Daytona Bike Week Blues

Quick, get 911 on the horn and call out the "Whaambulance", yours truly won't be seen at Bike Week this year.............sniff, sniff. Yes, for the first time in decades my bros on Main Street will have to carry the torch, and bottles without their spiritual leader in tow. Oh the shame......

Ah the memories, the old days racing at the Speedway........bet you didn't know that our little road race team, lead by myself and one notorious "NG" (trust me, Doug and Dixie knew what they were doing when they named that lad) was one of the hottest supersport efforts of the late 90's. No really.

Co-sponsored by Suzuki we competed in the hotly contested 600 and 750 supersport classes......and dear reader, unlike today, there was some depth on the grid.........hell the first few rows of 600 were ALL factory machines........these days I'm pretty sure row three is reserved for top club novices.....but I digress. Our little rag-tag army; Carl, Seamus, John E, Randy, turned out some of the most beautiful and competitive machines in the paddock. How good you ask?

Good enough that future Daytona 200 winners and national champions the likes of Steve Rapp, Jake Zemke and Roger Lee Hayden all made their professional road racing debut's riding for our team. You could say old NG had an eye for talent...........me? I made sure the stickers were on straight, so what if everyone went into fits of hysterics when they saw the term "master mechanic" on my AMA hardcard ID..........whatever.

Ah the memories..........arguing with the always helpful Speedway security shock troops, these guys were usually retired NYPD, so you can imagine the people skills. Carrying team members out of, ah, "gentleman's club" only moments before the cops raided the place (yeah, it happened), begging parts from other teams after we had blown through all our "spares" by Thursday..........honestly, I've never had so much fun.

But that was years ago, more recently my Bike Week adventures centered around Harley folks and all things custom. Usually I'd sneak off, camera and notepad in hand........(yeah, I know, how biker is that!?) and spend hours scouring the streets and lots looking for the "next thing". Funny, you learn a lot when you're actually out among folks, asking questions, listening.......one thing about your average biker, he'll tell you what's on his mind.........no matter how long it takes.

Seriously, it was a blast, from the Rat's Hole show, to Main Street, to some of the hole-in-the-wall bars out of town, to the amazing young guns at the Limpnickie Lot, if you're into the American V-Twin scene, Bike Week is not to be missed.........it's no Sturgis, and in some respects, Laughlin and Street Vibe have it beat for shear raw biker vibe........but the mass of peeps, variety of motorsport, and Daytona history make it a bucket list must.

And you're gonna have to do it without me...........but I'll be at the Ocean Deck if only in spirit, toasting you all with a frosty cold one, or two...... so off you go you lucky bums and Bike Week your little booties off..........I promise not to hate you for it..........not much!