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Taz Racing News
Headed South with the Snow Birds Off to the Winter National Olympics where thousands of riders from all over the world come to Gainesville, Florida track called Gator back. This event has 3 different events. Monday we will start with Grand Prix event this is where over 100 bikes start together & then head for the woods - the course is a couple miles long and the first one out of the woods wins, then we'll start the Supercross section that will be a 2 ½ day event then we'll move on to my favorite section the big track the "Gator back" this track is Motocross section (The myth of this track is like a gator that swallows you up cause this track is very intense & different sections are fast then very technical. Mom picked me up after school on Friday and we headed south to Gainesville, Fl. Mom likes to drive at night because it less traffic. There was allot of construction on I - 295 and the trailer didn't seem to be riding right about 1am, At our cat nap spot, Mom took a walk around the trailer. She noticed we had a blowout on the door side. We took a short nap & then headed to the TA truck stop down the road to get the tire fixed. We got to the truck stop in the middle of a shift change but the night crew guy was pretty cool and changed it right away so we could jet back on the road. We got to the track by 9am and had to park WAY out in the field - that stunk! But our friends the Goods, Muterspaugh, parked its turned out we. So it ended up ok. We set up the Trailer leveled then disconnected the truck. We, the Goods & Muterspaugh's headed in our dually to Hard Rock MX Park in Ocala, Fl. Hard Rock is open each afternoon for open practice. I took my new YZ 85 to get some track time, we all had a great time on this track we got allot of track time. We also went back to Hard Rock on Sunday for about 3 hours. So we didn't get ourselves worn out we chilled out the rest of the afternoon cause a week of non-stop racing is coming tomorrow. You are either racing or in staging then preparing for one or the other. My papa drove in on his BMW street bike to the track on Sunday evening. So now all of us are together & ready for the great week ahead. Monday is the Grand Prix with over 120 bikes in my 85 class and 100 in my 65 class. Each class all starts together & head into the woods. I ended up in mid-pack in both classes. Tuesday & Wednesday is Supercross! Its very tight racing and my starts were on & off which didn't help my overall. I'd have to come from mid-pack towards the front and that was a stretch. The rest of the week was my favorite - the big track. By now its just mom & me since business called pap away but my bikes behaved thank goodness. The little things that went wrong were easily fixed by some of our great friends there. Although the week wasn't great success I did leave in the top 20's overall on my 60 & most of all - in one piece. Off to be with family time for the holiday's and then back to training for next year.
November 4, 2001 Action in the little town of Dillwyn, Virginia It is now November 4, 2001 and the season is coming to a close. Boy what a surprise to find out that I had run enough races in the Ballzee Grand Championship to take over second (2nd) place in the series. How cool is that? Now it was time for Papa, Mom and I to head to one of my favorite tracks, Actiontown USA. I have been training and getting ready for the Mini Olympics in Florida at the end of the month. I needed to get some track time on my MOD 65cc that was built for me by Champion Cycles. We also brought my 2000 KTM MOD bike with us. We have sold this bike to a fellow rider, Rich Miles, who is coming up. He will be riding this in the younger group 60cc class for 2002. This was an exciting weekend for me; I really like playing at this track. This is a fast track and good for me to use to work out any kinks in my bike before we head to Florida. I was entered on both my KTM 60cc and my new YZ 85; this gave me the chance to have a lot of track time today. My fellow race pals, TJ Roberts and Trevor Shields were having quite a challenging day on the track. I was ready right out of the bat on my 60cc with a tie to the HOLESHOT mark on the first moto. From then on it was clear towards the straight a way and I was able to get on it and just fly to the "S" turn. After that turn we headed to the new section that dropped us to the back of the track by the pond. I was really having fun showing the way and doing the front double jump each time by (once I had my rhythm going). The first moto was great practice with TJ & Trevor coming back and forth for the challenge to the front. That was fun, but the win was great. When racing my 80cc I also stayed in the top 6 and worked on getting my confidence on the bigger size bike. The second moto was a blast on my 65cc bike. It was a great HOLESHOT and the rest, as they say, is history. With a 1-1 finish, it gave me a first place for the day. Well, off to Florida for the Mini Olympics during Thanksgiving week. See you there!!!!! October 21, 2001 Home for the weekend! Well, with NASCAR in town last weekend we were able to take in another kind of racing. This weekend we were at the home track, Lake Sugartree. We had practice going on during the week and many of my friends came down to get ready for the weekend. My Papa surprised me with a new 2002 YZ 85 that he had Chad Newton of Total Control Suspension set it up for me. My sister (Melissa), Papa and I went on a family trip to Durham, NC to pick up my new bike at Triangle Cycles. Chad was at the shop so that he and I could work together doing some last minute set-ups that could only be done when I was there. The bike needed to be fitted to me! Now I get to have double the fun on Sunday racing both the 60cc and 80cc classes. Lake Sugartree was packed with family and friends for the race. I ran around the track with some great challenges from TJ and Trevor. My 1st moto was Kyle Fitzwater from the 10-11 year old class and myself. We took off and made it a great race. There was a staggered start and this gave me a chance to challenge him for the lead and try to catch him, but the checkered flag beat me. For my 2nd moto, TJ and I had a good time; we battled away from everyone else. It was fun, kind of like it used to be when we were racing our 50cc bikes. There was not a lot of air space between us, but I was able to take the overall of the day on my 60cc in the 7-9 year old class. On my 80cc bike in the 7-11 class I stayed in the top 5. I was keeping barely a fenders distance between my practice and racing buddy, Samuel Pearce, and myself. I feel this was an excellent opportunity to get familiar with my new bike. I am very confident about the set up and look forward to spending more time on my new bike. With a top 5 finish this weekend, I am ready to head to Birch Creek next week to do it all over again. See you there!! October 7, 2001 Which way to go?? We had a decision to make; which track are we going to race at this weekend? We would have liked to go to Kentucky, but there we would have been on our own. If we were to choose Elizabeth City, we would have our usual crew of friends and fellow racers. These people do come in handy if/and when we need a mechanic. Mom and I made the decision to head to ECMX. I had not been there all year and it is one of my favorite tracks to play at. Upon arriving, we were greeted by all of our friends. They were excited that we had come. We hadn't run many D13 races this year, ones with Qualifiers and Mega series races. This was going to be fun. On race day, Mom and I got the bikes ready (by checking the gas, chains, tire pressures, etc.); then off to the line I went. Mom was selling her bears and had many KTM parts at our trailer. In order to be able to watch me race, Mom asked Mrs. Pilkington to keep an eye on the trailer for her. I got off to a great start and was going to do a sweeper in the first turn. To my surprise, the bike got caught in a puddle of water and sand so I decided to try some gymnastic routine called a cartwheel instead. The bike and I came to rest together in the middle of the turn. My first thought was I hoped no one was going to hit me! Once I realized the other bikes had already passed me, I had to get out from under my bike. At the time, Mom was with the announcer, Robert Whitehead. He had been talking about my sponsors and the MX Bears she sells when Mom realized I was not visible on the track. The first turn is blind, so as Mom took off to come look for me she heard the scorer yell, "Here he comes". All of a sudden there I was! I came out of the back section on a mission to catch TJ and Trevor. I was moving so fast you would have thought I was a freight train. I had quite a ways to go to make up the time I lost and get to the front. Along the way, I encountered Steven Good. He was trying to keep me behind him; but I did the double jump over him! He rolled it and I got the pass but I did not have enough time left to catch the front two. I ended up with a third for this moto. By the time we started the next moto I had picked out a different line. I went into the turn on the inside, passed fellow racer TJ and I was gone. I now had some playtime up front and worked on my jumping and cornering skills. These were things Gary had suggested I do. So, the day was not so bad finishing with an overall 2nd. Next week I get to watch NASCAR racing and do some practicing on my bikes a couple of times during the week. I am looking forward to the big event at our home track, Lake Sugartree MX Park on the 21st. See you there. September 29 & 30 2001 Well, off to the hills of eastern Tennessee. Mom and Ryan headed out on Friday evening and arrived early enough to get a good nights rest. Saturday we practiced from early morning until mid-day. It was then that Ryan decided to join his buddies in the afternoon short moto’s. It turned out to be a great afternoon watching all of them as they tested their bikes for riding and speed. The kid’s were continually challenging each other. Ryan and his racing pal Dakota had a heck of a race. Ryan made a pass on a fellow racer; then he decided to try a new jump and went down. Ryan was now on a mission to get back to the front. The excitement level was raised; even the announcers were amazed watching Ryan and Dakota race. It actually came down to a photo finish with Ryan taking the better position. After all of that excitement, the boys now had time to hang out and ride their skateboards. They had a good time playing on the skateboard ramps until it was time for bed. They needed to get a good nights rest so they could be up bright and early Sunday morning to race again. We started the day off Sunday morning by getting practice done and out of the way. The promoters for this race event are quick moving and have a busy pace set up for the racers. Ryan was in race #10, right in the middle of the day’s format. Ryan found time to hang out with some really cool guys, Pro racers Kevin Walker (the local hero of the tracks) and Mike Brown (the National 125cc Champion). Mom sells bears at the races and was able to get Mike Brown to sign some for her. The Mike Brown 100 bears were sold out by lunchtime. Ryan and Mike took some time together to analyze Ryan’s bad start on the first moto. As they watched other riders, Mike gave Ryan some pointers to try on his next start. Mike Brown stood with Mom and watched as Ryan started his next moto. The Taz must have listened because he made a really great start and was on a roll towards the front. He was able to stay in the top 5 for the rest of the moto and finished 4th. The weekend ended in a 4th for each day. See you all in Kentucky for the Kentucky State Championship
September 23, 2001 Once Ryan was back on the track it was obvious that this was going to be a great day for racing. At one point, it looked like a fellow racer was going to give Ryan some race push, but it never happened that way. He fell over the big double and didn’t quite make it all the way back to the front. He gave it his best though. Ryan spent the time working on his confidence by nailing and flying over his favorite jumps. This was quite a challenging weekend and good for Ryan’s confidence. He enjoyed himself and won both moto’s to boot.
FOOT / BOOT PRINTS FROM THE PITS June 24, 2001 My son was injured after he came over the
triple jump at the start line and the rider in front of him did not do the jump. This caused them to collide in mid-air. My son was running in the top ten and all were
wide open; the rider ahead of him had not done the jump and this caused them to collide
and go down. My son was trying to get back on
his bike when yet another rider came over the jump. This
rider was unable to see either of the first two boys who were down, and as he jumped, his
foot peg caught my son’s forehead, causing him to crash too. My son, Ryan, had seen the rider coming and was
trying to duck, but it all happened so quickly. It all happened so quickly; many parents
reacted before the flagger did. I am very
grateful to all of you who came to my sons rescue. You
did all you could to prevent any additional harm to come to him and the other riders. Many of you risked your own safety and put
yourself in a position of possibly getting hurt by making a wall around the accident. We all know this sport is dangerous and
are aware of that going into it. The jumps
have become a concern for all involved in our sport.
This is not just a local problem and I hope that is will be addressed
by the referee’s to parents and riders. Many
of our top riders have been hurt at the jumps. When
a rider can’t or is not able to make the double jump, he should stay to the side and
not be in the middle of the pack. This would
help in preventing harm to others. I really wanted to take this opportunity
to thank all of you who were there and helped save my son’s life. I do not know who you are, but I wanted to make
sure you knew how very grateful we are and how much we appreciate your concern and your
help. I also want to say to the father of the
rider who hit Ryan, thank you for worrying about me.
We all know this could have been a lot worse, but because the parents are so
alert and aware our children are safer. Ryan has some stitches on his forehead
and a cracked left wrist, but he’ll be back racing soon. Ryan, “The TAZ”, Smith will be back with
a vengeance and hopes to be ready by the Loretta Lynn in August. See you all very soon at the track. Thank you again. The Taz Racing Crew
Indoor For some indoor fun, I put the Greensboro
Coliseum, in North Carolina on my schedule. My
papa flew in from Florida to go through the bikes and make sure they were ready for the
races. I had tests to take at school before I
could head out, and we were delayed for two hours at school because of the snow on the
ground. By the time I finished my tests it was
getting real close to practice time. We made
it there just in time for the practice. I was
really stoked about the new, tight track and the new design of it. We ran the practice and then had to run qualifiers
to make it to the main event. This main event
is run at night, in front of an audience, between the Pro races. This is the Friday and Saturday night program. Sunday was racing for amateurs only. These kids are from all over the USA. Some of them just follow the circuit and others,
like myself, want the experience. They had a
great catapult jump set up that was trying to give the smaller bikes trouble. Those of us on the bigger bikes were just
hammering it. We wanted to see if we could go
as far as the Pro racers do. This was a great family weekend and of
course a great race weekend too. It was
raining outside, but that did not bother us indoors.
We were really raking up the fun of jumping.
As this weekend comes to a close, I am looking forward to traveling to
Tennessee next weekend. See you there!
Starting Off Fresh February 11th, 2001 This was the start to a fresh year. Mom was at the helm and the TAZ Racing crew was headed to Budd’s Creek, Maryland. My cheering section was to consist of Mom, my Sister, and the Pearce family kids. We strolled on up there on a very cold night to find not many people had come. This led us to believe that we would have a quick day of racing. Boy, was Mom surprised when she got up the next morning and found so many people had come there to race. With over 7800 riders there, I realized I
had my work cut out for me. Mom got us all
signed up with D13 and the race schedule. It was a high of 18 degrees outside. What a
beautiful, chilly day, for me to go kick some dirt!
Because there were so many riders, it was decided to run only one moto for
each class. With that in mind, I had to get
the best starts I could. This
year the track was running backwards from how it was run last year. I stayed to the right so I could swing my way out
of the crowd. My first moto was the 80cc and
I had a mid pack start. I was steadily moving
up and trying to keep a steady pace, at the same time I was trying to get used to this
bike in a race situation. Finishing with a
strong 9th place I felt good about my race. Then we had to get ready for the 60cc
class. They were running three classes
together, so I really didn’t know who was in what class as I raced them all. By the second lap I was into the front pack of 5
riders. We did not know exactly what position
I had finished in, when Mom went to get a trophy for me.
To our surprise I got the trophy for the 1st place position in my
class. What a great day, with the chill and
all. No racing next weekend. I am taking the weekend off to play my drums in a
Jazz Club concert. See you at the Indoor in a
couple of weeks.
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