Texas Mile: Dave does 200.3 mph in the worst winds ever for the event!

Dave rode his Hayabusa at the TX Mile. He tuned continually and gradually ran 197 mph on the last day of the event. Experienced riders told Dave he need to tuck down more. "More", thought Dave! Dave being an experienced 1/4 drag racer, thought he was tucked down. However, being the determined racer he is, he made one more pass on the track. The winds had picked up once again and the goal of 200 mph seemed unobtainable. Dave lined back up and waited his turn. As the time passed, the wind became stronger. With each passing minute, the goal seemed to slip away. Dave eventually got back to the starting line and was given the go ahead by the track crew. He blasted down the track, concentrating, focusing on counting each shift, and Tucking his body down. As he crossed the mile mark, he was unsure if he had made it. As he rode his bike to the time keeper he saw a huge grin on the guys face! Dave reached for the time slip and saw he had run 200.3 mph! He had reached what only a couple days before, had seemed to be an unobtainable goal for a newbie to the top speed run arena. This is truly a remarkable achievement by a first time racer at such an event. Dave Roisen is now officially one of only a few riders that have broken the 200 mph barrier. It is with great pride that we are his team mates.

Rueben rode my Hayabusa at the track. I must admit I am quite stunned and proud that all three of these guys took turns riding the Hayabusa I had built. For those who don't know, this bike was a "Totaled" bike that I purchased for the engine only. Once I saw the bike, I felt I had to rebuild it. It was broken and looked a mess, but that did not mean it had no value, nor did it mean that it was worthless. With this in mind I began to slowly fix the bike. I was told the bike was crashed at over 140 mph, by the owner, who survived the crash. I am by no means a motorcycle mechanic and this was new to me. With the help of Dave, the bike slowly began to look like it once did. There were blemishes, and so on, but it ran once again and it ran well. With a team effort, the bike was readied for the TX Mile. Team mates stepped up to help in the cause and the bike ran at the event. The best time posted was by Dave, who ran 178.4 mph, followed by Rueben with 176 mph.

In the end, these guys trusted me, a guy with a brain injury, to rebuild the Hayabusa properly. They never questioned my ability, helped me through out the process, and then rode it as fast as they could. To make matters worse, the wind at the TX Mile was at times over 30 mph and was coming diagonally across the runway. The wind not only was blowing in their face, but would then blow the bike sideways on the track. I can't imagine how much focus and determination that took. To put it all into perspective, a Lamborghini, known as the "Fastest Lambo in the World" ran through the mile at 239 mph. However, on its last run, the driver deployed the parachute on the rear of the Lambo, as it crossed the finish line. The wind gusts were so strong that the car was flipped into the air, destroying the car, however the driver was fine. These track conditions were the same for our three riders, who were on motorcycles!

The kindness shown at the track was truly remarkable. Inadvertently, we parked next to a turbo Hayabusa. The area was not very full at the time, and it looked like a good place to park. I had no idea who we were next to, but the name sort of sounded familiar. (With my memory, I'm lucky to remember my own name. Haha) Anyway, the team next to us was fantastic. The took care of us by giving advice, cold water, food, tools, or what ever we asked for. Their kindness was heartwarming to say the least. Now for the kicker, the team we were next to also has a web site. The rider's name is Jennifer Robertson, who is one of the fastest women riders in the world!

www.9secondjen.com

Here we are, 21 hours from home, sitting in the middle of a runway in the boonies of TX, and I had the luck to park right next to Jennifer and her family. How cool is that! To top it off, her father use to race an old Mazda RX-2 with a rotary engine. I love those rotary engines and it was awesome to talk to him about his race days of years gone by. There was also Donna, a Robertson family friend, who kept us on our toes with her wit and humor. Donna actually had the moxie to carry on a conversation with me while we were at the port-o-potties. I don't know too many women that would carry on a conversation with the person in the adjoining port-o-john! She made me feel like I was back in the Army talking to one of my old buddies. To them, "Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!" You all made us feel like we were part of one big family. You guys are awesome.

And lastly, to all the men and women around the world who are serving our great nation. Thank you and God Bless you. You were always on our minds and in our prayers. For with out your selfless sacrifice and duty, this would not be possible. To my two sons, we are so very proud of you, stay safe and we look forward to seeing you soon.