Winners Don't Always Finish First

Four years ago I went to AHRMA Vintage Motorcycle Racing to watch my friends Jason and Kerry race.  I had already been to Willow Springs Raceway for their open track days and I guess I anticipated that the experience would be similar.  Boy was I mistaken-- AHRMA is more than a race, it's a culture.  Aside from the cool vintage motorcycles on display and on the track, you'll meet a gang of fun and friendly people-- skinny-jean wearing hipsters, grey-haired veterans, tattooed millennials, cool chics, beer drinkers, families... anyone and everyone is welcome at AHRMA.

The race is this weekend.
Come to our camper, license plate ELMUCHO to chat and enjoy a Tecate with us!

The most distinct part of any type of motorcycle race is the roar of the engines.  I love hanging out at turn one where the riders come out of a straight-away to a 90 degree left-hand turn.  Standing there behind the fence you can hear the speed of the motorcycles, down-shifting in preparation for the turn. I especially loved watching them lean into the turn.  

That day was a very windy day in Lancaster so we decided to watch the race from inside of our Callen camper which was backed into the opening of turn one.  We could actually lay in the bed and watch the race through the opened rear door.  While watching the Sounds of Singles, we'd sit up as the racers sped by and then lay back down until they came around again.  I noticed that minutes after the group of racers would pass there was a rider who was far behind.  I thought how amazing and courageous for this man to be on the track even though he wasn't as fast as the others.  I think it was about his third lap when I was inspired to enter the race the following year.  So although this racer was in last place, he was a winner to me.