A Buzz Around Lowe's Motor Speedway

In March I was able to do something pretty darn cool. I was taken around Lowe’s Motor Speedway, in the pace car. Yea, me (!) buzzing around the track in the pace car. How? Well, that’s way cool, too.

We have recently become the official motorcycle parking area of Lowe’s Motor Speedway! How cool is that?! Seriously – when you go to the track for either of the May races or the fall race, we’ll be there. I can’t tell you how happy that makes me!

Ever since I’ve been at Kryptonite (8+ years), I’ve tried to get us involved in NASCAR in some way, shape or form. Why? Because I go to the tracks and I know that there are a lot of Kryptonite locks there already and plenty of opportunities for more to be there. In New Hampshire, people lock their wagons all along the fence, many with Kryptonite cables. At all the tracks there are plenty of reasons in the parking and camping areas for cables and padlocks.

Then there are the golf carts and, of course, the motorcycles. Tons of motorcycles.

When Roby and I went to the speedway last fall with some of our customers we had a great meeting with John down there and continued to have conversations as we came into the new year. One thing led to another and we were good to go by early this year. The motorcycle parking area will be branded Kryptonite and we’ll have a tent there for the race on May 18th. Guess what? Nicole Hoffman (now Roesch, by the way), will be with us, too.

The outside of the motorcycle parking area in the infield (for the teams & crews). Picture a Kryptonite banner right there!

So, all of that brought me down to the Speedway recently. Met with John, scouted out some areas for banners and a tent and such and then he took me for a buzz around the track. Seriously, for a NASCAR fan, it doesn’t get too much better than that, right? Not only that, he then took me over to The Dirt Track and I got to see some of the construction going on for the drag strip, too. I saw some drawings of what that baby is going to look like come fall. Let me just tell you – if you are an NHRA fan, get your tickets to the September opening of the new facility. It is first class all the way. You don’t want to miss it.

More to come on some of the cool things going on at the Speedway when we are down there. I can’t wait!!!

A view from the track!

Congratulations Nicole & Gregg!

I mentioned a couple of months ago that there would be a few Team Kryptoniters getting married this year...first up...Nicole Hoffman!

Nicole married her long-time boyfriend, Gregg Roesch recently on the beach in Key West. How cool is that? Marriage must agree with her because we saw her last weekend at the powersports show and she was beaming from ear to ear all weekend.

Congrats to Nicole, Gregg and the pooches! We all wish you a lifetime of happiness and laughter.

Dealer Expo - Day 1

We're still in Indy for the Dealer Expo show. Day 1 is down and in the books. Sorry I didn't post yesterday or this morning, but it's been pretty hectic.

I didn't tell you yesterday that every time I was in the lobby on Thursday I saw Jason Britton every time I passed through the lobby. Saw him yesterday morning, too. Haven't seen him since. I'll bet he's been swamped at the show. It's fun to see the folks you see on TV all the time here at the show walking around - I've seen Rick Smits, too. He's hard to miss since he's so dang tall! He's here every year.

Since it's late and we just got back from dinner, I'm going to do a little pictorial for you. Enjoy!

Set up continues....

Nicole's new racing bike was waiting for us in the booth on Friday morning!

Soon Nicole, Steve and Shane came to change some decals on the bike and move it around the booth for us. There was no way I was going to move her bike or even have one of our guys do it.

Do you ever notice that when you clean your house or room that it always seems to get worse before it gets better? Same thing applies with setting up a booth. It looks like a wreck while it's being set up. But, don't worry, Don and Roby had a method to their madness.

Craig worked hard setting displays.

The night before every show opens we have a booth meeting. It's a time when we can make sure everyone is in town and on the same page for the next day. Here Don talks about some of the new products to Ross, Craig, Eric, Gustavo, Roby and Tim.

SHOW TIME! DAY 1

Nicole's motorcycle in its rightful place at the corner of the booth where everyone can see it.

Look! The product actually made it to the walls! I told you there was a method to the madness.

Karen and Nicole visit for a bit before the show really gets crankin'

Nicole and Dave must have hand cramps tonight. They signed so many posters today!

Last year Dave introduced us to Matt Hotch who is so nice! It was good to see him back again this year for a visit.

Jody, Nicole and I had a special treat today. We had a civilized lunch for a change. That doesn't happen often at trade shows! We met up with Mary from Dealernews and had a lovely lunch. She enjoyed hearing about the Women's Riding Essentials classes that Jody and Nicole are going to be doing that she sent a photographer over to take some shots of them in the booth.

Tim was the photographer's assistant during the gal's photo shoot. He did a great job...at least I think he did, I haven't seen the photos yet.

Had a nice chat with Ryan at CycleWorld today. He introduced me to Roland Sands and showed me this motorcycle that he customized for the Ride for Kids. They were selling raffle tickets, which they've been doing for awhile now, for a chance to win the motorcycle. All the proceeds go to the Ride for Kids. Yup, I got my tix.

Here's the Perewitz motorcycle we have in the booth. Tim and Eric find a lull in the crowd to check it out themselves. You want to talk draw to your booth? This is it! Crazy amounts of people have been around this motorcycle all day.

Ok, that's it for the pictures for now....off to get some sleep before I need to be up again early tomorrow morning to be to the show by 8ish. More tomorrow night after Jeff Gordon wins the Daytona 500!

Powersports Trade Show - Set Up

Hello from Indianapolis everyone!

We are here for the Dealer Expo powersports trade show. We've been making the trek out here for years and years and I've attended every year but one of the eight years I've been here.

I arrived yesterday to do a lot of little things that need to get done before the rest of the team and our guests arrive. Pick up badges for the team, deliver our guests' badges to the front desks of their hotels, check and confirm all reservations in person, get the packages that I sent to myself at the hotel and go over to the booth to see how it is all going.

I am always fascinated at the amount of work it takes to put up a booth. Now, in Vegas we have a "double decker" booth so I understand that work to make it structurally sound. But, all booths take time and expertise to put them up. Here's a little pictorial of my visit to the show floor yesterday.

I'm staying at the Marriott which connects to the convention center through a walkway over the road. This is fabulous since it is always cold at this show (it is February after all!). My room looks out over the walkway, actually. But, this is the view fromthe walkway yesterday. The flags on the light poles let you know that there is a show going on, if the line of trucks and trailers didn't give that away!

Getting through the show floor on set up days is a challenge. You can see where you want to go for the most part, but you can't get there. Crates and boxes and tools and everything else you can think of is all over the entire footprint of the show floor. Sometimes you have to climb over things to get where you want to go.

Here are some of the crates that our booth ships in and skids of product wrapped in the black there.

More crates...getting emptied to make the walls of the booth....

The walls are up! They were just putting the slat wall up when I left yesterday afternoon. I felt like I was just about to become an obstacle for them as they were about to tear into more crates to put together our reception desk. So, I vacated and came back to deliver badges and check my emails. Remember, the show still goes on back in the office and the rest of the world so you need to keep up with that, too, while you are gone.

When I go back today the slat wall will be up, the reception desk will be done, the shelves in the storage room will be built and the graphics will be up. I'll get more photos as the process goes along.

So...do you think the chain is the only new product we have? Nah....we've got more...here's another sneak peek of some products we'll be showing starting tomorrow (yikes!).

New disc lock -- small, compact, easy breezy to use. It will be out later this year.

No, we haven't started to create foot pegs....well, not exactly...this is a foot peg AND a disc lock. Really. Know how you hate to have a disc lock because you might forget it and try to ride off without taking it off (or maybe you've actually done that???). This little guy will make sure you never do that again. Kind of clever, huh?

Ok, off to do a few things and then head to the show floor to see how the construction is going. Ross and Don will be here soon to set the product walls....then Nicole arrives and her motorcycle, too...then Jody comes with the Perewitz custom motorcycle....then the rest of our team arrives for a booth meeting and before you know it, it will be tomorrow and the doors will open! Yikes, lots to do before then!

Have a great Friday everyone. Hope to see some of you this weekend.

Women's Riding Essentials Class

I think I promised to tell y'all this yesterday, but we are getting ready for a trade show and it's hectic here. Sorry for the delay.

We are really happy to announce Kryptonite's "Riding Essentials for Women" class. That's right. We know you ladies are out there. We know you are either thinking about buying your first motorcycle/getting your mc license or you have just purchased a motorcycle. You've got a few questions to get you going, but the only way to learn is to ask 'the guys'. Hmmm...sometimes that's intimidating, right? We've got the solution!

Nicole Hoffman and Jody Perewitz will be leading four 1-2 hour "Riding Essentials for Women" classes at select shops around the country. Gee, guess where the first one will be? C'mon...you know the answer to this one....yup, right at Perewitz Cycle Fab in June. We'll keep you posted here as to the date.

It's a FREE class for women to come out and learn from two ladies who are not only great riders, but are a wealth of information. They bring some serious talents to the table - safety tips, simple maintenance, info about riding gear you might need, resources available (online and at tracks) and, of course how to keep your ride safe and secure.

So, if you are a gal who wants to get more into riding, stay tuned....these ladies will not only share their experiences and tips, but they'll answer your questions, too. Any question you have about their backgrounds, Nicole's racing, Jody's building of motorcycles, or how to get on a bike for the first time - they'll answer them all.

We want to bring more women into shops and help put more women on motorcycles. It's not just about creating a pink product (no, no pink locks coming), it's about assisting women in this fun adventure.

Now, just to be fair, I was totally scooped on our own news. Thanks to Marilyn at Ironworks Magazine and Genevieve at Womenridersnow.com for supporting our efforts! And, I believe Ms. Jody scooped me, too, just now.

Other ways I use my Kryptonite locks!

by Nicole Hoffman



A few weeks ago Gregg and I headed up to the Ocala National Forest for some off-road riding. I figured not only would this be a lot of fun, but it would keep me in riding shape as well! I used to ride dirt bikes in high school with friends but it has been years. I seemed to have forgotten how to ride a dirt bike with all of the road racing I have done. I kept sticking my knee out in the turns and it took me a while to stop doing that. I was laughing each time I did that. Habits are hard to break, you know!

I ride a Honda CRF150…kind of small but it is the perfect bike for me to get back into it. It has electric start…sure beats kick starting the thing each time I fell (which was 3 times). Sorry we don’t have any photos of that.

We spent the day up there on the newly designated trails. If anyone plans to go, make sure you follow the rules! They are very strict there and WILL give you a ticket for riding on the numbered roads….we know. So many roads can be mistaken for trails, especially the first time (they even admit it on their sign but will issue a citation). They mark the trails but not very well. The rules and fees are new as of October 1, 2007.

In the midst of taking a break we were playing around with the Kryptonite locks…why in the middle of the forest you might ask? There were a lot of people at the campground where we parked. I suppose it wouldn’t be too difficult to walk away with a dirt bike and then take off in the middle of the woods.

We use the Kryptonite HardWire™ 2025 Key Cable lock on the trailer around the tires even when it’s parked in the driveway for added safety, and that is what you see in the photo.
If you go to Ocala, have a great time…it is a great place to ride. But look out for the bears, we saw 3 of them!

Happy New Year!

So, it's the end of the year....a time for reflection and looking ahead, right? Ok, I can do that...

2007 was a big one here at Kryptonite. We started a transformation of our brand, which was quite time consuming, but fairly successful. We tripped up a few places - the new stickers weren't such a big hit. Street stencils? What were we thinking there? Total bust. But, the posters were received very well (who doesn't like penguins?!). The outdoor campaign with billboards and ads were good.

Being involved with the bicycle valet programs was fantastic! We also loved placing bike racks in cities around the country. We hope that both of these programs assisted, and will continue to assist, cyclists in these cities.

2007 was also the year that we caught up with the rest of the world and totally revamped our website. It seems like a hundred years ago that I was cramming to get copy and photos to our agency so we could put up the site in just over 6 weeks. I'm not kidding....soup to nuts in just over 6 weeks. I never want to do that again! Don't get me wrong, creating a new site from scratch is a blast! Doing it in 6 weeks is a complete stretch. We had a few growing pains in the beginning and we are still adding to the site, but all in all we love it and hope you do, too.

Then there was this blog. It's still not what I want it to be, but it's an evolving process. I think it's a good start. Thanks to everyone who has given us feedback and supported this effort. Personally, I'm quite thankful to you all. And to those who shared their Unbreakable Bonds, thank you. We couldn't have asked for a better group of people to share their stories.

The products in 2007 were pretty darn cool, too. How about that oval crossbar on the Evolution series 4? Sweet, huh?! And then there was the complete cable redesign. Yikes! That was a lot of work, but so worth it.

Team Kryptonite grew by one this year when Nicole Hoffman signed on with us. And Jody Perewitz became an 'unofficial' Team Kryptonite member. Both represented us well at events and races and even blogged their thoughts here when their schedules allowed.

Our internal team grew, too, with the addition of our regional managers. We're happy to have them aboard!

There was much more, but hey, these are just the highlights.

So...2008...what will that bring? So much stuff, I can't even tell you....ok, I can tell you some, both professional and personal.

Products - yup, there will be new products. First up are some products for the motorcycle market that dealers will see at the Dealer Expo show in February. That's right around the corner, which means we need to kick some butt with a few things to get that all worked out in time. But, we will. We work well under pressure.

There will also be some upgrades to a few products that will be hitting sooner rather than later. Big and bad, I promise you!

We're also in the process of working on something that will dazzle you. That won't be until later in the year, but I'll keep you posted as we move along with that project.

Marketing - it isn't official yet, but there will be some major news to announce probably in the next month between us and.....ok, I can't tell you that, but it will be big. Huge. You'll know as soon as the ink is dry on the contract. I'm so excited, but I can't say just yet because, well the ink hasn't even hit the paper yet. We're working on it. You will be the first to know, of course.

We are also looking to support bike valet programs again this year and place bike racks in some more cities. We are already working on getting this program together and have identified cities that we'd like to work with on this. As soon as we know more we'll let you know.

The website will continue to evolve. Soon (January, I think) we'll add some new functionality to the site which will be very different for us. We'll also have some new folks telling their stories on the front pages - I'm working on that right now. I'm going to try to keep up with the website changes a little more frequently this year, too.

As I mentioned, the blog has had a good start, but I'm not totally happy with it. Life happens and I've slacked on getting some more Unbreakable Bonds stories, but I've got a few folks that I'm going to have do this at the beginning of the year...and if you want to share your story, please send me an email! Share your story, c'mon this is a partnership here....I give...you give...c'mon..share.

What else would I change? Having more people from here contribute. Aren't you sick of me yet? Seriously. There will be more participation from the sales team and some other folks here. Really. There will. You'll also hear from Team Kryptonite some more.

Speaking of Team Kryptonite...we'll officially be adding a new member in the new year. That should give you a hint as to who it is. And, we'll be starting some new programs with two of the Team Kryptonite members. I can't wait to share all the details with you soon (February).

Oh, and there will be weddings....at least two that we'll share with you in the new year (one maybe very, very soon).

We've got a few other things up our sleeve for the new year, too, but I'm still working out a few of them. One I'm so psyched about I'll be telling you before I've got it all done, I'm sure. I won't be able to contain myself. It's not quite on par as the partnership deal I mentioned, but it will be cool (I hope).

So, that's a lot of stuff...without really saying too much, right? I know, I know, I'm teasing a little bit, but some of the things aren't finalized yet and 1) I don't want to jinx anything, I'm superstitious that way and 2) we really can't say something about partnerships and such until they are signed.

However, I can tell you some things that I, personally, am hoping to accomplish in the new year.
- Lose weight. I watched several people here drop pounds like they were going out of style and then there was Susan Perewitz who made a fabulous transformation over the summer. Truly, they are all inspirational. Tomorrow, I start. We'll see how it goes.
- Chalk the roads again! It's been way too long since I chalked the road at a pro race. But, it's not a professional goal. This year, I have a personal reason to get to a race, chalk the road and cheer on my friend Tyler who will be back in the peloton where he belongs. When the schedule comes out I'll let y'all know which race I'll be at. I'd love to meet some of you on the roads.
- I WILL participate in more Spokesmen podcasts. I'm very thankful that my fellow Spokesmen have been so patient with me and my crazy schedule. I feel embarrassed to even say that I'm part of that group because I didn't make many of the episodes this year, but I've got a new headset, no shortage of opinions and I'm ready to go.
- I'll start blogging again over on my blog. I let that go when we started this blog, but I've always got a lot to say and not all of it is work related...my opinions have been bottling up now and it's the right time to start again for me personally. Don't know if I will have retained any interest there, but we'll see. I know that Masiguy has started to video blog (bravo!), but that's not something I'll get into (I have a face for podcasting and blogging!). So, yes, the new year will bring more Tidbits from me.
- I started contributing to the new Plog (Perewitz blog) this year, but only once. You'll see more from me there, too.
- Get a camera again. I lost mine at Interbike in Vegas and I've missed taking photos both for the blog and personally. I'm looking for a good sale and I'll pick one up. You'll start to see more photos here then...like sneak peeks of new products etc...
- And....I'll ride this year. Really ride my bike. Not just one little jaunt around the neighborhood. I'll get back on in the spring (c'mon it's snowing here and I'm not big into riding and freezing...I am a fair weather rider, get over it). You'll hear all about my trials and tribulations here about that, too.

So, that's it from here for now. Thank you, thank you, thank you all for your support this year. We all appreciate it more than you know.

From all of us...to all of you...happy, safe new year!

Random Photos

I love taking photos, it's a hobby of mine. But, I also like to get photos to check out sometimes - breaks up the day and usually, the photos that are sent to me are interesting.

Here are some photos I've collected over the last couple of months. They are completely random, but I hope you find one or two interesting.

John K. sent me this photo taken this Fall in Washington state. Isn't that gorgeous?

Kryptonite in NYC!

Squid's been messengering in NYC for 15 years. Check out the lock that keeps his bike safe.

John B. sent us this photo of how he found his cable lock after returning from work one night. But, his bike was at the train station waiting for him (lock was opened by the owner, not the would-be thief)

Our friend Tim Jackson shows us all alternative uses for our products. Bling!

This is Sprocket. Sprocket belongs to Team Kryptonite member Nicole Hoffman and she did the whole "dress the doggie" for Halloween deal. Makes me giggle every time I look at it. I understand the dress the doggie bit because I used to dress up my Rottie...yes, I did....yea, she didn't think it was a good idea either, but she was very good about it. Sprocket looks ready to fly off that bed and tear into the costume. HA!

I wear the patch, I support the Fund!

by Nicole Hoffman



As a part of my daily routine, I was reading my usual motorcycle racing industry web sites this morning and I noticed an update on Morgan Broadhead (AMA Pro Road Race Manager and fellow WERA racer). Morgan was severely injured on September 28th during WERA/AMA National Challenge Series 750cc Superstock Qualifying at Jennings GP. He has a long road to recovery and needs to be transported back home to Utah. The motorcycle community has in one day contributed over $5,000 but his mom needs at least $14,000 to get him home.

I wear the patch on my leathers and I donate to the Red Flag Fund in support of injured and disabled road racers. To me it is a charity that would be there to support my friends and racing family but I hope it never has to. Match my $100 contribution! It’s easy…go to http://www.redflagfund.org/. They accept credit cards, paypal, cash, whatever!

Kryptonite and Dave Perewitz donated this cool trash can to the Red Flag Fund auction in July….a huge thank you to them!

Updates by Morgan's mom are made here regularly.

8 Incredibly Fun Hours at Daytona

by Nicole Hoffman

We raced the SunTrust MOTO-ST Series finale this weekend – 8 hours of racing around Daytona International Speedway’s 3.56 mile road course on an SV650 with 3 riders (doing 2 or 3 stints each) and only one rear tire change. Endurance racing is so much fun to compete in. I have so much time to get my personal best lap times, while being a part of a big team with 8 other riders and a full pit crew.

We as riders are so dependant upon our crew to get everything together and do flawless pit stops. It truly is teamwork in every sense of the word. We made a stop about every 23 laps or so to re-fuel (and make rider changes). We think we could have gone the whole way on one set of tires, but didn’t want to take that chance.

I wasn’t sure how much I would be racing in the 8-hour event going into it. My team mates Bob Fisher and Chuck Ivey are able to put down more laps than me but with Chuck getting hurt in the second hour, it was left to me, Bob and team owner CJ Czaia. Well, I ended up racing more in one weekend than I have all year! I think I did about 75+ laps all weekend between practice, the 42-lap ASRA Team Challenge (we finished 2nd and I rode all but 10 laps!!) and the 8 Hours at Daytona. I didn’t get back to my fastest times I have done there, but I was happy about how much I raced.

This weekend was a huge accomplishment for me. Even though Mark, Steven and I won this event last year, I really feel like I tackled a huge, new obstacle in a way. After shingles (yep, just got over having shingles!) and not racing since VIR in April, I wasn’t sure what kind of shape I would be in…but I felt better than ever! Oh, and I got to race CJ’s Ducati PS1000LE – what a great bike (this is what we rode in Team Challenge).

Since it was Biketoberfest in Daytona we did a couple of great Kryptonite promotions. We gave away some locks at the Ocean Deck on Wednesday night and then had a show bike at Destination Daytona on Thursday night. I also made an appearance on a local radio station, WHOG 95.7FM. I have been on the Frank and Tracy show for a few years now. They were making appearances all over Daytona Beach this past weekend and were armed with some Kryptonite product! We also appeared in the autograph session before the race, and in a local newspaper article (I am at the bottom).

All-in-all a great and incredibly fun weekend! It was just great to be back on a bike again. I missed it the last few months. I always felt at home at the race track and this weekend just reinforced it even more. I have to thank everyone who supported us this year to help us finish 4th in the ST class of the 2007 SunTrust MOTO-ST Series championship, especially the folks at Kryptonite!

I am ready to do it again next year….as a matter of fact, I am signing off to get my work done for sponsorship for 2008.

Nicole's Daytona Race

Hey race fans, just saw that Nicole Hoffman and her Rightsforbikers.com team finished 6th in the ST class at Daytona this past weekend. I'm sure she'd be more disappointed with that except for the fact that her team mate Chuck crashed early breaking his collarbone and injuring his knee. The bike was fixed and Nicole went out on the track. 6th is pretty darn tootin' good after losing that time.

Nicole will update y'all on the weekend soon. Until then, we're all wishing Chuck a speedy recovery.

Cheer On Nicole In Daytona

Team Kryptonite member, Nicole Hoffman, will be competing this weekend in the 8 Hours of Daytona. This Biketoberfest event is going to be an exciting one so if you are in Florida or headed down for the festivities drop by and cheer Nicole and her Rights for Bikers.com team on!

This is the last event in the SunTrust MOTO-ST Series for 2007. Racing starts tomorrow at 1pm. Get on over there.

My Weekend at Iowa Speedway

by Nicole Hoffman

(please note that this post was written last week)

We returned on Sunday after what was a fun and exciting weekend at Iowa Speedway. This was the first time that motorcycles have ever run this new 1.3 mile road course. So in the inaugural year of the SunTrust MOTO-ST Series we are all anxious to see what comes of a first trip to a new track.

I have to say, the facility was outstanding. The fans in Iowa are diehard and so enthusiastic to see racers. They were very welcoming and made the event a lot of fun.

I didn’t race this weekend due to my on-going back spasms and pain. Since I help run the team there is no shortage of things that need to be done. I stayed busy all weekend writing press releases, taking photos and updating the Team RightsforBikers.com Web site. I enjoy attending the entrant meetings, rider meeting and organizing logistics of the team. We have a great team so sometimes that comes easy even though there is so much to do.

The team had 3 practice sessions: one Thursday, one Friday and a quick practice on Saturday. The riders all got out there and learned the track and starting picking up some good lap times. Our SST bike (Suzuki SV1000) ridden by Mark Crozier and Nathan Dressman ran the second fastest in practice and usually that is a good indication of the outcome of the race. My fill-in rider, Justin Filice was amazing. He was running almost as fast on the SV650 as some were on the bigger bikes. It was fun to watch him and his dad (Jimmy Filice) out in practice. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Jimmy, click on his name…he is well known in motorcycle racing. Jimmy was showing Justin the lines and the way around the track and Justin was picking up time.

Race day was getting last minute details completed, such as lights on the bikes (since the even falls past sun down, lights are required and PIAA, our sponsor really helped us out here). As with any and all MOTO-ST events, we have an autograph session for the fans. We couldn’t believe the turn-out! They were lined up for more than an hour to walk through and get ever rider’s autograph. Different to motorcycle racing, but common in NASCAR are the rider introductions on stage. This was the first time riders had done this and it really added to the show.

The race began at 6:30pm CT and was a 3-hour long race. Our team had 2 podium finishes for which the entire team – crew and riders – was extremely excited. We have worked so hard to get to the top of the podium and we were within 40 seconds behind the leader when a red flag came out and the race was called with 30 minutes remaining. This race was a testament to the strength of the team and we can’t wait for the 8 Hours at Daytona in October!

Oh and by the way…at Road America for the Red Flag Fund auction…the custom painted trash can by Dave Perewitz raised $225! All the items auctioned off can be found here. The proceeds go to help injured motorcycle racers. A great cause for a great community of people.

Meet Nicole in Iowa Tonight & This Weekend

by Nicole Hoffman


This weekend Team RightsforBikers.com heads off to the new Iowa Speedway to compete in the 5th round of the SunTrust MOTO-ST Series. This race will prove to be exciting on all fronts! We just came off of Road America last weekend and had a great 2nd place finish but we were plagued with issues in post-race inspection, which we don't necessarily agree with, but that is another story for another day. We have a lot of momentum going into Iowa and we are excited about yet another podium finish.

What is really great about this event is that we run it with Grand-Am and the Daytona Prototypes. We have heard that the folks in Iowa are great motorsports fans and it should be a good crowd – not to mention, Mark Martin (NASCAR driver!) will be racing one of the Daytona Prototypes. The excitement level is always higher when we have a joint event with those guys. It is rare that an event weekend is combined with motorcycles and cars on a road course. Logistically it is challenging because the track needs to be prepared and cleaned up for the bikes since the cars lay down so much rubber.

There is a pre-race party on Thursday night for fans, teams, officials, everyone! We will be raffling off Kryptonite products so if you are in the area of Newton, IA be sure to attend! We can guarantee a great time!

Off to the races...and hey, if you can’t be there…login to http://www.moto-st.com/ and click on the live timing and scoring link and follow our 3 bikes -- #16, #69 and #89! Here is the schedule for the weekend.

The Spokesmen, Nicole Races & The Tour de France

Hey everyone - sorry for being out of touch for so many days. I'm on vacation, if you couldn't guess. Ok, I was in the office Tuesday, but you know how it goes - the day before a vacation is always the busiest trying to get everything done, right? Well, that's exactly what happened with me. That, and the podcast.

Towards the end of last year I was asked to become part of The Spokesmen podcast. I was completely flattered to be asked by the esteemed panel and said, 'yes' right away. I've missed more than I've participated in, I think, but my cohorts are very understanding. When I get the chance I am right there, though. Episode 20 is up and ready for your listening pleasure. We covered a lot of topics including the Tour de France starting in London, the UCI Rider Pledge, cyclingnews.com being bought, Big Wheeled Ballywho and a host of other things. Check it out.

I'm sitting on my porch right now with the dog. I'm having some Smartfood and reading a book (ok, I'll be reading again in a minute...). She's keeping an eye on the backyard. You know, just to make sure the squirrels and bunnies stay in check.

This is just a little breather in what promises to be a busy weekend for some of us. Nicole Hoffman and her team are competing in the Road America 500K this weekend in Wisconsin. Go Nicole! She'll also be participating in the Red Flag Fund Auction while she's in town. The Red Flag Fund is new to me, but it sounds like it is a great organization. They provide support to injured road racers. Nicole will be checking in sometime next week to let us know how it all went.

We all know where our friend Bob Roll is this weekend. London. At the Tour DAY France! I can't believe it all starts tomorrow! I know I said I wasn't thrilled about watching, but you know I'll be checking out a bunch of stages. So...who is my pick? I think I said already, but I pick Vinokourov. For the first time, Bob and I agree on my pick. That should be a good thing....

So, who is your pick for Le Tour's podium spots? C'mon, I know you've all got a favorite...

Happy Weekend everyone!

My Unbreakable Bond with Speed

by Nicole Hoffman

I didn’t always have such an attachment to speed. I mean I really enjoyed riding my pink “Huffy” as a kid and I went to my dad’s hydroplane races quite often, and I really loved to hang out with the guys and their dirt bikes and 4-wheelers in high school, but I couldn’t have predicted my attachment to riding motorcycles.

Dad and me at boat races

I know exactly the moment I fell in love. I was 21. It was my first time – one Friday night in Daytona Beach. It was a tradition of sorts to ride every weekend with a group of friends. We made no plans really, we just all showed up. This night was my night to show up riding solo on my new Honda 600 F2! We always rode in groups, and of course some had better riding skills than others. Well, let’s keep in mind this was my first time. I got left behind the group because I was so overly cautious about everything – braking, accelerating, turning, stopping and putting my feet down (that would barely touch!). As I approached an intersection the light turned yellow, I panicked. I locked up the rear brake and went sliding sideways through the intersection (I was alone, thankfully…imagine the embarrassment??). I gained control over my bike and caught back up to the pack…okay, so I didn’t actually do any catching up, they waited for me. I told no one of my story…I was keeping that excitement to myself because I knew they would never let me keep riding that night, afterall we had all night to ride yet!

I was scared nearly to death over my little stunt, but the adrenaline – it was intense! It was that moment that taught me that I can handle this, not really the bike, more the fear. It was that very moment that I started pushing past any fear that I had about going fast, going further into the turns on a race track or just pushing past what I never thought possible. The more I practiced and the more I raced, the more I wanted to keep pushing my limits.

My first year as an expert racer I really pushed. I think I “fell down” (that’s what we call it, we don’t “crash”) about 3 or 4 times in that many races, and previously I hadn’t fallen down but once in a season. I learned where the limit was, maybe where my skill limit was, or the bike set-up for that greater speed and cornering. And there lies the challenge in racing...it’s fine tuning the bike and suspension, it’s developing your skills as a racer, it’s the mental aspect of pushing past that fear. I say this because so many people ask me “isn’t it scary to race at Daytona?” My answer is usually “not after the first time.”

I suppose I do have a bond with speed, it is in my blood and goes back generations in my family. But the bond has really been in the camaraderie of the sport, in motorsports actually. I know that the friends my grandfather had, and my dad has, usually stemmed from racing. It’s quite a family. And I am so happy to be a part of it…hopefully for a long time to come! So if you are near Elkhart Lake, WI on July 8th, come out to the SunTrust MOTO-ST race. You will have a blast. And make sure you come say hello to the RightsforBikers.com Team.