Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

via e-mail:

Hey there! I wanted to give a brief report on the VEGAS WERA event 5/22-23, and the FRA trackday on 5/21.

I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the sponsors and staff of FASTRACK and WERA WEST for helping to make my niece’s first race a great experience. Thanks go out to Perry, the Pirelli team, and all those who pulled it together and found minibikes to ride so she could actually compete.

To explain, my Niece Kayla (12 years old, WERA #103) has been coming to FASTRACK events for the last two years with me, and expressed an interest in racing. We (ACME MOTORSPORTS of CA, INC) acquired a YSR50, set it up for racing, got her some leathers, boots etc., and she signed up for and received her WERA racers license two weeks ago (after having to bring her grades up and do a TON of late homework)! We arrived at Las Vegas Motor Speedway where I was racing WERA WEST Sportsman Series, and she was scheduled to race in the MINI series, and had paid her fees, etc. (Even pre-registering like a good racer should!)

Well, long story short, no other mini entries showed up, although several had entered. Nobody to race with, no race! Working with Dave Pyles of FASTRACK and Sharon of WERA as well as the rest of the WERA and FASTRACK team, we arranged that if we could get at least three other licensed racers out there on the track, she could race. People came out of the woodwork to donate their Pit-bikes and a pocket bike and 5 guys volunteered (all experienced, adult racers), and a race was run! FULL TRACK no less! Kayla made it through her warm-up lap, got a good start but crashed :bawling: on her first lap, and the guys all jumped off their bikes and helped her to get back up and restart the YSR, and waited for her to get going again. She completed the race and a cooldown lap and WON her first race!

The WERA crew made a big deal of it, and made
sure she got a trophy and was made to feel like a winner. She is totally ready to race again, and her parents and our family are really excited for her. Pirelli is looking at her for sponsorship, and this is a terrific start to her racing career. I personally had a terrific weekend myself, with 3 first place finishes and a 2nd place as well.

The event was well run, facilities were as good as could be expected at the site, (Classic Course is a lot like Streets of Willow), and I am absolutely stoked about the upcoming weekend at California Speedway for the WERA NATIONAL EVENT.

WERA WEST ROCKS!

Dave Osser
WERA #330
San Diego, California



And now some reader reaction:

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

Sounds like a great story!

I haven’t raced in over 10 years but when I did race, it was very common for the paddock to pull together to help the other racers – especially novice racers. I can think of too many examples to list: helping Novice racers get thru tech, helping other racers repair broken bikes from crashes and mechanical failure, loaning leathers, helmets, parts, etc. and even loaning entire bikes!

This type of pulling together and helping each other out occured nearly every weekend!

It is good to hear that with all the other changes in the world, that the club racing paddock still pulls together to help each racer!

George B. Leavell
Gilroy, California