The other Roman …

As far as I know besides me in the Tri-State area there is only another Roman regularly attending road racing club events: my friend Luciano.
The first time I noticed him it was several year ago at one of the Pocono events organized by Nesba while inspecting bikes right after the registration. I believe that he had an old H1 or H2, a 3 cylinder Kawasaki, in perfect conditions and as soon as I opened my mouth to compliment him for that beauty he ask me in perfect Roman dialect: “ ma sei de Roma?” (but are you from Rome?) . Since that time I cannot recall how many perfectly restored bikes he has been bringing to the track over the years. I believe that he has a nice collection of 4 strokes but I have recently discovered that he has a boundless enthusiasm for 2 strokes. At the last event that we had in Pocono I had the opportunity to ride his gorgeous yellow Yamaha TZ 250: I had so much fun in shifting up and down those gears thru the twisty turns of the East Course. The bike is light and nimble, very conducive in carrying extra speed at the entrance of the turn to remain in the power band for the exit of the corner. And what about that urge to tuck as much as you can behind the windshield with the elbows tight against the tank? Only that generation of racing bikes can give you this kind of feelings. Modern four stroke bikes have shrank over the years to dimensions that we would have never imagined ten years ago but as Luciano claims a TZ 250 … “with 240 pounds wet and more then 85 hp on the wheel it is a joy to race it. In the right hands a well running TZ can give hard times to a liter bike”.

Lombardi School, Lev 2: Pocono Raceway 9/4

As I have posted in the Absolute Cycle Forum:


I believe that last Tuesday the launch of the Lev 2 course was a success. I had 3 riders that at the beginning of the day displayed substantial differences in speed and technical skills, but still they looked compatible as group to me. Unfortunately one of them, Rich, had to leave the track after the second session to follow his friend to the hospital, because he had suffered a slight concussion in a crash. With only two students, Tom and Bob, Steven Lombardi and I had the opportunity to put together an extremely intense course. Both, Tom and Bob are motorbike veterans so it was like to teach " new tricks to old dogs". It's definitely easier to instruct someone totally new to bikes than someone with decades of riding under his or her belt. Regardless, I honestly believe that I was able to discover and correct hidden attitudes and frames of mind that were affecting their overall performance. Also, Tuesday I chose to adopt a teaching style where I was explaining: the concept, why it is supposed to be done in such a way and what we try to achieve from a technical point of view. A very intense approach to learn the art of riding that requires physical and mental concentration all through the day by the instructors as well the students. Both riders, Bob and Tom have improved dramatically their riding. By the last session Bob became much more proactive with his body and detailed in dealing with cornering while Tom almost seemed to be another person:by the end of day he was able to create calmness, smoothness and control in his riding. No more fish tailing on the brakes, no more sudden reactions of his front end during the turns, overall a new Tom, capable of being totally in charge of his riding.
Unfortunately my guys were forced to leave the truck a couple of sessions before the end of the day for different personal issues, right after having ridden their best sessions. They looked tired but extremely happy for their achievements. We were able to cover probably only half of the program that I had prepared for the event, but it was OK. The level two course is tailored exactly to the skills and the real needs of each rider so I take the person from where he or she is to escalate my instructing along with his or her improvements. For every topic I have created drills that could be used to facilitate the assimilations of concepts. Obviously every rider is different so there could be a person that can go from point 1 to point 9 of the program in one day vs another one who can only get to the point #5. Regardless, substantial improvements in lowering the lap time and in the technical skills are always guaranteed.
In our school we have always put a lot of passion and joy in instructing, and last Tuesday, even in the Lev 2 course, I feel that we laid out a new milestone for the Lombardi School. As always, you can find good instructors only with good students, so a big and honest thanks goes to Bob, Rich and Tom: you guys made my day.

Ciao,

"Another great event organized by Absolute Cycle, our boutique-style local road racing club" ..... thanks to Roy, Mark and the rest of their crew

Our first PMP girl track rider

Hello everyone,

My name is Krys and I am honored to be the first PMP female track rider. One thing a woman will never tell is her age. I believe age is relative to how you “feel”.
However wisdom and experience are two things I embrace with age.
I am the Service Manager at Global Auto Mall for the last thirteen years. I have 5 car lines. I have been with the company for approx 18 years and have had dealership service experience for the last 22 years. (I started young. Wink wink). My father owned a service/gas station for many years. When I was a little girl, I pumped gas for $2.00-$5.00/day. As time went by, I was managing the shifts at the station. Dad was no dummy. At 17 he had me pumping gas in shorts during the afternoon commute. Thank God he had more class than having me on stage and riding a pole. LOL! No Jerry Springer for me. Being around cars my whole life you’d think I’d be into Nascar.
Even then, I never ever wanted to be one of those provincial women with a conservative if not bigoted attitude.

When I was approx 12 years old, my brother came home with a Honda CR 125. I would sit on it in the basement learning shift patterns. This came easy for me because just a few months earlier, I had a dear uncle teach me how to drive a Toyota with a manual transmission. Not too much later, I was sneaking the CR125 out onto the street.
I eventually became friendly with some people who did trail riding at the Meadowlands landfill and invited myself. I started on I YZ80 and gradually up to a CR250.

Unfortunately, I was on my own at a tender age and was forced into taking on a lot of responsibility and not much room for fun. I had to find my place in the world. I don’t want to bore you so……


Jumping ahead, approx 6 years ago, I met Pete. Pete had a CBR 600 F2 and a Suzuki Bandit. Pete and I work at the same dealership. One day he rode to work. We were chatting and he asked if I knew how to ride. I told him of my earlier days. He handed me the keys and said,” here. Go. “ I instantly became so excited. Pete and I started dating and eventually got married and I became addicted to riding and watching AMA, MotoGp and World Superbike races. I took the MSF course and every bit of free time I had, I was on the bike, becoming better and more confident.

My friends went to Pocono for a track day and took the Lombardi School course. They came back from that day somehow different. I liked what I saw. I wanted it too.

In 2004 I had my first track day with the Robert Lombardi School. I didn’t know what to expect and I was very nervous. The instructors were so knowledgeable, kind, patient and perceptive. By the 3rd session I knew I wanted more, more, and more! I also knew I wanted to be around these people. Positive, helpful, and solid people. I instantly bonded with Rob Lombardi and became friends with him. I followed his career and kept in touch. I also adored Alex and Todd from day 1.

Unfortunately, with my crazy hours at work, I could not be aggressive with my track days and because of my job, I lost a whole season. I am now learning to put myself first and will not allow my work to dictate my life.

This season I have dedicated myself to be the best person I could be. Mentally, spiritually, and physically.

I am now traveling to different tracks, I have taken motorcycling vacations, and I am expanding.


I will be great at this!

I have a personal trainer and I do Bodyflow. (Copy write Les Mills…www.Lesmills.com) which incorporates Tai Chi, Pilates, and Yoga. I will be writing about this form of exercise for the PMP blog. It’s great for a solid core, balance, strength, and a clear and healthy mind. It balances blood sugar, cholesterol and helps you sleep better.





Whether at the track or just enjoying each other’s company during a meal or a couple of cocktails, the friends I have made from this sport are the best friends I have ever had in my life. I will never jeopardize these friendships. They have helped my riding skills. But more importantly, they are helping me to shape the real person I am. They have helped me grow as a person. Instead of sympathy, empathy or pity, they offer love guidance and solutions to whatever plagues me.

Rob, Alex 555, Todd…….Thank you for all your support, encouragement, guidance and love. I am eternally grateful to you guys: Mike, Naim, Frankie, Uncle Steve, Antonio, Pete, Maurizio, Diana, and a very gracious Bill Jones. Thank you for being so loving and generous. I couldn’t ask for better friends. Diana.. stop work enough to breathe and get on the bike! You’re the best girl!
The list continues. Almos, Mario, Alex, Alex, Dave……I can’t wait to get to know you guys. Thank you in advance.


All good things
Krys aka Gearheadgirl
Krysified@aol.com
Myspace.com/krysified

When is time to bail out?

The picture of Dennis Cuevas’s Jeep climbing another Jeep’s front tire and a spectacular accident in the FUSA course in Pocono(red course on the map) have suggested me a few considerations. Yesterday our friend and CR Greg broke the return cable of the accelerator and when he went to blip the throttle to down shift while already braking he lost control of the “now accelerating” bike that fortunately “got rid” of him before hitting the guardrail: Greg was very lucky because did not suffer any injury.

When Valentino washed out his front end at the beginning of the race in Germany, everybody praised the seasoned champion for having kept the engine on by holding in the clutch while sliding with his M1. On the other end there are other situations that would require the rider to jump out of the bike like our friend Lenny Santangelo did a few years ago in VIR. He had lost his rear brake in a previous race crash and after two laps into a new race, at the end of the straight before T1, when he went to pull his front brake lever, there was nothing because he had lost the brake caliper pin! At 150+mph he literally jumped from his bike letting it to continue its ride like a torpedo that exploded once it hit the trees at the edge the T1 run-off. Fortunately Lenny suffered only a fractured leg, not too much for that type of crash. To be honest it was not the first time that Lenny bailed out from a bad situation, because he already did it in Pocono Raceway after loosing control of his bike in the grass knowing that soon he would have run into one of the famous ditches crossing the field to collect rainwater.

Some time nothing can be done because the centrifugal force would abruptly eject the unfortunate rider off his bike. A couple of days ago the 39-year-old Duhamel crashed in T12 of Road Atlanta, in the most dangerous corner of the AMA Superbike Championship calendar. A sudden high-side that threw off the veteran rider: the bike went up in the air after hitting and displacing the air-fence while Duhamel slid until hitting the hay bales. He has suffered some internal injuries but it could have been worse after hitting a wall at that speed.

Personally I have bailed out in the mist of a crash only once, but while riding a dirt bike, and I am not even sure if I would be able to pull a similar action on a road-racing bike given the high speed involved. At professional level riders crash quite often developing the necessary experience to manage properly the unfortunate situation.
At my level, and for anybody else attending club events, crashing is something that we try to avoid as much as we can. Even a stupid low side can be costly financially and physically, especially when on Monday you have to go back to work.
My rambling has not provided a clear answer to the original question, but it did suggested that in difficult circumstances we shouldn’t exclude the option of … bailing out.

PMP Event: Pocono Raceway 7/23

We had hoped for beautiful weather but we were told that it was going to be overcast all day with some rain late in the afternoon. Then on Monday morning we heard that we would have had a few drops in the morning followed by a break leading to the afternoon shower but … we got not break, just a long shower.
The event was hosted by Absolute Cycle, a new club that in a short term has already position itself as one, or maybe the best, NYC road-racing club. Unfortunately the rain has ruined the party so in the morning we had a limited number of people that took the chance to drive up to the Pocono Raceway to gamble with the volatility of the weather conditions. In the Robert Lombardi school we had only 5 students, a situation that would have been perfect for them under dry conditions, given the instructor to student ratio of 4:5, typical of more advanced classes. Anyhow along with Steven Lombardi, Todd Cuso and Naim Behdzet, I tried to give the school hoping that the sky would open but in reality it got worse by the hour: after only two sessions we decided to call the day and issued a credit for the class to be used in one of our future school events. In the Lombardi School we believe that a course should be thought in fair conditions, the only way for the students to refine and improve their skills while achieving the “Basic Level” goals.
A special thank to the control riders Frank Aluzzo and Joe Russo for riding with the participants to the event under such inclement conditions.
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PMP Event: Pocono Raceway, May 3rd

After going to Jennings in Florida, last Thursday the PMP crew had its second event hosted by Absolute Cycle, but this time in Pocono Raceway in PA. Luckily, given the unstable temperatures in the North East, we were blessed with a blue sky and a warm sun that made even more pleasant a racetrack day where we started our engines in the morning a turned them off, who knows at what time, in the afternoon.
The PMP crew & Friends have done a wonderful job in helping this new club in organizing a really professional event. While Naim Behdzet, Steve Lombardi, Todd Cuso and I were instructing in the Lombardi School, Mario Pires and Alex Herrera guaranteed the Control Riding in the Intermediate Group and characterized the Expert Group with some exciting dicing.
The school itself was a success because the entire class, 11 riders, improved dramatically from one session to another one. A round of claps definitely goes to Michael and Kevin: these guys were able to push hard their German and British “Cows”. When in the morning I saw their touring bikes, a BMW and a Triumph, I feared the situation where we had to commit an instructor just for them, instead they end up rolling those machines as fast as their colleagues with sport Japanese bikes.
During the day I had the opportunity to leave the classroom to show my face and/or my wheels to all my friends around the track and I have to say that Roy and Mark from Absolute did a wonderful job in putting together a real “stress free” event: their boutique-style club has in its dimensions and care for details a unique combination that has not competitors at local level. Of course on the field we have to give credit to the professionalism of the corner workers, PA POSSE, guided by our friend Speedy and to the passionate work performed by our Control Riders.
I am going to let the email received from my friend, and pure motorbike lover, John Glass, to summarize the event:
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Alex, I would like to thank you for being so helpful and going out of your way to check out my progress yesterday at Pocono. Also, my thanks to Alex Herrera for the generous use of his time! My main concern yesterday was to get a good track day behind me without trying to go too fast, and that is exactly what I accomplished. Remember. this is only the second time I have ridden a motorbike since last Fall, but it did wonders for my confidence. I now feel ready for more track time. Also, I really enjoyed the way the event was run by Absolute. It seems to me that Roy is doing this simply for the love of the sport, which makes for a much different atmosphere than an event being run by an organization that is simply trying to make money. I also appreciate that they had an Advanced Life Support unit there. Something that we hope is not needed, but is very important to have if necessary.

Getting back to Alex Herrera, following him was a great experience! He is so quick and smooth and being behind him I saw how late he could turn in to a corner which gave me the necessary confidence to try it. I certainly can't do it like him (or you) but it gives me a good learning base to build on. We are never too old to learn! I spent some of my time between sessions watching the fast guys, and especially Alex H. I saw some very fast and excellent riding.

Lastly, I am sorry I missed you at the end of the day. I waited a while but did not see you and as it was getting late, me being tired and a long ride ahead, I decided it best to get started.

Best wishes to you and all the PMP guys. Hope to see you soon

John Glass

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Also I wish to Eliecer Montoya, PMP rider and owner of “Strawberry - Shakes and Grill”, our headquarter in North NJ, a quick recover from the accident that will keep him away from the race tracks for a few weeks.
I have attached a few pictures kindly offered by Dennis Cuevas, from Racedayphoto. The Lombardi School instructors are wearing blue shirts while the students are in red. The control riders were wearing orange shirts.











PMP bikes: Painting by Mario Pires, Decals by Diana

PMP Event: Pocono Raceway 4/21 – 4/22

We could have not dreamed a better weekend than this one! Last week started with torrential rain that has caused severe flooding in the Tri-State area. On Monday, Pocono International Raceway was covered by more than 11 inches of snow, and when we learned that the forecast was calling for a warm and seasonal weekend we were obviously skeptical about it. Well, the bleached smile people were damn right, because April gave us a memorable weekend.
The two-day event was organized by SBTT, Sport Bike Track Time, a club that has absorbed the former local Red-Duc organization that we had already used in the past. My impression is that the new club has somehow maintained the same warm and pleasant atmosphere, with a relaxed but well regulated organization that was able to guarantee a flawless weekend.
Even missing all the guys from NJ, the PMP crew had more than 10-15 riders from NY that along with friends and family members made a nice thick group of people eager to enjoy these two wonderful days. The dicing in the track and the playful mocking around the trailers have entertained everybody causing loud laughing and big smiles on our faces. In a club track event, there are obviously people faster than others, but somehow the interpretation of the facts is always very “personal” especially without the support of a lap timer. It goes from “..I didn’t want to stuff you …” to “ I could have passed you in that turn but I didn’t want to embarrass you” or ”… let me ride your bike and I will show you how you are supposed to ride it …” The historical situations between Rossi and Biaggi were nothing when compared to those created by our Frank and Naim, especially when you had everybody else pouring “gasoline over the fire”.

A special thank to Diana (JS Typography) for bringing the PMP shirts to us; Tina, Diana and Benny for the trays of freshly brewed coffee; Dave and Dima (Lee Miles Brooklyn) for offering their ethnic delicatessen; Almos (666 Cycle) and Rob Lombardi for the mechanical help to fix my GSX-R, and John, Peter and Antonio (Techline) to spare their bikes with me on Saturday.








For more action pictures visit RaceDayPhoto

PMP bikes: Painting by Mario Pires, Decals by Diana

Come to the race track and you will realize that ...

Last weekend I spent 3 days in Pennsylvania, at the Pocono Raceway track, on Friday with the NYSB and on Saturday and Sunday with NESBA. I was very excited because it was the first exit with my new 2001 GSX-R 600.



Saturday afternoon, after the school, I worked on the suspension set up and the following day it was showdown with my friends riding with NESBA. As usual I worked as Control Rider with the Intermediate group and honestly after my recent crash I wished to wear hazard lights and a “Do not tailgate” sign along with my orange shirt. No problem, after a few laps I was totally relaxed and ready to enjoy my day. I went out in all the Expert sessions and most of the Beginner ones to set up the suspensions of my friend’s bikes: I basically rode no stop until the lunch break. After that the sky became progressively darker until the rain forced us to stop. The rain didn’t end until the following morning so we changed the type entertainment but not the fun. Over the years I became friend with so many people at the racetracks that now it seems a family reunion. When it rains E-Z Up tents and big enclosed trailers become our leaving rooms with guys sharing food and drinks and the most outgoing ones engaging in jokes, imitations, and mocking others. Robert Lombardi is one of them: forget racing, he should have his own show in Manhattan!


At the club events we normally go as group, so we travel, ride, eat and share hotel rooms together. This kind of circumstances has created a very strong bond with my friend, a sort of brotherhood. On Sunday, one of my buddies high sided: fortunately he didn’t suffer any injury but the bike paid the toll. Our sport it’s very expensive however not so much when you are part of a “team”. Monday morning my friends worked hours on that bike: it was stripped, washed, broken parts fixed or replaced while the owner went to work with his aching body. In the afternoon when he got back home he couldn’t believe that his “baby” was already in promising shape for the next event. “ Guys,how much do I own you for ….?” The answer was “do not worry about … good friends always help each other!”

For more picture of this event visit Racedayphoto

Robert Lombardi Racing School: Pocono 9-29-06

Last Friday Robert and I had the last school event for the 2006 season. The day started in the wrong way with rain and cold wind. On top of that Pocono Raceway not only gave us the gravel area to pit, but also denied the usage, for really questionable reasons, of the only small shed available. We were counting on this little shack as classroom and at that point we felt a bit lost given the fact that we had eight students. After examining different solutions we opted for a tent with some kind of sidings, a table and a few chairs. With a blackboard, a lot of passion and the positive attitude from the school partecipants, it took only one hour to overcome the morning issues and create a “warm” atmosphere.

Even this time Robert Lombardi’s Road Racing School was able to deliver what promised: all the students improved drammatically their confidence, speed and overall riding skills. At the end of the day everybody had a big smile and a positive comment about their track experience. A lot of them claimed to be already addicted to the track experience and that they couldn't wait for the next event. Unless they are willing to travel to Jennings in Florida in January they would have to wait until the end of another long and nasty New York winter before warming up again their bikes.

See you next year!

The following comments were posted on the NYSB forum:

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RobCBR954RR
My 1st Trackday!!
I want thank my longtime friend Jose for introducing me to the club. I can't believe how much I learned from Rob and Alex these 2 Guys are GREAT instructors I hope they stick around for a longtime.. Well I had a great time riding on Friday and I am amazed on how my CBR954 handled on the track after getting lessons from Rob and Alex on the proper technigues on turning and leaning also breaking points. I was able to scrape my knee a little towards the end of the day when I was alot more confident with what I learned. I am looking forward for more trackdays in the future

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Phlipedoutracing
1st Track Day on the 29th
Had an awsome time at the poconos! Little weather problem at first but it cleared out. Also to Rob and Alex you guys did a great job teaching that class also a great job building that tent you had to teach in. But u made it work!!! The class was extremely helpfull and thank you once again. ………..

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Carl Redmond
I agree...Rob & Alex did a fantastic job. It's really great opportunity to get instruction from two professionals of their level who excell at teaching. Alex even managed to untangle my complicated questions and always come up with a really good and very understandable answer. It was my first day on a track and thanks to NYSBC/Rob & Alex I had a fantastic day, and as Rob predicted....I am now addicted. Hope to see you all again soon.

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For more pictures covering this event visit Racedayphoto.com