| Q: How old were you when you started going to the drag races? | |
A: I’m pretty sure I was at the races before I was born, but my earliest memories are of going to Ontario Motor Speedway in the late 70s. I remember seeing a bike Jim Bernard rode, the first single engine bike in the seven second zone, it had a bunch of number 7s on the front air dam. I thought that was pretty cool. |
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| Q: When did you decide that you wanted to race yourself? | |
A: I was always interested in racing, even at a very young age. I was riding motorcycles at seven. I started drag racing an 80cc bike when I was 12. I always wanted to race. The only thing I was concerned about was that the Pro Stock Motorcycles were going to be too fast by the time I was old enough to ride one. |
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| Q: What was your dad's response when you decided you wanted to race? | |
| A: He was happy that I still wanted to be involved in drag racing after he retired at the end of 1993. His support really showed in 1996 when we were contenders right from the start. |
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| Q: You raced several bikes with pop icon themes. Which was your favorite? | |
A: The Superman themed bike was my favorite. It was very high profile and included a bunch of very big name drivers from multiple forms of Motorsports. Being on stage at The Tavern on the Green in Central Park with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon was pretty cool. I also received a $10,000 reward from Action Collectibles for winning with the Superman Bike at the 1999 U.S. Nationals. |
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| Q: How would you describe the feeling of racing a Pro Stock Bike? | |
A: It is just awesome, from the acceleration at the beginning to the big speed at the end of the run. It’s like guiding a missile down the track. |
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| Q: Of your three consecutive championships, which was the toughest? | |
A: 1999 was the toughest year. The level of competition was increasing. There were times I was far behind in the points. Winning Indy on the Superman bike was a huge boost. |
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| Q: Which do you like best; California, Colorado or Indiana? | |
A: Indiana is a great place to live and is by far way better to race out of. Most tracks are less than a days drive away. Downtown is very nice and the people are very friendly. |
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| Q: What's it like being a crew chief now compared to racing? | |
A: There is still the same intensity. But now I can really focus on what I am doing. Before when I was racing I was always thinking about tuning the bike and riding the bike plus there was always a little pressure from the competition. You can be a rider or a tuner, it’s difficult to be both at the same time. |
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| Q: Have you ever ridden the current Pro Stock V-Rod? | |
A: I rode the V-rod during a photo shoot in 2001. It has a totally different feeling than a Suzuki. The biggest differences are that it has no fairing and it shakes a lot! |
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| Q: Would you ever want to make a comeback to racing? | |
A: I want to be involved in drag racing for a long time. If I ever make a come back it probably won’t be on a Pro Stock Motorcycle. |
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| Q: Who did you look up to when you were growing up? | |
A: Definitely Terry and my dad. They were both at the top. |
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| Q: What was your best subject in school? | |
A: Science. |
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| Q: What accomplishment are you most proud of? | |
A: The highlights of my life are my first championship, Andrew’s first six second run and the birth of my daughter Adyson. |
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| Q: if you could have any other job in the world, what would it be? | |
A: Maybe an astronaut. |
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| Q: Where do you enjoy being the most? | |
A: At home. I spend a quarter of the year on the road. It’s just nice to relax at home. |
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| Q: What do you see yourself doing ten years from now? | |
A: Working hard and enjoying what I am doing. |
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| Q: What makes you laugh? | |
A: Wacky comedy like Dave Chappelle and Mad TV. |
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| Q: What is in your CD player now? | |
A: Third Eye Blind. |
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| Q: What was the last movie you saw? | |
A: The Wedding Crashers. |
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| Q: What's your favorite flavor of ice cream? | |
A: Reese’s peanut butter cup Blizzards from Dairy Queen! |
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