it wasn’t me!” and “Poor American tourist” thing and

other things, you know? Be a dad, husband, family man and

getting all animated for the officer. Yeah, I admit, I did that.

all that. That keeps me separated enough from racing and

[Laughs]

that business, distant enough that it keeps it new and fresh and I don’t get burned out on it all. Then when the season

IL: Where were you? 60 doesn’t sound all that fast...

starts back up again, and we go some place for testing, I flip that switch again and go back to work. I’ve figured out how

CEII: It was Germany a few years ago. Yeah, you’re right,

to make it all work so that it’s still fun even after all this time,

60 isn’t fast, especially by American standards, but you

you know? You can’t do this job and carry your home life to

the

the office. You also can’t

laws.

bring the office home with

They are a lot more strict

you. That ain’t gonna work

about

in

that way, I promise you.

certain areas over there

You gotta check that stuff at

than we are over here.

the door.

gotta

understand

German

driving

those

things

Driving is more serious for those guys, so they don’t

IL: Among the other GP

usually like speeders in big

riders, who got a Christmas

RVs. [Laughs]

card in 2010?

IL: So, did your shtick

CEII: [Laughs]. Oh, man.

work? Did you get away

Ah, you know, uh, Colin

with it?

Edwards, he don’t…I don’t do that whole Christmas

CEII: Yeah, I did get away

card thing. [Laughs] Alyssia

with it! [Laughs] The police

[Colin’s

officer, he was cool about

Christmas cards, she’s in

it all and let me go. Gave

charge of that stuff. I don’t

me a warning. [Laughs]

know

The guy probably felt sorry

[Laughs] But, no, seriously,

for me. [Laughs]

a lot of those guys, you

wife]

who

does

gets

the

them.

know…those guys, they are IL: You’ve been racing at the World Championship level since, what? 1995?

all Edwards shares his go-fast secrets with all ages.

like

acquaintances.

Professional acquaintances. I’m going to stop short of

This is your sixteenth year doing this stuff, I think. Is it still

calling them friends because it’s not quite that. I mean, of

fun?

course you know everyone there, and you’ll see them on the track and in the pits and media events and things like that,

CEII: Yeah, you know, it is still fun. You know, I come home

but you know, we’re all kind of doing our own thing. I mean

during the off season and just turn it all off, right? I just flip

I have friends there, too, though. Of all the riders that are, or

have been on the circuit, I’m probably closest to guys like

always felt that, at the end of the day, people want to hear

Valentino [Rossi], Hopper [John Hopkins] and Ben [Spies].

that honesty. It’s not always pretty, but I don’t see how BS

I’d have to say I spend the most time with those guys, I

gets anything done.

guess. At the end of the day, everyone is kind of doing their own thing, doing their job. We don’t all hang out together

IL: Let’s go back in time for a minute, okay? You raced with

usually. So, yeah, I’m not sure who all got a Christmas card.

the CMRA back in the day. Can you give us a favorite memory?

I know I didn’t send one to anybody, which isn’t bad or good. At least everyone got the same thing. [Laughs]

CEII: I don’t have just one favorite memory of those days, I have a lot of favorites. I suppose one of my favorite memories is one time, at this one race, and

IL: You’re a popular guy with the

press

because

you

Colin Edwards II: World Champion. CMRA Hall of Famer. Regular guy.

I think it was towards the end of

candid

the season, I was riding that

interview. What do you think

number 64 Honda F2. You

of the guys who give canned,

remember that bike, right? I was

sugar-coated interviews and

still a novice, you know, and I

always seem to be holding

used to start in the back of the

back rather than say what

pack, in the second wave, the

they really mean?

novice wave, and I had to come

always

give

a

through all the novices who were CEII: Ah, you know, [laughs],

in front of me to get to the front of

I don’t know about those

the expert pack. In one race I had

guys. I know that for me, I

run down Jim Sabin, who was

was raised to always speak

leading. Jim was one of the faster

my mind, to say what I’m

experts at the time and could ride

thinking.

I don’t see any

the piss out of a motorcycle.

value in beating around the

Well, I caught Jim, caught up to

bush or giving BS answers.

him, you know? But it was going

I never saw any value in that.

to take more than that to get by

You know, I’m just a regular

him. I dogged him for some laps,

guy. I, uh, I use the toilet the

a lap or two, I guess, and on the

same as everyone else does

last lap, a couple corners from the

[laughs] and put my pants on

end, I passed him and took the

one leg at a time. I’m, well, I’m just me. I just happen to

win. That’s a real good memory for me because of how hard

ride a motorcycle a little faster than most people, but that

I had to work for it. That was a fun race because it wasn’t

doesn’t mean anything, really. I never saw any reason to

easy.

not be me, to not conduct myself like I am. Why would I do that? I always figured it’s more important to just say it, to

IL: In 1991, I think, you won about seven novice

speak my mind, rather than hold back. I mean, you’ve hung

championships with the club, and then won seven WERA

out with me, you know how I am. I kind of like to think I’m

National titles at the GNF. In those days you could do that

just a regular Joe, nothing fancy, no different. I don’t know

kind of thing and pick up some factory interest and potentially

how else to do it, I don’t know how to not say what I’m

secure a factory ride, but these days, not so much. What do

thinking. I always felt that was the best approach. I’ve

you think is one of the reasons for this change?

CEII: Actually, it was eight classes with WERA. [Laughs]

the following it needs. I mean, here [in America] we have

With you guys, the CMRA, I won, I think, all the novice

baseball, football, basketball, hockey, you know, those sports.

classes or whatever, which was seven or eight classes. Then

Sticks and balls. Over in Europe, they have football, you

I went to the WERA thing, the Grand Nationals at Road

know, what we call soccer here, and it’s extremely popular.

Atlanta, I think, and won eight championships there, eight

But there’s also Formula 1 cars and motorcycles, racing stuff.

National titles. Then we went and did the AMA thing at

That stuff is huge over there, and there is obviously a lot of

Daytona, the CCS Cup or Race of Champions or whatever

money in it and a lot of money for sponsorship. There’s a lot

it’s called. I hadn’t raced any of those races that season so

of money for riders, a lot more than here in America. There

I was gridded in the back of the field. I entered every race I

just isn’t the money here because there just isn’t the interest

could enter, seven I think, and got beat in two – I was so far

like in Europe. That’s the way it is, I guess.

back in the field I just couldn’t catch everybody before the finish, you

IL: Let’s go

k n o w ? [Laughs] So I got beat

Edwards gets some quality seat time on one of his Yamaha TTR125s.

back to the CMRA for a minute.

in

You have

those two,

s u r e l y

but I won

heard that

five of my

Oak

races. So

Raceway

yeah, 13

closed

National

d o w n

champion

before the

ships that

start

year.

2 0 1 0 . What

IL:

Hill

of

do

That

you recall

was

a

about that

heck

of

track?

year, and it was enough to get you noticed and get some National rides

CEII: Ah, yeah. Yeah, I did hear about Oak Hill closing.

offered, like with the Southwest Motorsports / OTS Yamaha

That’s a shame, you know? I hate to say it, but that stuff

TZ-250 you raced and won the AMA’s Formula 2 title on in

happens, I guess. That track was, well, I wouldn’t say it was

1992, which led to even more great things. But it doesn’t

my favorite track [laughs], and not every memory of that place

work like that these days, though, right?

is a fond one, but it was a great track, and a great place to learn and hone skills. I mean, geez, that track had a little bit

CEII: Yeah, you’re right. You know, it’s just, hell, I don’t really

of everything, right? It was like a motocross track, bumpy

know the answer to that. Economy? Economy. It sucks.

and rough in spots, blind corners and stuff, sometimes

The economy is bad everywhere. A lot has changed over

sketchy pavement with patches. [Laughs] But it was a fun

the years and there just isn’t that financial stability anymore.

track and it made you better as a rider. You know, you’ve

Also, though, here in America, motorsports just doesn’t have

heard it said many times before and it’s true: “If you could go

fast at Oak Hill, you could go fast anywhere.” That’s a true

thing much. I don’t even take a computer with me when I’m in

statement.

Europe most of the time. I’m not against technology, but I just don’t, you know, I don’t do that Internet stuff like a lot of people

IL: Do you think you could, after your professional career

do. You know how to get in touch with me; if you text me I’ll

comes to a close somewhere down the road, ever be

get back to you because I always have my phone with me. I

coerced into throwing a leg over a club racing bike again?

guess it has the Internet on it, but I don’t use that part of it much. Text me, keep in contact with me that way, but email, man, I

CEII: Ah, man, I don’t know about Colin Edwards and Freddie Spencer. There’s a lot of knowledge and skill right here.

that. I don’t think so. I mean, I think that

once

I’m

done

with

this

stuff, that’ll be it, you know?

But,

hey, I don’t want to

say

that

because I don’t know. I mean, I don’t know what I’ll be doing in 10 or 15 years, and for all I know I might

want

to

come out and ride some bikes and race

a

little.

Maybe do some vintage racing or something like that. I

don’t do that stuff a lot. I visit my sites once in a while, of course,

mean, all that stuff we rode years ago, it’s vintage now,

Facebook and the Boot Camp and stuff, but really, that’s about

and all that stuff I’m riding now, it’s going to be vintage in

it. I guess I will do Facebook now and again, but I’m certainly

15 years, so who knows? I might like to come out and do

not on that stuff all day long. I’m getting the hang of that

some racing in the future, maybe. I just don’t know,

Facebook thing. [Laughs] But yeah, for me, I’d rather be doing,

though. We’ll see, I guess. I don’t want to say never.

stuff. I have to do stuff. Call it OCD or whatever, but I am always moving. Alyssia is always on my case, always trying

IL: What’s more fun to you, Colin, a day shooting skeet or

to get me to relax and kick back for a while, to do nothing, but

punching holes in targets at the gun range, or a day surfing

that’s hard. It’s not me. I mean, anything I do, I like to give it

the Internet?

all, I like to do it a hundred percent. I mean, whether it’s reloading rifle cartridges, which I’m completely into right now,

CEII: What the…? [Laughs hard] Oh, man, you have got

or something else, I have to be in it all the way. I like to tinker,

to be kidding me!

Man, I’m so, I’m almost

I’m a tinkerer. That’s just how I operate. I’ve always been that

anti-Internet. [Laughs] I mean, I’m just not into the Internet

way. Cars, whatever. I went wakeboarding once, and the next

Really?

day I bought a boat! I don’t know how to do things halfway.

a lot of my training right there, doing that family thing, which

So, yeah, for me, I could sit out here [his Boot Camp, which

can be a heck of a workout at times. [Laughs] I mean, really,

has a 500 yard rifle range] and make holes in a target all

that’s a lot of what I do. But I also do this [Boot Camp and

day long and life for me is good. That’s what I’d do.

mini moto riding]. I love to come out here and do the Boot Camp thing. It’s great training, keeps you in shape, and is

IL: What’s playing on your iPod at the moment? Name a

fun. That’s kind of what I’ve always liked to do. I think it’s

couple of songs, artists or bands that you have listened to

some of the best training you can do, too, obviously, which is

lately.

one of the reasons I’m doing the Boot Camp. I want to help others in this sport, you know? I mean, the sport’s been good

CEII: Well, I suppose there’d be some Kid Rock and Hank

to me, and I’d like to kind of give back, and help people. But,

Williams, Jr. on there. I was born in the South, you know,

yeah, that’s how I train.

so there’s gotta be some southern stuff on there because that’s what I really like. But, you know, I suppose there

IL: Tell me about the Texas Tornado Boot Camp. It has

would be more than that, too. I mean, I would also have a

piqued the interest in a lot of folks. Tell us little bit about what

lot of the regular stuff that all the young kids have these

makes it unique.

days, right? Hannah Montana, the Jonas Brothers, and all that Disney stuff. Not for me, of course, not because I’d

CEII: Yep, I’m stoked about it! Like I mentioned it’s kind of

want that, but for my kids, who would certainly be using that

me giving back, trying to teach some things I learned in my

thing

and

listening to it as well me. I’d

Steering with the rear. It can be an art form. Edwards shows how it’s done.

be

listening to it with

them.

So yeah, if I even had an iPod,

then

that’s

the

kind of stuff I’d have on it. [Laughs]

IL:

Let’s

come back to

modern

day racing. Tell

us

a

little

about

your off-season training regimen, if you would, please.

years of doing this racing stuff. These are basic skills that we teach here, the fundamentals, but we concentrate on them

CEII: Well, okay. It’s consists of a lot of changing diapers

and use them in ways a lot of others don’t. We teach control

and cooking breakfasts and things like that. [Laughs] That’s

of a motorcycle more than anything else, how to react to a

loose motorcycle, and get comfortable on a loose motorcycle. got an awesome little mini motocross track you can play You know, it happens all the time, someone new to riding will around on, and a banked oval, a genuine flat track, for really walk into a dealership and buy a 1000 or something, you teaching how to slide a bike and maintain control. There’s a know, for their first bike. Maybe go to the track with it. Of 500 yard rifle range in the back there, too, and back in the course they often have no idea how to ride a bike like that, woods down there we’re building a paintball facility and and that’s dangerous. Someone like that would, no doubt, there’s some trails to ride on back there, too. Lots of cool gain a lot of good – maybe even life-saving – skills by stuff here if you like to ride and be outdoors. spending time on a smaller bike. Well, we can help that guy. We use little mini motocross bikes, Yamaha TTR-125s IL: How about the Boot Camp instructors?

Edwards at work on his Tech 3 Yamaha YZR M1. Photo courtesy of DPPI.

CEII: yeah!

Oh,

man,

I’m super

pumped about the instructors we have here at the Boot Camp.

Joe

Prussiano

is

a

multi-time National champion,

and

brings all kinds of knowledge to the facility. Mike

We have Myers,

a

National champion who has raced all kinds motorcycles

of and

cars and knows mainly, but we have some smaller bikes for the younger riders how to go fast. We’ve got Merle Sherb, Shea Foucek, Ben and bigger bikes for anyone that might want to use one. All Thompson, and others, all fast guys with a lot of skills to show our bikes use a street tire on the back, a semi-slick rear tire and share. We’ll also have some guest instructors now and on the dirt, which helps teach balance, body position, control again, too, well-known fast guys like Ben Spies. It’s a great and feel. Everything we will teach you here at the Boot Camp staff we have, and I think we’ve put together a great will directly translate to whatever bike you are riding now, no environment in which to learn in. It should be a lot of fun here. matter what it is. We have full facilities, lodging behind us Learn a lot, and have some fun doing it. What could be better? [points to building behind him] and over there, that’s basically a football field under a roof. That’s a covered training area IL: Well, I’m done with the questions and I think I’m just about that has lights for evening and night drills and during the out of card space, so I want to thank you for your time, Colin. hottest part of the day in the summer when the sun is out. Good luck in the 2011 season! We’ve got a TT course behind that, which is a lot of fun, and we use it for running drills, steering exercises and getting CEII: Hey, no problem! Thanks for hanging out and all the used to backing the bike in. That kind of stuff. We’ve also good wishes.

Photos: Barry Nichols / foto41.com

Photos: By Linz Leard