Norman Knight Racing
Thunder Valley Raceway
Premier Motorcycle Racing Association
I have been out to Thunder Valley Raceway several times with different bikes on test & tune nights just hanging out and making passes down the track. I was always told that I should bracket race because I seem to have a talent for consistency. I met some real good guys at a local motorcycle shop Jake’s Outlaw Performance who told me about the (PMRA) Premier Motorcycle Drag Racing Association. On October 20, 2007 I decided to give it a go. I was totally lost on how bracket racing worked. I recruited a very good friend of mine, my buddy Mike G. Mike has been around different tracks and knows all the ends and outs of bracket racing events. I was lucky to have Mike around and he turned out to be a great coach. I also had my lucky charm/pit crew member My Girl Dandelion. We all had a fun day and it was a very good training day for me for learning bracket racing. I won my first round of eliminations, but red lighted on my second round and was eliminated. Although I was eliminated pretty quick it was a blast and I learned a lot. I was surrounded by fun loving people that share the same passion for motorcycles and drag racing. My only disappointment was that it was the last PMRA event of the season. I believe that I have found something that feeds my need of adventure and will help me to improve my riding abilities in a controlled safe environment. I intend to make all 7 PMRA events next season and will use this page for indexing my new racing hobby.
Favorite quote:
"Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway."
John Wayne
November 29, 2008
This last year has been full of changes for me. Going through a divorce will make a person go through a lot of self reflection. After a long hard look I found that I had lost a piece of myself and it was no ones fault except for my own. There was a time when I had passion. Some people might have said that it was a passion to kill myself, but this was the furthest thing from the truth. I loved motorcycles and my riding style was very aggressive. I was very competitive, always trying to have the best and be the best. Since those days I have grown and matured like we all do and become much more conservative, but I still held onto my passion. Then when I got married a switch went off in my head. I sold my bike and I thought it was time to grow up and become an even more a responsible person and husband. In a few simple words I had became a drag. Like I said before it was no ones fault, but my own. In all honesty this was the last thing that my wife wanted nor did she encourage this behavior.
When the bottom fell out from under me I had two things going for me. I had bought a new bike and I had the love of a child. Without these two things I would hate to see how things would be today. The bike was starting to feed my lost passion and having the love and companionship of my God daughter Dandelion kept me in line. It would have been unbearable to backslide into a beer bottle and lose her love, respect, and company.
Since the discovery of (PRMA) Professional Racing Motorcycle Association the quality of my life and state of mind has went off the charts. I no longer feel the need of pushing the limits on the street putting myself and others in danger. I am associated with professionals that share the same passion as I. I put my skills to the test against some of the best riders I have ever known in a controlled environment.
In August I stumbled across an awesome deal on a GSX-R 1000 drag bike that was built from the ground up by a fabricator for nothing but the drag strip. I could not resist, it just had to be mine! I needed a more competitive bike if I was going to continue racing. September’s event was my first appearance with the new bike and I ended up runner up in the Pro-ET class. I know that in the events to come me and the bike I have named Shadowfax will become a better team and more competitive.
I would like to thank my girl Dandelion for being the best Pit Girl a drag racer could hope for. Together we are Norman Knight Racing and we will be a very hard team to beat in future events.
PRMA September 9, 2008
