Race Reports – 2010

RACE REPORT #8 / CALISTOGA, CA. / JULY 31st

It was finally time for a well-needed grand national on the west coast. My parents and I traveled from our place in Washington down to the beautiful wine country of Calistoga California. I was extra pumped for this race not only because it was close to home but also it would be my second opportunity to ride an xr 750 in the gnc expert twins class. Right off the bat things started off great as I set second fast time in my normal pro singles class. The twins class went well also as I gave myself a front row starting position for the heat race. I made the pro singles main with ease as I ran away with almost a straight away lead. In the twins class I passed two grand national riders on the outside including three-time grand national champion Kenney Coolbeth to get a direct transfer to the main event! Rolling out for the pro singles main event I knew what I needed to do. I had to get a big win to stay in the championship point’s chase. That’s exactly what I did getting a close win over the championship points leader Jeffery Carver Jr. I backed my win with a solid run in the GNC twins class. I rode inside the top 5 for a good portion of race but eventually fell back as the race went on. I ended up 10th, which was a good accomplishment since it was only my second time racing a 750. I am now only 20 points back in the championship and I am more than determined to keep picking away points until I am back in the point’s lead where I deserve to be!

RACE REPORT  # 7 / I 96 / JULY 10th

This last weekend I raced in Lake Odessa, Michigan at I-96 Speedway for another round of the Grand National season – it ended up being my  most memorable night of racing so far! I was extra excited going into this race because I was going to be riding with the experts in the GNC twins class, as well as the pro singles class. I was able to do this because Mike Kidd and the IMDA gave the top ten pro singles riders from 2009 a provisional to ride with the experts at three events including this one - without affecting their standings in the pro singles. Fortunately, I was able to score a ride with Mark and Nicole Cheza on their Global products Lancaster Harley Davidson XR 750 - to have a shot at fulfilling my dream of making a Grand National expert main event. My day started off great by qualifying 4^th my first time on the bike. It got even better when I then qualified 3^rd behind the Halbert brothers. The last time that I went out for practice, I went out and fell off the pace a little but still qualified 18^th  - putting myself on the front row in my heat. In the pro singles class, I qualified a consistent  5^th  - setting myself up well for the heat. After some track prep - which didn’t seem to change the slick little grove - it was time to start the night. On my 450, I jumped out to an early lead but had Jeffery Carver hot on my tail. On about lap 5, he used his horsepower on me and slipped by me right before coming into turn one. I wasn’t quite feeling it on my 450 - as I wasn’t able to get it to handle and pull of the corners the way I wanted it too. Directly after my 450 heat, I jumped the 750 for my first ever expert heat race. I got off the line pretty well - running in 6^th position. On the first lap, I passed Rob Pearson and Matt Weidman to now be in a transfer position to the main event. All it took was one slip up on my part though and Matt was right back by me. After this, I calmed down and was again breathing down his neck - trying to find any way around him. I came up just short of the transfer, but I still had a great chance of making it out of the semi and into the main! In the semi, I was lined up next to two of my great friends - Chad Cose and Luke Gough. I got off the line 3^rd behind Gough and Mike Radley. On the third lap, I got under Radley and set my sights on Luke. I stuck right on his rear wheel - waiting for him to make a mistake. Finally, on the last lap, he slipped up just a little and I was there to capitalize. You have no clue how excited I was  -knowing I just made my first main event on my first attempt ever! I wasn’t the only one excited - as the crowd cheered me all the way off the track when I was walking back to the pits. After a brief intermission, it was now time for the main events. First up would be the pro singles class. I rocketed off the line to secure another early lead over Jeffery Carver. I held him off for about 5 laps, but just as in the heat race, he pulled by me at the end of the straight away. I now had company from James “the Rocket” Rispoli. We battled neck and neck for the whole race, but I was able to hold him until the finish. I didn’t beat who I needed to beat to gain some much needed points, but I am still in sight of the championship and I was back on the box  -so I was happy. It was pretty cool hopping off the podium and onto a Harley for a 25 lap main event! It was going to be tough, though, because I had already raced about 50 laps that night. Nevertheless, I was pumped and ready to race my first ever expert main! For the first half of the race, I battled for 11^th and 12^th position with Johnny Lewis and Rob Pearson. The race was then stopped halfway through because Mick Kirkness splattered the track with oil all the way through turns one and two. After a long break, it was time to get going again. This time I got a great start and moved up to around 8^th. About four laps later, I slipped up big time coming out of turn two and let Wiles and Robinson go under me. The next corner got a little hairy when Jethro Halbert got hung up on my handle bar - almost making me fall and I was forced to blow the grove. From there I just rode my own race and had a great time! To come home with a 13^th place finish for my first time ever riding with the big boys was just fine with me. I am now looking forward to hopefully securing a ride for the next two provisional races to see if I can do it again. I would especially like to thank Mark & Nicole Cheza and his family and crew for giving me this opportunity and for being so nice. I also want to thanks my great sponsors: Rod Lake, Mike Velasco, Brothers Powersports, Shift Racing, Woody Kyle, Boughner Racing Suspension, D & D Exhaust, JG Photowerx, Top One Oil, Celorie Brothers Trucking, Lightshoe, MicroBlue Racing, Fusion Graphix, A & A Racing, CP Pistons, Motion Pro, MT Racing, Powersports NW, Acerbis, & Zebra Computers. I would also like to thank my friends and family back home, as well as everyone else who has been cheering me on – you guys rock!

RACE REPORT # 6 – LIMA, OHIO – JUNE 26

 Hey everyone!  I just got back to my current home base in Alton, Illinois where I have been staying with my best competitor and great friend, Jeffery Carver. We traveled to Lima, Ohio this weekend for the legendary Lima half mile grand national. Let me tell you what - I have never seen so many motorcycles at one race! There were over 120 entries and about 90% of the fans rode there on bikes. This week I had some extra motivation to do well since last week I had a get- off at Gas City and I lost a lot of points. The track was typical Lima- deep cushion for the most part and wide open! Qualifying went great as I timed in a close second behind a new pro single rider - Jeremy Hamilton. From there we moved on to the heats, where I was lined up on the pole in the second heat race. Thanks to Mid Ohio Harley Davidson, we had a little more than just a starting spot in the main to race for since they kicked in an extra $500 for all the heat race winners. I did what I know best and jumped out to the lead and never looked back. By the end of the race, I had over a straight away lead and the $500 was mine – as well as the pole position in the main. After the heat race, I didn’t change anything on the bike since the Mike Velasco, Boughner Racing Suspension 2009 Honda was working so good. Finally, after watching tons of exciting racing - it was time for the main event. I usually don’t like to get too confident but for this race I knew I wasn’t going to let anything stand in my way. Luckily, nothing ever was in my way - as again I jumped out to an early lead and hammered down. For the first three or four laps, I barely even let off. I was having so much fun!  In no time, I had my sights set on the checkered flag and win number two of the season was in the books. From what people said, I had a straight away lead over the pack. I was super pumped that I gained some much needed points back in the championship and thanks to the series awesome sponsors I had good money coming in the mail. I am still 24 points back in championship race, but I am more determined than ever and the season isn’t even half over. The next Grand National will be in Lake Odessa, Michigan where I will ride my usual pro single class and hope to get a twins ride and see what the big bikes are all about. I want to thank the Carver family, the Snyder family, and the Cobb family for their great hospitality! I also want to thanks my great sponsors: Rod Lake, Mike Velasco, Brothers Powersports, Shift Racing, Woody Kyle, Boughner Racing Suspension, D & D Exhaust, JG Photowerx, Top One Oil, Celorie Brothers Trucking, Lightshoe, MicroBlue Racing, Fusion Graphix, A & A Racing, CP Pistons, Motion Pro, MT Racing, Powersports NW, Acerbis, & Zebra Computer. I’d also like to thank Gene & Gail Cummings and Nolan Hermans for their support.

RACE REPORT #5 – MAY 29^TH & 30^TH – SPRINGFIELD, ILL.

This Memorial Day weekend took us to Springfield, Illinois for the 4^th and 5^th rounds of the GNC season. We started off the weekend with the TT on Saturday night. I was really pumped to come into this race and try my hardest to bring home a win - knowing that if I did, I would have the flat track grand slam. I timed in good in qualifying  - setting third fastest time behind Jeffery Carver and Tyler O’ Hara. My heat also went according to plan - as I won by a big margin and sailed into the main event. I ended up getting second fastest heat behind my good friend JD Beach. I didn’t get off to the greatest start in the main - getting off around 4^th. I quickly slid into 3^rd behind JD and  Mikey Martin. I was pushing hard and almost had him passed several times but just couldn’t seem to make it stick. As I was trying to get around Mikey, I had Jeffrey knocking on my back door trying to get around me. Finally on the last lap, I made an outside move on Mikey - going into the right-hander. Mikey responded by pushing me  wide and then stayed low onto to the sweeper.  While Mikey held me back, Jeffery ran it hard around the outside of both of us and took the podium spot away from me. I was kind of bummed with the finish because I knew I was fast enough to run with JD if I could of just worked my way around Mikey. I also lost points to Jeffery in the overall points championship. On the bright side the season is far from over and I was ready to make up for it the next day on the amazing Springfield Mile.

   The next day, I woke up more than ready to do some awesome mile racing. I would be busting out my 2008 Woody Kyle and Micro Blue Racing Honda 450 that I won the last mile on for my weapon of choice. Qualifying went all right. The top ten riders were all very quick. I ended up qualifying 5^th overall and was set in a heat race with JD - who set fast time. I got a great start and almost led the first lap until JD drafted me. We swapped the lead several times throughout the race. James Rispoli also came in and mixed it up with us for a couple laps. Finally it came down to the last straight away and I was running in second  -right on JD’s rear wheel. I pulled out of the draft and came up about a half a wheel short of passing him. To both JD and my surprise Zach Palmer snuck around both of us on the outside, so I ended up third. This made me the last rider on the front row in the main event. In the main, I nailed the start from the outside and put my head down. I led the first lap, but it wasn’t for long as JD, Jeffery Carver, and Mikey Avila drafted past me on the backstretch. This would turn out to be the closest race that I have ever been in. I went back and forth from the lead all the way back to seventh and then back to the lead again. Finally, on the last lap, I was sitting in 5^th - which was a good position to be in because I could use the draft the last to straights and put myself in the lead. Unfortunately, Chaz Springstein decided to bonzi underneath me and push me wide going into one. When I squared him up coming off turn 2, he pinched me off and made me get out of shape and loose my drive. I got back past him down the backstretch but it ruined my chance of passing the front  runners. Coming to the line I had killer draft going but I wasn’t able to go anywhere with it because there was too many riders and not enough places to pass. I ended up with a sixth place finish- behind last years winner Mike Toon, James Rispoli, Mike Labelle, Jeffery Carver and JD Beach. It was a really fun race but I definatelly wanted a better finish.  I lost a couple more points to Jeffery Carver in the championship points race, but there are still plenty of races to come. Next weekend is round 6 in Gas City, Indiana and I plan to get back on top of the box where I love to be!

RACE REPORT # 4 / PRESCOTT, AZ./ MAY 1 ST

It was finally time to get back to what all GNC racers love to do - race grand nationals! After the two month break from Daytona, I was more than ready to drive the 22 hour trek to Arizona. My parents and I pulled into Prescott late afternoon on Friday to find that the temperature wasn't any warmer than what it was in Washington. Luckily, there was clear blue sky and we were loving that. My dad and I decided to find a vacant stretch of pavement to run my bikes on so we could get our jetting figured out because of the big elevation change. By the time it was dark, we had the bikes completely dialed in and ready to run like a top for the first mile race of the season. We arrived at the track the next morning  - happy to see all the familiar faces that we haven't seen since the last grand national. The first time I stepped foot on the track I quickly realized how slick the surface of the track was. Kenny Coolbeth and I looked at each other - thinking "how is this going to work!" With the hard surface and the loose, dry pee gravel on top it was going make for some challenging racing. I would be the first group out on the track so it would be our job to lay down the first rubber. I started out behind Jeffery Carver and Steven Vanderkuur.  Unfortunately, Steven decided to go through the first corner full throttle like he was on a wet cushion. He quickly found out that it wasn't going to work that way when he slid out coming out of 2 on the first lap slamming himself underneath the guardrail. He was lucky his injuries only extended to a broken leg because it could have been a lot worse. I took my time with the track, but was still able to put in some fast times. I was really happy with my bike. My new Woody Kyle motor was running strong and my new Boughner Racing suspension was handling great, as well as my new D& D exhaust. To top this off, I was wearing my new Shift leathers and boots with my Lightshoe hot shoe. I was feeling great!  I had the fast time covered until the last lap of Cory Crawford's session when he nipped me out by .001 of a second. It couldn't have been any closer, but I had confidence that I had them all covered in the races. In my heat, I got a horrible start and had to work my way to the front from sixth place. On lap 3, I was in the lead and pulling away. I ended up getting fast heat over Carver - who also dominated his heat. One great thing about this race was the fans that were there. The stands were packed and everybody was full of energy when they were walking through the pits. Now it was time for main event. I decided to take the outside pole because I seen Sammy Halbert pull the hole shot from there in the dash. I did the same thing and never looked back. After awhile it felt like I was out here all alone because I couldn't hear anyone or see anyone. By the end of the race, I had a 4.5 second lead over Carver in second. I would be the first person to win on this race track and it also marked my first Mile win of my pro career. This had me really pumped and I was able to do an awesome stand up wheelie with the checkered flag for the fans. I came into the race in 5^th place in points- 12 pts behind Carver in 1^st. I am now in 2^{nd -} only 8pts behind. From now until Springfield, I will be working my hardest to get my stuff ready and bring in new sponsors to keep my racing dream possible. I want to thank all my sponsors - I couldn't do without you! my sponsors are Rod Lake, Mike Velasco, Brothers Powersports, Woody Kyle, Shift Racing, Boughner  Racing Suspension, D & D Exhaust, Top One Oil, Celorie Brothers Trucking, Lightshoe,  JG Photoworks, CP Pistons, A & A Racing, Fusion Graphix, Motion Pro, MT Racing, Acerbis, Powersports NW and Zebra Computers.

RACE REPORT  # 3 –  SAN JOSE, CA. - MARCH 26^th& 27th

Last weekend's race introduced me to the wildest short track racing I've ever ridden and watched. It also brought on a several new things for me. For starter, I traveled to the race in San Jose all by myself in my little Ford pickup since nobody could get the time off of work to ride down with me. It was a long drive with no one to talk to but luckily I had the Cose family to stay with - just 20 minutes from the track. Next this would be my first time ever on a polished concrete surface, which made the weekend quite a challenge. Fortunately - thanks to Rod Lake and crew, I had two days of practice to break myself in on the new circuit and figure out my bike set-up. I'll tell you what - I needed every little bit of those practice days to finally catch on and start going fast. The way you ride and set up your bike for these races is totally different than a dirt short track and it had me struggling. I definitely showed my will to improve though and by the time practice was over, I was up to speed with the 11 GNC racers that were there. To start off my weekend of racing, I was invited to race in the East meets West shootout on Friday and Saturday. This was put on just to make a show for the crowd and make a little extra cash to go home with. The West team would consist of Jimmy Wood, the Halbert bros., and myself. For the East it was Jared Mees, Jake Johnson, Johnny Lewis, and Joe Kopp. We definitely put on a show with some crazy slams and some tight finishes. It felt pretty cool being the youngest rider holding my own against some of the best riders flat track has to offer, I only finished outside the top 4 once out of the 6 races. Finally, it was time to get the real show on the road. The way the program worked is you would have one lap of qualifying to mark where you started in your heat race. I turned an all right lap - putting myself in 10^th behind Johnson to get a third over from pole start in my heat. In my heat, I had Joe Kopp and Mike Rush to beat but I only had to get 5^th to transfer to the two semis. I ran the whole race in second right off the back wheel of Kopp but I didn't make my move to the last corner. Joe was getting into some lap traffic and was backing off early into the corners and I took advantage of it on the last turn by blasting underneath him and taking the win. This gave me a good starting position for the semi and a spot in the Dash for Cash! Now there were two semi's and the top 5 out of each would transfer to the ten rider main event. By the end of the first lap, I had shuffled my way into third place behind Jimmy Wood and Stevie Bonsey and we were all going about the same pace. Behind me there was a heck of a battle going on between Mikey Rush, Joe Kopp, and Jethro Halbert. With about three laps to go, Jimmy made a big mistake - letting me and Bonsey go by. I almost had Stevie several time, but I could never make it stick. Finally the checkered flew and I got a close second - and a front row start in the main! Next up was the four lap dash with Jimmy Wood, Jared Mees, Johnny Lewis, and I. I got off the line second behind Mees and wasn't able to make a pass during the extremely short 30 second race. Last but not least, it was main event time. I started 4^th over - which wasn't exactly best starting spot on this tiny track. The first start went great when I got a great jump and came around second. Unfortunately, a bunch of riders wadded up and the race was red flagged. The second start didn't go so well when Johnny Lewis sandwiched me between Chad Cose and I got off about 5^th. I moved up to 4^th but I got slammed wide and got passed by most of the field. I then followed Joe Kopp up to 6^th until I got to Johnny Lewis. He wasn't making too many mistakes and even though I owed him some payback from hitting me previously, I raced him clean. By then the laps had ran out and I came home with a solid 6^th. All in all, it was a great weekend especially for being my first time on concrete. I also made a profit on the trip, so that made the trip worthwhile. There will be another indoor concrete coming up here in Washington State on the 17^th and I will be hoping to bring home a win there.

CHOWCHILA, CA.

RACE REPORT # 1/ Las Vegas, Nevada / January 8-9

The first big race of the year took us to Las Vegas, Nevada for Gene Romero’s WCFTS season opener at the South Point Casino event center. It was a pretty crowded trip down there and back. My brother, Scott, Mickey Fay Jr., Brady Mueller, Roger and Sarah Landberg, and I all crammed into Roger’s fun mover – with a load of 7 bikes and all of our supplies. The shower and the top bunk were full of gear bags and toolboxes and we even had a bike in the hallway. Luckily, it was only a 20 hour drive and with 6 drivers – the trip was a breeze! We arrived at the South Point Casino early Thursday morning – which gave us a full day to get prepared and have some fun. After we all had showers, we decided to head to the strip to walk around and check things out. We were all pumped to go on the New York, New York roller coaster that towers over the New York casino and reaches a speed of 72 mph. It wasn’t as intense as racing on the mile, but it was still pretty wild – going upside down and twisting around in circles. After a fun day, we headed back to our rooms to get some rest for the upcoming two day event. Friday morning, I woke up refreshed and ready to go! We got signed up and proceeded in to practice. By the end of practice, the track was already dry slick and rough and was looking like a rerun of last year. This always makes things more challenging and mixes things up a little bit more. At all of Gene’s races, qualifying is run the old school way – each rider goes out and gets one lap and is timed by a stop watch. This is difficult and you have to put in a perfect lap to qualify well. When it was my turn, I felt like I put in a solid time , but it was only good enough for 17^th position. Scott timed in 13^th. We were both satisfied, though, because it gave us a good front row start for our heat races. After qualifying, there is a 5 hour break before the heats– so we had plenty of time to rest up. You had to win your heat to transfer directly to the main – which is a difficult task on any track, but especially this one. Luckily, I nailed the start over Jethro Halbert and was able to hold him off to transfer directly to the main. Scott placed third in his heat – which gave him a good start for his semi. He went on to win his semi and earn his transfer to the main. When main time rolled around, I had an uneasy feeling about my bike because I had been struggling with it all night and the track was getting worse. I lined up third over from the pole – with Sammy Halbert on my right and Jake Johnson on my left. I got off clean and was second behind Johnson. Halbert hooked his bars and went down causing a complete restart. This time, I got off the line decent behind Halbert and Johnson, but I soon found out that I had nothing for them. I was fighting my bike every turnmaking my best effort to keep the rubber side down. Five laps into the race, a hard-charging Chad Cose slipped by me and headed to the front. Shortly after that, Scott did the same thing and left me in the dust. I stayed in 5^th the rest of the race. When the checkers flew, Chad was the winner, Halbert second, Johnson, Scott, and myself. Overall, it was a good night – considering I struggled and missed the set up. However, I was very happy to have Chad start off the year with a win! I would have some adjustments to make for the next night, but I still felt confident with how wellI was riding. The next morning I woke up ready to race. I decided to give my 2009 DTX bike a try in practice to see how it worked. To my surprise, it was hooking up just as good as the framer and it was much easier to ride - I decided to take my chances and race it for the rest of the night. Qualifying didn’t go well for a lot of good riders as they were putting in mid pack times. Unfortunately, I was one of them.I slipped wide on the last corner and destroyed my time. This put me in 46^th position for an outside second row start for my heat race. Let’s just say that I spent a lot of time thinking about that during the break, but by the time the heat races came around I was focused and ready to make up for my mistake. In the heat, I picked my way through the pack to get 6^th position – behind my brother in 5^th. I still had a semi and a B main left to make it to the feature. In the semi, I did what I had to do and roughed some riders up to get myself to third. I came up just short of the transfer position to make it to the main, so I would have to make it work in the B-main. This time I had things handled. I got out to an early lead and put myself in the feature.This gave me an outside 2^nd row start in the main. My brother, on the other hand, had some tough luck when he got pushed wide in his semi and slid out in the marbles - unfortunately ending his night. For the main, sixteen of the best flat trackers on the west coast - including 8 national numbers rolled out for a twenty lap final I didn’t get the greatest of starts off the line – I was close to last place at the end of the first lap. I had my work cut out for me, but I quickly moved through the pack – getting myself inside the top ten by about lap 7. I moved up to 7^th place with the six riders in front of me all holding their line well. With the laps winding down, I made some aggressive moves to get by Eric Rickman and Mikey Martin to get myself in 5^th position. I set my sights on Brandon Bergen and Sammy Halbert in 4^th and 3^rd place, but with only about 2 laps left I decided to settle for 5^th – not wanting to take myself or anyone else out of the race. All in all, considering how I started my night – I was content with another 5^th place finish! We all had a great time and I look forward to coming back to Vegas again next year. I’d like to give a special thanks to Roger and Sarah Landberg, Rod Lake, Mike Velasco, Brothers Powersports, Arai, Fusion Graphix, Maxima Racing Oils, Asv, Acerbis, Scott, and especially my family and the many others that make it possible for me to pursue my dreams

Race Reports – 2009

RACE REPORT # 11/ PUYALLUP, WA / 11-28-09

Hi everyone – hope you had a great Thanksgiving! I am now back to racing indoor for the off-season. It’s been keeping me pretty busy. I’m going to be doing some concrete and ice racing as well. This weekend, I raced at Mickey Fay’s indoor dirt track in Puyallup, Washington. This track is always interesting as it has fairly long straights – with hairpin turns. To add to that, we have about ten really fast expert riders going at it.  If you get off the line well and survive getting slammed the first couple of laps, your outcome is going to be good. I was lucky enough to pull a low number out of the bag – which gave me the pole for my heat. On the first start, I pulled the hole shot but the race was red-flagged because my brother, Scott, Mickey Fay Jr., and Jethro Halbert went down. The second start went down exactly the same- with the same riders going down, including one more. Finally, on the third restart, it was only National #46 Eric Beers and I on the front row. Unfortunately, he hooked up better than I did and pulled the hole shot. We rode close the whole race, but he prevailed . At half-time, there’s a six lap dash for cash for $100. Beers had the pole. I was second over and Halbert and my brother would make four. This time, I nailed the start and was able to pull away with some clean air.  I now had $100 in my pocket and it was time to duel it out in the main. This time Jethro had it out for me. In the first turn, Beers and Halbert sandwiched me – with Jethro almost taking out my handlebars with his shoulder. I actually recovered, but Jethro slammed into me again going into turn three. This time I wasn’t so lucky because it got me all crossed up and my bike stalled. I re-fired and turned in some fast laps, but it definitely was not the outcome I wanted. Beers would take the win, Jethro second and my bro, third.  I’ll get them next time!

Report #10 | Pomona, California  

October 24th was a great night of racing in southern California for the last round of the AMA flat track GNC series. The weather couldn’t have been any better – it set a great vibe for racing! It was a great feeling knowing that there was no pressure and all I had to do was race because I had already clinched the championship. Still, I was there to win and put in 110%. The night was going to be even more fun because I was also going to be riding the Gene Romero K&N Open Pro class. In qualifying, the track was really fun, but every practice session it was getting rougher and rougher. I ended up putting in some really solid times – qualifying 4th in the Pro singles and 2nd in the Open Pro behind Henry Wiles. Not bad for a single against a handful of twins! By the time my heat race for  the pro single class rolled around, the track had got even rougher than it was during  practice. A couple of times – coming into the corner – my hands got torn off the bars. I was clocked in at 96 MPH. In my pro heat, I started off a little shaky, but I quickly found the fine line down low and took the win. I then took third in the Open Pro class behind JR Schnabel and  Robby Pearson – transferring me to the Open Pro main event. After watching an intense 25 lap Expert main event, it was my turn to take the track. I ended up getting off the line behind Jeffrey Carver, J.D. Beach, and Steven Vanderkuur. I got by Steven on the first lap and  set  my sights on J.D. I eventually got by J.D. on about the fifth lap and was starting to reel in Jeffrey. Since the track was so rough, it was hard to get by him because we were both making the same amount of mistakes. On the last lap – coming into turn three – I was right on his tail and, all of a sudden, he tucked the front and almost went down.  Unfortunately, I was too close to hammer underneath him and had to avoid him by going way wide. I rode on to finish second – which I was still happy with. It was also cool because Jeffrey hadn’t won a race all year – so I was glad for him. J.D. would finish third. There wasn’t much of a break because the Open Class was directly after. This time I started on the second row on a totally different motorcycle. I worked my way through the pack pretty quickly and soon found myself in fifth – right behind Mikey Rush and Robby Pearson. I worked my way around Pearson, but Mike was just on a rail. I rode on to finish a solid fourth behind Henry Wiles, JR, and Mike Rush. It wasn’t a bad way to wrap up the season and I still had the championship under my belt. The weekend didn’t end at the race  track. Sunday was the AMA Pro Flat Track awards banquet. This was a really cool event because everybody was there and I was going to be getting some really cool awards. My bike, along with the other champion’s bikes, was on display at the banquet. I thought that was pretty awesome! I also thought it was really cool that my dad and my brother, Scott, won the ”Pro Motorcycle Mechanic of the Year” award. I was able to meet some new people and maybe some future twins ride sponsors. It was a great wekkend and I am definitely looking forward to the 2010 season!
     

Report #9 | Indy & Springfield

  Sorry that I’m a little late with these reports – my  schedule has been really busy! I’ll start off three weeks ago at the legendary Indy mile in Indianapolis, Indiana. Qualifying was about as close as it could get with the top ten riders just hundredths of a second apart from each other. Our night didn’t start off so well in the heat race.  Steven Crawford and I ran one, two all race with Chaz Springsteen right behind us. Coming into turn two on the last lap – while I was on the outside of Crawford – Springsteen decided to bonzi into the corner and take himself and me out at 100 mph. Luckily, I was fine and he walked away with only minor injuries.  Fortunately, I was able to go on and take the LCQ win and transfer to the main. When I rolled out to the line for the main, I had my game face on and was ready to work my way up and retain my precious points lead for the championship. Let’s just say that I rode my butt off the whole race and worked my way up to a close second behind J.D. Beach. I was definitely happy about how the night ended, considering how it started. 

Next, we were off to Springfield, Illinois for what was supposed to be a double header – consisting of a short track and the Springfield mile. As we had seen all too much this year, mother nature decided to turn against us. The short track on Saturday ended up raining out – leaving the mile the next day questionable.  The day started with an overcast sky and a lot of work to do on the track. By the time that the track was ready, it was getting late in the day. The AMA decided to run the whole expert  program first and try to fit the pro class after, if they had enough time. By the time that the experts were done racing – it was already getting dark, so we didn’t get to race.  We now turned our attention to Monday – which was to be the rain date for the short track. Happily, Monday morning showed nothing but blue skies. I didn’t know it at the time, but this day’s race would turn out to be the best of my career. I started out the day setting fast time not only in my class, but I also had the fastest time out of the experts. As you can imagine, this made me about excited as a kid could get! I then went out and won my heat race – getting the pole over Jeffrey Carver and my biggest threat James “the rocket” Rispoli.  The first start of the main went according to plan. I jumped out to the lead – only to be shut down by a red flag. The next start was going to make me work for the win. Surprisingly, James nailed the hole shot from fourth over. I pretty much rode the whole race right on his back wheel – trying him high and low. Finally, I went for it on the last lap. I railed him on the outside coming out of turn four, where I almost had him passed – until he stuffed me, pushing me wide.  I quickly reacted and squared him off and got by him – coming out of turn two. James tried to get a wheel under me to take back the lead. I was not going to give up the spot – he ran into my back wheel and high-sided off his bike – taking Jeffrey Carver with him – who was in third place. I had started the day with a 10 point lead on James and with the points that I gained with race – I had enough points that nobody could beat me at the last race in Pomona, Ca. – even if I didn’t make the main.  This led to me being declared the first ever Grand National Pro Singles champion. I cannot even tell you what it felt like to have that pressure off of my shoulders and to know that I had won the title! I can’t wait until next year. Hopefully, I will get a ride on a twin and show that I’m capable of mixing it up with the big boys.

Report #8 | Sturgis, Rapid City, Peoria

Sturgis Hot Shoe – 2nd
Rapid City  GNC race – 3rd
Grove City GNC race – 3rd

Hi there everyone. The last month of racing has been busy, busy, busy! I missed my Sturgis race report because I was doing my swap over from living at home to living with the Weidman family in Westerlo, NY. To sum up Sturgis and Rapid City – at Sturgis, I ended up second behind James Rispoli because of a red flag shortened race at the short track. The next night was Rapid City, SD for the 8th round of the GNC Flattrack series. Unfortunately, the race was cancelled after the heat races because of a severe rain storm. They scored us by the heat races – I ended up 3rd and we all got 1 point. From there, I headed to  NY to my new home. This was very exciting because this was the first time I had been to New York and I knew Matt, who is like a brother to me now, would keep me entertained.

After a week of riding, training, and getting the bikes ready – it was back on the road to Grove City, Ohio. The track was pretty awesome – it was a mile and 1/8th long with a cushion and tight corners.  I timed in 4th, which was fine because it gave me second pick on the front row for my heat. After baking in the 90 degree weather during opening ceremonies, it was finally time to get the first heat race rolling – which I was in. I nailed the start and was heading for the hole shot, but as soon as I grabbed second gear, my bike locked up tight. It was a big surprise because my motor was brand new. This also meant I would have to go to a semi to make it to the main event. It didn’t slow me down too much – I went out and won the semi by a straightaway. I would have a long way to go in the main though because I would be starting on the 3rd row. I was more determined than ever and made a hard charge from behind to take the last spot on the box behind Steven Vanderkur and James “the rocket” Rispoli.  It was a great day considering what I had to overcome. I still hold the points lead, but only by a close three points over James. Next week it’s on to Peoria – where I hope to take another win!

Report #7 | July 24 - 25, 2009 - Elkins Hot Shoe & Hagerstown

ELKINS, WV – JULY 24TH -  1ST PLACE

For this week of racing, dad and I would be flying for a change. The first race took us to Elkins, West Virginia for a Hot Shoe national on Friday night. We met the Weidman family there – they are transporting our bikes.  The track was pretty awesome. It was a banked half-mile with dark clay, so it really let you hang it out.  I ended up second fastest in the  scratch heat  behind Colt Chebultz . In the main, I didn’t get the best start and I found myself in fifth place coming out of the first turn. Before the second lap was over, I had already picked off Jeffrey Carver, Jeremy Higgens, and Mike Toon and had my sights set on Kayl Kolkman- who was the race leader. I spent most of the race less than three bike lengths off his back wheel, but just couldn’t seem to make up enough time to make the pass. I came out with second place and some good feelings about the grand national in Hagerstown, Maryland the next night. To my surprise, I actually ended up with the win after Kayl got DQ’d because he had the wrong tire compound. Not exactly the best way to win, but I’ll take it!

HAGERSTOWN, MD. – JULY 25TH – 1ST PLACE

This day turned out to be a long one. The weather forecast showed scattered  showers and that’s exactly what happened.  It seemed like every time the track was almost ready, there would be another downpour. After about four hours of delays, the program got started. Since there were more showers coming, the program was shortened, so hopefully, we could get the races in.  In qualifying, things were going great – I had fast time. My heat race was a wild one – with several restarts. My biggest rival – James, the rocket, Rispoli – found a new line and took the lead away from me. I quickly regrouped and took the lead back coming into turn one on the last lap. James had a bit more motor than me, so he always seemed to try to make his moves coming into the corner. Coming into turn three, he tried squeezing his way underneath me and ended up rubbing my swing arm – he was the verge of going over the high side. I never like to see someone crash hard just because I couldn’t ease up and help them out – especially on a big track. Therefore, I steered it up the hill to keep him from going over the bars. This lost me my drive out of the corner and the heat race win. It didn’t bother me much, because I wasn’t going to let that fly in the main. When  main time came around, I ended up nailing the start and getting out to an early lead. From then on, I kept my head down and put in the smoothest, fastest laps that I could.  James and Mike Labelle kept me in their sights and James even got close enough to try another stuff move, but I wasn’t having any of that. Finally, the checkered flag flew and national win number three was in the books. This meant that I would retain my points lead, but not by much, as James ended up close behind in second. Next weekend, we will be heading to South Dakota for another hot shoe and grand national double header. I want to thank my sponsors: Mike Velasco, Brothers Powersports, Celorie Bros.Trucking, JG Photowerx, Lightshoe, Fusion Graphix, Maxima Oil, Micah Racing Services, Nymo Plates, CHM Exhaust, Powersports NW, Acerbis, Scott USA, MT Racing, Schenk Racing Ent. and EBS Brakes. I would also like to thank the track crew – they worked really hard in order for us to get the races in. Last, but certainly not least, I would especially like to thank the Weidman family. They are going to be transporting my bikes and I will be traveling with them for the next month. I am really looking forward to this and I am proud that I am going to be a part of their race team!

Report #6 | June 20 - July 2, 2009 - Bulls Gap, Lima, & Duquoin

BULL’S GAP, TN. - JUNE 20TH - 1ST place

I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to get this race report written. I just got back home last week after a month on the road racing. Our trip started here in Washington - first stop, Owensboro, Kentucky - where I met up with my racing partner, J.D. Beach. We hung out there for a couple of days before heading to Bulls Gap for the next round of pro racing in the GNC series. The track there was pretty knarly - it had banking that was 32 degrees - which is the same as Daytona Speedway. From the get go, I knew it was my kind of track and that it was going to be a good day! In qualifying, things went according to plan - I had fast time in the pro singles class by almost a ½ of a second and my time was good enough to be fourth overall in the expert twins class. I was pretty pumped after hearing this and ready to go take back the championship points lead that I lost in the last round. I won my heat by a half a straightaway over my friend JD and my lap times had decreased since qualifying. I had done what I had to do so far and now all I had to do was go out and make it work for the main. Everything was on my side this night when I rolled out for the main. I pulled the holeshot right away and extended a 1.512 second lead over JD, until the race was cut short because of rain. It didn’t really matter that the race was cut short - I’m sure I would have won anyway and it was cool to see my buddy, JD, right up there beside me on the podium. At the end of the night, I had another win under my belt and the points lead was mine again! We took off from Bulls Gap with satisfaction - back to Owensboro to recuperate for the next round in Lima, Ohio the next weekend. My dad flew home to make some money that we definitely needed - he would meet me at Lima. Staying in Owensboro was pretty cool. I was actually staying with the Gillam family- who are cousins of the world famous Hayden family, who also live in Owensboro. We would go on bike rides to get into shape and JD and I worked on our bikes to get them ready for Lima. I definitely want to thank the Gillam’s for their hospitality!

Lima, Ohio - JUNE 27th - 8th place

After a week of baking in the 100 degree weather it was time to head to Lima. The track turned out to be a cushion half-mile. This means it was a half-mile long and has 4 inches of cushion pea gravel all the way around. This made me kind of nervous because I only ride one of these types of track once a year and it takes a pretty distinct kind of riding style to do well. All that I could do was try my best and hope for a good outcome. In qualifying, things went pretty well - I had third fastest time of the day. By doing this - it made me the only pro rider to not qualify out of the top three the whole season so far. The heat race went just as well. I ended up getting second behind Kurtis Lee - a good cushion rider. I still had six other riders that do just as well to deal with in the main. In the main, I didn’t get a good start at all. This put me about mid-pack - which is a bad place to be because the dust and roost makes it very hard to see. The fine lines were just not coming to me and I just couldn’t seem to make anything happen. At the end of the race, I sat in 8th place - with a little disappointment… I knew there were going to be tracks like this. I just have to make up for it at the rest of the tracks that I am good at. On the plus side, I still had the points lead by two points over James Rispoli. The next GNC race is in Hagerstown, Md. and the track looks to suit my style, so I am hoping to do well there!

DUQUOIN - AMATEUR NATIONALS - JUNE 28TH - JULY 2ND

OVERALL WINNER - PRO CLASS
MILE - 4TH
TT - 1ST
ST -1ST
½ MILE - 8TH
ST - 2ND

After Lima, we had no time to spare since there was a mile race at the AMA Amateur Nationals in DuQuoin, Illinois the next morning. We were lucky that the AMA had made an exhibition pro singles class, so we had another place to race and make a little money. It took us a night of driving to get there, but we made it and I was ready to do some close mile racing. The mile is definitely one of the finest tracks, because there is lots of lead changes and you do all this going between 90 and 120 mph - inches from other riders. My heat race would turn out to be one of the scarier mile experiences I’ve ever had. The whole race, Steven Vanderkuur and I swapped the lead - with Jeffrey Carver hot on our tails. Coming down the back stretch for the last time, Steven had already drafted past me, but Jeffrey was right on my back wheel. All of a sudden, my bike blew the crank out of the bottom of the motor and locked up, without time for me to take my hand off the fork and grab my clutch. Jeffrey rammed into my back wheel. We both looked like we were on our way to high-siding in the middle of the straightaway - going 120 mph, but somehow, we both managed to save it. This was definitely an expensive and scary experience, but we still had to make the main event. Luckily, we had a spare motor in my frame bike sitting in the trailer. We jumped on it right away and got the motors swapped out before my semi. In my semi, it turned out to be another battle between Jeffrey and I. I ended up edging him out at the line, but we would both transfer to the main. Having to go to the semi meant that I would have to start on the back row. This didn’t hurt much because I had already moved myself into fourth before the first lap was over. Before the race was over, I had taken the lead several times and was having a heck of a battle with Steven Vanderkuur , Chaz Springsteen, Colt Chibolts, and Mike Toon. I ended up in fourth, but that’s the thing about the mile - you just have to be in the right place at the right time. It was a good finish, considering what we had gone through. The next four tracks were another cushion half-mile, a TT track, and two short tracks. To make these long stories short, I ended up having another bad day on the half-mile with another 8th place finish. I did way better on the other tracks. I won the first short track and the TT. I was second behind Jeffrey Carver on the last short track. I ended up the week of racing as the overall points winner. To sum up the week - I had a great time, made some extra cash, and ended up at the top. I also still have the all important points lead in the GNC pro singles class. As you can imagine, I was a little bit homesick by this time and was ready to head home and recuperate until the next race. It’ll also be fun to go home and race some local tracks. I’ll keep you posted. I want to thank my sponsors: JG Photowerx, Celorie Brothers Trucking, Mike Velasco, Brothers Powersports, Lightshoe, Fusion Graphix, Maxima Oil, Micah Racing Services, Nymo Plates, CHM Exhaust, Mike Doyle at Powersports NW, Acerbis, Scott USA, MT Racing, Schenk Racing Enterprises, and EBS Brakes. I would also like to take this time to thank everybody who sent money to help get me to the races. Your support means everything to me!

Report #5 | May 23-24, 2009 - Springfield, IL

Brad
May 23rd - TT - 15th
May 24th - MILE - 5th

Overall Points Standing - Pro Class - 2nd

Brad’s Report:

Hi everyone! This last week was another journey across the U.S. My good friend, J.D. Beach and I started off from my place in Washington with our GPS set on Springfield, Illinois for another two rounds of the Grand National Flat Track series. Before we got there, we stopped in Alexander, Illinois at Shepp Speedway for some extra racing. We ended up traveling all that way just to battle each other for second place while Jeffrey Carver was a little ways ahead. Together we came out with $900 - which was some good gas money! We spent the next day at the Springfield fairgrounds getting ready for the TT track the next night.

Coming into the next day, I was ready to go and had good feelings about the night’s outcome. In qualifying, I had fast time until Corby Scherb took it away on his last lap of practice.  I ended up second in my heat race behind Jeffrey Carver. I knew if I could just get off the line decent, I could win the main because I was a lot faster in a couple of parts of the track. The first start went pretty well – I got off the line fourth and moved myself up into third. Then there was a pile-up in turn one - which brought out the red flag. This is when the bad luck started and everything went downhill! Coming into turn one on the restart, a rider ran into me which made me high-side over the rider on the outside of me. After another restart, I had to start behind all 17 riders - on the fourth row. Things were going great for a while - I was on a charge and was in fifth place with five laps to go and was just about to put a move on to fourth and third. Then bad luck struck again. When coming on to the straightaway, a rider got sideways and I clipped his back wheel and went over the bars. This banged me up pretty good, but I was pumped up and ready to make the restart. This time, I made an awesome outside move and was towards the front of the pack coming into turn one. Bad luck struck one more time when Jeffrey Carver slid wide and slid out and I had nowhere to go. This time, it put a hole in my radiator and I was out of commission. It was a real heartbreaker because I knew that I was the fastest rider out there and that James Rispoli would tighten up the gap on the points lead that I held. Fortunately, I came out still holding my points lead by four points. I swallowed my pride and set my sights on the world famous Springfield Mile the next day.

After practice was over, I had timed in third behind J.D. and James. In my heat race, I spent most of the race on James’ back wheel. Then Mike Toon came out of nowhere and started giving us a challenge. Coming out of turn four to the checkered - James slid wide and gave me the lead. I thought I had it made until Toon drafted me at the line and took the win. It wasn’t too big of a deal, because in the main, there where about eight of us riders who stood an equal chance to take the win. When main time rolled around, I was way excited because the mile main is the most fun race ever! I got the hole shot off the start. This didn’t mean much because several riders drafted past me on the back straightaway. There were so many position changes for the whole race - I can’t even explain it to you. Coming out of the last turn, I was running in fourth behind Mike Toon, James, and J.D.  Just like James, J.D. slid wide and gave me third.  Again, I thought I had it made until both Shayna Texter and J.D. drafted past me and got me by less than a wheel! Unfortunately, that cost me the points lead by one point. That’s racing though - you can’t win them all and there’s always at least one bad weekend.  Bulls Gap, on June 20th, is the next GNC race and I am determined to redeem myself and take back that points lead from my friend and rival, Mr. Rispoli. Thanks for all your help and stay tuned!

Report #4 | April 11-12, 2009 - Lodi Cycle Bowl

Brad
April 11 - TT
- Open A Class - 2nd
- Lodi $ - 1st

April 12 - ST
- Open A - 2nd
- Lodi $ - 2nd

Brad’s Report:

Hey there everyone – hope things have been going well for you. Things have been going good for me despite the fact that there hasn’t been much in the way of racing for the last couple of months here in Washington. Fortunately, spring has finally come around and we were able to get our track at home in shape. On the days that I could, I hit the training hard and haven’t stopped yet.  Luckily, the season opener at Lodi Cycle Bowl rolled around – so it was time to do some racing. I always enjoy going to Lodi because I get to see some people I love – “the Cose Family”  and there’s always good competition. The first race would be held on Saturday night on the TT track. My first heat race was the Open A Class – which consisted of 25 riders and 4 heats. You had to win your heat in order to make it to the main and the Dash for Cash – the rest went to a semi. My heat ended up being stacked with National #69 Jethro Halbert, National #49 Chad Close and several other fast local riders. I ended up getting third behind Jethro and Chad. My next heat was the Lodi $ which only consisted of 8 riders. My main competition would be Chad – who got the jump on me off the start. We battled the whole race, but I couldn’t seem to get around him. Getting second and third in our heats meant that Chad and I would have to go to a semi and, to our surprise, we were in the same one again. Luckily, the top two went to the main. The two fastest winners out of the four semi’s would go to the front row and the rest would go to the back row. This time, I was quick on the start and pulled a holeshot with Chad close behind. He stayed close on me the whole race, but I wasn’t going to let him by. I ended up with fast semi – which put me on the front row with the heat race winners and a good chance to get out in front. Unfortunately, I again didn’t get the greatest start and was in fifth place coming into turn one. I would have to move up quick or Jethro would get away. Before the first lap was over, I worked my way into fourth and was gaining on Nick Moore who was in third. It took me a little while, but I finally got around him on about lap six. This put me on the back wheel of Tony Souza Jr with Jethro not too far ahead. The next lap I got by him coming down the tricky downhill corner. Jethro was about six bike lengths ahead of me with only five laps left. I was slowly reeling him in, but he wasn’t making very many mistakes. By the end of the race, I was a couple of bike lengths behind with no time left to make up any ground. Oh well, getting second behind the 7th fastest Expert dirt tracker in the world wasn’t going to discourage me. The next race was the Lodi $ where I got off the line second behind Chad Cose. I would race right on his back wheel the whole race until the white flag lap where I made an out-braking move on him coming into the tight left-hander to take the win. A first and a second for a night in California wasn’t bad…

The next day was a day race on the ¼ mile short track. I would be riding my custom frame bike in the same classes as I did the previous night. To make a long story short, I ended up with two seconds in my main events. It was nice to do some good racing and competition at a local race.  I was happy to leave there with a first and three seconds! Thanks, everyone.

Report #3 | March 2009 - Daytona Bike Week

Brad
Round 1 - Daytona ST - 1st
Round 2 - Daytona ST - 2nd

Brad’s Report:

On the 21st of February, my brother, Scott, and I set off from our house in Washington – headed for Savannah, Georgia. It was a fun trip - just me and my bro and Pam Close ( who we picked up in California) – traveling across the US in our motorhome and 20 ft. trailer. We arrived there five days later  for a practice day.  This was the first time that I would ride on  any of the tracks that I would be riding on in the next couple of weeks.

Savannah ended up being a really fun track,  with long straightaways and corners. It’s hard to find a 100 mph half mile. By the end of the night, we had everything dialed in and were ready for the Hot Shoe national 2 days later. On the day of the race, the word going around was that it was supposed to rain. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened. Unlike other types of racing, when it rains in dirt track,  the race is cancelled because the track is too slippery to race on. This gave us a head start on our trek south to Barberville, Florida. Barberville is about 40 miles north of Daytona.  Barberville has a bad reputation  of being a crappy track with  big holes and ruts. Fortunately, this year was the best that the  track had  been in years. Practice couldn’t have gone any better! We hit the bike set-up right on and my lap times were as good as anybody’s! I was the fourth heat out of six and I had to get second to make it straight to the main. I was second off the line at the start, but that changed before the first lap was over. I took the heat win and made second fast time for the main. In the main, I lined up next to my biggest rival, Austin Greenland. Off the line, I didn’t get the best start – coming out of turn one, I was in fourth while Austin had the lead. By the fourth lap, I had worked  my way into second and was making ground on Austin. I was just about to make my move – Austin was starting to make mistakes and I was getting more into my groove. The next lap around, we were surprised with a red flag – with about five laps to go. On the restart, we were lined up single file since the race was more than half over. The restart threw me out of whack a little and I started making some mistakes that I wasn’t making before. In the first corner, John Long got by me and I rode in third for the rest of the race.  A third wasn’t bad for the first race, but I knew that I had to step my game up for Daytona.

The next few days, we spent our time getting the bikes ready for the grand nationals on the 4th and 5th.  When the day  of the race came, I was ready to take on the challenge of Daytona. This race is known to be a crap-shoot because anything can  happen and bad luck is known to strike. The first thing that goes on at a national is qualifying. The way we do this is that everybody gets a transponder that records their time. You get three practice sessions  to put in your best time and that sets your position for where you will line up for your heat race.  The first day qualifying went real  good -  I set second fastest time behind my Washington buddy, J.D. Beach. Not too far behind, sat my other biggest competitors, James Rispoli and Austin Greenland.  After qualifying, there is a three hour break to get the bikes ready and for fans to pile in before the heat races. Being second fastest qualifier, I was in the second heat race with Austin. The first heat race didn’t go so well for J.D. and James. After getting a bad start, J.D. got crossed up and high-sided shortly into the race. During this, he took James with him – who was following close behind.  This would mean they would have to go to a semi before getting into the main. My heat race went a little better. I got off the line fifth and quickly moved myself into fourth. The field sort of surprised me because they were going a lot better than they did in practice. I finished the race in fourth which would transfer me to the main and put me second over in the second row for the main. After watching the semis and a short break, it was time for the mains. Rolling out to the track at a grand national is a lot different than any other race. The stands are packed and everything just feels professional. Two people that wouldn’t be joining me would be J.D. and James since they didn’t make it out of their semi. I ended up getting a great start from the second row – I was running in fourth coming out of turn one. On the third lap, the third place rider laid his bike down  and I moved into third spot.  Not far in front of me were Austin Greenland and James Long. Coming down to the last laps, I was making some crazy outside moves and almost had both of them several times. By  the second to the last lap, I had gotten by Austin and was on my way to getting by John. Finally, on the last lap coming into turn one, I railed around him on the outside and took the lead. All I had now was a corner left. Unfortunately, in that corner John got into my back wheel and high-sided. The good news was that I was the first person ever to win the new pro singles class. It was such an awesome feeling and I was pumped to do it again the next night!

The next day I started off where I left off the night before – I set fast time in qualifying and was the only rider in my class to have a lap time under 20 seconds. The heat race went just as well – I took the win over Kayl Kolkman and earned fast heat. James Rispoli  was having a lot better night and took the second heat race win. J.D. also made it to the main. The one bad thing about being on the pole was that nobody had been getting good starts from down there. It  seemed like the second or third place rider would pull off the hole shot. Not to my surprise, that is exactly what happened. Coming out of turn one, the running order was James, Austin, and me. On the third lap, I almost had both of them on the outside, but I hooked  a hole which made me lose time on both of them. With about four laps to go, I finally caught back up and got by Austin. On the last three laps, I caught James and was trying my hardest to get around him. Unfortunately, there were no more laps left and I had to settle for second. This was an  awesome weekend and I definitely had a good maiden voyage into the pro ranks. I  now have a seven point lead over Austin for the pro championship. I’m really looking forward  to round 3. Thanks for all of your support and help!

Report #2 | January 17, 2009 - Puyallup Indoor

Brad
Dash for Cash - 2nd
Open $ - 8th

This weekend, I was back at our regular indoor track. It’s always fun coming here because it’s consistent and you get lots of track time. The bad thing about it is that the race pretty much relies on the first corner - if you don’t get the holeshot, or close to it, you’re pretty much going to have a hard time getting to the front. In my heat, I got off the line second behind Eric Beers. I was able to slip underneath him and go on to get fast heat. I knew it was going to be hard making it through the first turn in the main in  one piece because everybody on the outside of me is dive-bombing to the inside and I’m right there in their path. Coming into the first turn, what I was dreading was exactly what happened. I got my bars hooked with Eric Beers, which messed me up for the exit of the turn. Sure enough, Eric Rickman slipped underneath me and I went backwards from there.  Everytime I tried to get back down, somebody else was there, until I finally fell in at 5th place.  Coming into turn one,  I was right on the back wheel of slamming Sammy Halbert. I tried making an inside move on him, but right when I did, the rider in front of him got real sideways – which made him check up and I lost the front end.  Let’s just say  that I haven’t had the best of luck at this track this season. I’ve yet to put  a night together, even though I’ve had fast heat  and the pole each time. I still have several races left before the season is over to redeem myself though. I’m looking forward to the first outdoor race in Daytona Beach, Florida – where I will be riding the pro class.

Report #1 | January 9 & 10, 2009 - Gene Romero WCFTS, Las Vegas

Scott
Open Class – 3rd place

Brad
Top Gun 450 – 1st place

Brad’s Report:

    This was my first race of the 2009 season. We went to Las Vegas, Nevada for Gene Romero’s West Coast Flat Track series at the South Point Casino arena. This was a great facility to hold a race because of it’s indoor pits and awesome seating. The track on the other hand wasn’t the best in the world. It started out very dry, so a one-lined groove immediately took form. It didn’t make for the cleanest racing, but passing could be done if you knew how to make room. Unfortunately, I would not be able to ride the pro class because of my age. I had to ride the 450 Top Gun class for riders that were at least 15 years of age.  On the first night, there were 42 riders in the class and I was the 42nd rider on the list. Due to this, I was in the last heat, on the back row, up against the wall. By the end of the race, I was somehow able to make my way up to third.  This, unfortunately, was only good enough to put me in the same starting position for the main.  When I rolled out on to the track for the main – I looked at all the riders in front of me, then I looked at the one okay line to ride on – and I knew there was going to be havoc! I didn’t make it too far into the race before I got tangled up with a slower rider and got sent over the bars. I was a little upset with the outcome of the race, but I was excited for the next night’s race – making the main straight out of the heat the first night would give me a front row start for the second night. I was also happy to watch Scott take third in the pro race. 

The next night when I rolled up to the line for my heat race, things went a little different. I quickly got the hole shot over the previous night’s winner, Mickey Fay Jr. After this I knew I could hold him off and I went on to get the fast heat and pole position for the main. This time when I rolled out for the main, I had nothing to look at but the race track.   I knew things were going to go a lot better. I I came off the line with the hole shot and that was pretty much the end of the race. I just put in some smooth, consistent laps and rode my own race to the finish. Mickey Fay Jr. would finish not too far behind. All in all, it was a very fun weekend and I finished it off in style. Next weekend, we’ll be in Puyallup.

Race Reports - 2008

Report #19 | December 27th, 2008 - Mickey Fay's Indoor

Brad
Open $  - 3rd 

This weekend, I was back at Puyallup, for Mickey Fay’s Indoor Flat track series. This track is always known for close and fast racing. You can always count on somebody to race with. This weekend’s competition would consist of national number #43 Sam Halbert,  national number #69 Jethro Halbert, #33w Eric Rickman and my brother Scott and Brady Mueller. Another fun thing about this track is that you always get lots of practice. It’s always nice to have a lot of riding time. The pro motorcycle class had two heats of  four. I was in the second heat with Sam Halbert, Kyle Ragsdale and Scott. After Eric Rickman won the first heat race, it was my turn to take the track. I was second from the pole, next to Sam Halbert.  Coming into the first turn, I was second – right behind Sam.  It wasn’t long before  Sam made a mistake – in turn three, he came in too hot on cold tires and low-sided. From then on, it was clear sailing because Scott and Kyle also got messed up in turn three.  My heat race was the fastest and this would put me  on the pole for the main. 

When it came to main time, I was ready to take the main event win! Eric Rickman will always give you a hard time into the first turn. He’s never afraid to drop down on you and just close the door. That’s exactly what he did – this put me behind him and Sam Halbert, who dropped in from the far outside to take second. On the second lap, I came out of turn two with a little more drive than him and almost high-sided over his back wheel. This put me almost five bike lengths behind Sam, who was knocking on Eric’s back door. I spent the rest of the race trying to catch back up to Sam and Eric. By the white flag lap, I was about two bikes lengths behind Sam. Coming into turn one,  Sam put an inside move on Eric – which put him in the lead. Unfortunately, Eric was able to get right back in behind Sam to take second. We rode wheel to wheel to the finish, but I had to settle for third.  This was my last race of 2008. I can’t wait fro the 2009 season, when I will finally turn 16!

Report #18 | December 6th, 2008 - Spokane Indoor

Brad
Open $ - 1st
450 $  -  2nd 

Scott
Open $ -  2nd
450 $  -  3rd 

Brad’s Report 

Hi there, everyone. Happy Holidays! This weekend’s race would take me to the Spokane Fairgrounds for a cushion short track. I was quite excited because I hadn’t raced in over a month. The competition on the other side of the mountain was going to be Joe Kopp and my big brother, Scott. In my first heat race, that is exactly who I was battling with. I got off the line right on the outside of Joe, with my bro right behind me. I spent about two laps neck and neck with Joe until I slipped up and he got a solid lead on me.  I would end up second behind Joe, with Scott in third.  In my next heat race, I didn’t have Joe, but I did have my bro.

I jumped out to the lead with Scott right behind. I had been going a little faster than him all night, so he didn’t give me any trouble.  We crossed the finish line one, two.   My first main was the 450 $ main and it ended exactly like the heat race, with Joe finishing in front of me and Scott behind me. My second main was the Open $ main and was my best race of the night. Joe wasn’t able to give me any trouble because he had fallen down in his heat race and had to start in the back row. I got the hole shot and quickly checked out. When the checkered flag flew, it was me in front, Scott in second, and Joe in third.  All in all, it was a good night and  I had some cash in my pocket.

Report #17 | September 27th & 28th, 2008 - Ventura and Willow Srpings, CA

Brad’s report 

Ventura - 4th Place

For this weekend’s races, we traveled to Southern California. The first night we would race in Ventura, California and the second we would go to Willow Springs – about 80 miles away. It was kind of different racing at Ventura because we were only about a quarter of a mile from the ocean. The track was a little hard to ride because it was made of composed granite. It was also hard to see because of spray from other riders. In my heat race, I got off the line second behind Alex Wood. I followed him for about half the race until I finally got a drive on him and took the lead away. This win would give me the third fastest heat behind national #37 Jimmy Wood and national  #69 Jethro Halbert.  The program moved right along and before I knew it, it was main time. This time I got off the line third behind Jethro and Jimmy. I ran in third for about  ¾ of  the race until Mikey Avila slipped underneath me. We had a good battle for the rest of the race, but he edged me out at the line. I was happy  with a fourth considering how many good riders there were.

Willow Springs - 7th Place

The next morning, I woke refreshed and ready to take on another new track. Today would be even harder then the night before because there were more GNC riders. In practice, I was right in there with the big boys and I felt I had a chance at doing well. In my heat race, I lined up between Sam Halbert  and Shawn Russell.  I got off the line third behind the two. By the end of the race, I was only about four bike lengths behind Russell – which was pretty good. My heat was the fastest heat, so I got  a good starting position on the second row. In the main, I got a horrible start. I was almost last coming around to the start/finish line, but, luckily for me, I had twenty laps to work with. I quickly started picking guys off and worked my way up into the top ten. By the end of the race, I was in 7th place with six GNC riders in front of me. This was probably the funnest race I’ve had in awhile because I had to work my way through so many good riders. Stay tuned and thanks for all the support.

Report #16 | September 5th & 6th, 2008 - Deming and Skagit

Brad’s report 

Deming - 1st Place

This weekend’s race would be at a new track for me in Deming, Wa.  It would be a little difficult to figure out because it was built for cars – so it had some pretty odd-shaped turns. It turned out that it suited my style perfect and I was, by far, the fastest rider of the night. I tried out both the DTX and frame bike in practice, but the DTX bike turned out to be the tool for the job. Since this was an outlaw race, the promoter let me ride the pro class – so I was eligible to make some cash. In my heat race, I didn’t get off the to the best start, but I quickly moved myself into the lead and took the third heat race win. Winning the heat race put me into the Dash for Cash  - so I would get a little more track time before the main. Again, I didn’t get a good start and I had to work my way around Scooter Vernon. On the second lap, I got around him and raced to the finish. This would put a little extra cash in my pocket. Finally came the main and I was pumped and ready to go. This time I got off the line third – behind Scooter Vernon and Danny Stanley. I got by Danny on the first lap and began my battle with Scooter. A few laps went by before he made a mistake and I slipped by him. By the end of the race, I gapped a straightaway lead and another $500 in my pocket. This was a great start for my two race  weekend. Saturday I would be racing at Skagit Speedway. 

Skagit - 1st Place

Saturday, I was definitely ready to race and to add another win to the weekend. Skagit is always a fun track because of its high banked turns  and long straightaways. The track wasn’t the greatest  in practice, but the Skagit crew did some maintenance and the track was smoothed out and watered for the heats. The frame bike seemed to do the trick for the track condition and I was hoping it would give me an edge on the riders who were riding DTX bikes.  I got the hole shot in my heat race and gained a good lead on Jeff Annen before the race was over.  This would put me in the Dash for Cash again with five other riders – Scooter Vernon, my brother Scott, Eric Rickman, Dan Stanley, and Eric Beers. I got off the line second behind Scooter and we quickly gained a good  lead on the rest of the pack.  I stayed right on him the whole race, but we seemed pretty evenly matched – so I had to settle for second in the Dash for Cash. This didn’t discourage me much because I knew I would have something for him in the main. I got off to a good start by getting the hole shot.  Unfortunately, Scooter got by me on the inside on the second lap and to my surprise he started to pull away. By about the ninth lap, he had a straightaway lead over me. Something inside me didn’t want to give up and to my even bigger surprise, I started to reel him  back in.  On the white flag lap, I dove underneath him and took the lead. From then on, I just kept my head down and took the $500 win. This was a great weekend and gave me a great boost in confidence.  Thanks for all your help – stay tuned!

Report #15 | August 23, 2008 - Duquoin, IL

This weekend found us back in DuQuoin again for the magic mile. This race was a big one because there was $10,000 on the line for the main event. It would be a different race for me because I was riding someone else’s bike. The track wasn’t the greatest because it rained the day before the race. The bike was working pretty good in practice and nobody was really showing an edge on me. there  ended up being only 23 riders altogether, so there were only three heat races. In my heat race, I got the hole shot but my lead didn’t last long because the bike started cutting out. Luckily for me, I just had to get fourth to transfer, so I still made the main.  Back in the pits, we determined that the problem with the bike was that we had bad gas  and it was clogging up my carburetor. We got it all fixed up and running better for the main. I had to start in the third row in the main, so I would have some battling to do.  Surprisingly, I got a good start and I was in fourth place on the second lap. The top two riders checked out from the rest  of the pack and it was basically a battle for third. I must have been in every position, all the way back to eighth, at least twice before the race was over. On the last lap, I was running in sixth with Shayna Texter right in front of me. Coming to the finish line,  We were neck and neck, but it just wasn’t enough and I had to settle for sixth. It wasn’t exactly what I wanted, but I was content  - considering my starting position! Thanks for all your help and stay tuned for the next report!

Report #14 | July 19, 2008 - Rainier

Open Am – 1st
250/ 450 mc – 1st 
Brad’s report 

This weekend we were at  Rainier, Wa. - one of our local tracks. It’s always nice coming  here because I’ve raced here since I first started racing. The bad thing is that I have to ride the amateur classes – where I don’t have any competition. I was still  going to get some practice in  and make the best of it. To sum it up – I won both heats and mains. Even though it wasn’t very interesting, I still  had fun!

Report #13 | July 12, 2008 - Bellingham

Open $ - 1st
Pro TT – 2nd
Brad’s Report

Hi everyone. My first race back after the nationals was at Hannegan Speedway in Bellingham. This is always a fun race because they let me ride the pro class. I get to ride with my brother, Scott, and all the other fast guys. It was a good-sized pro class with three heats of five. In my first heat I would get off the line behind Mickey Fay Sr. For being an older guy, he still has a competitive edge. I ended up second which would give me a front row start for the main. The other two heats would be won by Scott and Scooter Vernon. My next heat race was the pro TT. I got off the line first and finished the race in first with a good solid lead.

In my Open $ main, I would again get off the line second – this time behind Scooter Vernon. We didn’t even get through turn one before he slipped up and let me by. I would spend the rest of the twelve lap race getting pressured from behind by Scooter and my brother, Scott. Finally, the white flag flew – Scott tried everything he could to get around me, but I held him off and took the checkered flag. In my Pro TT main, I got off the line third. The rider in front of me slid out in turn one and I barely avoided hitting him. That cost me some precious time over Danny Stanley – who was running in first. I ran the whole race about five bike lengths behind - which is where I finished. It was another good night with $290 in the bank. Next weekend, I will be at Rainier. I will let you know how everything turns out. Thank you for all your help!

REPORT #12| June 29 – July 6, 2008 - DuQuoin, Ill.

AMA AMATEUR DIRT TRACK GRAND NATIONALS

OVERALL FINISH

450 DTX – 1st

505 MOD – 1st 2008 AMA Dirt Track Horizon Award

450 MOD – 2nd

Brad’s Report

The grand nationals are now over. The past few weeks went really well. I ended up winning the 505 Mod, the 450 DTX and was runner-up in the 450 Mod. These were all great things, but my greatest accomplishment was winning the 2008 AMA Horizon award. That award has been my goal for many years and it was a real honor to finally get it! I had to compete in four days of racing to earn all the points I could.

The first day of racing was the mile track. The mile is always a fun track because it’s so fast and consistent. I think, out of all the tracks, less people get hurt on the mile than on any of the smaller tracks. I started out the week good – winning two of my heat races and getting second in the other. I ended up getting second fastest time in all my classes, behind my biggest competitor, Steven Vanderkuur. The first main was the 450 Mod, where I jumped out to an early lead until the back stretch – where Steven would draft past me. I spent most of the race right on his back wheel until the white flag lap, where I slipped underneath him between turn one and two. To my surprise, a new guy came up and passed me on the back stretch. It was Tony Davila, who had the lead coming into turn three. I stuck on him all the way around the corner. Coming to the checkered flag, I got drafted by Steven Vanderkuur and I would have to settle for third. The next two races would go quite similar. I got off the line first, but Steven quickly got by me on the back stretch. I just didn’t have enough horsepower to make the draft stick. I ended up both races right on his back tire. It was a good day with three top three finishes. It was exactly what I needed to do because I knew I would have something for them on the other tracks.

The next day of racing would be the TT track. I came into the day with lots of confidence because it’s my specialty. In practice, I was putting in some good laps and the bikes were set for the race. The heats went perfect, I got the hole shot and checked out in all three. When the mains were posted, I had fast time in all my classes. The first main didn’t go exactly as planned. In the first corner, I got pinched off and ended up falling down. There as a restart, so I had another chance of doing well. I would have to do it from the back row though. I got off the line and started working my way through the pack, eventually working my way up to third. On the last lap, my bike died coming into turn one. This was a bummer because I lost a podium finish and took a big loss in points. I ended the race in ninth place. The next two races went the way I wanted them to. I got the hole shot and checked out. It was a good day, with two wins and one misfortune. After the second day of racing, I was tied for first in the 450 DTX class and the 505 Mod and was three points out of the lead in the 450 Mod. The next day of racing ended up getting cancelled because of rain. The AMA decided to put the half mile and short track on the same day. This was actually a good thing because I was ready to get this over with.

The last day of racing started off with the half mile. In practice, the track was awesome! I knew it wouldn’t stay that way because it was already starting to groove up. In my first heat race, I got the hole shot and pulled away to get second fastest time. My next heat race was the 450 DTX. This race didn’t go so well. I ended up having to push my bike across the starting line because of mechanical problems. This would send me to a semi. The next race went a little better. I got the hole shot over Steven Vanderkuur and Cody Johncox. By this time the track had changed a lot since practice and the cushion wasn’t working as good as the grooved up line. On the third lap, Cody slipped by me on the groove. I figured that that was the line to take, so I followed him for the rest of the race – with Steven a ways behind me. My DTX bike was now running good and it was ready to go for the semi. When I rolled up to the line, I knew I had it in the bag. I got the hole shot and won the race, which put me in the main with a back row start. In my first main, I got off the line first in front of Steven. He spent most of the race on my back wheel, trying me high and low. I led it all the way up to the lap before the white flag, until he went around me coming out of turn four. This still left me in second place overall going into the short track. The next race was the 450 DTX main and I would have to work my butt off. I actually ended up getting a pretty good start from the back row. I was in fifth place going across the starting line on the second lap. I quickly got around fourth and third. I would have to put my head down to catch up to second, who was already a straightaway ahead. On the third to last lap, I finally caught up to second place and passed him coming into turn three. By that time, Steven Vanderkuur was too far out front for me to do anything about it. I was happy to do so well from the back row and now all I had to do was finish in front of Steven on the short track and I would win the championship. The last race of the half mile was the 505 Mod. I got off the line second behind Steven, but I slipped by him right away in turn one. By the end of the race, I pulled a straightaway lead and points lead going into the short track.

Only an hour after the half mile, they were going to start the short track – so we didn’t have much time to get ourselves ready. It wasn’t the best short track in the world, but everybody had to ride the same track and I was fit for the job! My heat races went pretty similar. I got the hole shot and got fast time in all my classes except one, which ended up being the 450 Mod class. It all came down to this race. I basically had to win it to get the championship – or I had to stay in front of Steven and Tommy Carriger. I got off the line second behind Steven. This wouldn’t last long because I made a bobble and Tommy slipped underneath me. Luckily for me, the red flag was pulled out for a crash in turn one. On the restart, Steven gave the lead up to Tommy and then second to me. I got right up on Tommy’s back wheel , but I ran out of laps. I ended up second and second overall in points behind Tommy Carriger. The next two races went as planned. I got the hole shot in both and led the whole race – with Steven in mid pack. After the day was over, I ended up with two firsts and one second overall. These consistent finishes and being the only rider to make all the mains earned me the biggest achievement in amateur dirt track racing – the 2008 AMA Dirt Track Horizon Award. Thanks for all your help and support!

Report #11 | June 8, 2008 - ORV Park

Brad’s Report
Open $ - 2nd

Hey Everyone. This weekend’s race was at a fun place called Straddleline ORV park. The cool thing about this place is that you can pretty much do any kind of dirt motorcycle racing. It is also a fun place just to hang out and have fun. For me, though, the best thing is their clay short track. It’s very forgiving and fast. This would be another short day for me since I was only riding the one pro class. It was pretty obvious that me and my bro were the ones to beat by our laps in practice. In my first heat, I jumped out to an early lead with Scott right behind. On about the fourth lap, he slipped by me after I got into a big bobble. The good thing is that I only lost one position and was able to stick right behind him to the finish. When the main came around, I felt really good because I was pretty confident that either my bro or I was going to win. Off the line, Scott got off to an early lead, with me right behind. I tried him high and low , but there just wasn’t enough room to pass. At the finish line, it was Scott in first, me in second, and Eric Beers in a close third. I’m looking forward to next weekend. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Report #10 | May 31, 2008 - Castle Rock

Brad’s Report

Open $ - 2nd

This weekend, we traveled to our home track – Castle Rock Race Park. It would be a pretty short night for me since I was only riding one pro class. In practice, I was battling with all the pros and it was looking like it was going to be a competitive night. In my heat race, I lined up right next to my big bro. I ended up getting second off the line right behind him. This wouldn’t last long because he pulled off thinking he had bike problems. I crossed the finish with a good lead over Eric Beers and Kyle Ragsdale. Forty heat races and a long intermission later, I was ready for the main. Out of two rows of riders, I ended up with fast time, so I got a good starting position. When we entered the first turn, I was in second again right behind Scooter Vernon. I stayed right on his tail the whole race, but it was pretty obvious he wasn’t going to let me by. When the checkered flag flew, I ended up with a close second and a big lead over the rest of the pack. Thanks for all your help and I will keep you updated.

Scott’s Report
Expert - 2nd
Open $ - 6th

Finally the first race at Castle Rock, WA was here. It was the TT and I was ready to win. In practice, I felt great - almost as if I had been riding the track all year. In my first heat race, I got off the line third but I passed Ryan Anderson going into the first turn. I pushed it as I followed right behind Scooter Vernon who was leading. On the last lap, I made and inside move on Scooter in the last corner to win my heat. In my second heat, I would get off the hole shot. When I came on to the straight away the first lap I felt like I had a horrible flat, so I pulled over to check it out. When I pulled over it was fine and feeling like an idiot, I got back into the race. There were six riders in the heat and I ended up fifth. When the mains rolled around, I was ready to redeem myself. The first main, I got the hole shot. Right from the get go, I was spinning everywhere. With Scooter right on my tail, I tried to hold him off, but he would get me coming off the last corner going on to the straight. I held my position right behind Scooter till the finish. In my second main, I had my work cut out for me starting on the second row. I would get off the line 7th, right behind Rex Fisher in 6th, Mickey Fay Jr. in 5th, Eric Beers in 4th, Kyle Ragsdale in 3rd , my brother Brad Baker in 2nd, and Scooter Vernon in 1st. For the first three laps of the race I would follow right behind Rex until I made a inside pass on him coming on to the straight. I then tried to make a pass on Mickey but I ended up finishing right behind him.

Report #9 | May 23-25, 2008 - Lodi, California
West Coas Amateur Nationals

Brad’s Report
450 Mod. (Premier Class) | 450 DTX
5/23 - TT 1st | 1st
5/24 - ST 8th | 1st
5/25 – Super ST 2nd | 1st

First Place Overall – 450 Mod & 450 DTX

Hey Everyone – The West Coast Amateur Nationals were in Lodi, Ca. over Memorial Day weekend at the Lodi Cycle Bowl. This was the only outdoor race we have attended since we were at Lodi in April. Racing has been pretty boring around Washington lately because winter does not seem to want to go away. Fortunately the weather in California was okay and I was ready to go down and ride my best. I had my whole family with me – mom, dad and Scott. Since this was an amateur race, he was just there to help me – as well as celebrate his eighteenth birthday! All my bikes were working good, so I had lots of confidence in my equipment.

The first day of the three day race was the TT track. In practice, I was feeling pretty good and was turning some fast, consistent laps. My first heat race was the 450 DTX. I seemed to have figured out the starting light a little better than last time and I pulled off a holeshot on Kyle Jones and Sammy Knox. I kept my head down the whole time and crossed the finish line with a pretty good lead. In the 450 mod heat, I got off the line second behind CoCo Cabrara. I quickly picked him off and set fast time out of the three heats. The mains went pretty much the same, except for in the 450 DTX. Kyle Johns held me off for a good part of the race, but he couldn’t hold me off forever. I finally got by him and went on for win number one. To my surprise, the 450 Mod race went a little easier. I got in a good position on the line and sprang into the lead. By the end of the twelve lap race, there was nobody in sight and I got win number two. It was a great first night , which gave me a big confidence boost for the rest of the weekend.

The second day was the quarter mile short track. I was feeling great again in practice and my 450 Framer was working great over the DTX frame bikes. I got the holeshot again in my first race and kept a consistent lead. In the 450 Mod, I didn’t get the greatest start, but the framer was working so good that it didn’t take me long to get to the front. I again set fast time for the main. In my DTX main, I got out to an early lead to win – that made it two wins with one race to go. The mod class didn’t g so well though. I got off the line in fifth, but I quickly railed around the riders in front of me up to second. As I was attempting to go around the first place rider going into turn three, I got into a big slide. I gave it all I could to try to try to keep it up, but it was just too much. I went for a pretty good slide, but I managed to keep the engine running. The bad thing is when I got up, it was in fourth gear and I killed it. It took me a little while to get it started, but I finally got it going and went on to get eighth. I was pretty bummed out because if I had won that race, the overall championship was pretty much mine. The good thing was that it wasn’t over yet. There was still a chance for me to win.

On the third and last day of racing, I had my mind set and knew I had to do some serious racing. Again my bikes were working good and I had pretty high hopes. The bad thing about the little short track is that there is little room to pass, so I had to get some good starts. In the DTX class, I got the hole shot in my heat and won again. All I had to do then was show up for the main and I would have the title wrapped up. In my Mod heat race, I got off the line behind Michael Martin. He was the guy I had to beat to win the championship. I tried him high and low, but I couldn’t manage to get by him. It wasn’t exactly the race I wanted, but I still had the main to go and anything could happen. My first main ended up being the 450 Mod class. It was a pretty packed front row and I was right in the middle of it. When the green light flashed, I charged to the first corner, but I ended up in second behind Kyle Anselmi. The good thing was that the riders that I needed to beat were way back in seventh and eighth. All I needed to do was to finish a solid second and I would win the championship. Luckily, that’s what I did and it was another West Coast championship in the books and $2000 in my pocket to use at the nationals in DuQuoin, Illinois. It turned out to be a great weekend and I was glad to get back to some bigger races. I’ll let you know how next weekend’s races go. Thank you!

Report #8 | April 26-27, 2008 - Lodi, California

Brad’s Report

April 27 – TT
Lodi $ - 2nd
Open A – 4th

This weekend was my first outdoor race of the season and we traveled to Lodi Cycle Bowl in California for a two day event. It was nice to have some sunshine for a change and ride on a track bigger than a indoor short track. Saturday was the quarter mile where I rode my new J & M framed modified dirt tracker for the first time. In practice, it seemed like it was working pretty good , but I still needed a lot more time to get used to it. The good thing about Lodi is that it’s really forgiving and smooth, so it’s easy to ride. We did a few adjustments before my heat race, including putting on a new tire, which ended up not working so well. In my heat race, I didn’t get a good start. I quickly picked off three racers in the first lap, which put me up to fourth. The bad thing about running a new tire is that they get greasy quick and that makes it hard to hook up. By the second lap, I was passed back and unable to regain traction until the end of the race. By that time, the field was long gone. I wasn’t too happy, because this sent me to a semi to try and and make it into the main. When my semi rolled around, I had my mind set on making it to the main. This time, I got off the line a little better. On the first lap, I came across the finish in fifth. I picked off fourth and third pretty quickly and started on my brother, who was running in second.I tried my hardest to get around him, but I ran out of laps. When the checkered flag came out, it was three riders from Washington in the top three. I was kind of bummed out because I had to get second to make it to the main, but I was glad that Brady and Scott made it. In the end, it wasn’t the best night, but I was hoping to do better on the TT track on Sunday.

After a good night’s rest, I woke up on Sunday morning ready to race. I had a lot more confidence now because I was on a familiar bike, plus my specialty is TT tracks. It was another hot, sunny day – perfect for racing. In practice, I was turning some good laps and staying right up with the field. In my first heat race, I got off the line fourth and held that for the first lap. I eventually worked my way into third – not too far behind second and first. I ended the race with a solid third and a good position for the main. My second heat race went pretty similar. This time, I had a couple faster riders with me. Again, I got off the line in fourth, but quickly moved into third by turn two. I battled with the second place rider for the whole race. When we came across the finish line, he was only a bike length ahead of me. A pair of thirds set me up good for the mains and I was excited to see how I would do. In my first main, I got off the line third behind Chad Cose and Stewart Barber. I battled with Stewart for most of the race until I slipped up a little on the last lap and Mikey Martin slipped underneath me. I tried to pass him back, but ended up crossing the finish line in fourth. Finally, it was my last heat race of the weekend. This was, by far, the best race of the day. I got the holeshot, but I quickly blew it away in the first turn, when I about high-sided. I was lucky that only two people got by me. There were four of us going at it up front. On the second to last lap, I passed into second – right behind the leader. Coming out of the last turn, I made an inside move, but I came up about a bike length short of first. After the day was over, I was satisfied with a second and fourth – which landed me about $200. That’s a lot better than a trophy for a amateur rider! I’m looking forward to next weekend, which is the season opener at Castle Rock.

Scott’s Report

April 26 – St
Open A – 6th
Pro am – 3rd

April 27 – TT
Lodi $ - 6th
Open A – 5th

It was a double header for the season opener at Lodi Cycle Bowl. Saturday was the short track. In the heat , I was third off the line. I passed the second and first place riders in the fourth corner and led the race for three laps until I fell down in the third corner.This meant I had to ride a semi and finish second – just to be able to ride the main. I had a back row start, so I was fifth going into the first corner. I passed fourth and third on the fourth lap coming out of turn four. I then had four laps to get the final transfer spot. On the sixth lap, I got it done with an outside move going into turn two – which gave me the final transfer spot to the main. In my next heat race, I got off the line third and held on to third. This earned me a first row start in the main. Finally, it was time for the mains. I had a back row start and was ninth into the first corner. In the first lap, I put myself into sixth. For seventeen of the twenty laps, I followed the fifth place rider until I made an inside move going into turn three to finish the race in fifth place. In my next main, I got off the line third and finished third.

Sunday was a day race on the TT track. In my first heat, I got off the line second. In six laps, the first place rider and I distanced ourselves from the pack to earn us a front row start for the main. My next heat race, I got off the line third and finished third – giving me sixth pick in the main. In my first main, I got off the line fifth. For the entire race, I followed right behind second, third, and fourth – ending the race in fifth. In my last main of the weekend, I got off the line sixth. I stayed sixth in line the whole race. I earned $75 for the weekend.

Report #7 | March 15, 2008 - Oakwood Indoor

Brad’s Report

Last weekend was at good, old Oakwood short track. It was a regular rainy Washington day, but since we were indoors, the track was awesome! My brother and I were having fun  battling with each other and were turning in some good laps. The pro riders got together and decided to just do an exhibition instead of an actual race, so they let me ride with them.  Scott  and I had separate heat races. We each won our heats, bur Rex Fisher and Brady Mueller weren’t far behind. In the mains, I got the hole shot and won the first two  races, with my brother falling down in one and a close second in the other. The final race was 25 laps and I won that, with Scott in second. We are looking forward to starting the outdoor season!

Report #6 | March 2008 - Daytona

Scott’s Report 

It was time for AMA’s first flat track races of the year and I decided I would make the trip with my friend, Brady Mueller. Because of the tracks we were going to race at, I thought it was essential to find a frame bike to ride before I left. Lucky for me, Paul Simonsen let me borrow his J&M CRF 450. Our first stop was a practice track in Nesses, South Carolina. The whole day, I worked to get the bike dialed in. I just could not get the bike to work. Just to make sure that it was a problem with the bike and not me, I had former national champ, Joe Kopp, take my bike for a spin. He also said the bike had handling problems. Next, we were off to a half mile in Savannah, Georgia.  I asked my friend, Chad Cose, if I could ride his back-up bike – which was a C&J CRF 450. It was a big improvement from the bike I had brought to ride. In my heat race, I rode in third place for the first three laps. I would end up finishing fifth. There were no semi’s, so that was the end of my night. Our third stop was another half mile in Barberville, Florida, where we would race three nights in a row. There were also no semi’s for these three races. The first night I finished seventh in my heat. The second night, I finished fifth in my heat. The third  night, I decided to save myself for the GNC races coming up. The next stop was Daytona Beach, Florida. These races were part of the GNC schedule and so there were semi’s. The first night was a quarter mile track. I finished sixth in my heat and tenth in my semi. The next night , I didn’t make the main program, but I got to ride the B main. I ended up seventh. The trip gave me great experience and I’ll definitely be ready next year!

Report #5 | February 23, 2008 - Mickey Fay's Indoor

Brad’s Report
250/450 – 1st
Pro Am – 1st
Open Am – 1st 

This weekend was the final round of Puyallup indoor. I have all my classes won in points and pretty much just have to finish the night. It was a beautiful day – probably the best in Washington since last summer. I haven’t had much competition lately and I’m ready to do some traveling to some big races. In practice I went out with the pros so I could have some fun with people at my same level. Mickey Fay Jr. was my closest competition of the night, but he still wasn’t quite up to speed with me. I’m not going to go through all the races because they were all the same from the first heat race to the last main. I got the holeshot no matter where I started from and pulled a solid lead to the end. I won all my classes overall and I’m happy that indoor season is almost over. The last one will be at Oakwood again in two weeks and then it’s time for outdoor. Scott is on his way to Daytona. He should have lots of interesting things to talk about in his next race report!

Report #4 | February 16, 2008 - Oakwood Indoor

Brad’s Report
This weekend was at Oakwood Short track. This is a fun, little track because you can pretty much ride anywhere. The funny thing is not many people show up for it being such a fun track. In practice, I was just having fun being with my brother, Scott. It was looking like him and I were going to be the dominate ones of the night. Since there were only eight riders in the pro class, they let me ride with them. In heat race one out of three, I started out second behind my brother. We battled for a while, but he held me off for the win. I kicked it into gear and won the rest of the heat races. The mains pretty much went the same, except they added two more races in for more riding time. Since Scott and I were so much faster than the others, we started in the back row and would see who could catch up and win. In the first main, my bro moved through traffic a little bit better than me and I ended up second and he took the win. The following races would end up with me charging hard to the lead for the win, with Scott right behind me. At the end of the night, I ended up with four firsts and one second. It was well worth $40 for about 200 laps of seat time. The next race will be championship night at Puyallup.

Report #3 | February 2, 2008 - Mickey Fay's Indoor

Brad’s Report
250/450 – 1st
Pro Am – 1st
Open Am – 1st 

This was the second to the last round at Puyallup Indoor. I’m in the lead in points in all my classes. The next few races should come pretty easy to me because my best friend and best competition, J.D. Beach, has moved all the way to Kentucky. It’s sad that I won’t see him  again and have our always tight racing, but we’ll meet up again somewhere…The track that day was normal, fast and smooth. I was going good and wasn’t having any trouble getting it turned  and hooking up in practice. I’m not going to bore you with every race, so I’ll just sum it up for you. In the heat races, I got the hole shot and won every race except the Pro Am, where Mickey got the hole shot and held me off to take the win. The mains went the same except  I got the hole shot in the Pro Am and won it over Mickey. The next race is at a different track – Oakwood Indoor. It will be nice to switch it up  - this winter has pretty much just been the same old thing. I’ll let you know next week how Oakwood went. 

Scott’s Report
Open $  - 5th 

It was another night at Puyallup Indoor Short track. After missing a weekend because I had the flu, I was ready to race! In practice, I really struggled. I just couldn’t get the front end to stick as I fell every practice I went out for. I had second position on the line for the heat race and was hoping to turn my night around. I was running fourth when I got a chance to take over  third on the inside, when I lost the front end. After waiting around for half-time to get over, it was time for the main event. Now, lining up twelfth, I was hoping to just finish the race to earn some points. I was in seventh by the first corner. After following a battling fifth and sixth place for a couple of laps, I was able to set up a pass on both of them in turn three. With five more laps to go, I would hold onto fifth place until the finish.  That leaves me with a four point lead over Kyle Ragsdale for second place in the series. There is one more race left – should be interesting!

Report #2 | January 19, 2008 - Mickey Fay's Indoor

Brad's Report
250/450 – 1st
Pro Am -  3rd
Open Am – 1st 

This was a regular indoor short track race at Puyallup Indoor. As always, J.D. Beach and I were setting the pace and battling back and forth. In spite of the cold, wet weather, the track was alright. My bike was hooking up good and I was set for race time. My first heat was the 250/450 with Mickey Fay as competition. I got the hole shot and gained a steady lead until the finish. Next was the Pro Am race with just three riders. Again I pulled the hole shot with J.D. in second. He tried his hardest to get around me, but I held him off for win number two. Last, but not least, was the Open Am. It was holeshot number three for the night and also win number three.

After a little track prep and a half-time show, it was time for the mains. The first race would start off with another hole shot. Again J.D. and I battled, but I had an edge on him and was able to pull a lead by the end of the race. Next was the Pro Am. Even though I got the hole shot again, the race didn’t end the way I wanted it to. In turn  four, I hooked a hole and J.D. and Mickey slipped underneath me. It was a tight race, but It ended up with J.D. in first, Mickey in second, and me in third. It was time for the last race and I needed some redemption! this time when I got the hole shot, I didn’t make any mistakes and rode strong until the end. It was a good night despite my one  flaw, but you can’t win them all! I will back in a couple of weeks with more results. 

Report #1 | January 5, 2008 - Mickey Fay's Indoor

Brad’s Report
250/450 – 2nd
Pro Am -  1st
Open Unlimited – 2nd
Open Am – 1st 

Sorry that it’s been awhile since my last race report. I missed a couple back in December because the river that I live next to flooded and destroyed most of my house and land. It’s been nothing close to normal for the last month and I haven’t had time to do much of anything. Things are starting to get back to normal, so I’m going to start my race reports back up with my most recent race at Puyallup – which also happened to be the first race of the new year. Fortunately  my motorcycles were alright, so it hasn’t been hard to keep racing. I was feeling good and getting turned really good in practice, so I was feeling pretty confident by the time the heat races rolled around.

My first heat race was the 250/450 class. This was a pretty stacked heat with the three fastest amateur riders. Mickey Fay and J.D. Beach started off in front of me, but by the second corner they both went wide and I slipped under both of them. I charged to the finish, with J.D. in second and Mickey in third. Next was the Pro Am class – with just Mickey, J.D., and I in it. I got the holeshot with J.D. right behind me. We battled until the end, but I held him off for the win. Now was the Open Unlimited class which is a race mixed with amateurs and pros. I was third over on the line with my bro and J.D. underneath me. They both jumped out in front of me – with Scott in the lead. We were all so evenly matched that none of us could make a move. I raced to the finish in third. My last heat race was the Open amateur. I had the pole, so it was  a pretty easy holeshot. I was able to pull away  a couple of bike lengths on J.D.  before the finish.

After half-time and the mains had been posted, it was race time. Since short track racing is very tight racing with little room to make passes, having a good starting position is the key to winning the race and I had a good position in every race. First up was the 250/450. I got the holeshot over J.D., but he  was not about to back down. He rode the whole race on the edge of my back wheel. He finally made his move when I hooked a hole and went wide. Even though he won the race, I was happy because I like tight racing! Now was the Pro Am main with only three riders. I needed redemption , so when I got the holeshot, I put my head down and didn’t make any mistakes. I crossed the finish line in first, with J.D. in second. Next up was the Open Unlimited class with a little more competition. Again, Scott and J.D. started ahead of me, but J.D. made a mistake and I took second away from him. Scott was on a rail that night , so I wasn’t able to do anything about him. The baker Boys finished  one, two for a good night. Last but not least, was the Open Am. It was pretty much a replay of all the other races. I got the holeshot and J.D. tried his hardest to get by me but wasn’t able to pull anything off. Overall, it was a good night of racing. I am leading the series in all my classes, with only a few more races to go. 

Scott’s report 
Open $ - 1st
Open Unlimited – 1st  

It felt great to be in Puyallup for the first race of the new year of Mickey Fay’s indoor  short track series. I got the holeshot and the win in both my heat races. I was feeling good and ready for the mains. My first main was the Open $ class. I  got the holeshot  and would go on to win by a straightaway, with Eric Rickman in second and Kyle Ragsdale in third. My last main was the Open Unlimited class. It was me on the pole, J.D. Beach, my brother, Brad, and Mickey Fay. With another holeshot, I would again win – with Brad in second and J.D. in third