Race season is finally here and STG went to the track! With the need to sell Pirelli race tires and to support some of our employees, we packed up the trailer and went to Grattan Raceway in Belding, Michigan. The weather forecast wasn’t looking the greatest as we were packing on Saturday but ended up turning around, making it a successful weekend overall.
I love everything about going to the racetrack, even when I am not riding. I have to admit, being there and not riding my bike is hard but I tried my hand at racing and didn’t love it. The positive thing to look at is that I get to represent the company I work for and cheer on all of my friends that are there racing. Some are seasoned veterans and some are just getting started.
Another aspect about the track that is fun for me is seeing the people we’ve helped. Walking through the pits you see the products you represent and sell on the guys and gals there racing. I get to talk to our customers, get direct feedback on the service we provided and their thoughts on the products. This isn’t limited to gear, but also ranges from tires to replacement clip-ons, etc.With some of our employees doing track days and racing this year, it’s great to cheer on your fellow co-worker. It makes for a very positive work environment when you can cheer each other on and have more of a relationship in and out of work. Here is Nick aka Phil rolling around on the grass (by my suggestion, lol) to break in his new Dainese suit and ware off any bad mojo. I did this with my new suit a year ago and suggested he do the same, so it wasn’t brand spanking new the first time he heads out on the track. Call it superstitious, sure…
Going to the track isn’t just about racing, its a family environment and the friends you meet last forever. I’ve never had a group of friends like the ones I’ve made while at the race track. It’s hard to explain if you haven’t experienced it yourself. Oh, and the food… My friend Teddy from Apex Manufacturing showed me the way of grilled pineapple, which is amazing!
Sunday ended up being a beautiful day, a bit of wind but the sun came out and dried up the track. Here’s a shot of the riders meeting, which happens every race day after practice and qualifying ends but before the races begin. Last minute track and safety tips are given by the officials. The racing grids are still not the same as they used to be years ago, but I’m seeing more people give racing a try and then the novices are bumping up to the expert class. It was nice to see a good amount of people, from all over the midwest show to this event.Eric started with STG in the sales department but has since moved to the online processing department. He is the one behind the scenes processing your order received online and making sure everything makes it to you timely. He is wearing an Alpinestars suit, Alpinestars boots, Knox gloves and Shoei helmet, a new set up for the 2014 racing season. He finished very well and in most races making it to the top five in results.
No weekend goes without incident… Any racer can tell you that there are “race incidents” and it usually ends there, especially is nobody falls or gets hurt. This is a close up shot of Eric’s bike after one of the races on Sunday. He and another rider came together after the start of the race. If you look closely, you can see the tear in his HotBodies bodywork, which I can only assume happened from the other riders rearset. The race went on and Eric was able to keep the bike upright and finish well.
Nick aka Phil has been with STG for several years now. He started racing a few years ago and got the bump to the expert class this year. He isn’t the fastest guy out there but continues to improve with each track day and race he attends. Phil is wearing his new Dainese suit and boots, Knox gloves and Bell helmet that is also new for the racing season.
Phil ended with weekend without incident and a few aspects of his riding that he knows he needs to improve upon.
If you ever find yourself wondering if you should give racing a shot, do not hesitate and try it! I personally didn’t have the competitive drive to continue racing but am glad that I did it. I urge everyone to attend a track day or race weekend at least once, you won’t be disappointed!
See you out there!
~Aubrey