Frank Mrazek
- Thread starter TK4
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Mr. Lowside
Active member
If anyone's interested (I know you people don't read books anymore), George Jonas wrote a beauty biography of Mrazek called, "A Passion Observed," (Macmillan Canada, 1989). You get a real sense of the guy from Jonas' book. That part I really remember from it is how Frank used to pass guys on the track. If he was behind you, the story goes, he'd rub your real wheel with his front in a gesture of, "Get the eff out of the way." He was a real character. I wonder if GP Guy ever met him. Spill Ben!
Ben knows him for sure. My first racebike was built with great help from Jiri (George) Sebousek after that I always pitted with the eastern block. Frank was usually in the mix. I remember likely in the late eighties early nineties a pounding at my door about 11 one night. It was George with the Zdeno van. "Com'mon we gotta go over to Franks". ? His wife (Janna) is gonna leave him if he races this weekend we have to go get his bike.
So over we go and greeted in garage by Frank. Shhhhhh just load it and go. Before we even got the doors open here was Janna. They take bike to Eds for work (Zdeno) pretty sure she didnt buy a word of it. But off we went. So Sunday morning in comes Frank and Puppy (Franks youngest daughter) in the benz just like a rockstar for the races. He won from the back row of the twins class because he missed qualifing Saturday. Later we found out that Janna knew but Frankie sweet talked his way out of it.
Another story at Mosport at the VRRA weekend. They invited the twins as a filler class. I was marshalling T2. The race goes off. HUGE crash at T1 takes out whole field (thats when armco was three feet off track) the only bike through was Frankie head down and pinned. Comes over the hill just as we get the red flag call from control. He highsides to the moon slides way down into runoff. I am running over and hear all kinds of whistles. Look back here comes Janna and the two girls full speed. The race was stopped so no danger but was quite a sight. I get to Frank who was already up and helmet off. Me: What the hell Frank? Race is redflagged. Frank: "Czeck Curseword" I taught da was right back me" In typical Frank fashion it dawns on him that the race will be reset and started again. Yelling pursues as he slams helmet back on as Janna, two teen girls and me bump start his rashed Duc.
I have tons of Crazy Frank stories over the years he was one of a kind. Anyone who knew him would agree. In the past few years he and Jiri have been racing at Brno I can only imagine the antics with those two back in Prague. RIP my friend you will never be forgotten.
We have lost a true statesman of motorcycle racing. He was one of a kind.
He was still racing a few years ago, I sent him some CB450 crankshafts (cuz' he couldn't find any in Czech) about 5 years ago and CMR racing built him a TZ750 (Bar Hodgeson ended up with the bike when Frank got sick).
My favourite memory of Frank was in '89 he decided he was going to win the VRRA number one plate in one day at Mosport by entering and winning every final of the weekend.
... but by Sunday morning Frank has crashed, there was a reason Frank was known as the " Bouncing Czech". When I got back to the pits Frank was laying down with his head in my wife's lap, she's dropping percocets into Franks mouth while the mechanic's girlfriend is pouring Bourbon down his throat. I had to modify his boot so he could shift gears on the Norton (I still have that Norton)(I also Still have the CB500 he rode that weekend) with his smashed up leg. We ended up duct taping Franks foot to the footrest so it wouldn't fall off.
If you're a privateer, you eat SAUSAGE not steak. PRIVATEERS EAT SAUSAGE. (If you don't know what I am talking about,read the book!) As a tribute to Frank, I always ate sausages.
... or another true Frankism: FIX DAT ****!
He was still racing a few years ago, I sent him some CB450 crankshafts (cuz' he couldn't find any in Czech) about 5 years ago and CMR racing built him a TZ750 (Bar Hodgeson ended up with the bike when Frank got sick).
My favourite memory of Frank was in '89 he decided he was going to win the VRRA number one plate in one day at Mosport by entering and winning every final of the weekend.
... but by Sunday morning Frank has crashed, there was a reason Frank was known as the " Bouncing Czech". When I got back to the pits Frank was laying down with his head in my wife's lap, she's dropping percocets into Franks mouth while the mechanic's girlfriend is pouring Bourbon down his throat. I had to modify his boot so he could shift gears on the Norton (I still have that Norton)(I also Still have the CB500 he rode that weekend) with his smashed up leg. We ended up duct taping Franks foot to the footrest so it wouldn't fall off.
If you're a privateer, you eat SAUSAGE not steak. PRIVATEERS EAT SAUSAGE. (If you don't know what I am talking about,read the book!) As a tribute to Frank, I always ate sausages.
... or another true Frankism: FIX DAT ****!
RIP
Mr. Lowside
Active member
Thanks for the memories kneedragger, bitzz, and to inreb for the throw to Cycle Can's review. I'll did that up. I'd say the closest thing we had to Mrazek during my time racing (2006-2011-2016?) was Brent Strong who, it must be confessed, didn't quite have Frank's staying power. But ya never know with Brent. Wouldn't be surprised to see him, age 56 (?), showing up at a few rounds this year at SOAR and/or RACE and/or, heaven forbid, the nationals. 
Someone give that guy a half-decent R6 and pass the pop corn. What a character.
Someone give that guy a half-decent R6 and pass the pop corn. What a character.Paul Stokes, who won the Daytona 200 in the US. Vaughan Killin and I used to race with and against Frank Mrazek and hang out a lot. In the 70s. The Mosport F1 track in Ontario . New York tracks. Quebec. Various tracks in Ontario. Very cool cat. Beautiful wife. VERY Nice guy. We bought the first Honda 4 that came out in 1969 in Ontario. We used to used it for 24-hour races at Mosport for several years Each guy would go eight hours. We still have the same bike. It's had four engines. It's in beautiful condition
Shaman
Well-known member
That's for sure. I remember him about 10 years ago trying to sneak by the race officials with both footpegs held on by zip ties (loosely) and then storming through the pits all mad because they caught him ... haha
Gaoler
Well-known member
The bouncing Czech... Lol
Frank and Family were my neighbors when I was a kid. Circa '73- into the 80s.
He gifted me a Yamaha 250 when I was about 9 or 10... wasn't running (or maybe my parents hid the key)
My little brother and I had fun pushing each other up/down the driveway tho...
Man, time flies
Frank and Family were my neighbors when I was a kid. Circa '73- into the 80s.
He gifted me a Yamaha 250 when I was about 9 or 10... wasn't running (or maybe my parents hid the key)
My little brother and I had fun pushing each other up/down the driveway tho...
Man, time flies
