Texas Mile Rant

It's that time again ~ time for another Texas Mile! This weekend will be our 9th...10th? Texas Mile in Goliad, Texas. We are expecting beautiful weather for this event.

Roger plans to ride the old turbo Busa and Jen will be riding yet another 'different' bike - a ZX14 Kawasaki (turbo) named Ranger - fastest Kawasaki on earth...literally. That said, we are anxious and hoping for some great results.

This raises a question - why, with all the great motorcycles that we have in our possession, have we not named any of them? Or have they (Jen and/or her dad) named them and just failed to share that information with me? (This happens on occasion, but when I find out they get the 20 question interrogation method of torture.)

I remember 'The Green Monster' - a green Kawasaki that Jen rode in a few AMA races a couple of years back. But that is not a name, just a label (that bike truly was a monster in the worst way).

And speaking of naming things...Will, have you named your kayaks? (That one you let Jen paddle seems to offer quite a wild ride on occasion...) What about that little white truck of yours? Or the Neon for crying out loud - that car HAS to have a name! I haven't named my little silver Mazda either... I am so disappointed in myself - how does someone have anything that long and not have a name for it? Names people! names! I need names!

Ranger IS a name. (Stephanie Plum fans take note - we will see if this Kawasaki named Ranger lives up to the Ranger in that series of books...I have serious doubts about that!) To be continued...

Greg Williams riding Ranger: Fastest Turbo ZX-14 in the WORLD!! 232 MPH

The Interceptor!

If we push the riding mover forward about three feet, a small space becomes available in the shop. A space just about the right size to be INTERCEPTED by ANOTHER MOTORCYCLE! Not just any bike, but a special anniversary edition - a 2007 Honda VFR 800.

It is a very special bike. The previous owner, a man in his 60's with a long white beard, had put only 225 miles on it. His family said every mile had made him happy. (He died peacefully in his sleep soon after purchasing it.) We have a big responsibility now, making certain this bike has a good home.

Our salesman was insistant that we carry this gardian angel bell on the bike. He said it would protect the bike and rider from evil spirts and keep them safe! That said, and considering the bikes history, we thought it could not hurt to follow through. So before the bike even left the shop in El Campo, TX the little bell was securely attached to the bike. Believe in evil spirits or not, the little bell did its job warding off trouble - the bike was run off the road by an evil little white car on the way home. Fortunately there was a good shoulder on that road, and as I watched helplessly from my little Mazda, I could clearly see that the guardian bell was doing its job.

Following behind in the Mazda as Roger piloted the bike toward Corpus Christi, I could see streaks of lightening in the sky - sometimes 4 at once, the bright flashes lit up the sky over Victoria. We pulled into a Texas Department of Transportation parking lot to sit it out. (Protected once again.) Soon we were back on our way. We pulled into the driveway at around 5:30 p.m., road grime covered the new red, white and blue bike and the odometer now read well over 300 miles.

Now all shinny and clean, this special bike has found a new home - a small space in the shop where I am quite certain its guardian bell will keep it safe.

Time for Testing

Progress report:

There are many things to be done in the next 4 weeks before that first race in Valdosta, GA, but the number one thing to do is practice, practice, practice. And there is no one who can do that but the girl herself - a.k.a. ninesecondjen.
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So, Friday night we - like the good parents that we are - hauled ourselves up to San Antonio with that shiny black and pink glittery GSXR 1000 so the girl could try to get down that 1/4 mile track consistantly in 9.3 seconds. Next week we want 9.2's, then 9.1's , etc. I know a tenth of a second does not sound like much...but IT IS!

First run down the track brought her a 9.4 second quarter mile and we were feeling pretty good about that. Just a couple more and she'd made it to the 9.3's; we were estatic! Then it happened - the front tire hovered off the ground for what seemed like the entire 1/4 mile, but she did it...she pulled off a 9.2 run...it was beautiful! She is so close to where she needs to be.

Not all runs are pretty and she has had her share of those too! But in spite of it, she beat that brand new 2008 Hayabusa to the end of the track :)

And then there are the burnouts...I just love those!

Like I said before, there is a lot to do before the first race in March!

~ The Secret ~

August 30, 2007 - I was on my way back to work from a meeting downtown. My cell phone rang (this is uncommon during the regular work day). I answered and someone told me a secret that I could not share with anyone but Roger.

I pressed the speed dial for Roger’s cell to tell him ‘the Secret’. I talked very fast, trying to get the details of ‘the Secret’ to him via cell phone…silence. Complete silence. I felt I was in one of those commercials - you know, the one where the wife calls the husband to share some very exciting baby news…then the phone goes dead and she thinks he is unhappy about the baby.

I said, “Hello? Are you still there? Are you speechless?” NOTHING.

I feared he had fainted, passed out in his office chair, fallen to the floor, broken his arm and wounded his head possibly needing 20 stitches on his brow. Quickly I redialed his number and found that my trusty Verizon “Can you hear me now?” phone had indeed disconnected mid-call.

September 1, 2007 - this is day 3. We are going to visit Jenn today and I must be very careful not to slip up and mention the Secret. I am not good at keeping secrets from my own daughter. She would be the first person I would share a secret with…however, this particular secret must remain just that – a secret – for awhile longer.

I must forget about the ‘Secret.’

September 6, 2007 – Wow, I am surprised at how easily it was to forget about the secret. Oh yes, it pops into my mind here and there…along with the agony that goes along with secret management and simply knowing how this particular secret is bound to change some lives. Two more days and ‘the Secret’ will be revealed.

Later…today I saw a picture of ‘the secret.’ It is quite large, bright yellow and black. NO – it’s not a big bumble bee!

September 8, 2007 – Soon, I will not have to keep this secret any longer!

Yesterday evening was racing in San Antonio. While there, Jenn gazed longingly at a bright yellow GSXR 1000 – it wasn’t a new bike, but it didn’t matter. She used to race one and loved it. She said, “I really liked that bike. I miss it.” Roger and I just looked at each other – we shared a secret. And we could not say a word.

Jenn views sunset at San Antonio Raceway Park while preparing for race

Jenn and her Dad prepare the Turbo Busa for the Dyno tuning

I don’t want to keep this secret any longer!

10:39 p.m. – The phone rang. I picked it up and Jenn declared, “You lied to me!”

“I know,” I said, and I laughed with her.

I could hear lots of ‘noise’ in the background, laughing, talking, eating, smiling (yes, sometimes smiles are noisy!)

So, here it is - the brand new, bright yellow ‘secret’ – a 2007 GSXR 1000, ready to set up for racing. Suzuki has generously donated this bike to Jenn. It is hers to - what else – RACE!