My First Race

I have to go on what a lot of people have told me.

I can't remember, I can't bring up the memories of my first race, but my parents remember it very well (laughs). It was 1973, it was six days after my sixth birthday. I started out at a TT race at Lodi Cycle Bowl in Lodi, California, which became my home track over the years.

I learned my first lesson in racing that day - you never give up. I had crashed in the race, and I got mad and upset, and I cried, but it got even worse when I found out that had I just tried to finish the race, I would have gotten a trophy. I was really pissed off then.

My parents had told me that story about ten years ago in fuller detail than what I could remember and it kind of hit home right there, that even at a young age, you can learn to fight for every point. I live that credo today. I don't just give up. It's something that's important for young kids to know. You go out there and you race as hard as you can and you get everything that you can. In the end you will be rewarded.