How I got started

My racing career began on a Kawasaki KX80 in 2000 in the junior mini class of the CRA (Competition Riders of America). I was learning to ride and race and usually finished in the middle to back of the pack.

In 2001, I got a new Suzuki RM125 and went to work learning to ride and handle the larger bike. I was planning on racing it some during the 2001 season but had some setbacks and broke my ankle, tibula and fibia casing a bigger double. I worked hard to get better on the 125 but didn`t really get to race in 2001.

In 2002 I was back, healthy, and really ready to race. I had overall wins at 3 of the 5-6 different tracks I raced. For my 2002 season I raced 125C and Schoolboy classes in the CRA. In the point standings I ended the year 5th in Schoolboy and 14th in 125C, although I hadn`t really been following the points series.

In 2002, I attended the Tony D Motocross Schools at Pleasure Valley, PA and at Red Bud, MI. Tony ended up inviting me to be an instructor at the Broome Tioga class following the weekend of the national. So I helped out, had a lot of fun, and gained some experience on two national tracks.

In 2003 I moved to B class and to a RM250 and later a CRF450. I was running up front in B and started doing 4 Stroke later that season. By 2004, I could run with many of the local A riders and do very well in Collegeboy and 4 Stroke and I continue working hard to improve.

Goals for the Future

I am moving to A class for next season. I am planning to make it all the way to Loretta Lynns in 2007 with the help of my parents and sponsors. I am dedicating myself to it. I know what is required. I can be better mentally prepared, physically conditioned, and on top of my racing game when the qualifiers begin. Getting to ride outdoors in North and South Carolina as well as Georgia and Flordia this winter should have me in top condition when the Area Qualifiers roll around.

I am also planning to race the National Pro Am Series next year with the intent to get my AMA Pro license and be able to complete in the National races. I would also like to participate in some Arenacross this winter.

This last several years, though a frustrating battle with injuries, I have continued to improve in both skill and overall speed. My challenge has been developing consistency again letting my results prove what I can do. I am on pace with the local A riders speed and feel ready to move there and be successful and then take it to the next level. Thanks to Tony D I have gained a lot of experience riding national tracks like Broome Tioga, Red Bud, and Buds Creek as well as Steel City and High Point which are close to our home in Pennsylvania. I want to race against strong competition because I feel that by being in a faster environment I will naturally go faster, get smoother, and continue to learn and improve.

In 2006, I raced mostly CRA and AMA sanctioned races. I plan to focus mainly on AMA D5, D12 and some D29 races in 2007. I also intend to qualify for Loretta Lynn`s and I am seeking out faster competition on harder national caliber tracks. I would like to attend more of the amateur nationals.

I plan to continue to work with Tony D MX schools as my schedule allows as an instructor to help others improve their skills and help the sport continue to grow. This is also a good way for me to get exposure to different tracks and a great way to promote my sponsors to other riders.

Why do you compete?

I love to compete in motorsports, period. I love to go out and work and push to be the best that I can be. While I have been through illness and injury the last several years which has slowed my MX racing, I have had the opportunity to get involved with other motorsports. I first got involved in building and customizing a 1996 Silverado pick-up. It is lifted 9" and has 38" tires on it, yet I have kept it looking good and not going overboard like some people do. I also built a 383 stroker motor for the truck as a high school project. I put it together and installed it in the truck and it worked great. I love that feeling of accomplishment of new things or of things that other people may think I could not do. I then decided to sell the stroker motor to my friend, we put in a Buick Roadmaster (LOL) which made the RoadMonster pretty darn fast. I then transplanted my truck with a 1994 LT1 out of a Corvette which is really sweet. It is a daily driver! I have also gotten involved in drag racing and have a `97 Trans Am that I built a motor for racing and just cruising around. My motor puts out about 470 HP at the flywheel and 385 at the rear wheels. I have a street legal car that is faster than some of the racing only cars at the dragstrip. I have gotten this car to the point of running low 12 second quarter miles (NO weight reduction to the car, or slicks!) with my own effort and ability to learn, try things and keep striving to do better. That is why I compete. It is a way to measure yourself against others but also to push yourself to the next level, be it in MX, drag racing or anything else in life. It is sort of how TP 199 is always out there pushing the envelope to do what people thought could not be done...

My career has been short, especially compared to riders who have been racing since they were three or four years old. I am currently second in the Northern Ohio Championship Series 250 Open B Class, a few points behind the leader. I have won all the races that I have competed in in that Series so far despite just coming back from 2 months out due to being jumped/landed on during a race in June.

I was the Schoolboy Class Track Champion at Ohio International Raceway in 2002. I finished 5th overall in Schoolboy Class in the CRA and 14th overall in 125C Class in 2002, even though I wasn`t really following the points series. Not bad for my first year. I moved to B class in 2003 and won many races in 250B class. I also started racing AMA Districts 12 and 5 in 2003.

In 2004, I wanted to go to Loretta Lynn`s and began training for it in late 2003, riding indoors every week. 2004 had been frustrating due to injuries; broken collarbone in January, torn ligaments in March and not getting back to riding until mid April. I learned a few days after my regional at Doublin Gap that I had Mono and Strep and have battled to build stamina all season.

Yet, I had a lot of positive things. All the tracks I raced in qualifiers and the regional were tracks that I had never been on before. I learned them in 2-3 practice laps and raced well enough to get to regionals. I had very bad luck the first motos at regionals but battled back on Sunday.

I had a football sized 2nd degree burn on my side for the regional at RedBud in 2005. The burn plus some nagging back problems severeley limited my racing schedule in 2005. I know that I have excellent speed, having run in the top 5 in 4 Stroke at the regional and being able to run with many of the District "A" riders. I just need to be healthy and have stamina. That is what I am working on this winter; get healthy, train and ride indoors and be ready to go next season in A class. My parents moved to North Carolina so I also spend time there in the winter months riding and training outdoors also.

I am also proud to work with people like Tony D to help promote the sport and enable others to enjoy it more and improve their skills. In 2004 I instructed at 5 Tony D MX schools including Budds Creek, Redbud and Broome Tioga, which again gave me valuable riding time on top National tracks in National real race type conditions.

In looking back, I have come from a back of the pack 80 beginner in 2000 to 21st in the Northeast Region in 4 Stroke class in June 2004, with 2001 and much of 2005 and 2006 lost to illness and injury. Not where I wanted to be at this point in my racing career but I know that I can and will do much more in this sport.