2011 Board Candidate - Bio Thread

[T Baggins]

I've started this thread so that the 2011 Board Candidates can post their bio's for everyone to see BEFORE the ballots go out. That way you'll all have time to ponder, ask questions, etc... of the candidates and know that you're making the best choice when your ballot arrives in the mail.

Let the self-pimping begin... :lol:

[dragos13]

Hello, my name is Casey Dragos and I'm running for the position of Rider Rep - Rulebook. This will be my fifth year with the MRA and my second year on the board. I would like to thank Tony Ross for my nomination and also all the racers who voted for me last year. I enjoy being on the board and helping riders out whenever and wherever I can. Most of my job requirements are during the off season (organizing rule change meeting, rewriting rules, etc) and that allows me to spend time during the season either instructing or helping riders at the track.

Personally, I hope to become a board member that all riders feel they can come to in time of need. I try to keep an open mind and listen to all concerns regarding how our club works. I look forward to the 2011 MRA season, and while I might not be on the track as much as I hope, I am excited about being in the race pits and helping riders become faster and have a fun time while doing this crazy thing we call racing.

[kitten]

Casey, I will vote for you because you've done a great job!!

[Throttleroller277]

Jeff Brown
New Rider Director Bio

Thank you nominating me to be the MRA’s New Rider Director for the 2011 season. For those of you that do not know me, most people refer to me as “Brownie”. 2011 will be my 9th season racing with the MRA, and having raced in other various disciplines, it would be somewhere around my 15th year racing in total. I have been an MRA Rider Representative for the past 3 years, this last year being in charge of all the weekend, and banquet trophies, which I enjoyed doing a lot. Being able to see the excitement in people’s faces as they come by to pick up their awards is priceless. And it also makes me feel good to be able to do my part in helping the club to run as smoothly as possible for everyone.

I first started racing in the MRA for 2 reasons: I love racing, and I love motorcycles. I had no idea that by the time my second season rolled around that there would be too many reasons for me to possibly list, as to why I should be racing in the MRA. Not only the motorcycles and racing, but the camaraderie and sportsmanship that everyone has, the friendships that I have made with everyone in the club, not just the racers, but their friends and families too, whether we are at the race track or not. The MRA is not just a place for me to race motorcycles, but it has truly become my family, and I would like to thank each and every one of you for that. Having raced with several other clubs in the country, and been successful with Championships in and outside the MRA, I am proud to say that there is no other club that compares to the MRA.

Filling the shoes of our previous New Rider Director (Mark Schellinger) is not an easy thing to do. But having been an MRA Rider Representative for the past 3 years, and being an instructor at all of the MRA New Rider Schools since 2005, alongside the other instructors as well as the New Rider Director, I feel confident in directing our new riders, and this club in the positive and encouraging manner that it has thus far. Bringing new riders into this club is very important to the existence and future of the MRA, not just bringing in the new riders, but keeping them here as well.
2010 marked a new era in the MRA, with the new Superstreet Class that has been created, which proved itself to be a huge success. This class had anywhere from 10 riders per weekend, to as many as 22. A total of 12 Superstreet riders have converted over to actual MRA licensed racers throughout the season, and several more will be getting their licenses heading into the 2011. I assisted as a Superstreet instructor at every event this season, therefore I am fully aware that there is a greater demand for the New Rider Director’s time and focus than in previous years.

With that said, if I am elected for this position as your New Rider Director I will not be racing at all on Saturdays, in order to funnel all of my focus throughout the day on the Superstreet Students and classes, as well as any needs of our Novices and Experts alike. I feel as though the New Rider Director duties should take priority over my personal racing program.

I find great satisfaction in helping others in any way that I possibly can, whether it’s loaning some parts, helping wrench on a bike, or simply giving some advice on or off the track. I enjoy watching and assisting the new racers in the club improve their skills, as well as watching the club grow and improve through these tough economic times. I am always open to ideas and advise, and would love to hear what you all have in your minds……”What can Brown do for you” MRA?


~Jeff Brown

[ndehm]

Well…it all started when I was born. I don’t remember much before that. I was over two months early and ended up in an incubator/bubble or something like that with all the other chickens in the coop. The doctors didn’t think I was going to make it and if I did they didn’t expect me to be completely normal. That debate still runs strong today. Ultimately it did leave me with skeletal problems and my right leg is 1 ½ inches shorter than the other one (the other one being the left one). So anytime the track is predominantly right turns I am at least a second faster per lap!! At least! And when I do stand up wheelies I always go in a circle, can’t seem to help it. Oh, and my dad was 29 when I was born. See, had I not been premature, my dad would have been 30 when I was born. I will explain later why that is so key.

I fell in love with motorcycles when I was 13 while in Germany for the summer. I was cruising the autobahn in an Audi Quattro when two fully faired bikes that I remember to be Honda V4’s tore past us. That was around the time the BMW K100 and the Honda Interceptor was introduced and I couldn’t stop staring at them. Not too much later my neighbor gave us a vintage Honda from the 50’s or 60’s that didn’t run. At that point it was no threat but as soon as my dad saw me almost getting it to run, he threw it out like normal garbage. I am sure it is worth some bucks nowadays. So bikes were out of the question. Then came 1993 and with it the Yamaha Seca II. I loved it…so I bought it. I didn’t even know how to ride yet and had the dealer truck it home for me. I parked it across the street from my house for a week. My family would sit down daily for meals and my dad commented “that’s a nice bike, I wonder if it is ‘neighbor X’s’?” After that week and sitting down yet again for dinner, my dad looks at me and says “did you buy that dammed thing?” I nodded. Both my parents stared at me, at each other, at the bike, at me, at my brother, at the cat, and then just kept eating. Not a word said. From there it has been a long list of road bikes that I thrashed in canyons from San Diego, to L.A., San Francisco, and the Rockies, tossing with the unbelievable luck of never getting hurt or hitting someone else.

My first track day was at Sears Point ,Sonoma, CA in 1995 with my girlfriend who was actually quite fast. I was riding a Honda RVF400 and made an impression on the instructors. That boost of confidence fueled my passion for racing, and I started down this road of constant cash cremation! I have always had a passion for smaller, nimble bikes and I have raced machines such as the RGV250SP, TZ250, RVF400. Now that bikes are so light and fast I eventually broke down and bought a 600, which helps since I am 6’3” 210lbs with feet that can support aviation activity. My first race with the MRA was on April 29th, 2001...you see, that is a very significant number with me. Mostly doom and wide spread chaos occurs with things related to the number 29. So I actually didn’t sleep the night before, contemplating whether or not I should compete that day. It’s no joke, look for it! In movies, books, history, etc., you will see significant happenings (fact or fictional) associated with that number. So one year I asked Tony Baker for #29 in an attempt to laugh in the face of this serpent like entity that loves to hit me in the rear side. Unfortunately, (or maybe fortunately!) it was taken and I took #30 to get “one up” on this two digit demon!! I will never run 29 pounds of pressure in any tire on my bikes no matter what my tire guy says, screw that. LOL!

So, I have had a wonderful racing career so far. I have participated in the AMA Pro Thunder, AFM, MRA, AHRMA, WSMC, and WERA organizations. I was also, for a short time, part owner of Pacific Track Time. I got major track time instructing for that school. I have also developed rider/racer learning curriculums for two other track riding organizations. My biggest racing influences are Max Biaggi, Jorge Lorenzo, and Troy Corser because they are so inch perfect with their lines and very smooth.

I believe there are a lot of strong candidates for the New Rider Director position, and I hope I can be counted among them. What I bring to the table is hands on experience designing and implementing tools to educate riders. I have also had a professional career of adult education and corporate training. If you combine this with my experience and knowledge of motorcycling, I believe I can effectively influence new riders towards safe racing, correct racing, and good rider skills. I also have a diverse experience, having raced in many different clubs. This has allowed me to keep my perspective open, broad, and fresh to new ideas or challenges as they may arise. It is my sincere desire to fulfill the New Rider Director role beyond expectations but if I am not elected, I hope that I can be chosen by the victor to support the program in a lesser role none the less.

Speed and health to all my competitors and I hope to see you all at the track

[rybo]

Hi MRA,

It's been my pleasure to serve as your Vice President in 2010 and I hope that you'll vote for me to continue the job into 2011.

I realize that you have a bit of a Hobson's choice here, in that no one else was nominated for the position of VP this time around. The same is true for several other positions this year.

That being said, I ask that you take some time, read the candidate's bios and vote, even if there is only one name on the ballot. If you don't like the one option you have, write in the name of someone you think would do the job well. Please take the time to make your voice heard.

I'm proud of our work this year. The MRA did a great job all season long, from a record number of novices completing their novice hours, to outstanding turnout at our general meetings to the best race weekend attendance in many years.

There's still work to be done. I'd love to have the opportunity to be a part of continuing to make the club grow and thrive. The learning curve for me in 2010 was steep. I've still got some learning to do, but I'm better at the job today than I was when I started this position. I have some ideas on how I will do my job better in 2011 in order to make the MRA a better place for all of our members.

Enjoy your off season, I'll see you very soon.

Scott

[Throttleroller277]

Jeff Brown, MRA Rider Representative – Trophy

Although running unopposed for the 2011 Rider Representative/Trophy position, I would like to thank you all for the opportunity to fill this position once again.

Serving the MRA as a Rider Representative for the past 3 years has been a great experience that I have enjoyed a lot. Aside from the normal duties that all Rider Reps do, it was great to be able to provide the trophies and share in everyone’s enthusiasm as they came by to pick up their awards this season. Especially when 2 riders that were in the same race walk up, bench racing about the battle they had…priceless!!

Having been on the MRA Board as a Rider Representative, instructing at the race schools alongside the New Rider Director, has given me the desire to run for the NRD position. Although if you choose to not elect me to be the New Rider Director, I feel honored to continue serving as a Rider Representative, helping the needs of our racers, the MRA, and the sport in general, hopefully for years to come.

Thank you MRA!

~Jeff Brown, #277

[Christman29]

Thanks everyone for the opportunity to be elected New Rider Director for 2011.

Replacing Mark Schellinger as New Rider Director is not easy. I realize this as much as anyone since Mark and i have had a long racing relationship. I have done many new rider schools and some private schools together with him and enjoyed his teaching style thoroughly. Along with teaching with Mark i have raced with the MRA, CRA, CMRA, CCS, SMRI, FUSA, WSMC & AMA.

During my racing career i was lucky enough to win my first American Supercamp school by winning the Novice GTU championship. This began a long friendship and a lifestyle change. A while after taking the school, i was asked to be an instructor for the school(mostly because i was jobless!). So for around 5 years, i raced full time and instructed full time!

Listed below are a few of my local accomplishments, which really don't mean that much as far as being a good New Rider Director. What i think does make a good NRD is the abiltiy to convey important information about racing to people that are entering an area that they don't know anything about and have the love for motorcycle racing that all of us at the MRA have. I know what it's like to help a rider achieve something they couldn't have without you and that feeling is priceless. This is part of the reason i am willing to take on this position and be able to focus on the Superstreet riders on Saturdays.........that and i'm old now and i have to run Open Superbikes with lot's of horsepower to make up for slowing down!!!!!! Ha Ha!

Started racing in '98, won a couple Novice championships in '99
'00-turned expert and finished 2nd in a couple championships
'01-won 3 expert championships (MWSS, MWSB, HWSB)
'02-04 Raced AMA Superstock/Superbike and some MRA events

Thanks for giving me the opportunity,

Rob Christman, MRA #19 "Let's go Roadracing!!!!!!!!"

[JimWilson29]

Thank you for nominating me and giving me the opportunity to work for your club again in 2011.

I joined the MRA in 2003 after a number of years of street riding and track days. I have held race licenses with the AMA, USBA, SMRI and WSMC. I have been an instructor for the MRA New Rider School and I have instructed new track day riders with both Chicane Track Days and Pueblo Motorsports Park.

This past year I have held the Rider Rep PR position. A year ago I outlined a number of goals that I wanted to achieve in 2010. Although I may not have not have accomplished everything that I had set out to do, the overall success of myself and my fellow board members can be gauged by the successful season we just completed. This next year I will continue to build goodwill among the motorcycle community, create and reinforce the MRA brand and image, inform and create positive perceptions regarding the MRA, and generate new participants, spectators and sponsors.

Jim Wilson

[Johnnylaw2]

Track Marshal bio for Jason "Smitty" Smith

Greetings MRA Board of Directors, members, and corner crew. My name is Jason Smith, for those of you who don't know me, Smitty to those of you who do. It is my honor to accept the nomination (thanks Bart!) for Track Marshal for the 2011 MRA racing season.

I was a racer in the MRA from the 2002, through the 2007 racing seasons. I was a member of the Ten-80 Racing Team, and was the welder at all events under the banner of Johnny Law Welding. During that time I met, and raced against the best group of people that I know: you, the MRA.

Being your Track Marshal brings with it many challenges, and will require great effort. As your Track Marshal, I will be able to rise to those challenges, and give that effort since I will not be a racer. My number one priority will be upholding the duties of this position. In addition to my race experience for many years, I recently spent time at the track on a race weekend to see exactly what goes into this position, so I won't be coming in blind. Not only did I see things from a Track Marshal point of view, but also from a racer's standpoint as well. I am able to spot potential trouble spots on the track that would be cause for concern for racer's safety, but also that of the corner, and ambulance crews.

Coming from a career in law enforcement has taught me about showing respect, communication, teamwork, problem solving, thinking and acting quickly, and keeping calm during stressful situations. I will be using all of those things while working with the corner crew to ensure the safety of our racers first, and to keep our events running as smoothly as possible. The corner crew is a team, and as we all know, the MRA cannot race without that team in place. As your Track Marshal I will work hard with each, and every one of you to ensure we work together so the MRA continues to be one of the best clubs in the country. This will be accomplished with teamwork, communication, trust, and training. Since crashing, and on track incidents are all a part of the event, everyone being on the same page is absolutely vital.


During my time in the MRA as a racer, it was a great honor to be a part of one of the best racing organizations in the country. Being your Track Marshal would again, be a great honor for me.

Thank you all for your consideration.

Smitty

[oldtimer]

Wyeth Jackson
Rider Rep Press/Contingency

Thank you for nominating me for a second year as your press/contingency rider rep. I’ve really enjoyed learning how I can contribute and benefit the club. Since being elected last November I’ve written articles about the MRA and had them published in a number of motorsports outlets. I’ve promoted the MRA locally and nationally, with the goal of drawing new racers and visiting racers to our club. I’ve worked MRA events alongside my fellow members all year, and I’ve reported on those events. I also support our VP with any needed contingency assistance. Lastly I really enjoy helping with the new rider schools and SuperStreet, and encouraging riders.

I started racing with the MRA in 1994 and my last year with the club was 2000. I have to thank Bart for talking me into trying racing again, I returned in 2009 with my husband Aaron and we’ve been having a great time. I’ve raced with other organizations over the years, WERA, CCS, AMA, F-USA, and the USBA.

I’m proud of what we accomplished as a club this year. I hope my contributions were positive and that I can build on what I’ve learned. I look forward to continuing my work in 2011, thank you again for the opportunity!

Wyeth #145

[Ray-Ray]

To the MRA family,

It is with great honor that I have been nominated for the position of Track Marshal. This position is very important for the MRA. Track Marshal has the responsibility of making sure the race day goes without any issues and with my dedication and experience in the MRA I feel I’m ready for the challenge.

So, I’ve been around the MRA for a while now. I attended my first race in 1994 in Steamboat and have not turned back. I started corner working in 1996 and corner worked every race until 2002. I was the head Corner Marshal (Kyle’s current position) in 2003. That year I introduced my family to the MRA family (in La Junta of all places) that’s where I was finally able to convince my wonderful wife Lisa to let me start racing. In August 2003 I competed in my first MRA race and have only missed 1 race since. In 2004 I joined the airfence crew and from 2005 – 2007 was the airfence captain. In 2008 and 2009 I served on the Board as the VP of Rules and Tech.

As you can see I’m very dedicated to the MRA and feel honored to be a part of such a wonderful organization. My family is dedicated to the MRA as well. Lisa is the Treasurer (2008/2009+) and Logan is, well I guess you’d call him the MRA mascot. Breanna, my daughter, loves spending time at the races as well. Both kids have grown up with the MRA.

As Track Marshal I’d like to focus on revamping the training program for corner workers, improving the communication to the corner workers between races, evaluating our safety equipment for maintenance and/or replacement, and of course track safety. We have a wonderful group of corner workers that are dedicated to the MRA so we can all go racing. I’d like to keep that tradition going. I’ve got the dedication and experience that it takes to be a great track marshal. I would be honored to be your 2011 Track Marshal.


Thanks,
Ray-Ray #16

[T Baggins]

Posted at Ricky O's request:

Ricky Orlando
New Rider Director Candidate

Thank you for nominating me for new rider director. I have been a member since 1976. I have held this position in the past as well as rider rep and the pr position and actually got my girlfriend to run for president years ago.

My school has been operating successfully for eight years now. I am certified by the motorcycle safety foundation to teach the street and dirt classes and have designed my own classes for intermediate and roadracing students. I have also taught with Keith Code as a guest instructor.

I believe my credentials show that I am qualified for this position. The board position that come with this position is also very important to me. Seeing the ups and downs of this club over the years has given me a lot of experience on how we can improve the MRA. I believe that to stay successful that a user friendly attitude needs to be fore front for novices and experts alike.

Change is good so please vote for Ricky Orlando for new rider director.

Ricky Orlando

[eklew]

Hello, my name is Elden Lew #415. For those that do not know me, I am a fairly new racer to the MRA. My wife, Jenn Hom #888, started racing in 2008 and I was her pit bitch. After some “friendly encouragement” I entered my first race at the end of the 2008 season at PPIR. I completed my first full novice season in 2009 and continued in 2010. I feel that now is the time to give back to the MRA.

Because of the success of the MRA last year, I believe that the MRA deserves more choices. I was not going to run for a board member position until I read that the unopposed VP of Rules and Tech candidate did not submit a bio for this position. Because of that, I want to mount a serious write-in campaign and show the passion and dedication that I have for our club.

As far as credentials to perform the tasks of VP of Rules and tech, I do not have the technical knowledge that the other candidate has. I have, however, worked as a technical inspector for Racing to Save Lives at Miller and VIR in 2007. I then worked as the lead tech inspector at R2SL at Miller in 2008 and 2009. I am also the lead tech inspector for a local track day organization, which I am sure you are all familiar with. In addition, I bring to the table a hard working attitude and a strong attention to detail. I would also like to think that I am very good at solving problems and utilizing my resources when I don’t have a solution on my own. One person can not possibly know everything, no matter how much he thinks he does! I have definitely been humbled in the past and I would be the first person to admit that I am not perfect.

The MRA, as I hear all the time, is like a second family to people. I don’t believe in that. I would rather spend my weekends with the MRA because honestly, my family is not as fun to hang out with!

I thank you for taking the time to read my bio. I certainly would appreciate the honor of being the VP of Rules and Tech for the MRA in 2011. To vote for me, simply write my name under the heading of VP of Rules and Tech.

Thank you for your vote!