From Houston to the World

The sun is just starting to come up here in Southern California and I just got off the phone doing an interview for our podcast. I spent the past thirty minutes with a racer that I have admired for years. Not only for his racing, but his overall involvement in motorcycling and with motorcyclists. Kevin Schwantz. 500cc World Roadracing Champion in 1993, founder of the Kevin Schwantz Suzuki Riding School www.schwantzschool.com and coach for the Red Bull Rookies Cup team.

Kevin had just wrapped up a two day school at Road Atlanta and was heading off to the airport for a motorcycle show in Paris and then down to Valencia Spain to coach the American Red Bull Rookies for a race against the European Red Bull Rookies. In our chat together you could hear the enthusiasm and pride he has for these young kids. When Heather and I were at the AMA Superbike Finale last month at Laguna Seca, Kevin was there coaching the kids all through the weekend. As we would walk around the paddock, we would see Kevin with his riders and they were all having a great time...hey, who wouldn't? A couple of times we went looking for Kevin to talk with him for the podcast and we found him in the KTM Red Bull pits giving a pep talk to the kids. You should have seen these kids, their eyes and attention completely focused on what Kevin was saying.

Kevin came into this teaching and coaching position through a side door, you have to listen to the podcast www.themotoworld.com to hear about that side door, you can hear how much he has come to love it. I have a good friend who has attended his school twice, once as a journalist and once on her own. Angie credits Kevin with her success in roadracing. She was always fast, but Kevin helped her become smooth and fast.

Kevin Schwantz is an interesting man. Starting off trials riding in a ditch outside his family's motorcycle shop in Houston Texas to World Roadracing Champion to Stock Car racer to owner of a Stock Car team to teacher and coach in motorcycling again.

It was a great thirty minutes with Kevin, well worth getting up before dawn to have a visit. Listen to the podcast and get to know Kevin a bit better, you'll like it. I did

A need for more fans..but how?

Good afternoon all,

We got home last night from an interesting weekend at Laguna Seca for the AMA Superbike Championship Finale. Even though some championships were already decided there was still some incredibly exciting racing.

But, there really weren't that many spectators. It's a great venue, there was great racing and really...this is one of the premier roadracing series in the world. So here is the question... how does the promoter, in this case Corona beer, get more fanny's in the seats? When Heather and I picked up our credentials the gentleman there told us that we didn't need a parking pass because this was small event and it wouldn't be a problem. Well, he was right. So, the question still stands..how do you get more spectators?

The DMG, Daytona Motorsports Group, thinks they have the way. Change the class structure, make it look more like NASCAR(?), give the riders nicknames, etc, etc...but my thought goes a lot further than that.

If more Americans rode on two wheels, whether it's a scooter, sportbike, cruiser...the interest in all things two wheels becomes more interesting. I mean, hey, there are scooters that have paint jobs that look like MotoGP bikes! If local and state governments would work to make cities more two wheel friendly, more people would ride motorbikes. That in itself would do so much for traffic issues, parking issues, the environment and save you and I a lot of money at the gas pump. Just look at Europe. When we were in Italy last year and Mexico the year before that, scooters and small displacement motorcycles were everywhere. In Mexico, the police ride 250's and your pizza is delivered on a Honda 125.

Motorcycle manufacturers need to work harder at pushing the government to make riding a scooter or motorcycle more friendly, and safe. What I mean by friendly is make lanes for bikes on major roads and freeways, create parking for bikes that is free, give tax breaks for going on two wheels. You can put four motorcycles in the space of one SUV.

Because much of Europe is on two wheels, they relate to two wheel sport. Would it work here? Only if the governments and manufacturers work on it. It is a project well worth working on for so many reasons.

Just a thought.

Go to school

Time to go back to school. Riding school. I know some of you think I should go to writing skool but my grades aint gud enuf. Oh well.

A lot of years ago I attended the Original California Superbike School run by Keith Code out at the now long gone Riverside Raceway. It was a great day. I was just making the transition from desert racing to roadracing and what an eye opener it was. The day was spent on a Kawasaki KZ550 and in a make shift classroom. At the end of that day I had my AFM roadracing license in hand. I also had a head full of info that I still use to this day.

Years later, a lot of years later, I put my son in Superbike School. He was a good rider when he went in, he came out a much better rider. He too went on to roadracing with some moderate succeses...he and I and a couple of friends got 3rd in Middleweight Superstock at the WERA 24 Hour race at Willow Springs.

At this years MotoGP race at Laguna Seca I ran into Keith and told him how much I remembered and still use from his school...27 years ago!!!...he told me that he had met a couple others that had attended the school way back when. He was pretty stoked. Before we parted I told him about our podcast and asked if we could get together for an interview, he was up for it, I gave him my card and hoped for the best.

The Tuesday after the race my phone rings and on the other end is Keith Code. "When would you like to get together for an interview?" "Whenever is good for you" says I. A couple of days later I spent the morning with Keith at his home office. I took the picture of me at school that day back in 1981, he was pretty surprised. I was riding bike #5..he told me that they had recently found and bought bike #1 from back then.
We had a great interview, a great time and I truly believe I have made a new friend.

Keith Code is a very interesting man. He is constantly thinking of ways to improve the Superbike School and riders riding skills. His greatest joy is the success and happiness of his students. I admire Keith Code a lot, I have for 27 years.

The aftermath

Happy Saturday all,

A week ago I was sitting in the Media Center At Laguna Seca and wandering the pits scrounging up interviews. As I have said before, I have been going to Grand Prix races at Laguna Seca since the late '70's I have hundreds of slides (remember those?) of Kenny Roberts, Eddie Lawson, Wayne Rainey and more. Some years ago my good friend Craig and I got together for a slide show of all our pictures. A few hours, a bunch of stories and a lot of beers later we were ready for a road trip to Laguna Seca.

Fast forward to the 21st Century. I work in the motorcycle biz, so for the past couple of years, in one form or another, I'm working at the race instead of cruising around eating fried Calamari, Kettle Korn and drinking cold (overpriced) beers. Am I complaining? Nope. But it is a different experience, and one that I completely enjoy.

When you are at a race track, the sounds, the smells, the crowds, the general vibe is always exhilarating and it is never boring. This year, being part of the media circus was a unique experience of it's own. Doing interviews is always interesting...research, scheduling, timing, some are great, some are flat..but always entertaining.
A real highlight this race was the press conference with all the American Grand Prix Champions. Kenny Roberts,Freddie Spencer, Eddie Lawson, Wayne Rainey, Kevin Schwantz, Kenny Roberts Jr and Nicky Hayden..all together in one place at one time. All telling some stories and laughing with and at each other, a truly memorable moment in racing.

After the special awards were presented to the American Champions, I had a unique opportunity to listen in on Freddie Spencer and one of his former team members remembering old times and telling stories and then the highlight..I had a 15 minute sit down with Freddie alone. What a great guy. Engaging, personable, friendly and willing to share stories. I treasure that time and Freddie said he would be willing to do it again, we both had a good time.

Another good thing about the race weekend was seeing and hearing my friend Brian Drebber doing the announcing. He's been around racing a long time and when he's not doing announcing work he's helping out Corona Extra Racing's Matt Lynn on his Superbike. Brian is a motorcyclist Heart and Soul.

After the races were over, it was pack up the bike and head home. Yeah, we rode..carrying two computers, recording gear and everything else. Five pretty chilly hours later it's hot tub and a glass of Kentucky's finest time...gotta take the chill off ya know.

Ride safe, ride fast...most of all, go riding. I'll see you on the road
Paul
www.themotoworld.com

Live from MotoGP...Day one

Those foreigners, it's like they have a different word for everything!! (thank you Steve Martin). Here we are covering another race, this time the MotoGP circus is here at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. It's great to be at another World Event, the media center is alive with more foreign languages than a U.N meeting. Writers, photographers, TV, and little 'ol podcasters...us.

The lessons learned at Miller Motorsports Park were invaluable. Getting credentials through Dorna (the owners of MotoGP) is quite a bit more difficult. With the great help of Press Officer Ed Nichols here at Laguna Seca, we finally got them and into the media center we go. Thank you Ed. The center here is big, it has to be, MotoGP brings a lot more attention. The video screens are giant, showing the track sessions, timing (in detail) and every bit of information an information junkie (journalist) could want. Oh, and free Red Bull...this is the Red Bull Grand Prix you know.

After getting settled in it was off to Yamaha to interview Superbike pilot Jason Di Salvo. What a great kid, we had a really good time. Jason has a very interesting story, you can listen to it next week on the podcast.

Next on the hit list, Suzuki ace Tommy Hayden. After watching his brother Nicky run a very successful practice session, he and I sat down and had a bit of a chat. He's just coming back from a pretty nasty spill so it's really great to see him back on his bike. He was anxious about this weekend because it would have been the first time in 10 years that he would have missed the race.

We wound up the day at the track in a great way. I sat down with multi time World Champion and great guy, Freddie Spencer. What an interesting man. Prior to my talking with him, I was listening in on a conversation with he an old friend and team member, it was fascinating, two old friends talking story. Freddie and I talked a good 20 minutes about the year he won both the 250cc and 500cc World Championships. Freddie is a great talker, no wonder he is a very popular Speed TV announcer.


Well, next week you can check all these great interviews on The Motoworld podcast. I hope you all listen. Now it's off to dinner at our favorite place in Salinas, the Pennyfarthing Tavern.

Ride safe, ride fast and I'll see you the road.

Paul

Roads to Ride

So there I was, working away at yet another motorcycle race and all I really wanted to be doing was be out riding my motorcycle in the Sierra's with my friend Jeff. Jeff and I have traveled throughout the Sierra Nevada for years. Criss Crossing the mountains over all the passes, Tioga, Sonora, Ebbits, Monitor, Carson, the list goes on. We've never had a bad ride. Every weather condition...sometimes on the same day. No kidding, on one trip we went from 28 degrees in the morning to 90 degrees in the afternoon to 29 degrees in the evening, what a day that was!! From slipping and sliding in the snow to thinking we were riding in a convection oven. Isn't that one of the real beauty's of traveling on a motorcycle? Yes. If you do it right it's always a great adventure.



The reason I bring this up today is Jeff and his wife Kathy just got home from a 10 day ride. If I could write this in green ink I would!! Do you watch the news much? then you know that Northern California is on fire, so many fires that firefighters can't get to them all. Jeff and Kathy's ride took them up the California coast through Big Sur, I left Jeff a message on his cell phone wondering if he started those fires by riding so fast...he does hustle that big 'ol BMW GS around pretty quickly. From there up to Oregon and back down to Lake Tahoe. They ran into conditions where the smoke was so bad they couldn't see the top of mountains, Mount Lassen the most notable. Despite the conditions they had a great ride. It was the longest ride Kathy had ever done and Jeff was just warming up.

I always advocate riding in the Sierra's but for the next few weeks it might not be a good idea..the smoke can't be very good for your motorcycle and certainly not for you.

For those of us that live in Southern California, Hiway 1 through Big Sur is our route of choice to go to Laguna Seca for the MotoGP race..this year due to a huge fire up there we might be stuck taking an inland route. Coast Hwy is closed currently and is expected to stay that way for a while. So...if you live in So Cal or are going to MotoGP from So Cal, are you ready for a great route to Laguna? Sure you are...and this route will take you ALL day..you are really going to want a cold refreshing beverage at rides end!!!


Ok, Hwy 101 north out of the L.A environs, at the northern end of Santa Barbara head up HWY 154 (the San Marcos Pass road) entertaining and beautiful. Before you reach the 101 again, turn onto Foxen Canyon Rd...through the Santa Ynez Valley wine country you go...slow speeds but really beautiful (well, there are a few places you can step up the pace)it's too early to buy wine so keep going. Just as you would reconnect with the 101 at Betteravia Rd in Santa Maria( the end of the Foxen Cyn Route) the restaurant at the truck stop is a great stop for breakfast!

After your fill of corned beef hash and eggs..well, maybe thats my fill...standard road trip breakfast for me, it's back onto the 101 North, oh..don't forget to gas up. Along the coast you go..Arroyo Grande, Pismo Beach (the best Italian restaurant outside of Italy is there..Guiseppi's), San Luis Obispo then it's inland..and HOT!! Stop again in Paso Robles for gas cuz' you're going to need a full tank from here. Just north of Paso along the 101 is the town of San Miguel. San Miguel is the site of one of the early California Missions, a beautiful place currently undergoing a major renovation so you can't visit it..too bad. This is where you turn off, cruise through the tiny town..now here is where you need a California map, you want to be looking north east(up the map) for Hwy 25..you need to head east of San Miguel before you end up back on the 101, the route# is unmarked at San Miguel but on the map it is obvious..

The road from there to Hwy 198 is a bit iffy sometimes and not all too friendly to stiffly sprung sportbikes but what comes next is well worth it. At the County Road G13 intersection you will need to make a bit of a right left jog (about 100 yards) onto Hwy25. Now the true fun begins...no traffic, high "Giggle Factor" riding and great scenery. Next stop, the town of Hollister...scene of the movie the Wild Ones with Marlan Brando and Lee Marvin..They didn't ride Harley's, they rode Triumphs and BSA's.

Now it's back over to the 101, south to Salinas and over to Laguna Seca. It's a great ride all the way around. If you are staying in Salinas or if you get there around supper time you have to go to the Pennyfarthing Inn. Check this out...a really good English Pub in the heart of a major farming community dominated by some really great Mexican restauarants?! Yeah. Well worth the stop.

Well, kind of a weird post today, all over the place..which is exactly where I wish I was...all over the place..

Ride safe, ride fast and I'll see you on the road..

Paul