I come down pit road for practice, and who is directly ahead of me but Jay Springsteen on his Harley XR750TT! That orange #9 staring me in the face….I took a deep breathe, pulled up along side (exhaust side) and just listened to that beautiful machine!!!…..Jay looks over and gives me a nod….Jay Springsteen gives me a nod while our bikes are warming up on Daytona pit road…..IS THIS REALLY HAPPENING?

Racing and Daytona…..2 words that just go together….kind of like cold and beer, Bikinis and Babes…..they were just meant to be!!

I’ve been going to Daytona for decades. I always rode my FXR (or the Honda Magna in the early days), camped, and went to the races…all the races I could afford! I always hit the usual party spots, but my heart, and people with similar interests, always wound up at one race track or another.

A couple years ago, I started thinking about what it would take to get out there and race. I started working corners as a safety worker with some friends (Thanks Stan Dilcher and David Brock!)…got my AMA Pro Marshall cert. I had reached a point with street riding where even if I started riding in a group, shortly, I was usually by myself at 90 or so, or 6 turns ahead of everyone.

After a few races with WERA on the old Honda 350’s (a southeastern region #1 plate, mid-central region #1 plate)….I started thinking about my dreams of racing at Daytona International Speedway, and faster bikes. Near the end of the 2006 season, I took a loan outta my 401K and bought a Kawasaki EX500….Inching my way to racing at Daytona.

2007 was the year. I was licensed, un-sponsored, under-funded, over budget, and a rookie at Daytona….doesn’t get any better...CUZ I WAS GOIN RACIN AT DAYTONA INT’L SPEEDWAY!!

I bought a trailer so I could haul my Kawasaki race bike, my Teammate Keith’s Honda 350 race bike, and my good old FXR….oh yeah, and a tent, plus 2 sleeping bags….first class baby!!

Keith and I would be racing in the annual American Historic Racing Motorcycle Assoc (AHRMA) event during bike week. Keith was riding in “Novice Historic Production-Lightweight” on his Honda350, and I was entered in “Battle of Twins, formula 3 (BOT F3)”. Our buddy Stan Keyes was also running 2 Norton’s in BEARS and Sportsman 750.

Battle of Twins is a class for newer bikes. Buells, Ducatis, Triumph Thruxtons, Suzuki SV650’s….Fast bikes y’all.

Then the riders….some of the world’s best run these races, and some were in my class or practice groups....gulp!! Here’s a few:

Jay Springsteen on his XR750TT road race bike. AWSOME machine and AWESOME guy! Think about this……Jay was severely injured in a flat track wreck last year. Literally, he got run over. Broke multiple ribs, and broke his back…yes, broken back. He was in a body cast for several months….8 months later, and here he is, WINNING again!...and happy! Let’s just say he ain’t no spring chicken either, his recovery was miraculous. Jay also ran and won the endurance race on Sunday.

I was a minnow in a pool of sharks….just call me baitfish.

Other guys running that I knew or names I recognized were John Regan (running same class as Keith), Buff Harsh, running the Todd Henning Racing Honda 350, Brad Phillips running his BMW, Also Carl Anderson running his 2 stroke.

Met a Wildman pitted next to us named Dan Elder, from Colorado. After racing both days, he was going to be part of the “entertainment” down at Gilleys Pub 44……Have you ever been to a motorcycle demolition derby?...oh yeah, and they were going to light him on fire….all kinds in Daytona buddy!

Here’s our cast of characters:

Stan Keyes, Owner of Cyco Cycles and Racing, in Jacksonville Fl. He has kind of adopted us (old and oily)….he’s like our racing “grandpa”….He’ll like that one!

Stan’s been at this for awhile. The announcer over the PA system at Daytona referred to him as “A Cagey Veteran” several times…..when I grow up, I wanna be like Stan!

AHRMA had an unusual set-up shall we say. We had to get our bike Tech Inspected on Sunday, out at Volusia county Fairgrounds near DeLand. So we truck em on out there and get in line. I get up to the station and there is this little kid there. Heck he gets right to business…..forms, what class, going right at it! I was impressed with the young lad! He was 10 yrs old or so…..I saw him several times throughout the week….Alex. His dad is a pre 1940 hand shift racer.

So Keith and I both make it thru tech, and head to the track to occupy the pits. We arrive and get in line (again) outside turn #1. There is still a race going on. It is a nationally sanctioned endurance bike race. Stan Keyes son, Derek Keyes, is running a factory EX650 Ninja. They did well during Biketoberfest (same race), but did not have a good day today…..blew up in short order….get em next time!! So Stan is already inside the track, and saving us a pit.

We are outside the track…..for like 4 hrs! I see all these old flatheads and Indians in front of us. I love these old bikes, so I get out and start asking questions…it occurs to me that all these guys have an accent….

Turns out these guys shipped 20 race ready, pre-1940, Class C Hand shift race bikes over from Australia to race with AHRMA at Daytona!!

I spoke with Tony Blain, #954, from Sydney. “We shipped 20 bikes, spare Indian motor, spare HD motor, trannies, plus other spares….and 28 people from Sydney and Melbourne.” He continued..”It took us 18 months to prep for this. Our container arrived in Savannah, Ga. We rented 2 big U-Hauls and several Mini-vans….here we are!!” They said customs inspections went great, and the dock workers in Savannah were a big help.

Tony runs a shop over there called Redfern Motor Parts. Sounds like they race these bikes hard over there…..Phillip Island, Winton, Broadford, Eastern Creek, Wakefield Park, and several others.

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