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- CHANGES -
9/20/07 My brother and his wife waited three months before telling anyone they were having a baby. My wife waited until her new car was in the driveway before telling anyone she was even getting one. And Matthew didn't even tell us he had a test the other day, until he had the results in his hand. Considering this year, maybe I think they're all on to something. At least three times so far in 07 I have shared ideas with you, that I assumed were plans. I have said we were going racing when as it turned out, "we" weren't going anywhere... I'm sorry for that. By now almost a full season's gone by and I haven't even sat on a motorcycle. I thought I'd only race Ducati superbikes forever, and now there's no more Daffy Duck on our banner - instead there's a manhole cover. Now there's no more Ducati logo - instead it says Suzuki. Obviously things are changing around here. Responsibilities that gradually left my control over the past few years are now re-forming in my grip. And as they do, our future looks and feels a lot less complicated. This has been the single worst racing season I have ever had - excluding of course the year I almost broke myself in half between a 748 and a concrete barrier wall. But if you look hard enough, something positive comes from just about everything in life. This season has proven to be no different. I'm excited to tell you that we have a new friend out there. A friend we made while fighting the good fight for Ducati - only he's not about Ducati. He's all Suzuki. He called a few times this year, just to see if I'd consider a change of brands. For the first few months all I told him was how much I appreciated the offer. In the next couple I told him I'd think about it. Then finally last month I asked him "where do I sign up?" What it comes down to is that I am a racer, but I don't just race for me. I'm a fighter, but I don't simply fight my fights. My goal has always been to be part of a team. Part of something bigger than just one person. Part of something more than just being selfish - which racing can easily become if you're not careful. Being part of a team, and racing from that place, has consistently fueled a fire in me to step-up and fight as hard as I know how. Even harder sometimes. But suddenly some time during this year, all the drama that I've shared with you here finally got to me. And once it finally did, that fight in me was gone. Maybe for me it's as simple as a classic Notre Dame football game - where the coach kneels down waving his clenched fists through the half-time air as he pumps his players full of hunger, desire, and then he offers them all a choice - a choice to win, or to go home. This might sound strange but for me this year, I feel like I came in after the fist half and no one else was in the locker room. I was all alone in an empty place and it stayed that way until one day when this great big guy named Brad peered his head around the corner, after a light knock, and said, "Hey GoGo.. What in the hell are you doing sitting in a locker room all by yourself? It's game-time brother.. Let's GO!" From that point forward the fight in me has slowly come back to life. At this point we are formulating a strategy to get to the last round of the AFM on a GSXR1000. Our main goal here is to score points in Formula Pacific during this last round so that we get a better grid position next year. This should be interesting because I haven't raced a GSXR since the first round of 98 at Loudon. I have not one clue as to what they need for race-prep, and my guess is we won't get much help from any of the AFM front runners. Stay tuned, this 'might' get interesting... HOME |
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