When Your Whipper-Snapperette Starts Riding/Racing...

CBRtist

CBRtist

Well-Known Member
After 4x on the track, Ria's official race was last weekend. Crazy to have your young kid racing (and I know some are younger) before you ever did, but it's a sign of the times.

Even crazier is her having adult "track" conversations where she's talks about "the turn she doesn't like", wants to make sure it's a "clean pass", how she left too much room and got her doors blown off on both sides, and how she's trying to hit apexes and when she clips the "bumpy stuff" she gets freaked. She even had her first crash last time and handled herself well. Ahh.... racing through the eyes of a child, as I'm sure some of you know.

Anyhow, like I said before, anyone into or looking to get your little ones into it, give me a shout. Always eager to help and/or meet other race parents. I've shamelessly attached a few photos for those who haven't seen... one with new plastics, her with one of her "pit crew" friends (she's recruiting them at school), one of her gridded up last on the right (yeah, I know, but she's having fun and getting there). Hell, I just give her credit for throwing herself out there.

BTW mad love to all of you who have encouraged and supported both me and her in this process. :love: You know who you are. Cheesy... but truthful. Not easy being a pretty solo mom doing this :unsure: but so rewarding!NewPlastic.jpgPitCrew.jpgFirstRace.jpg
 
meanstrk

meanstrk

Control Rider
Way back in the day, I got my son into riding. Actually, all my kids, but the youngest is the one that stuck with it. We rode dirt, two up on the street, eventually him on a Baby Ninja, and eventually on a SV 650, which he has now owned for over 10 years. In that time, some of my most memorable days has been riding with him, both on street and on track. He has turned into a rider of equal skill level and we just go out and have fun.

There have been down sides. Helo ride from CMP after a highside knocked him unconscious when he was 16 years old. He still has no memory of that event at all. Ambulance ride from a wreck that resulted in hardware installed to put him back together. Track wrecks until have learned tire feel. Another helo ride from a back roads wreck when a car turned in front of him.

There have been times when I second guessed getting him into riding, but in reality, he would have anyways. What I truly value is the time spent together in a passion we both share. It keeps us close as both friends and father and son.

This picture was taken last week while working at VIR for the California Superbike School. After that session, he rode that bike home to have rehearsal for his AAS graduation. For his graduation gift, we bought him a Honda VFR.

Motorcycles are the primary common glue that keeps us close and we will never let that bond go. If you can build the same, then you absolutely should!

IMG_1428re.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top