Friday, June 27, 2008
Hello everyone,
I have arrived safely from California and landed in Du Quoin Illinois. I was welcomed by a spectacular electrical storm at 2am last night. 2,179 miles 18.99 MPG in my 1991 Toyota extra cab with a 5X8 trailer. Fuel Cost: $490.00. The weather today is sunny and in the 90's. I have a few small details to attend to on the race bike in preparation for tomorrows Mile practice day. Du Quoin has the "Magic Mile" and it is every bit of that. The Mile race day is scheduled for Sunday, June 29 and upon completion of the event you will be receiving my report of results.

The basic schedule is this:
Sunday Mile
Tuesday TT
Thursday Short Track
Saturday Half Mile
Final results will be in after Saturday's event.

Thank you everyone for your support and it's great to be here!

Sunday, June 29, 2008
Hello everyone,
The Du Quoin Mile is in the books and it has been a fantastic day! Yesterday at mandatory sound check this Leo Vince Low Boy pipe killed them at 97.1!! What a precious piece of equipment!! After two five lap sessions I knew this would be the experience of a lifetime! I passed on today's practice session because I had yesterday to prepare. My heat race went very well and finished 5th out of 9. The 5th place finish gave me a front row start for the main and I did very well holding third place down for the first lap before being drafted out to 4^th by C. Comer.

On lap 6 of 8 I was drafted out to 5th however I fought back to draft myself back in the last two turns of the race into 4th place. As the race progressed I became more familiar and confident in the bike and tires. Had I been a bit more aggressive I may have been able to re-gain third as well. I tried to redraft back into third place at the finish line but I just didn't have enough drive out of four to make it. Finishing just off the podium is fine with me for today!! A great improvement from last year where I finished 9th out of 9!

 I have never had this much fun racing a motorcycle!!! It was awesome!!

110 MPH on the Magic Mile going into turns one and three is the experience of a lifetime and I am very grateful for the opportunity. WOW! I could hear the immortal words of the late Ricky Graham the whole time! “Just run it in there and it’ll stick"...

As I rode down the back straight after the race I was celebrating like I had won!!

Most of the competitors in my class are over 50 and have incredible machines. Some are historic or vintage and are like rolling jewelry!! Truly a very fun race.

Thank all of you for supporting me and sponsoring my efforts.

Tomorrow is a day off and Tuesday I will compete in the TT, my best event, and looking forward to more fun and excitement on these beautifully prepared tracks in Du Quoin.

Thanks again.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Hello everyone,
It's a beautiful day here in Southern Illinois. Low 90's low humidity, and the racing was excellent. My Honda felt great in practice after a small front tire air adjustment and an oil change. I realized I had not changed it after the Mile and that was abusive for sure.

OK, I took third in my heat and that gave me a front row start in the Main. I got the hole-shot in the heat but overcooked turn one, went wide and gave up a few spots but recovered in the four laps to make the front row. (I got too excited about being in front!)

In the main I had a real good start making 6Th out of it. I passed a rider on lap 3 to take 5Th, the exact same as last year, and began the chase of the point’s leader and 4Th place. I finished 5Th and am currently third in the overall points. However, upon leaving the track I heard the second place point’s holder was disqualified. If this is the case it might push me up a bit if it's actually true.

As it turned out, Randy Allison was accidentally left off the point’s advancement report.

I can't say enough for this Leo Vince Low Boy pipe! It was a very technical track and the low end power of this product was of great benefit to my riding style. Other riders were complaining of their machines not having any "low end" because their all pumped to the gills!  Thanks again Tim!

Tomorrow is a day off and Thursday will be the Short Track which I'm going to really enjoy.

Thank you for all of your support.

Saturday, July 5, 2008
Hello everyone,
This years Dirt Track Amateur National Championships are in the books. Today we had a double header forced by bad weather earlier in the week. Today we had the Half Mile and the final Short Track. The Half Mile was great. Crushed Limestone surface and pretty fast but slippery too. I took a second in my heat and finished 5^th in the Main out of 12.

After an hour to change the bike set up we had the world’s tiniest Short Track. Nice clay surface however very small. No passing unless the rider in front of you went wide.

Pretty much a carbon copy of the Half Mile, second in the heat and 5^th in the Main.

My overall points landed me third so this is a very good result.

National Number 3 in my age group among some great competitors.

2008 Champion Curt Comer has now won National Championships in three disciplines. He rode with a Leo Vince pipe as well all week.

My finishes were much improved over 2007 probably because of my bike change and second time around comfort.

In 2007 I rode an almost stock Suzuki DRZ 400 equipped with a Leo Vince pipe, GPR Stabilizer and Dunlop mounted Excel 19” wheels. Last year A&A Racing’s Ray Abrams told me after the mile, “You know Brian if you had a lot more horsepower it might just open up a whole ‘nother can of worms for you.” Ray is rarely wrong about much!

In 2008 I’m riding a 2004 Honda CRF 450R equipped with a Leo Vince “Low Boy” pipe, Hlebo worked and shortened suspension, K&N filter, Acerbis fenders and hand guards and Dunlop and Maxxis mounted Excel 19” wheels. 

 All in all a really, really good time, happy to be done and on my way home in a couple days.

In closing I would like to thank my wife Trish, all my family and friends of Jimmy K., Tim at Leo Vince, Brian Horton and Rob Salcido at SHIFT, Dennis at Top Oil, Les at Dunlop, the whole A&A Racing crew, the Davilla family, K&N Filters, John Hlebo, the late Ricky Graham for my early inspiration and Chad Cose for my recent inspiration. Godspeed to the fantastic J.B. Norris.

Thank you everyone for your support and I hope you have a safe summer!