Originally Posted by
lrrs182
So, flashback,.......1988,Second year of racing,28 yrs old ,on a brand new gsxr(I was hooked!) Streets of Willow.When I first stated racing my mentor, older coworker who hooked me on racing told me "you'll never be fast until you've crashed out on every corner". It's the third race weekend of the season, my bike looks like it competed in demolition derby. I come pushing my again twisted up bike back to the pits, lean it against my truck and look over the damage. He comes over and puts his arm over my shoulder and looks down at the damage. In a quit, calming voice he says,"remember when I said you'll never be fast until you've crashed out in every corner? I didn't mean do it all in one fukin' weekend!) Yea, yea, in a perfect world, with a perfect rider, you'll never go down, never crash. You are just plain fukin niave if you think you have a great chance of making a season without putting it down or off the track, NIAVE!!!!!! Dude,reality check. Go ask around anyone who's raced,ESPECIALLY Loudon! I crashed bad in 89, when the bikes I was tangled between came to a rest, I was looking at the bottom of my own boot, thinking "this is going to hurt" I was right! After major surgery, I continued to make the payments on my wadded up 88 gixxer (still have my race motors!) and recouporated for a year. Then I moved back east, opened a business. As much as I loved racing, I knew I could not afford to get hurt. Weeeeell, I now work somewhere else, make a good buck, and if I was out of work hurt, would still get paid, and would still have my job if I was a quadrapelegic. So last year I went back racing.Tommorrow I'm ice racing, $400 knee brace and all. Brian,you have the heart of a lion, or at least the roar. Talking about passing some novices in the rain does not a lion make. Fact, typically less wrecks in the rain. This is racing, not trackdays. Be prepared to crash, be prepared to get hurt.Eric wood crashed and got busted up last season didn't he? Dude, he literally could do a 15 blindfolded I bet!
Someone else chime in here please. Brain, you come talking about all your natural talent but no one with the REAL balls out, gotta win attitude could possibly think, they are going never crash.I bring spare leathers and helmets, and I'm 50 yrs old, don't think any world superbike teams will be calling, my roar is more of a gutteral growl now, but still competetive as hell and wanna win. I will be making NJMP my home track but will be doing some LRRS stuff. Cool thing about my 20 yr hiatus is that I got to start in Novice again! and I've got an old R6 thats legal in SS, so we can rub some elbows Brian!
Closing thought, you know what they call the 600 class don't you Brian? Demo Derby! I consider turn one, starting lap of a 600 race one of the most dangerous spots on earth!
Good luck Brian, I really mean it, but this aint no video game, make sure you have health insurance, and I swear to you I'd be thrilled if you or any racer proves me wrong!:pray: