SIDEWAYZ

Well! My names Rick I'm 47 years young, I have a Beautiful wife and three wonderful children. I recently returned to Flattrack racing after 31 years. I've been busy Skydiving and basejumping. I'm building a Champion framed TT500, But I'm currently riding a Champion Honda 250 that I will soon swap out to a 350 with a 412 kit. my two boys are currently riding MX but will soon join me in flattrack. My wife has a Harley 100cc flattracker and will race it in the 2007 season....I hope. I'm sure I have more to add to this but gotta go, the barbecue has a REAL BIG flame on it.WILL DAVIS National #21 Greatest story I ever read.Hey, 21:I got the news about you early Sunday morning. It just so happened that I was in a very public place, but that didn’t stop me from falling down on my knees and weeping bitterly. I couldn’t believe it. I still don’t want to.But now I have to sit here anyway, and write this letter, though I never thought that I’d have to write to you this way. Is that rain? I can’t tell. I can barely see through it to my computer screen. Memories of you keep pouring through my mind as if pushing their way past a broken floodgate.I remember the first time I’d ever been made aware that there was a Will Davis. I saw a clip of you on Motoworld in 1988. You had won the last 600cc National of the year at Woodstock, Georgia. Remember that? You beat your pal Morehead and then you couldn’t figure out how to open the champagne bottle on the podium. Morehead had to help you. So much for your big-time television debuts, huh?My next recollection comes easily. You and I joked about it over and over again, about that time that you shut down the last running of the Ascot Half Mile early by trying to move the wall back a couple of feet after you came off turn four. I remember thinking that it was your day to go then, and my jaw dropped when you actually stood up, dazed - to be sure - shook the dust off and walked away with a little bit of help. I remember asking myself, “How tough can one guy be?”I was working for the newspaper, but still didn’t know you when you won the Pomona Half Mile in ‘94, riding that Honda for Louie Aruta and Craig Rogers. Do you remember that one? You smoked ‘em bad there. Of course, I’d go on to learn that was kind of your style. Win or lose, you always did it big, never halfway.But then we finally did meet. I was the rookie this time, and you were already a veteran at this dirt track thing, and we struck up a friendship because you were one of the few guys who were really willing to give me a chance. I remember you telling me that every time there was a shift change on the dirt track beat at Cycle News, you would always wonder who they were going to get next, and you were always sort of disappointed, but when you saw how much I was into what you and the boys were doing, you admitted that maybe “this Roscoe guy” was different. It so doesn’t matter now, but thanks for that small measure of faith, anyway. I really hope that I never let you down.Hanging out and hitting the go-kart tracks before the races, that was the thing then, remember? I swear that you had little Gary Rogers on the payroll, because every time that I’d try to take you out, he’d knock me into next week. You were a wicked go-kart driver. I never did get a clean shot at you. I guess it’ll have to wait.Then there was Oklahoma City in ‘96, and again I was left in awe. You and Parker were in that epic battle for the lead, and you slammed together so hard off turn two that I swear the ground shook underneath my feet. The impact broke your left leg, but you didn’t give up. No way, not you. You charged down into three with your boot half ripped off your leg, tried to make the turn, and low-sided. Then, just as you got up, along came Ricky Graham and tried to cut you in half. Once again, I thought that you had bought it - I think everybody did. But there you were, trying to shake the dust off as they loaded you in the wagon.And do you remember back at the hotel that night? You and I were just laughing about that one at Charlotte this year yet again. You were so sore that you couldn’t move, and we couldn’t figure out how to get you to your room. I found that bellhop’s cart, we carefully propped you on it, and then just as I went to pull it, the handle ripped loose and up and clubbed you in the back of the head. I don’t think that I ever heard anyone yelp so loudly before or since. I was mortified, but it was also so damned funny. Parker felt bad about the whole thing, too. I remember that he sprung for the McDonalds that night.I’ll always be proud to be able to say that I saw you achieve some pretty cool firsts, such as your first Daytona Short Track win in ‘96. You always said that Daytona meant as much to you as it did to Richard Petty or Dale Earnhardt because your daddy always talked about the place, and you were never shy about letting folks know how much you loved him for all that he did for your racing career. You wanted to win it for him, and you did it. I also remember you getting your first mile win at Springfield, last year. We always argued - in a friendly fashion - about the mile thing. You said that winning a mile would be like winning just another race, but I call you on that one. We both know that it was a special moment for you, even though you wound up getting so sick from the heat afterward.Looking back now, maybe this whole tragedy should in some way have been foreseeable. I say that because I don’t think you were ever better than during those three straight weekends back east this year. You conquered Charlotte, and you got so emotional. You did that from time to time, and we had confided that we were both cut from the same cloth as far as that goes. Every time I started to hear it in your voice, I would literally have to turn away. I knew how you felt, how much it all meant to you, how much you appreciated just that one chance to be a winner, even if it meant that you would never stand on top of the box again. I never met a more humble victor with your kind of confidence.You flattened ‘em at Harrington, and you were the fastest of the bunch at Hagerstown before the rain came. You’d have won that one, too. Everybody knows that. I told you then that I’d see you at Springfield, and I was looking forward to it because I really wanted to see you win that short track. I know you wanted it badly, and there was nobody who worked any harder than you to get where they wanted to go in this sport. For some people, dirt track is a vehicle, but you made it your road.Sedalia was supposed to be a formality this year, maybe another win for you. Instead, for me, it will always be a place of sorrow.And disappointment. That’s right, I’m disappointed because I had such high hopes for you, man. Do you know what I wanted for you? I wanted to see you enjoy that one last season before retiring. I wanted to hear about you returning to places like Springfield or Charlotte to receive the welcome of one of the sport’s grand old legends. I wanted to know that you would be around to grow old with your high school sweetheart, and see your wonderful little boy grow up to be man and take the things that you’d taught him to make his own mark in this world.The championship? Will, in my eyes, you were already a champion a thousand times over. You never, ever needed a number one on your motorcycle to prove that to me.And now I keep having this imaginary vision of you. You’re seated on your best-running motorcycle, looking back at us all as you’re pointed toward the sunset. You give us a wink and a wave, and then you drop the hammer and you’re gone. You’re a rookie again, in a new series, and I’ll bet the competition is probably tougher there than it is here. Say hi to all the boys for us. Tell them that we miss them, and please tell the big guy that he needs to save some of the good ones for us.In the meantime, I’ll try and get up from this tragedy, shake the dust off and go racing. After all, I got that one from you.Greatest story I ever read:.. width="425" height="350">.. .. ..>If you think of these numbers who do you think of? #9, #20 or “God Bless #3”? If you’re thinking Casey Kahne, Tony Stewart or Dale Earnhardt then not only are you at the wrong race but you’re also about to get a lesson in fast paced excitement and what “fan-friendly” really means.#9 belongs to Jay Springsteen, Rookie of the Year in 1975. Just one year later he earned the title of Grand National Champion and kept that title from 1976-1978, not an easy task in one year let alone three. The two traits he shares with Kahne are a quick smile and a fierce determination.#20 is Johnny Murphree, Rookie of the Year in 1997. Not a bad start for the nineteen year-old Californian. While he is a fierce competitor like Stewart, he’s never had an anger issue.“God Bless #3” is Ricky Graham. Like Earnhardt this multi-time champion had a quick mind and a deeply rooted love for racing--Flat Track Motorcycle Racing.Flat Track Motorcycle Racing is one of the oldest forms of motorized racing in the world. It is the birth mother of road racing, at one time being part of the series, somewhat like a road course is part of NASCAR. Like the car races, Flat Track raced on the sands at Daytona and still starts the Series there each March.Still thinking about stock cars? Okay, take away the HANS devise, shouldn’t be hard since it’s only been mandatory for a few years. Take away the custom-fitted seat, the roll bar; remove the body of the car. Now take away two wheels and the replace the steering system with handle bars.Still with me? Replace the fire suit with leathers. Take away the driving booties; replace with heavy boots and add a steel shoe to the left foot. Got the picture? The speed stays up; by the way, did I mention Flat Trackers do it on dirt? Now you have the right idea!Arguably, one of the NASCAR’s premier races is Talladega, so what? Flat Track Racing has the Springfield Mile!The Springfield Mile is the fastest dirt track in the world; people come from around the world to watch these athletes give their all in an attempt to win the coveted trophy. Imagine going into a corner at over 100 miles-per hour on two wheels! The perfectly groomed black dirt and clay gumbo make that a reality. Susukis, Harley-Davidsons, Hondas, Aprillas—make the laps in 36 seconds or less.Lap after incredible lap at speeds so dangerous it makes you weak in the knees. One lap to go then the checkers are flying—who won? Photo finishes are almost the standard, almost. While the photos are being reviewed fans flood the track and the infield ready to celebrate with the winner or seek out their favorite racer.No helicopters come to whisk them away so finding that racer doesn’t take long and that racer is ready to share a few handshakes, a picture here and an autograph there—many racers have pictures they’ll autograph and give out. Chances are very good, that you may have shared the same hotel with the racers, seen them in the restaurants, and you might even go to a party where they are at. Flat Track is very fan friendly.So, if you start playing number games in racing, better clarify which race discipline. All discussions go much better if everyone is on the same page. See you at the track!dark side of speedway

Add to My Profile | More Videoshttp://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.indi vidual&videoid=1402838505Flat Track

Add to My Profile | More VideosWillow Springs Flat Track Crash

Add to My Profile | More Videos..This profile was edited with MySpace Profile Editor MySpace Profile Editor