by lawrence peters/pictures by karen parker-peters
C 2001
People say I'm lucky. I don't consider myself lucky; I'm curious. I want
to know the why of things.
This year, I
wanted three things: to escape the -40 degree winters of Canada, where
I'd just spent a year (-40's no joke- try it); I wanted to watch space
shuttle launches live (4 so far, plus one sunset and one night) and I wanted
to go to Daytona. High banked legendary hallowed ground to fast cars and
faster bikes.
Now you can go to Daytona many ways if you're lucky. Spectator, journalist
or fan, but that's not the way I wanted to do it. I wanted to see it from
the inside, the way I wanted it. As crew.
So I placed an ad in a couple of online motorcycle magazines that was like
"Just move to Florida, does any team need an extra pair of hands in the
pits. I have virtually no experience, but am smart, fast and am willing
to learn."
Oh yeah, a real asset. But I had to honest with them and with myself. Otherwise
and I'd come off as a know it all idiot who's just a spectator and not
a participant.
The first to contact me was a racer from New Jersey, Keith Marquez, who
runs the CCS/F-USA circuits.
A good racer,
lots of good finishes and a fast guy. Sounded good. But about a week before,
the doctors gave his damaged ankle a no-go for Daytona. Next time. The
next guys up were CCS guys with a Honda F3, but they decided they couldn't
afford it. I thought I was going to wind up in the stands.
Then I got a 'mail from a guy from Southern California named Stuart Stratton,
and it was a go-- he was glad to have me and would help in any way he could.
I did a search for him on the Web, just to see if there was anything out
there about him and oh my god, he was good. Real good; he ran with the
top guys. Also 600 Supersport Production Champion last year, runner up
the year before that, and had just won everything the week before at his
home track. The big leagues.
You know sometimes
when you wish for something...
Stuart takes his paycheck as the Senior ROV Pilot/Technician of the Remote
Observation Vehicle Ventana ( a sub that you pilot, not sit
in) at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and puts it to work
as privateer racer. He does the best he can do with little money he's got,
and takes it as far as he can go. Stuart worries about the money and lets
it go; there are many things more important than money, but to go further,
to go faster, score higher and refine the bike, money has to be there for
tires, for fuel, for travel and for Kenny. On this shoestring budget he's
managed to accrue an impressive set of wins.
At the track things came together...
In the moment,
where I wanted to be.
The Moment of
Truth
Letting me into this equation took more than most people would have put up with: a green inexperienced person could have muddied up the waters and made things a mess. An unknown factor in a balanced equation. I was far from the perfect person but they took the time to answer my questions and they gave me what I needed, even if I didn't know it. My contribution was a willingness beyond ego and a yearning to believe and be a part of their dream. And we meshed. I made myself useful. I did what I was told and didn't go beyond my own limited knowledge. I didn't pretend I understood something I didn't and tried to be at least half the professionals they were. Sure I asked a lot of questions but was never made to feel the outsider-- they let me in-- I knew this was a once in a lifetime chance and I took it.
Start of 600cc
Production- the Big Show.
Of course it
was wet, wet, wet.
Ready...
Set...
Go Stuart Go!
This was the last race of the weekend, a 12 lapper cut to eight because of the rain. Stuart got an awesome shot off the line and three laps later was fourth. He slid it out in chiciane while going for third and went down. After his ride in the dirt he jumped back on it and came hurtling back into the pits. Kenny bent back the handlebar (of Stuart's own design) and after checking him out thoroughly Kenny waved him back out.
October 19th,
2001...the world changes in a moment.
It was said by the the great racer Peter Revson
"Racing is life; all else is waiting."
If you'd like to see what all his other friends thought of him, go visit a page done by one of the best of them, Clara
And my friend
is gone... There's more to tell, I just need to stop crying first.