MK’s blog

Just got back from the ASR trade show in SanDiego, that’s (Action Sports Retail) Surf,Skate, etc.
I found some very cool new stuff that We at Niks May be adding to our Retail store. More is info on the way soon
mk

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Contact: David Pingree (TLD Team Manager) Tel: 951.371.5219 ext 266

Rollercoaster weekend for TLD / Lucas Oil / PPG / Honda

The Troy Lee Designs/ Lucas Oil/ PPG/ Honda team had a roller coaster weekend at the Thunder Valley National in Colorado last weekend. Jake Moss and Chris Blose made it clear that they intended to have breakout rides over the weekend by posting the first and fourth quickest times in the second practice session. Their young teammate, Sean Borkenhagen, logged his best qualifying time this season with a ninth in the 250 class.

In the first 450 moto Chris Blose rounded turn one in second place behind Red Bull/Honda’s Ivan Tedesco. Moss was close behind in fifth but it wouldn’t take him long to move up and eventually pass his teammate. By lap three Moss was in a solid third behind Tedesco and Short while Blose fell back to the eighth spot. And that’s where both riders stayed until the closing laps when Reed got by Moss with just a few laps to go. Moss would make a run at him on the final lap but still cross the flag in fourth position. Blose held onto eighth place for his best finish of the outdoor season. It was a banner moto for the Troy Lee Designs/ Lucas Oil team with both riders well inside the top ten and Moss fighting for a coveted podium spot.

The second moto wouldn’t be as kind to either rider. Moss was again inside the top five rounding the first turn but it wouldn’t take long for things to go sideways. Jake hit a bump on the face of a jump and it sent him flying over the handlebars. He was knocked unconscious briefly and then attended to by the Asterisk Medical team. He suffered a concussion and a small contusion around his right eye in the crash that ended his night. Chris Blose suffered a terrible start (38th position) and worked his way up to tenth after the opening laps. It looked like Chris was set to post another solid finish until a crash shot him off the track and out of the top twenty. It was not the way either rider hoped to finish off an otherwise spectacular weekend.

After qualifying well, Sean Borkenhagen struggled in the 250 class with a 15-DNF result. Sean will look to improve that score as he heads to Red Bud this weekend in his own van.
The Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil/ Honda team will skip Red Bud and return to action at the Washougal round of the series on July 25th.

X Games 15
The following weekend the team will prepare to add to it’s medal count in the Summer X Games in Los Angeles on August 1st.
Jake Moss and Chris Blose will compete in the Moto X event and Jeff Ward, Joey Pascarella, David Pingree and Cassidy Anderson will fight for the gold in the Supermoto discipline.

The Troy Lee Designs /Lucas Oil /Honda MX Race Team would like to thank all of the amazing companies that have supported our racing efforts over the years.
We would also like to welcome our new sponsors that will be an integral part of the crew in years to come.
Among those are Lucas Oil, Seaspan, Avia, SkullCandy, Rossignol, Epic Camera, Kasey Kahne Racing and Icon Aircraft.
These companies have come onboard for 2009 and we are excited about working with them.

We would also like to acknowledge the sponsors that are returning this year.
Those include American Honda, Wings for Life, PPG, Pacific Collision Centers, Couts Heating and Cooling, Dunlop, VP Racing Fuels, Pro Circuit,
Renthal, ODI, Excel, RK, N-Style, Selle Italia, Alpinestars, Jimmy Vasser, Cornwell Tools, Cumberland, Cycra, Malcolm Smith,
Flexfit, Hinson, Leatt Brace, Light Speed, Muc-Off, QTM, Talon Hubs, CRF’s Only and Twin Air. We could not go racing without you.
Thank you for your support of the Troy Lee Designs /Lucas Oil /Honda MX Race Team.

We would also like to acknowledge Mid-Cities Honda for their continued support of Sean Borkenhagen.

TAKE A LAP AROUND THE WORCS COURSE UP AT THE ROUND 6 OF THE WORCS SERIES AT

RIVERDALE RACEWAY IN TOUTLE WA.

WORCS Toutle WA race 3 30A from bike spray on Vimeo.

(more…)

Is it me, or does keeping a good attitude during a race get harder with age?  It seems when I was younger, it was easier to race with drive and confidence. Now, when I am the last off the line into the first corner, the thought of quitting and riding in cruise control the remainder of the race seems to be my automatic plan B.  So I find myself observing persons of all ages throughout the race day.  It always amazes me how carefree the kids are.  There are no worries for them; they just have fun riding and fool around when the race is over.  Even so, it is hard for them to be my inspiration due to my age and responsibilities.

The Vet races usually begin a week prior to those of other classes.  More so in the recent years, these events have been stressful.  There are a number of things to prepare for in addition to the unexpected circumstances I must be ready to tackle.  It takes time to get my bike and gear together, so I usually end up running late and traveling to the race quickly while attempting to avoid any speeding tickets.  Once I arrive, the unexplainable happens.  My bike won’t start until about the 35^th kick, even though it fired up on kick number one at home.  Not to mention, after unpacking I get to lie down on a motel mattress or the front seat of my truck. By the beginning of the race, my body is tired, my head aches, and my face shows no sign of a racer that wants to win.

It was only recently that I realized my attitude was affecting my performance.  While at Monticello Worcs in Utah, I had an eye opening experience.  I started the race tired as usual, and by the second lap, I was about to give up.  I had been struck in the face twice by rocks and then fell into the bushes.  By this time I was so irritated.  I probably took half an hour to get myself out of the bushes and back onto the track.  I was so mad at myself; the last thing I wanted to do was finish the race.   I ended up pulling off to the pit for a breather.   A friend came up and told me, “Just go out, cruise, and have a good time.” Yeah, like it is that easy I thought.  So I gave him a lame excuse. All I told him was, “Uh? Ok.”  But when I returned to the race, I thought about what he said.  It seemed so cliché, but what he said made sense.  I realized, “I am racing outside of California! That is awesome!  My friends back home would love to be in my position!”  By changing my attitude and way of thinking, almost immediately I was clicking off faster laps, riding smoother, and actually enjoying the race.  

I visited my parents on the way home from the race. I explained to my mom the highlights of the trip.  As I was about to leave, she asked me to take out the trash that was only half full and like old times I gave her the “are you kidding me look”  as I walked past her through the front door leaving the trash can behind me. The words from my mom slipped through the fast closing gap in the door “ you have always had a bad attitude !………

glen helen am nationals

We will have details soon, but the plan is to go to interbike this year and grab as many Bicycles dealers as we can.
stay tuned.
mk