Round 3: Wheels Down

July 23, 2026

Wiring harness, instrument cluster, emergency tether, kill switch, swingarm, tensioner mod, subframe brackets, subframe, intake snorkels, triple tree, steering stem bearings, fork sleeves, tubes, bushings, and seals, caliper seals, brake master bleed screw, brake fluid reservoir, rearset brackets, footpegs, shifter peg, water pump cover, case savers, frame sliders, bodywork, windscreen, side fairings, fairing stay bracket, mufflers, muffler adapters, action cam, DAQ unit, racing suit, racing boots, gloves, helmet, base layers, skin, time, money, lifeforce. From memory, that’s everything I can remember repairing, replacing, or still having some need to rectify; ten months of rebuild is a long time.

This “offseason” had me thinking back in time a bit. In 2012, I was lucky enough to be the chief engineer on the Longhorn Racing team after 2 consecutive years of building momentum with a great team of, now, lifelong friends. The prior year we’d just had our best year ever and had established ourselves as legitimate FSAE contenders. For those of us left on the team after the seniors graduated on to bigger and better things, expectations were high. We laid out the foundation for an ambitious car with a goal of no less than winning the competition. Then, at a critical juncture in the project, we ran out of money. It’s a common problem for FSAE teams and for racing programs in general, as far as I can tell. I thought about 2012 a lot this winter.

Similar to 2012, though, I didn’t just sit around and wait for my problems to solve themselves. I planned, saved money, looked for deals, made phone calls, drafted and sent out sponsorship proposals, spent what I had wisely, and took care of big ticket items when the money was finally there. Meanwhile, I did what I could in the garage with what little money I had: measured, cut, welded, drilled, vacuum bagged, wrenched, maintained physical fitness; there was rarely a stretch of multiple days wherein I was not trying to do something to keep things moving. After 10 months of working my fingers to the bone with a big final push in the weeks leading up to Round 3, and a good-old-fashioned extremely late night/early morning of last minute prep, I finally got back onto the tarmac. Hell, my buddy Everett even saved a spot in the paddock for me. It was a small gesture that went well with the ‘welcome-back’ vibe I received from many people over the weekend.

***Finally Back in the Paddock, PMP, July 2026***

After getting some huge assistance at home from both my wife and my mom to help cover the kids for me, I finally arrived at Round 3, albeit a bit on the back foot. I hadn’t ridden in 10 months, I was physically and mentally exhausted, I hadn’t been maintaining fitness for atleast a few weeks, and my weekend preparation was garbage. Final prep had been done from memory in a 20 hour marathon of bike work haphazardly mixed with grocery runs, Amazon orders, and sloppy, rushed packing. Luckily, I’ve done this dance so many times, I only ended up forgetting a few things, and nothing that was forgotten was critically important.

***My Riding Sucked but I was Still Having Fun, MRA Round 3, PMP, July 2026 [Photo By Kelly Vernell]***

Although I was rushing to get everything ready to go, my sense of time and priority compelled me to book a trackday with Legion as soon as I was 55% sure the bike would be ready. I was able to get everything ready well enough to make the final 2 sessions of the day and run them both without incident. The arc that concluded with getting the bike back on stands at the end of those sessions felt like a success worthy of celebration. I went to a nearby burger joint, Two & Nine Bar & Grill, and had the greasiest burger and onion rings I could find. I ate in almost complete silence just savoring the moment. It had been so much work getting back out again and it was fantastic to be there. After my celebratory meal, I returned to the paddock, got teched, said hi to some of my old friends, then rolled out a mattress in the tent and crashed. I still had things to do before my first race, but my fatigue had finally caught up with me. Everything else would have to wait until tomorrow.

I woke up the next morning feeling rejuvenated. It’s amazing what a good night’s sleep and a full breakfast can do for you. Preparations in the paddock were standard: fresh tires, bolt check, safety wire check, fluids topped off, tire warmers running. Mustard. With everything in place, and races quickly approaching, I had to think about riding goals. Normally, my competitive nature tends to peek it’s head up around this time, but for the first time ever on the morning of a race, I had no ambitions in mind. All I wanted to do was have fun and keep it wheels down. There was absolutely no sense in going full send on a freshly rebuilt bike after 10 months of couch time. Not gonna happen, even for someone as results oriented as me. Ride, enjoy, improve, wheels down. That was it.

I’m grateful to report that’s basically how the weekend went. Normally I have race stories to tell and results to ponder, but the results this time out are not the story or the sentiment. I had just as much fun catching up with my racing friends as I did racing. I intentionally sat out a race simply to rest up and socialize, a tactic very uncharacteristic for me. I chewed off Ev’s ear about my many MotoGP opinions, I spoke more than my fair share to Bob about tire pressures, compounds, and our love of Ducatis (he likes the way the new mufflers sound and I agree with him), I caught up with Racz about dad life, planted a seed with Big Barty (let’s make this nickname a thing) about a ride at Tincup Pass later this year, and awkwardly fielded praise from Starfighter about getting back out there because I suck at accepting simple compliments, for some reason. Now that I’m in my 40s, maybe I’ll finally learn to smile and say, “thanks, man, I appreciate that”. Also, in hindsight, Starfighter’s comments really hit home. He said something like ‘it’s awesome to see you back out there ripping again after everything you’ve been through to get bike back together’. I don’t remember the exact words, but I do recall thinking that he hit the nail on the head. Dave’s a good guy. Aaaaaaaanyway..

***New Paint and Gear Looking Great, MRA Round 3, PMP, July 2026 [Photo By Kelly Vernell]***

With respect to the riding side of things, I rode in MW2X, Thunderbike, Formula 40 (for the first time ever!!) and Amateur Middleweight. I got within 2 seconds of my PB lap and my best laptimes of the weekend were on par with the top 5 finishers in the Amateur Middleweight class. I can’t complain about that. I’ve also officially vanquished my race start demons, as I seem to get off the line pretty well every time now. I even got to lead the pack briefly with an epic launch from the 7th row of AmMW that gave me the holeshot into turn 1. It didn’t last long, but it was enough to be reminded of what it feels like to lead a race. After taking the checkered flag for the last time of the day, I pulled the bike into the pits, peeled off my leathers, and cracked open a pair of ice cold Blue Moons to share with Everett. My hard work had finally paid off. The bike was back, I was back, I had kept it wheels down, I’d had an enormous amount of fun, and I was starting to have some positive feelings with the bike again. It’s hard to beat the elation of a podium, a victory, or coming out on top in a last lap battle, but even without these things I still had a damn good time this weekend.

***Riding Improved Throughout the Weekend, MRA Round 3, PMP, July 2026 [Photo by Kelly Vernell]***

I know myself well enough to know that my competitive urges will return and I will start searching for speed again soon. Going fast and doing well is part of the fun for me. Right now, though, I’m just glad to have had a good weekend racing with my friends. Once again my pockets are empty so I won’t be at Round 4, but I have every intention of making it out again to Round 5. I’d also like to throw in another trackday or two for good measure before the cold weather closes in. Assuming I finish the season without any major setbacks, I’m eyeing a potential full season of racing in 2027, which would be amazing. In concluding this article, one conversation keeps coming back to me. Mr. Ronald Wyndon and I were talking shop and the topic of trackdays came up. He explained a few of his very logical reasons for preferring trackdays, all of which made perfect sense. All I could come up with in response was, “I just really love racing, man”. It was a moment of clarity.

At any rate, until next time: Never Lift!!!

2026 Supporters

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