Monday, March 25, 2013

Its the people


Like many of us, our lead rider Mark was a motocross racer in his teens.  He was plenty fast, but didnt have the obsessive dedication that others in the neighborhood did (it was a very obsessed crowd...our good friend Rod Kentner went on to win the 1978 4 Stroke National Championship at Carlsbad, against some solid factory entries).

Life happens, kids need to be raised, and after  many years without riding Mark took up off-road riding again at the impetus of some friends in central Oregon.  Once part of the dirt riding world again he wanted to see how the fast guys do it, so when the WORCS circus came to the neighborhood (Longview, WA 2004) he was there and soaking it all up. He headed over to the pits and in his mid-40s got in line with all the kids to pick up a poster signed by non other than Ty Davis, soon to be Husky hero of the west running the Zip-Ty Husqvarna team. Ty Davis was standing 3rd in the series and scored a 2nd behind Bobby Bonds that day.   Mark proudly displayed that poster in his garage for years (even though it was a Yamaha poster and Mark was riding KTMs), until one day some wind blowing through tore it off the wall.

Fast forward a few years to 2012-3, Mark is now riding a Husqvarna 310R, Ty Davis a godfather emertius to Husky racers (right behind Malcolm Smith) and via Cafe Husky I started to commiserate with 'Tinken' from Zip-Ty over our shared love of the 449/511 Husqvarna.  One day it hit me; maybe Tinken can help replace the long lost Ty Davis signature, so I offer up some Husky bling for signature. Tinken refuses, and instead gets Ty to sign a genuine Zip Ty sweatshirt which Danny stuffed into the box with our latest Zip Ty axle nut purchase and shipped off to Oregon.

I gave the shirt to Mark on Saturday morning while we waited for starting time at the NORA/OMRA Prineville GP.  He got a big smile on his face and immediately began recounting how he had stood in line with the kids at that WORCS race 9 years ago.  Mark plans to get his picture taken with the signature shirt and send a signed copy to Ty.

He then went out and demolished the 50 Expert field, happy as a kid all the way.  As he came through the scoring chute on the 1st loop he hollered "What an awesome course !!"

Im sure that shirt was full of good karma.