Exploring the UK...
The race season has been going strong and fast since I arrived here at the end of March. Lots of prepping, training and focusing on racing for the most part. It was nice to have this 4 week break in between racing to catch up not only on my schooling but to venture out in the UK and see some of the beautiful things that the country has to share.
The first weekend we went out to the seaside and visited Bridlington. The family had hired a caravan and camped out in a cool campground. From the campground we were very close to the beach. We spent some time walking around the beach, Riley and I decided to show our artistic side and draw a marvelous rocket ship on the sand. I think people really enjoyed it (you will need to visit my facebook page in order to see the finished product...lol link: https://www.facebook.com/100073832419561/videos/pcb.168718872265859/1079014879378608 )
There is an amusement park here along with an arcade and even got to take a ride on a speed boat. The food was UK decent but I truly enjoyed the crepe. Man I can still taste it! For me the most exciting part of the trip was going crabbing. Oh man did I have fun doing that...it started off with Jay almost ending up in the ocean cause he fell. I caught at least 15 crabs and a couple fish. That was super cool...never done that before.
After that weekend I got to witness something else that was new to me. I had heard of speedway racing and had seen it on social media. But to be present at the speedway had all my senses on high alert. From the smell of the race fuel, to the sound of the bikes and sight of how sideways those guys get was just surreal. I got to speak to one of the racers (Racer #1) and he mentioned to me that they start with the bikes leaned over on the exhaust in order to keep from burning up the clutch. The bikes are also very squatted and no front brakes. Super cool machines...unfortunately no one was willing to give me a go on it...lol.
It wasn't all vacation. We did do tons of training during the week and I did get to go training on the pitbikes as well. Still have to keep the mind and body sharp although the pressures of racing were off for a bit. I get to train on a 140cc pitbike here in the UK. The bike is on 12" rims and we get to ride at this kart track called FatCats. Its a relatively small and tight track; reminds me of MiamiGP. So the training is intense and provides a really good workout.
We also got to celebrate Jay's youngest son Leo's 1st birthday. Lots of family came over and Jay ordered a ton of food. Man did we laugh and eat so much on this day. Leo is a super cool baby. I get to spend a lot of time with him and he is the coolest little dude. Can't wait to enjoy my little cousin RJ the same way when I return home.
Jay took us to another really cool spot in Sheffield Town Center. This really cool relic of a place called Retrodome. I felt like I was back in time. Everything was so old and goofy looking. I have no clue how people played these games back in the day...the graphics were like hieroglyphics. But they were fun. We played all kinds of old games like fix it felix, sega rally, pacman and so many more. It was interesting to take a jump back in time and to see how much gaming has evolved. My favorite game was the jetski and snowboard simulator. I don't think I have seen the new versions of these at an arcade.
This past weekend we went out to Saddleworth with Cameron Hall and his parents. We went to this park where I got to cross a river by walking over stones and I got to swing over the river as well. It was nice and relaxing to be out in nature enjoying the clean smell of the air, the cool breeze and hanging out with awesome people. I even got to walk over a bridge that was over a 40' waterfall drop. The power and sound of the water rushing over the cliff was intense. As we were leaving the park we saw some soccer fields, so Cameron, Riley and myself decided to challenge some of the players to a 3 on 3 match. We won the match and looked like pros while doing it.
We ended this past weekend with some more training on the pit bikes at Fatcats. Unfortunately the chain broke on my 140 but a really kind dad by the name of Charlie, allowed me to use his son Sid's YZ65 to train on. I got to coach Sid for awhile as well and help him improve. Riley and I went at it for a bit too and it was so cool to share the track with him. Riley has been so inspiring to watch. Knowing his injuries and tragic accident, its amazing to watch him progress and push and want more and more. It really motivates me to make myself better each day as well. You are a TRUE CHAMP RILEY!!
This week is not only race week but my family is coming over to visit. I am excited to see them and enjoy some time with them. I miss having my dad in the paddock and with me on the grid...it will feel great to have him and know he is there. Should do good for the motivation and focus too. Miss my mom's hugs as well so definitely looking forward to those and of course laughing and picking on my little brother Grayson will be fun also. Looking forward to this round as it will be a new track for me again and its in a new country, Scotland.
Its been a great 3 months here in the UK. Jay, Elle, Riley and Leo all make me feel part of the family. We have so much fun and Jay does a really good job of keeping me upbeat and motivated to keep pushing for my dreams. I have explored so much of the UK; but look forward to getting back on Scarlett to do what I love which is motorcycle racing. See you at the track soon!
