6
oh man... what a season, where to start? I get emotional just typing those few first words. I will try to remember as much as I can since my brain is flooded with great memories that gave me the most amazing year on and off the track in my 26 years on this planet..
I arrived at the track Friday around 330pm. This was the first time I didnt smile like a little child going under the tunnel into the infield. I was not mentally ready for the season to end. I had so much fun all year and I did not want it to end at all.
But that is not the main reason why I am not smiling. One of my really good friend and supporter has had cancer for a while now and he wasnt well. on my way to the track i got a call from his daughter to find out that he had fallen under coma and the doctors were giving him 24-48 hours.
His name was Athanasios Voyiatzis but we all used to call him Atha. Great guy, one of the greatest business minds I have ever met in my life. Extremely positive person who would bring joy and happines to the people around him. He believed in me with my racing before I even started, he was my first sponsor and a huge influence to many other people to sponsor me. He was coming up to the track very often to support me, even after he found out he was sick. This entire year of racing, all my results and specifically this weekend are all dedicated in his memory. Most of you saw me wearing a pink shirt over my leathers the entire weekend that said for ATHA in the front and Fuck Cancer in the back.if anyone wants to read a bit more here is the link from what was posted on the paper: Error Encountered
I get to the track and most of the rsp garage is practicing so I take my time to unload my SV and my street legal KTM 525, and say hi to everyone who is there. Plan is to get the KTM race ready (LOL) and pass both bikes tech.
I start drilling and safety wiring. 2 drill bits later the entire bike (cough cough) is safety wired completely!!! Kurtz let me borrow his belly pan and off to tech we go.. DENIED! The turn signal need to be removed or taped over... ok minor thing back to the garage, nothing some painters tape cannot fix... back to tech and good to go!!!
I go to bed early since I want to get up early and check the weather and register for more races.
Saturday:
I wake up to a very wet track. Not my style, not my good racing and it certainly kills my mood. The fact that Atha has been in the final stage of his life is taking up almost all the happiness I usually get at the track. I manage to hide it very well and not really discuss details with anyone.
The rain however changes my plans of doing 4 races on Sunday. So I am only signed up for super singles and LWGP.
Race 4 Super Singles.. I was gridded last and thats where I finished lol. I am glad I finished though. The KTM is sprung for woods, with no steering damper, on shot Michel 2CTs and the track was wet... I finished even behind a WR250 lol.. My best time was 1:41
Race 9 LWGP. This was probably the most important race of the weekend for me. I somehow was able to clean my head before that race and i was ready to go. I missed round one of LWGP due to my bike not working. That was one of the times Mike W, saved my ass and got my bike ready for me to go out Sunday.
Anyways I was ahead in that class by 10 points. We all know rain is my weakness but I wanted that championship so bad. I stayed with rain tires although most of the track was dry, because I figured its better to wreck some tires rather than the whole bike...
I was gridded in 1A, I had a killer start, wheeling and sliding but I managed to keep the bike pointed straight and go into T1 first. I put my head down and hustled. THe bike was responsive and I was smooth, I got a very big lead and was over the front straight ahead by lap 4. and then my luck turned upside down. My helmet started fogging worse than I have ever experienced before. I think its because I was breathing in and out from my mouth. I started lifting the visor in the straight, and going up the hill, a very unsafe thing to do but I had no choice. Coming out of 10 it legit go to the point that my visibility was zero. I took my left hand off to lift the visor and BOOM, i hit the curbing in T11, I manage to keep the bike up right and stay on track. I am somehow still in the lead... Coming back for lap 5 same thing agian, i hit something and both wheels were off the ground at some point. this time Hilderbrand 551 went by me and now I am fighting to keep him in sight. I do the rest of the race with my visor completely up, having a bunch of shit hit my face. Last round Sam Greenwood 228 goes by me as well. I try to catch him in 12 but I slide, I keep the bike up right and finish right behind him taking 3rd Place and 26 points. I had 2 wins in this class all year and that hilderbrands first one.
as a result. I win the class champion.
Result: 3rd Place
Best lap: 1:24.9 (New PB in rain by 10seconds
Overall: Class Champion
Everybody spends saturday night drinking and partying. huge thank you to Adam and Wendy for driving all the way to the track with Adam so banged up and sick just to keep the tradition alive and say bye to everyone for the winter. I was legit impressed! RSP threw a great BBQ where myself and Noel got the official invite to the team. I have felt like I was part of RSP for the last two years, I am glad it now is officially. The Olympus Racing remains as part of me since it is my way of representing my country in a way. I hope to honor Reeds memory in the best way possible. While everyone is working on their costumes I just decide to go to bed. Moments after I lay down i recieved the new that Atha has passed away. it is nearly impossible to try and cheer his daughter up but I think I did a pretty good. I finally sleep thinking of all the great times I got to spent with this man, telling myself that everything happens for a reason and this was actually for the best since he was just suffering the last few weeks. so may his soul rest in peace.
Sunday:
I woke up early and decided to add another race on the KTM just for the hell of it. I had to switch my tires back to DOTs. As most of you know I raced Jersey in September and i competed in 6 races. Jersey is a right turn track so I figured my tires would be fine since NHMS is mostly left. bad bad bad idea lol. My girl, my cousin and two other friends showed up to watch me race and show some support. I always do better when my friends come to see me and I decided this was not going to be different.
Race 3 LWSB:
I was gridded first. I took the hole shot and got a decent lead on everyone. After lap two going up the hill my rear slid so hard the bike was legit pointed towards the straight, I thought i was going to die lol but I stayed relaxed on the bars and on the gas, the bike did had it had to do and fixed itself, but that allowed 551 and 228 to go by me. I stayed in 3rd for two laps but I was not having that. I passed Sam on the brakes going into 3 and 551 in 9 right before the flip for t10, that was definetely risky and close but we have been racing all season with very clean passes and we know each other very well. there was no sketch or contact in the pass. I was able to take the checkered although my bike was sliding in every single right turn.
Result: 1st Place
Best Lap: 1:21.0
Overal: Class Champion
straight back to the pregrid since I am in the next race. Bill, Mike, my friends and few others are there with water, my stand. Helping me out. Bill ends up taking 1lbs of air out of both of my tires and they telling us to roll out...
Race 4 SuperTwins:
I was gridded in 14B, for some reason we launched as one wave with the unlmited class. I legit caught up and passed half the grid of the unilimited bikes. I went back and forth with Boosh 325 for most of the race, but since I wasnt actively trying to win this championship I decided to dial it back and save energy for the rest of the race. I want to say that half of these guys in that class are very dangerous. I understand some race the 600s because they think thats cool or thats the only "real racing" but I have to say you are very dangerous to you and others around you. I counted over 10 crashes during that race all 600s... take a step back and learn how to properly ride around the track. I am not trying to be a dick about but that was the race with the most crashes all weekend... I think there are plenty of reasons behind that...
I got 3rd, I thought it was second, and was very happy I managed to finish that race in one piece.
Result: 3rd Place
Best lap: 1:22.2
Overall: 2nd Place in the Championship
Race 5 Motard:
LOL LOL LOL. Started last and thats where I finished. I got lapped by everybody, including my own wave. Fuck It, i wheelied the entire back straight, I went into the bowl on a wheelie and I decided I dont want to race motards... LOL
Result: last
Best Lap: 1:26.4
Race 7 LWSS:
I was gridded in 1A again, I took the hole shot with a glorious wheelie up to 3rd gear on the little SV. I thought I was comfortable in first place only to look back and see Brian F 345 right on my rear wheel.... WTF? Brian is moving. I look behind me in the front straight and brian is fairly far, going up the hill he is right behind me again? How does he do it? T1-T5 is my fastest section of the track, he shouldnt be making ground on me. At some point he stuffs me on the brakes in T3 and goes by me but he runs a bit wide and i go right from the inside to retake the lead. Finally some traffic, I start doing some very agressive passes and putting people between us, that doesnt last any more than a turn or two since Brian goes right by the traffic as well. I was able to hold on to my lead and the take the checkered.
Brian deserves a bravo from me for improving so quick and passing Hilderbrand and Greenwood who both run on build motors by the way. Impressive job dude, RESPECT!
Back to the pits, small celebration, Brian comes over and we hug it out and we get ready to battle in Thunderbike. RSP is fixed my broken number plate which just decided to fall off the bike while i was in tech after the supersport finish...
Here is the vid from the start: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jGQ...V9eF-pUDhw-s7w
Brian has vid of the race I believe.
Result: 1st Place
Best lap: 1:20.079
Overall: Class Champion
Race 10A Thunderbike
I knew right off the bat that Brian and I we will go neck to neck in this race. I was gridded first and i once again went int T1 first where I stayed the entire race. Brian was held back from the bigger Ducatis which we cannot pass in the straights, so by the time he went by them I was already comfortably ahead. It was a bit of a scary race for me since I legit had no tire left on the right side. my times were higher because i was just trying to finish. I was able to get the checkered, the win and lock my final championship of 2014.
Result: 1st Place
Best lap: 1:20.078
Overall: Class Champion
Overall what an amazing weekend besides the fact losing a great friend. I am so happy i was able to bring in the results I did. I am even happier I influenced a few people to get into racing and I helped them get faster and more comfortable. I love being some short of mentor/coach for some people and I really enjoy watching the become better racers and riders. My goal starting the year was to pull a 1:20 lap and win one championship.
I ended up with Several laps in the 19s, with best lap of 1:19.144, I won every single LW class (LWGP, LWSS & LWSB) as well as Thunderbike, finished second with the big bikes in SuperTwins and my full first year as an AM I won Overall AM! Needless to say I am beyond happy and satisfied. I was able to finish 3rd in AMA LWSS National and 2nd in AMA LWSB National while it was my first time racing in NJMP.
I was able to win ASRA Thunderbike at NHMS which was my goal from last year when i came 2nd with the Hawk.
My trip for 2014 does not end here. Next Monday I am leaving for Daytona to compete at the Race of Champions and possibly bring home an AM National Championship, at least thats the goal, right?
HUGE Thank you to all my sponsors who made this very expensive season doable for me. They can all be found at: Sponsors - Olympus Racing
Huge thank you to CCS, LRRS, NHMS Staff for running possibly the best organized serier around and keeping us safe all year around, making proper changes in schedule and being patient every time I had a question or some reason to bother them. The Corner Workers for burning under the sun all summer and freezing on the first and last round of the year. you guys are fucking HEROES!
Massive thank you the entire track/racing community for making this the best thing I have ever done with my life. Love you all. for real. out of this whole family the biggest one goes to my RSP people. Each one of you has a special place in my heart and I would never be able to get where I am today without y'all. My two favorite Mikes of all times, Kurtz and WeayntAdam and Wendy made every weekend more special with their amazing hospitality and inspiration of what a perfect racing family looks like...
I am forgetting people and things to thank right now becasue i am getting really emotional typing this so please forgive me if your name is not here.
Just real quick John-Trouble for having advice for me since I was a slow idiot on a hawk, for guiding me for daytona, gino for the same reasons plus making daytona an option and even coming down with me to help, tony for the countless laughs and assistance with everything i needed, step by step instruction on how to get better and what to do each time I went on the track. All of you who believed in me and pushed me to become better and try different things.
this year i have learned to do so much more on my bike. the two mikes took that completely under them and taught me everything I know!
All the fellow racers I battled with. Thank you for not killing me, thank you for keeping the competition real, fun and amazing!
My friends and family who supported me through this madness. My girl who did not see the beach at all this entire summer because every weekend off she had she spent at the track with my stupid ass. my mom for hating motorcycles every since I bought one 14 years ago. For coming to the races and yelling at me for going too fast, LOL!
I honestly cannot type any without crying. Thank you all for reading this, thank you all for being part of this.
Atha Rest in Peace, we made it!
Sav
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Originally Posted by sdog30
