How did you get into it?

[Aisu]

I'm really interested in the canadian racing scene. I was wondering if you all could share your personal stories on how you got into motorcycle racing in canada?

[kneedragger88]

I started out as a corner worker with our very own BrianP off this site in the early eighties. At that time Colin Fraser (Head of the Canadian National as well as AMA Competition) was the founder and was managing RACE.
If you did 10 events you got a free race school. As they say the rest was history. the following year I built my first racebike.

[Grimmy]

Got into trackdays and loved it. Went to Spain, did some more track time there with instruction. Loved it. Racing regionally soon followed after I converted my street GSXR1000 into a race bike.

I do not get into the national series as I lack the talent (for now) and I do not support doornob fraser's spec tire rule. I may enter a national event in 2009, but likely on someones decent scrubs, as again I do not support Pirelli or the silly spec tire deal they purchased from the national series.

[franz131]

I may enter a national event in 2009, but likely on someones decent scrubs, as again I do not support Pirelli or the silly spec tire deal they purchased from the national series.

Now Grimmy, you know what I'm going to say about showing up at the big show and then half-bumming the most critical part. Blah blah blah....if you want to save money, drink less beer....blah blah blah. Better to cut the lawn then spend $1500 to get beat by slower riders on new tires.

BTW, I started racing because I was a clear danger to myself and others on the road.

Anyone remember the "oval" on the North Service Rd in Sauga?

[reciprocity]

My parents forced me to start racing at 5 years old and would beat me if I didn't win.

[chinto]

My parents forced me to start racing at 5 years old and would beat me if I didn't win.

so did you get beat alot?

[Ould]

Got into trackdays and loved it. Went to Spain, did some more track time there with instruction. Loved it. Racing regionally soon followed after I converted my street GSXR1000 into a race bike.

How did you go about getting track time in Spain? Did you live there or was this on a vacation/visit? If on vacation Were you able to rent the gear and bike? Just curious as I would love to try some of the Euro tracks while on a vacation. We did Portugal a few years back for MotoGP, would have been awesome to do a trackday as well.

Anyone remember the "oval" on the North Service Rd in Sauga?

I assume you mean the by the Duracell plant/Star Choice office? I had my one and only street crash there, lol. Low sided. I was ok but the bike honed in on the the only light pole in sight. One in a million I tell ya. lol. Some chick saw the whole thing from the highway and actually got off at the next exit to see if I was ok. She couldn't believe I was fine, cept for a chunk of flesh missing from my knee.

Kevin

[franz131]

I assume you mean the by the Duracell plant/Star Choice office?

Yes, but before all the fences and gates.
We used to line up 2 rows and have races, good times.

[Aisu]

My parents forced me to start racing at 5 years old and would beat me if I didn't win.

lol i hope this is a joke

[reciprocity]

lol i hope this is a joke

kinda, but not really!

some kids have hockey dads/parents, I had a racing/boxing/hockey dad.

I think the context is taken the wrong way.

My parents made a fairly significant investment in the sport because I enjoyed it(about $10k per season in the early 80's) but results were kind of expected, we were shooting for an available factory support ride and if I did something stupid or got lazy and finished poorly, I was called on it.

Professional riders have to deal with this, if they don't perform, they get fired etc.

This was MX and Supercross racing which was fairly big at the time, bigger than it is in Canada now. I had a career ending injury my first pro season at 14(in 1989) and didn't get back on a bike again until 2004

I don't regret any of it, outside having to give it up for 15 years.

Now I have to deal with being old and slow rather than young and stupid.

[eastcoast_gsx]

I do not support Pirelli or the silly spec tire deal they purchased from the national series.

I bet you would if they went with Michelin

[dextasy]

I was doing track days for awhile, then I met this black guy from my gym who told me I needed to take it a step further..... that son of a@###$##@

[Grimmy]

I bet you would if they went with Michelin

Nope. It wouldn't happen either.. but I think that the sport is competitive, and we can run whatever fuel, bikes, leathers, helmets etc etc we want, but not tires. I feel that Spec tires do not have the competetive nature of racing at heart, and it does not benefit the sport in the form of product development and brand competition either. It's been argued and debated to death, but ya know what I mean.

[Grimmy]

Now Grimmy, you know what I'm going to say about showing up at the big show and then half-bumming the most critical part. Blah blah blah....if you want to save money, drink less beer....blah blah blah. Better to cut the lawn then spend $1500 to get beat by slower riders on new tires.

BTW, I started racing because I was a clear danger to myself and others on the road.

Anyone remember the "oval" on the North Service Rd in Sauga?

But beer is so tasty!!! I hear ya franz... btw - we gots to dice it up again this comin year.. I remember us getting stupid at the Golo day and dropping down a class... complete insanity. So much fun. Damn that buell with ya was good on the brakes.

[Aisu]

kinda, but not really!

some kids have hockey dads/parents, I had a racing/boxing/hockey dad.

I think the context is taken the wrong way.

My parents made a fairly significant investment in the sport because I enjoyed it(about $10k per season in the early 80's) but results were kind of expected, we were shooting for an available factory support ride and if I did something stupid or got lazy and finished poorly, I was called on it.

Professional riders have to deal with this, if they don't perform, they get fired etc.

This was MX and Supercross racing which was fairly big at the time, bigger than it is in Canada now. I had a career ending injury my first pro season at 14(in 1989) and didn't get back on a bike again until 2004

I don't regret any of it, outside having to give it up for 15 years.

Now I have to deal with being old and slow rather than young and stupid.

wow that is really interesting. Do you mind telling me how you got injured? Also why did you get back into racing?

[Grimmy]

How did you go about getting track time in Spain? Did you live there or was this on a vacation/visit? If on vacation Were you able to rent the gear and bike? Just curious as I would love to try some of the Euro tracks while on a vacation. We did Portugal a few years back for MotoGP, would have been awesome to do a trackday as well.

Kevin

It was either suffer from lack of riding withdrawal and take an all inclusive vacation, or splurge and go to Europe for some trackdays. Rented an SV650 (the organizers personal track bike) as they were offered (normally not available for rent) and he gave us a deal on the rental compared to his expensive but newer R6's he normally Rents. Flew into London, spent a few days there, then down to Spain on a discount airline.

I think the costs for flight were 400 +taxes to London round trip, and 35 Euros round trip taxes in to spain. Stayed at a hostel in London for costs at 25 quid a night in central London.

The trackday organizer arranges all hotel, car, trackday, bike rentals etc. Lunch provided by a caterer. Ex World Superbike and BSB and Isle of Mann champs for instructors. 1 session free instruction - 100 bucks for an hour 1 on 1 private instruction - and you ride 45 minutes of it nearly open session in any group with short breaks for instruction.

Current pricing has changed since I went a few years back... If you were to go now, tracktime would be about $710 for 3 days at Jerez Spain, and $1471 for the R6 bike rentals. Hotel, car, flight, food (breakfast included in hotel), booze extra.

UK trackdays and bike rentals are reasonably priced too though, with many organizers avaiable to choose from too. Brands Hatch, Donnington Park, Cadwell Park, Silverstone, Mallory Park etc etc. All available for around $200 a day or less even, plus bike rental of course.

[reciprocity]

wow that is really interesting. Do you mind telling me how you got injured? Also why did you get back into racing?

It was at a Honda demo day of all things, the day before the final CMA(before CMRC) National MX race.

A novice rider was allowed onto the track during the pro/expert session(kinda like a 1st time trackday rider being sent out in the fast group at a trackday).

the track had a blind uphill natural double, probably 50-60 feet or so, but you came out of a valley and could not see the landing.

This novice rider stopped on the landing face of the double, apparently to watch, he was to one side, but the riders that were doubling were moving from right to left in the air to set up for the turn on the landing.

I was on my 2nd lap of the afternoon on a CR250 and when I came up the hill to make the double, there was a bike and rider exactly where I wanted to land.

I did what I could in the air to avoid him, but he just dropped the bike and I landed on it, as it was falling.

I ended up breaking my jaw in 13 places(bar end went through my chin and knocked out 9 teeth as well) I also broke my collarbone and my right femur.

why did I get back into it?

So I could come on sites like this and pick up chicks, isn't that why everyone buys a bike?

[freedomfighter]

Now Grimmy, you know what I'm going to say about showing up at the big show and then half-bumming the most critical part. Blah blah blah....if you want to save money, drink less beer....blah blah blah. Better to cut the lawn then spend $1500 to get beat by slower riders on new tires.

BTW, I started racing because I was a clear danger to myself and others on the road.

Anyone remember the "oval" on the North Service Rd in Sauga?

yes like it was yesterday. still remember "dirt bike mike " cutting across the hwy to get away from the cops...aww the good old days

[minifig-phil]

I built a stock Car in High School and a group of us were at Flamboro Speedway after the races we heard a commercial on the radio about superbike weekend So a friend and I went to watch. Having raced MX in the 80’s It looked very simple to me (no jumps, hoops or anything) I thought I could kick everyone’s butt out there. Did a fast school on the FZ600’s in ’88 and kept getting in trouble for putting my foot down in the corners. Bought a used RZ350 and started racing in ’89 got lapped and finished second last in my first race. Realized it’s a lot harder than it looked. I did get a little better at it though through the years. I Met Franz and have been trying to get my life back to normal ever since.

[Brian P]

I started out as a corner worker with our very own BrianP off this site in the early eighties. At that time Colin Fraser (Head of the Canadian National as well as AMA Competition) was the founder and was managing RACE.
If you did 10 events you got a free race school. As they say the rest was history. the following year I built my first racebike.

Ken beat me to it ... Actually the two years I did as a corner worker were 1990 and 1991. That led to "I can do that", and the rest is history ... a LOOOONG time ago.

BTW, I started racing because I was a clear danger to myself and others on the road.

Anyone remember the "oval" on the North Service Rd in Sauga?

Yes, although I didn't do many laps there. A lot of my friends did (and one wrote his bike off there).

And at the risk of all us old geezers dating ourselves ... I remember Franz's RZ350 race bike from the early nineties, too. That was back in the days when Lightweight Production was an enormous class.