Guys,
I've decided to leave the Championship at the end of this season. Technically, it's already over, but for my position, I'm involved months before, and for some time afterwards. All the rest of my team finished up on Sunday at Valencia, a few hours after the race. On Monday, we tested with Mika Kallio and Canepa, keeping five of the youngest members of our team. Their job next year will be to drive the semi-trucks, build the garage, and maintain the machines. Most of the staff went elsewhere, my track engineer from SG50 moving over to WSBK to be the man behind Tom Sykes on the Factory Yamaha team, Jose headed over to WSS to help build and run Kawi's electronics, Lele moving over to Aprilia in WSBK to head Nakano, Martin over to work with Sete, pretty much everyone was able to secure a spot in a championship series for next year. In the past year, I've been looking at my part in the racing and coming to a decision that would change everything. I'm sure some of you felt this along the way, that things just weren't really clicking, but the bottom line for me is that I loved working with my crew, I loved the energy that we all shared. When that changed, it was never really the same, and I wasn't sure I wanted to start again with another team. I have been in contact and heavy talks with other teams, both in WSBK, MotoGP, 250 and 125 even, haha.
For me, to stay in the big leagues would have meant compromising myself in ways I was not comfortable doing. With the GP7 flat out dominating when it debuted, and continuing the trend through '08, many of the other teams I spoke with wanted detailed information about the bike, it's components, and also about the GP9. It put me in a strange place, because I would love to contribute my professional opinions about things, but when someone straight up asks you for dimensions and weights of components, that crosses a line that I'm simply not capable of.
Mostly, I just want to be Liam again. I want to ride motorcycles again. Looking back on the past three years, it's perhaps the one thing I've missed the most, and it's only gotten worse as the years have gone by. At first, I was content to be in a different city, a new place, watching the wheels go by. I always stop and check out the bike wherever we go, they're always parked outside our hotels at the races. I love seeing the moto-culture in all these countries. The highlights of the last two years were coming back to SF and actually riding again, putting on the helmet and just going, whether it was on my little monkeybike or getting onto a Ducati Superbike. Just twisting the throttle and letting everything go, off into the wind. I miss it.
And I miss my girlfriend. I miss building a life together. I don't want the years to pass us by while we hold on to a partial life filled with skype, emails, phone calls, and small vacations a few times a year. There comes a time in a man's life when he has to make the choices that are not only best for him, but for those around him, those he loves. It's time for me to grow again, this time in a more personal direction instead of a professional one. But rest assured, the adventures and experiences will continue, and we have new goals and bright ideas that have the power to change the world.
I still have the fire, and it's quite possible I will come back to racing at some point in the future. I am heavily connected in both world series now, with years of experience and knowledge, but for now, I want to bring it all in. I want to take my focus and apply it where it's needed. I want to work on what's fun and creative, and continue sharing my love for life and living.
I'll probably be closing this thread down within a few weeks. It was a real wild ride, coming out to Europe, not really knowing anyone or anything, and just finding a way to make it all work. I did it! Three years in the WC with some great people. The memories and experiences will last a lifetime, and I've seen the series go from VR to NH to CS and now back to VR. Quite a wild ride, and I'm proud to have shared it with you all. Thank you all for being here and for all your support over the years. It's helped me get by on so many occasions, so for everything, Thank you. I'll be around . . .
