Veni, Vidi, Vici, I Came, I Saw..

by Timothy Kast

“I came, I saw, I conquered.” Julius Caesar’s victory over Pontus, a campaign lasting only 5 days.

If you are like Julius Caesar at Pontus, you have come, you have raced, and you have won. Winning is everything and second place is still just second place; but once you have merged victorious, you have probably discovered that this is just the beginning. Now the pressure is on, and everyone has you in their sights. Like Lyndon B. Johnson said about Vietnam, “I feel like a hitchhiker in a Texas hail storm, ... I can’t run, I can’t hide and I can’t make it go away.’’ Sage thoughts considering the source. Suddenly you have nowhere to go, no place to hide. TV crews are hounding you, Richard Chambers knows your Social Security number, and that cute blonde that had noticed you at Indy can’t even get close to you now for all the crowd. All of a sudden; you are the new marketable commodity in racing. How to handle all this new fame and fortune? What do you do, what do you say? Everyone wants something, but the questions are coming faster than the answers are. “Who’s your tuner?”, “where are you from?”, and “who does your nails?” are all questions you could hear in staccato, rapid-fire fashion. In today’s rhetoric, Jenny McCarthy MTV’s laugh riot icon says, “I’m in this time line where I have all these opportunities in my lap, and if I screw up I’m done. Basically this is my chance.” What can you do as a racer to make the best of your chance without screwing up? What, on earth, do you say?

First of all, consider what not to say. Try not to just open your mouth real wide then insert your size whatever into incisor snapping range. Take a deep breath, say a little prayer and slip into your thousand-yard gunfighter stare, ... then field the questions one by one. Remember, what you don’t say is just as important as what you do say. Try to inject some sportsmanship into your comportment. When an announcer hands you the microphone after a race, don’t use any excuses for your performance on the track. Avoid naming any of your competitors in some land-changing confusion. Be gracious and don’t say, “Well I was going pretty good until that crazy Diefenbaker on his chartreuse Suzuki cut me off in traffic.” Let it go, be the Good Guy, then be a better, more tactical racer next time. Learn from the experience and you have just gained a rung in racing craftiness and cunning. When speaking to other people covey confidence and be able to back it up; but don’t be brash or overly cocky. I was talking with one female racer at Pocono a couple or three years ago. There had been a rash of accidents and it seemed like the ambulance and crew were going blazing away to rescue another unfortunate rider every few minutes. As she was suiting up getting ready to go out for her particular race, I cautioned her to be real careful in traffic. Characteristically, she placed a gentle hand on my forearm and said, “Don’t worry about me, I’m going to get out front and stay there. I’ll be fine.” When the green flag dropped, she did exactly as she said by getting the lead and steering clear of rider jumbles. If you have the self-possessed confidence to claim you can pull off a specific feat, back that up by actually doing it, so that people you care about glow with pride at your accomplishments,

Some of you out there in Racerland have made the jump from Motocross racing to Roadracing. Remember how everything seemed to be on a sort of here today, gone tomorrow basis? Part of that is the high injury rate in motorcross, but another segment is the transitory nature of dirt bike competition. In motorcycle roadracing the focus is switched to developing your racing skills to stay in competition. Your racing prowess is honed on a much more gradual basis because of the high speeds involved, but with a definite accent on the longevity of your racing career. How long you grow in motorcycle roadracing depends a whole lot on you, so speak softly and tread lightly. Age is not a discriminating factor in roadracing, so there is little emphasis on going to fast, too soon, consistency in your performance is as important as in what place you finish.
I once observed Paul Bray from the infield at Road Atlanta. I had been very impressed with Paul’s results in racing because while in the Dunlop pits I had noticed how evenly he had worn his tires. Now, watching from the infield, I saw that he would raise the exact same size plume of dust in the same corner as he dragged his knee puck on each lap! Precision in your riding form brings excellence in your profession and the sport. This kind of exactitude is not perfected overnight. Use pressure constructively without letting the competition jangle you or unnerve you while you concentrate. Sure, there is always some impatient lout who might become perturbed with you in traffic whilst in your learning curve, but persistence, determination and consistency win the day, and that just can’t be rushed or hurried. Only Calvin Rayborn (Senior) was a born racer, so work at your craft doggedly, like everyone else, to get ahead.

While you are at the race track, remember you are there to race. Let some also-ran whip the innards out of a pit bike instead of you. Walk tall. Take notes. Walk the track. Take more notes. Plan your race strategy. CONCENTRATE. Whenever possible, give interviews after your heat. On the tract, employ all of your planning, practice and observation. What are your competition’s weaknesses; he has some, what are they? How does a particular back marker respond when someone comes up behind him? Work on being smooth and flawless in your lines. Learn to shift the motorcycle effortlessly. Teach yourself throttle control. Do you use the classic two-finger front braking method? Try not to stomp the rear brake pedal but gingerly apply it with your toe and the inside edge of your boot. Do you clamp the gas tank tight with your knees when you’re to hanging off? What about applying sensitive pressure to the outside handlebar grip when going into a turn?

At home watch the racers’ interviews when the roadrace shows are on. Watch closely. Observe carefully all the common mistakes. Catalog them mentally and prepare yourself. Grab a make believe microphone and deliver an interview to the bathroom mirror when there’s no one around to distract you. In the paddock, be gracious and kind. Loan contact cleaner without expecting it back. Greet people cheerfully. When you get your opportunity to be interviewed it will come naturally for you to be a public speaker. Be informative without being too pedantic or verbose. Display benevolence for racing, sportsmanship, and fair play. You soon will be known for the quick-witted, quality individual that you have created.

Develop what Hollywood moguls refer to as “Star quality.” Off moments at the track? Read a book or listen to music to keep the encroaching butterflies from building. Ride a bicycle to stay limber and loose. Stop by your various sponsors’ tents and say hello. Take the tire guys a six pack for the end of the day. Leave fruit or Fig Newtons™ out at your trailer for your fellow racers. Keep a cane to loan out to an injured competitor. An Ace™ bandage or sling can really bring a smile to someone in pain. Take the corner workers a twelve pack of iced tea. A small token of gratitude for a job with long hours and not much pay. Next time you’re in a town restaurant, buy a team owner an extra tray of oysters or a plate of hot wings as a compliment. Offer to help a back marker with their race strategy. By building goodwill in racing, you identify yourself as someone who is interested in staying in racing for the long view, and by doing so, you become someone who will someday reap the benefits.

Racing requires people like this to promote and embolden an already enjoyable, but expensive sport. Being a Good Guy (or Girl) lends authenticity to the sport. Even though the monies from the tobacco companies enliven racing, Mr. Clinton believes that old Joe Camel is not a figure that young children should identify with. This is not an opinion that is shared by most roadracers that I have talked to, but also realize that if Joe Camel has to upgrade, by reason of association, we should, too.
Victor, Champion, Hero, Heroine ... these words all have a nice ring to them, don’t they? Even the Grand Prix style wreaths and garlands bespeak of greatness, but don’t let it get out that you had to work your buns off to get to the top. You want to make it look easy, don’t you?

Viva T-Rex!!