Why I did it.
It was the natural progression of a speed junky.
I grew up around Laguna Seca, loved racing and liked going fast (at least trying to go fast).
It all started with a hot rodded '68 Camaro and doing a lot of street racing on local backroads. That was pure teenage stupidity. So after high school I traded mechanic slave work at Jim Russell for track time. Driving those cars was a blast. I never really got to race, as being a slave made my question the sanity of it all. But I did get plenty of track time in open wheeled, ground effects, slick shodded, RX-7 powered race cars.
Next in line were motorcycles. When I got my first motorcycle, I realized riding on the street was just as much fun as taking a full on open wheel race car to the track. Thus my transformation to the "Cars Suck" world.
Skip many years of street riding, one motorcycle theft, and a career, and welcomed income to purchase a new bike. I again started riding. Then I hooked up with a Triumph club and their plans to do a track day. What better way to combine my love of motorcycles and previous track experience?
I'll never forget my first trackday...you all know the memory...and if you don't...
Skip many trackdays later. At the beginning my speed and skill were improving by leaps and bounds. I found that not only was I having fun, but developing focus towards improvement. This focus was not only meditative, but became a big personal drive.
When I started hitting the proverbial improvement wall, I became frustrated. I hit a mental block and just couldn’t cross some metaphysical barrier to my riding. I had heard many comment that racing makes you better, faster. Plus I was curious to see if I would be interested in taking the sport to the next level.
A little prodding from my friend Fredrik, it was off to NRS. Of course that was fun having instructors test your ability and mentally stability. Plus the practice starts really hit a nerve. You mean you not only get to do a little street racing, but also get to have a little drag race? Bonus!
Skip to my first race at Buttonwillow. I remember sitting in the rider's meeting, all geared up for the clubman race to follow immediately. Seemed like a normal track day. Then they started to play "Star Spangled Banner". Oh wait, they never play that at trackdays. That's when reality set it in, "This for real". Queue the butterflies. The start, what a rush! That first lap of adrenaline pumping action! And what do you know? I like chasing, being chased, passing and trying not to get passed. I'll never forget it, and I never wanted it to stop...
...and so I race...
