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Old August 31st, 2016, 11:56 AM   #761
csmith12
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Some of my quotes to a fairly new rider that crashed on his second session of the day.

Quote:
Throughout the day, we are going to systematically remove most of the doubts that you will make it though any given corner...
Quote:
When you're done, you're done... throw a hand up and come in. No harm, no foul.
Quote:
The bike responds to your inputs both good and bad. Knowing what NOT to do is equally important as knowing what you should do.
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Establish 3 markers per corner, turn in, apex and exit. Do your best to make your front wheel hit those markers ever lap. Why? Because doing the same thing that got you through last lap will get you through the next lap too.
Quote:
Despite what you might think, the bike going where you look is a BAD thing. From this point on and forever more... I want you to work on breaking the connection between your brain and steering the bike. Don't believe me? Tell me how I looked backward at you all day and not crash? Your goal is to go where you look "on purpose" vs "by accident."
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Friends do not let friends apex early. lol
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There is nothing more confidence inspiring than knowing you can steer the bike quickly and accurately enough to put your bike on a good line.
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Old August 31st, 2016, 05:26 PM   #762
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@csmith12

you know, having had the pleasure of meeting you and getting to pick your brain at Mid O plus reading your posts (especially the last two in this thread) is what gives me that warm fuzzy feeling when I think about how much fun my first trip to Mid O is going to be next year. I have a feeling that once I get there, I won't want anyone else as a coach lol. You just have that ability to connect with people and help them learn what they need to and that's awesome.
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Old August 31st, 2016, 05:30 PM   #763
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You are free to request any coach you would like in the notes section of the registration (Honda John is really great too, much like me). It would be my pleasure to ride with you for the day. Hopefully Jade can come along too!
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Old August 31st, 2016, 07:45 PM   #764
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Quote:
Originally Posted by csmith12 View Post
You are free to request any coach you would like in the notes section of the registration (Honda John is really great too, much like me). It would be my pleasure to ride with you for the day. Hopefully Jade can come along too!
It would be nice to see her as well Hopefully we can get the whole gang back together.....just know I call first dibs on you
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Old October 12th, 2016, 07:24 AM   #765
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Getting ready to head to the local nursing home to donate a bunch of food. This should be really fun! Will see if I can get a few pics because I have been slacking in the pic department as well as my good deed doing lately. :\
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Old October 20th, 2016, 03:50 PM   #766
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Sad update:

Ryan Hill, a fellow track rider, mid-ohio coach and friend passed on last night way too young. He will be missed in the paddock next season.

Drag a knee in paradise!

Link to original page on YouTube.

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Old October 20th, 2016, 04:31 PM   #767
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My condolences, Chris. The passing of friends and family is always wrenching particularly when young with so much ahead of them. RIP
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Old October 20th, 2016, 10:22 PM   #768
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I'm sorry.
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Old October 30th, 2016, 04:18 PM   #769
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Here is a little something different.

Taking my son Lance to the track Nov. 20, but... he will not be riding a bike. He is a fresh 16yr old with a permit. So I am taking him here for some formal training.

Link to original page on YouTube.

He complains that I will not let him drive faster, this will give him the experience why. Can't wait till he spins out the skid car. hahahahahaha

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Old October 30th, 2016, 05:03 PM   #770
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This training (and a high standard of proficiency) should be mandatory for anyone to be granted a licence. Imo
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Old February 6th, 2017, 01:42 PM   #771
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Moar hands to add to my collection!

Was a judge at a taekwondo tournament and got the chance to meet some of the masters including Master In Ho Lee.



And before you ask... no I didn't compete but wish I would have. My son outgrew his "approved" safety gear and I gave him mine to use. As a very, very fresh 2nd degree black belt he could have competed with the 1st degrees, but choose to compete with the 2nd and 3rds. How did he do? EXACTLY like I wanted him to. He got his arse handed to him like I have been telling him for the past 6 months.

What he learned
Never take anything for granted
Go the extra mile
You will NEVER practice enough
You can't control every outcome
Take a loss with grace and good sportsmanship

Above all else... smile


Now... going forward for the next few months, my boy is going to be a handful in the sparring ring. Ugggg.... In the Smith household, loosing isn't really an option and isn't taken well.
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Old February 7th, 2017, 02:30 AM   #772
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Old February 7th, 2017, 07:13 AM   #773
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Old February 7th, 2017, 07:55 AM   #774
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^^ gave me a headache
thx
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Old July 18th, 2017, 05:17 PM   #775
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Sadly, I am no longer a MSF ridercoach. I just don't have time to do everything I want. :\
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Old July 18th, 2017, 06:58 PM   #776
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@Koala

You got time this season to get that free track day you won? Lemme know!
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Old July 19th, 2017, 02:06 PM   #777
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Quote:
Originally Posted by csmith12 View Post
@Koala

You got time this season to get that free track day you won? Lemme know!
I just want to say it feels good to be back on here, lol. I bit the bullet and had cable/internet installed.

As for getting to the track this year....is hell projected to freeze over anytime soon? The office I manage seems to be stuck at 2 to 3 people. Right now I have the money I would need to get glasses/gear/msf (car repairs got in the way of the rest of course but the reserve is getting built back up nicely). However, getting the Friday and Saturday off that I would need to take the MSF is another story. Every time we get 3 people and I'm ready to hire a 4th, the 3rd person quits and I'm back at square one. I haven't even been able to make it up to Cedar Point this year. It's definitely looking like next year. If it's the same situation next year I'm going to tell the owner that whether he likes it or not, I'm taking the time off. So fear not, @csmith12, you will be seeing me by next season at the latest!
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Old July 19th, 2017, 06:27 PM   #778
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@csmith12 do you ever watch OMRL racing?
We are going to G and J Sunday and then doing a mini track day on the 31st.
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Old July 19th, 2017, 07:39 PM   #779
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No, I don't watch OMRL. Only so much I can fit in a day.

However, I do need to get back up to G and J soon. Been a minute. The 31st is a no go for me though but have a great day ya'lls!
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Old July 20th, 2017, 07:06 PM   #780
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@csmith12 do you ever watch OMRL racing?
We are going to G and J Sunday and then doing a mini track day on the 31st.


I'll be there , I have only made 1 race this year ,SOOOO I'll be slow ....

Hope to meet ya . I'm # 513 , Look me up
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Old August 22nd, 2017, 05:48 PM   #781
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@csmith12

Were you at Mid-Ohio Monday? This might interest you....

https://ohioriders.net/index.php?/to...-2017/&page=21
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Old August 24th, 2017, 09:33 AM   #782
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@snot - Yes, I was there. In fact... I was the coach of the group of many of those pics in the linked thread.



I am the coach in this shot.

I was arrived at the track @ 3:00pm on Sun. and didn't leave the track until 7:00pm on Wed. WHAT A RUSH!!!

Here is a highlight of the 4 days.

Sun. - Twilight after new fork seals and fork springs upgraded. Ran 1 session and half another. Front end not right, started taking it apart and moved entire pit setup from middle paddock to garage. Was hot and I was tired so didn't sweat only riding a little bit with 3 more days ahead.

Sorta frustrated bedtime was about 1am.

Mon. - Coached N group (the guys pictured in the linked thread) and above. They were a great group and stuck with me the entire day. Made amazing progress throughout the day. I believe I had just as much fun coaching and riding with them as they did riding and having a good time throughout the day. My bike was still down waiting on fork parts, so another buddy saves my day buy allowing me to ride his B bike. Gixxer 750. That is why I am not on my r6 in the photos. Bike problems aside, it was one of the most fun days I have had coaching. You just can't beat good groups of riders that embrace the "school" part of the day, take the time to learn and apply new skills to make them better and SAFER riders. Props to them....

Awesome bullsh*t session at garage 26 until 2am! Finally hit the sack after that.

Oh! Ran outta gas on the 750! lol! Hauled to paddock by safety, trip #1. I blame riding during an eclipse.

Tues. - Was given a "free day" by the track. Spent most of the day helping other riders, bullsh*tting in the garages with friends and when the fork parts arrived (overnight) I put my bike back together. Rode a few sessions on the 750 again, was offered a 2014 rsv4 to take out for a session (which I did) and WOW!!!!, rode a bmw 1k rr and a 2016 gsxr 1k to finish out the day of being lazy, laughing with friends and fixing my bike. My bike was riding like a champ after repairs and tweaking suspension!!!

Bing Wu (friend) grilled up some chinese bbq on the grill. It was like crack. He brought 8lbs and we ate it all!!! As fast as he could pull if off the grill. My pit area feed 10 riders and 3 coaches. I brought freshly picked corn on the cob and tomatoes from my garden and we had a variety of sides to go along.

After another hot day... hit the cot for some sleep at midnight. Slept like a rock.

Wed. - Lead novice instructor for the day and.... r6 blew the chain at 125mph down the back straight. Lucky to not have gone down and with only minimal damage. Hauled to paddock by safety, trip #2.

More friends saved the day buy giving me a bike to ride and CUTTING the chain out of my bike and giving me a new one to install during lunch. Special thanks to friends fixing your bike while you help other riders. I guess it really does come back to you when you give to others without expectation.

Anyway... NO novice crashes for the entire day, I had another great group, finished the day on my r6, rode the scooter around waving bye to everyone and was the last to leave. AGAIN....

Drive home was uneventful, thankfully.

Sadly, because of all my issues... I didn't get many pics. I will upload some after I get some rest and unload the trailer and unload my brain.
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Old August 24th, 2017, 09:41 AM   #783
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@snot

Questions from the Ohio riders thread.

The black flag means continue around the track at pace and pit in. Have a stop in hot pit at the start finish tower. Issues will be addressed.

The debris flag pointed at you and flung over the shoulder means; raise hand, get offline, slow to speed safe to leave track surface, get out of impact zone, signal corner worker you are ok.

Red flag means; session is stopping, no passing, raise hand, slow to safe "freeway" speed and continue to pit in. The exception to this is if you miss all 3 checker flag stations. :\ They will red flag you on the front straight to pit in at the exit of hot pit. They will only do this if there is only 1 rider on the track. If multiple riders take a victory lap, they allow them to continue based on their space apart.

Safety trumps ALL!
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Old August 24th, 2017, 11:55 AM   #784
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In the true spirit of this thread...

On the way home from the track on Wed. I was pumping gas and a less than shiny minivan pulls up to the pump, a 1998 dodge caravan to be specific. A man and pregnant woman hop out and proceed to speak a language I didn't understand. While the man finishes pumping $3.76 in gas, the lady gets a toddler out of a car seat that continues to smile and dance around while mom and dad chat.

I continue to watch...

After a few more minutes, I am done pumping my gas and about ready to pound pavement and then... I stop, get back out of my truck and walk over and ask if they needed anything. They were somewhat shocked and didn't understand why I was there uninvited. I simply stated "can I help you in any way?" I could tell the man was wanting help but the woman was in "guard mode" of their daughter. I don't blame her really...

Anyway, I introduced myself and asked if they had enough gas to get to their destination. The man said no, so I popped in my credit card and filled their tank. Then the woman asked for $5 for food. I had a $5 in my pocket but didn't want to just do that, so I said c'mon in and pick out whatever you want in the store. The lady only picks 3 items. A quart of milk and 2 travel sized boxes of cereal. Their little girl picks up a sucker and the lady takes it from her and puts it back. They take 5 more steps ahead of me and I get the sucker and when I get to the register... I say I am only paying for the sucker. The woman's body language tells me she is frustrated with me and the man is totally confused now.

I tell them not to worry, that I will take care of it.... just follow me.

We arrive back at the gas pumps behind my trailer. I ask they wait here for 2 minutes as I get in my trailer and give them a quart of milk and 3 travel cereal bowls from my food stash in the cooler.

I have never been thanked so many times in my life until that night. After that, we had a nice chat for about 5 minutes. Turns out they are Syrian refugees that were being moved from Cleveland to Columbus to new temporary housing and ran out of $$$. My gift to them that night assured they would arrive in Columbus and not be hungry upon arrival.

They said thank you and bless you about 100 more times, I told them your welcome, we shook hands and we were on our way.

Good luck to Aimar, Rasha and lil Haya!

Interestly enough... I also got a Coke out of the cooler for me. On that Coke it said.... Share a Coke with Haya. NO WAY!!!!

+3 more
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Old August 24th, 2017, 04:53 PM   #785
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Good for you! Always nice when you can help someone out.
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Old February 11th, 2018, 07:31 PM   #786
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I am slacking on this thread....

My friends are at the track and I am not... I am bummed out right now.
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Old June 1st, 2022, 05:34 PM   #787
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Hi all....


The season is in full swing for me again and I want to challenge myself to keep this going after all these years (pretty good for a New Years resolution nearly a decade ago) .

Anyway...

Quick update. I normally ride about 70+ track days a season, currently riding in the southeast area but with other events in various states. SC, FL, GA, LA, OH, PA, IN, ect... Yes, I mostly still coach and coach for a couple of orgs now and they keep me plenty busy. I am up to 3 r6's now. 2 for the trip and one in the shop to keep up with repairs and such. Yes, I have crashed a few times since the last update, but have been blessed with fixing a broken bike vs something less than that.

I also have a new job which keeps me pretty busy. Managing a team of folks that are just as capable as you are is a tough job and trust is king. Lucky for me they are awesome and got my back like I have theirs.

Recent news, all my events at NOLA were canceled. It's a love hate thing. For me, it is a 14.5h one way haul to get there. But once there, the place is amazing. Kinda sad in a way but the budget needs the relief as it costs me 1k for the weekend all in all.

Attached is a better image of my avatar, "any given day of my riding at the track for an old man."

It is sooooooooo awesome to still be doing this after such a long time and the support from everyone is super helpful for us who are pretty tired at the end of the weekend.



Bless up and much love to ya'lls!

EDIT: I finally got to shake the hand of the one and only Keith Code. My checklist on this journey is never done, but the big items are almost complete.
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Old June 7th, 2022, 09:39 AM   #788
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Glad to see you're still doing this Chris, even though the bike blew up that trip to Ohio was a highlight of my track riding hobby. Picked up a 636 this year and basically stopped street riding to focus more on track days since we just had a little girl. Hopefully our paths cross again!
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Old June 7th, 2022, 12:40 PM   #789
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Glad to see you're still doing this Chris, even though the bike blew up that trip to Ohio was a highlight of my track riding hobby. Picked up a 636 this year and basically stopped street riding to focus more on track days since we just had a little girl. Hopefully our paths cross again!
Congrats on the 636, and even more congrats on the baby!
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Old June 9th, 2022, 07:28 AM   #790
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Glad to see you’re still active and making a huge difference with tons of riders Chris. You were a massive massive influence to me when I was first getting in to riding on the track and I still keep a lot of lessons that you taught me early on in mind every time I go out to ride or race. I’ve competed in a lot of different events now at many different levels and have tried my hand at coaching a bit myself. I know it’s not much but I am eternally grateful for the part you played in my early development from street rider to track rider and racer. I hope we can ride again sometime, maybe at Jennings next winter, I’m hoping to go in Feb for a 3 day weekend
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Old June 9th, 2022, 03:59 PM   #791
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Hay Chris

Thanks for the body position demo you did at NCM on May 21-22 .

I was in novice group on my C14 .

Wish I could do more track days a year.

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Old June 9th, 2022, 04:07 PM   #792
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Motorcycle(s): 2010 250 (track), 1992 250, 2006 R6 (street/track), 2008 R6 (track)

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MOTY 2015, MOTM - Nov '12, Nov '13
Last couple of track season's travel map is attached. Nearly 1000 places in just the previous few years.

5/23/22 and 6/6/22 Mid-Ohio updates coming in a bit.
Attached Images
File Type: png Screenshot_2.png (141.2 KB, 5 views)
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Old June 9th, 2022, 05:57 PM   #793
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MOTM - Jul '18, Nov '16, Aug '14, May '13
Hey, y'all. It's been a minute.... or three... or.... crikey, how long has it been since i posted here, anyway?

In 2014 I met Chris for the first time and things haven't been the same since. Learned a whole lot along the way, had some oopsies but one thing has stuck with me: I love helping people get into this fantastic sport, and that positive, proactive mindset is something I got from the estimable Mr. Smith.

This year is going to be my busiest track season yet and I'm absolutely loving my current bike: an Aprilia RS660.

So, man, are you thinking about NCBIKE in October?

Link to original page on YouTube.

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Old June 10th, 2022, 06:43 AM   #794
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Quote:
Originally Posted by adouglas View Post
Hey, y'all. It's been a minute.... or three... or.... crikey, how long has it been since i posted here, anyway?

In 2014 I met Chris for the first time and things haven't been the same since. Learned a whole lot along the way, had some oopsies but one thing has stuck with me: I love helping people get into this fantastic sport, and that positive, proactive mindset is something I got from the estimable Mr. Smith.

This year is going to be my busiest track season yet and I'm absolutely loving my current bike: an Aprilia RS660.

So, man, are you thinking about NCBIKE in October?

Link to original page on YouTube.

Andrew - tell us about the 660, or do you have a post about it elsewhere on here?
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Old June 15th, 2022, 05:46 AM   #795
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Originally Posted by backinthesaddleagain View Post
Andrew - tell us about the 660, or do you have a post about it elsewhere on here?
Haven't posted about it here.

I love the bike. Perfect blend of power, torque and compactness, with all the current bells and whistles. It'd make a really good step up from a Ninjette.

There were some initial teething troubles with the model that didn't affect me, thankfully. I've had no issues at all. (Brand-new platform... these things happen).

There are cheaper options in the same class but this had everything I wanted.

I dumped a ton of money into suspension and the results are fantastic. I can place the bike anywhere, no drama, and it's amazingly stable under braking.
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Old June 15th, 2022, 09:41 AM   #796
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Great choice and of course suspension improvements are money well spent!
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Old July 7th, 2022, 09:46 AM   #797
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Coming back from a fantastic track event (set a new personal record!) I find myself reflecting on the weird path that life takes... how random chance encounters can change things significantly.

So here's the story of how I got to where I am in my motorcycling journey.

The guy in the photo is Angel Castro Jr. We're friends on FB but I don't really know him personally. I only met him once, years ago. But I'd never have started riding on the track if it weren't for him and a brief conversation we had. It's all his fault.

About 10 years ago I was thinking about a bike to replace my beloved Ninja 250, to this day the only bike I regret having sold. I went to a Kawasaki demo day to ride the obvious step up, the Ninja 650... an ordinary street bike that would make a good commuter. At the time I saw myself as just a recreational street guy, never intending to become a "track monkey" as I liked to call track riders, because they climb all over the bike.

I was standing in line next to this guy and talking about what we were there to ride. I was going on about how much I loved the little Ninja and how much personality it had, especially when ridden hard at high revs. He said I should really try the ZX6R, Kawasaki's full-on supersport... that I'd love it.

Having heard about the big rush of power you get when you rev up a 600cc supersport, I was frankly scared to even try it, thinking I'd lose control of the thing.

But he talked me into it. I rode that Ninja 650 first and... it was a transportation appliance. A sewing machine. Perfectly capable, nothing at all to complain about, but just... meh. The supersport? Well, the bug bit and I started thinking more about it. I should mention here that the Ninjette was not my first bike. When I bought it I'd been riding for more than 20 years.

The following year I bought a new old-stock Suzuki GSX-R750... a very potent supersport with three or four times the power of the little Ninja 250. I discovered what so many already know... that bikes like this are wasted on the street because you can never come close to taking advantage of what they can do.

So I started thinking about trying a track day. I went to one to check it out and volunteered as a corner worker. Over the following winter I bought a race suit, a trailer, and a bunch of other track stuff... thinking that if I decided it wasn't for me I could always resell it.

First track day was July 2014... and I've never looked back. Dozens of track days, thousands of miles, and I'm on my third track bike, an Aprilia RS660 which is the best of the lot. It's been a fantastic experience that's become a big part of my life.

All because of a casual conversation with a nice guy who happened to be standing next to me one day.

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Old July 30th, 2022, 09:29 PM   #798
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Skimming through this thread makes me realize I need to get back on a track. It's been too long. My last track day was CotA in November 2016. Like @csmith12, the cash drain is tough to swallow with a family to feed. The nearest track to me is 4.5 hours away at Hallett in Oklahoma. The next closest is MSRC and ECR in Texas at 6ish hours. Even after CotA, Barber in Alabama remains my favorite with an 8ish hour trip. I've opted for more riding trips in recent years. This forum made the world a small place, because at a few track days, I had guys come up to me and ask if I was Geeker from the forums because they recognized my hi-viz helmet. All these years later, I still rock the hi-viz helmets - trademark?

It's good to see some of the same folks posting here despite moving on from the Ninjette. It's the gateway drug that got us all.
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Old January 6th, 2023, 05:34 PM   #799
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Happy New Year to All!

Just so you know, this thread will keep going. I am so sorry that I haven't been updating it much over the past but will try to do better. Much has changed on my side but think I can get things back on track.

Update:
2019: 66 days coaching, mostly in the southeast, Jennings, CMP, NOLA, Road A, NCM, Mid-O
2020: 71 days coaching, mostly in the southeast, Jennings, CMP, NOLA, Road A, NCM, Mid-O
2021: 70 days coaching, mostly in the southeast, Jennings, CMP, NOLA, Road A, NCM, Mid-O
2022: 76 days coaching, mostly in the southeast, Jennings, CMP, NOLA, Road A, NCM, Mid-O

Over the years there have been some stray trips here and there to VA, TN, IN and other states but I have long since forgot the details. FML

Also, an update about my coaching situation. I am a fully PAID coach now. The two main orgs I coach for do pay me but that WILL NOT even factor in why I do this. For full disclosure, I am not paid enough to cover my costs but every little bit helps and for that I am thankful.

After a bit of catching up on this thread and reviewing some memories, I wanted to renew my commitment to this endeavor started back in 2014. It would be my pleasure to keep everyone informed on events that occur. And most importantly, congrats to all that have made progress and/or completed there goals over time. KEEP PUSHING!

So here goes....

01/03/2023
Me: Waiting in line at the grocery store in KY. Lady does not have enough money to pay for her order.
Her: "Sorry will have to put some stuff back" as her 2 kids seem to really want the lucky charms, milk and some 2 liters of soda.
Me: I have some juice and popsicles and a 12 pack of Mt. Dew. to my order. I didn't even think.... I asked the cashier "Add mine to theirs and pay for it all."
Her: "Are you sure?"
Me: "Without a doubt, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!"

It felt like 2014 all over again, to start the new year off for all the right reasons, zero expectations in return and only to bring hope, a good spirit to all and of course with a smile .

I hope all had a great holiday season and a great start of the new year. My best to you and yours.

Looking forward to a very active next season full of happy photos. Lemme see what pics I can dig up over what time has past, I am sure there are a few.
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Old January 26th, 2023, 12:01 PM   #800
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Leaving tomorrow for Jennings! Going to be great! 29 degrees overnight but a great ride, pics to follow!
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