To The Land of the Green Grass.

January brings frigid weather to our area but it does nothing to cool our desire to ride. So what do a group of people do to satisfy this desire, well in our case the most logical thing to do is call up a few friends and head south. Hence the plan was formed. Getting the group together took very little effort, a few calls and before we knew it we had people and a transportation and place to ride. The place would be a track in Jennings Florida. This is a great little track in the north of Florida. Mike, Jack and I visited this track last year about this time. The Jennings track runs track days every 2nd and 4th weekend of the month and other clubs take up the other weekends, so the track is always busy. As for transportation, the TPM rig and trailer would supply our transportation needs. Lastly the people, Andy got Mike and I to jump on the deal as fast as we could and before you knew it we had Glen, Omar, Dave Vega, Mike S, Jimmy and Rich Edgar along for the ride. Glen and another TPM member, Walt, would be flying down as we take their bikes along.

As the departure date draws near text messages and phone calls are running amuck. The anticipation is like lighting a long slow burning fuse. Mike and I were at the TPM office a few days before to get our gear and bikes loaded as Andy and crew were going to pickup Mike and I along the way in a few days. I arrive and meet Glen inside to TPM office. When Mike arrives he leaps from the car singing, "We're going to the race track!" Even with the temps in the single digits it didn't cool our desire by any means. With the trailer getting primed with our gear and bikes loaded inside the anticipation is growing and the fuse is shall we say, lit.

As the departure date approaches, posts on the TPM board draw a few others along too, the more the better. Text message are still flying around with count downs to the date we leave. Omar makes the plans for food and requests for everything from burgers to wedding cake come in. Omar learned sometimes it's best not to ask with this group. The departure date finally arrives and even more text messages fly about. Omar states "I just got in and it's already so long." yes the comments did fly on that statement. Andy sends out an hourly count down. The text that really counted we about 3pm when he stated he finished worked and headed over to grab the TPM rig. This fired off a frantic call from Rich thinking they were leaving early and he forgot him. Andy, like many of us, counts the track day as the time we leave work for the track as the start of the track day not when we arrive at the track. About 3:30pm and I get a text from Mike M saying there is no more cars in the shop and he wants out now before any cars come in. I push the clean up some work and shoot out of work by 4pm.

The clock on the wall says 8 o'clock and Mike and I get the call that Andy that the crew and bikes are loaded and on the road, that is after they unfroze Rich. Rich was a bit shaken or I should say frozen due to the dog growl from Mr. Vega. That would have been a sight to see. Mike and I figure by 9 o'clock we can leave his place and get to our meeting point at about the same time as Andy and crew. About 5 miles away we get a call from Andy that he's at the meeting point and the crew is in the Taco Bell getting food. So I (with Mike onboard), drop the hammer for the last few miles and arrive before the crew gets back from their food run. Thankfully there is slow service at Taco Bell and a quick toss of our gear into the trailer and we are rolling again. For the people at Taco Bell seeing Omar, Dave, Jimmy, Mike S and Rich, all wound up to ride and walking into a fast food place can be kinda intimidating. They’re great people but at first glance they can be kinda intimidating group. Granted Omar didn't have firecrackers taped to his chest but the people behind the counter were looking for them.

With food in hand and Mike and I onboard, the crew is complete and southbound. Conversations range from how the track is laid out and questions to Mike and I about the track, since we did this track last year. I know these boys and they don't need much information to figure out any track. Since it's been a few months since we'd all been together we catch up on things and have a blast riding along. As with most of us traveling together in the past the quotes, jokes and stories fly about the cabin. New terms come to light, like "Getting a Vega" has nothing to do with a car. With Andy at the helm, who BTW is one driving machine, that boy can put down the miles like no one I have even seen. We get about 4 hours in the trip and he's still going strong. Thankfully there is a bathroom on board otherwise I'd personally be in real trouble. Andy only requires a few hours sleep so at about 3am we stop in a Wal-Mart parking lot and everyone gets out to stretch a bit. We make room for Andy to sleep and we all take positions in the camper. With the beds full Mike and I head over to the Wal-Mart to walk around and seek some warmth. As we approach the door we notice the hours listed and note that the time on our watches doesn't quite match the times they are open, so we trek back to the trailer. Now comes the fun part. With all the beds taken Mike and I opt to get some sleep in the trailer. We balance things just right in the trailer to make room to sleep and seek some warmth. We end up sleeping in our jeans, sweatshirts and hats just trying fight off the cold which worked for a bit and we fall asleep. We awake about 3 hours later to the rumble of the rig motor and the sheer fear that any movement would cause the heavy and sharp items we balanced, so delicately, to come crashing down on us. You ever see the rose that was frozen and then shattered with hammer. Put that image in your head and you'll know why Mike and I moved so fast.

With us on our way again, Mike and I back in the warmth of the totter, as Andy continues pointed south. Hours later we pass the familiar travel spot, South of Boarder, which we all had stopped at one time on our lives. The amazing part is that we still have yet to see the green grass we were looking for. The days before we left the south was hit with a snow storm and some cold weather that I'm sure they are not used to. About mid way though South Carolina we start to see some grass but it's not quit was green as we'd expect to see considering how far south were are. I guess the quest will for the green grass will continue. As we approach the state of the peach, Georgia, we finally see some the green grass we are looking for. Amazing how for south we have to go to see it but now we know we are getting close to the track and the loop of pavement we will use to quench our need for speed. Somewhere amid the trip we had a major blowout, one that scared the older lady riding next to us. So I'm told, as I was sound asleep in the upper bunk. Once Andy safely got off the road the crew jumped into action. With a team work that would make a nascar team blush we have a new tire on and rolling again. With a turnaround, aided by a local man, with his shopping cart, on the side of the road and the words to Andy "You’re a operator, not a chopperator!" accompanied by a salute. We gotta get some that medication for when we are having a bad day. With no spare and a lot of miles to go some calls were made to find a spare. Mike finds a place that has the tire that we need and after about a 30 minute stretch we are back on the road. Not too shabby.

We cross the border into Florida and take the west loop around Jacksonville and head west getting closer to the track. We make some calls to see where Glen is and see if he and Walt want to meet for dinner. The clock on the wall reads 8pm as we pass the Jennings exit and head towards Valdosta Georgia to meet for dinner. Restaurants are easy to find but with a rig as big as we have makes the picking kinda limited. Let's just say Waffle House isn’t going to be real happy see this rig in its parking lot, but that's a story for later. We find a Sonny's BBQ with a Wal-Mart next to it, so we stop and all pile out. We call Glen and Chris to tell them where we are and head in for some food. The thing about the south is the people tend to be friendlier and our waitress is no exception. A party of 10 is not an easy task but if she willing to take us, then we are will have her serve us. We scatter to our seats and figure out rather quickly what we want to eat. It being 8pm it's not real hard to decide since our stomachs just want some solid food and tells the brain to order ASAP so we can eat. Glen and Walt arrive a bit later and they sit at the end of the table. Glen knows we are not the quite types so he joins right in. Walt on the other hand enjoys the comedy that ensued. Chris and Sal arrive a bit later and join us.

With food in stomachs we head over to the track to unload and camp for the night. We arrive and grab a spot out on the grass and plug in. Since most of the crews are coaches we are used to unloading the trailer. We make quick work of it following Andy instructions. With lights, noise and the controlled chaos we created quite a show for the people in the paddock. Amidst the unloading process a crowd had gathered at the back of the trailer. Andy takes to changing some tires as we organize all our stuff and setup sleeping quarters. Mike, Andy, Rich and I are sleeping in the trailer while the rest of the crew is in the totter. With temps in the 40's we get run about in sweatshirts as the locals don their winter jackets and complain about the cold, wimps. Try the 18 degrees we left and you'll thicken your blood. With everything setup we all settle in for some sleep. The totters heat was aided with some natural gas and more comedy, there might even have been a Vega or 2. "Omar, I hope that was you knee!"

Dawn arrives and we all stumble outside. We are all a bit off our game with no registration, tech, cone setup, air fence to set up we scatter about looking for something to do. The call comes over the PA that registration is open. We trek over to sign in and get our group wrist bands. Omar tries one more time to get in the expert group but fails, they remember him. Omar is the type of person that people don't seem to forget, I mean that in a good way. Mike S, Jimmy and Walt will keep him company as they are in the same group. Mike, Glen, Vega, Rich, Andy, Kenny and I are in the expert group. Speaking of Kenny, he had a bit of a rough start to his weekend but has preserved and after leaving is house at 2am is here ready to go, energy drinks helped him push though the night and morning hours. Expert group is up first but we can't fire the bikes until 9am, local laws, so we all pacing about eager to hit that starter button. Or in my case get a long push from Mike across the grass, thanks Mike. We head up to the grid and get ready you put in our first laps for 2009. Since my bump start was needed Mike gets a later start them me but that's a good thing was we both need to remember the track without the distraction of chasing each other. The rest of the crew takes advantage of the lead around laps to get the line.

We cycle through our group sessions and talk about lines, brake points, throttle input points in the never ending quest to nail the perfect lap or come as close as we can. With all the laps we done on all the tracks we ride we rarely find this perfect lap but it never stops us from looking for it. The saying "Even a blind rat finds cheese, once in a while." comes to mind. With 4 sessions under our belts and Glen and Dave kicking our butts out there we take the time to have some lunch. Omar our so called "French chef" works his magic with some seasoned burgers with some sautéed onions and cheese. Omar has his special purpose and is putting it to good use at the grill, which we are all very thankful for. With lunch comes a little shower and a wet track awaits us. The rain has some riders packing up and head out while others wait it out. Then you have the TPM riders, who will ride no matter what. As you can guess we are on the grid and on the track for each of our sessions despite the wetness. For us just the wet track still offers great traction. We've ridden in the rain and cold at Pocono to downpours at VIR in the mid summer heat to the end of the season events at Summit. A damp track is like dry pavement on the Jefferson circuit to us, so we ride. With the damp conditions the search for traction continues. Some of us have it and some of us don't. Mike is slipping while Andy and I seem to have more grip then everyone else. Then again I switched helmets and now have a yellow shield which makes it kinda hard to tell wet from dry payment. So to me it all looks dry so I ride at a conservative dry pace. When we come in everyone was asking me how I was riding so fast. I told them about my yellow shield and dry vision filter, which was later deemed the "Stupid Shield". In one damp session Andy caught me but didn't make it stick before the checkered came out on the back section. Had the checkered come out for us on the front straight, which Andy was yelling for inside his helmet, he'd have had a victory there but I'd still have the second checkered to even the score. Omar and I did establish in the morning that you must get both checkered flag to claim total victory otherwise it's a split victory. My moment in the sun only lasted until the track dries out and Mike runs past and I can't get back past him. Glen and Vega are back to their blistering pace leaving us scratching our heads.

As day one winds to close we relax and unwind with a few PB&J sandwiches, we keep things simple. We all wander about talking about the day and discussing stuff like line, turns, throttle input point, brake markers and our usual post track day conversations. We love this stuff and just can't seem to get enough of it, which explains why it’s January and we are in Florida riding. Phone calls home to report in and talk to our loved ones. Before we know it night has fallen and we start to settle in for the night. We clear out spots in the trailer for our sleeping quarters. Up high in the TPM trailer, Rich on the lift and Mike on the carpeted area, there is a gate separating them, which is by design. Rich will be sleeping rather still as there are nice gaps on both sides of him that would result in a 6 foot plummet to the steel floor below. Andy takes the spot above the gooseneck, Kenny's in the back of trailer while I’m next to the tire machine. Walt, Glen and Omar head out for dinner.

The sun comes up to start another day. We all head out to prepare for another day of riding. Today is a bit overcast but still warm by our opinions, locals might differ, but we're happy. Kenny offer to buy Mike and myself some breakfast to which we take his offer. Kenny’s original offer was just to walk with him while he gets a coffee but when you hang around with Mike it always ends up to be more, thanks again Mr. Roberts. The PA system blares with the words “Registration is now open” so Kenny, Mike and I head over devouring our food along the way. We jump in line with the rest of the crew meets up with us. Today Omar and Mike S are bumped to the expert group after paying their dues in the intermediate group yesterday. Great more victims, I mean playmates. We get the bikes ready for the day and as the first call comes we jump into action. Suits and gear are donned as we prepare to do this all over again. As the second call comes bikes are fired and we proceed to the grid. The track is a bit damp from the rain overnight but some dry patches are starting to appear. This is great as the promise of a dry track will be soon there for us to enjoy. We run the track dry in a few sessions and it game one mode for all of us. Mike is on track and in one session I got nothing for him and Andy is taking the new R6 rather well and is hammering. Vega picks up where he left off and is on fire. You know it's kinda rewarding to see a former student go flying by you but in the same sense, it kinda humbling too.

With lunch getting close Omar fires up the grill and starts to work his magic again. Today meal is chicken, mozzarella cheese and peppers, man we never ate so good at the track. We grab another table and line all our helmets up down the middle of the tables. What else would we have at the track as center pieces? Chairs are setup around the table and we all settle for some really good food, thanks to the great French chef Omar or is it Omir. Once again our setup draws attention from people passing by, this seems to be a trend this weekend. After lunch we circle around for a talk. Glen was hunting for opinions about why we ride and ideas for 2009. It's always great to talk about things with people that know and understand you. Most of us only have one or 2 people that they see on a regular basis that understand and share our passion. With this circle of fellow enthusiasts the words flow and the nods of agreement are a bit more genuine then the nods we get from non track day people.

With lunch and our power meeting over we set our sights on our final few sessions of the weekend. Since the start of the weekend all of us have come to grips with the track and really going rather well. All those years of doing so many laps and teaching others pays off when you notice only all the people that passed us on Saturday are now rolling chicanes for us. Not to get soft here but there a major sense of accomplishment that can be felt when you take a second and notice something simple like this. Enough of the soft stuff let get back to the track. It's game on mode as we all hunt down each other to create some epic battles. Mr. Vega has an event on the track that all I'll say is gave him his new nickname "killer" and he has now become the new TPM enforcer. Omar and I have a battle that ends in a draw as the double checkered flag rule applies. It's my understanding that Omar had this happen once before too. Glen was out there with us providing tips to help us get faster and better, which we all take to heart and try to apply. In the second to last session of the day Omar and I run together with me on camera duty as Omar works on the tips from Glen. We start out the session with Rich in the lead and we play until the first lap is over then hammer past. Andy joins in the mix and jumps in front of Omar. As fast as that happens turn 2 offers Andy the opportunity to determine the absolute lean angle on his new R6. With a quick display of sparks and a lack of traction causes Andy to stand the bike up and run off. Normally this is not an issues but considering he's doing about 100+ mph makes the tree line, that we all assumed was so far away, all of a sudden a whole lot closer. It's a good thing Andy's got some dirt bike skills because he kept it upright, slowed the bike down and got back on the track without taking a sample for the Florida sand. This session ends with everyone keeping it upright and safe and ends the day for most of us. Omar and Mike S do the last expert session while we prepare the rig for loading. For me, my knee is toasted and one more session would obliterate it so I opt to save it for another day. Sucks having a 12 year mind and 46 year old body, but I have no intentions on changing that and if someone wants me to, I'll just hold my breath until I turn blue.

On to our normal end of day duties of loading up the TPM trailer and getting out of Dodge for the long ride home. Andy leads the loading process and within an hour we have a11 bikes, 10 peoples gear, food and clothes loaded and ready to hit the road. With only 3 showers makes the final step a bit time consuming but give us a chance to unwind and talk to others as we wait to depart. Rob, a Jennings instructor, has stopped by to say goodbye. Apparently we made a very good impression on the track staff, mostly from our on track talents and the amount of fun we were having off the track. Glen's on track instruction caught their eye also. All this combined into something that Rob wants to see in person as he will be joining us at or April VIR date to see the full TPM show in action. Lastly we round up the crew and wave goodbye to the green grass and warm temps as we roll out and head for home.

The adventure home starts fine and the miles roll along but it become rather interesting with our quest for food. At 10pm on a Sunday night in the south isn’t a good time to find something to eat. In our neck of the woods this is a rather simple task but tonight it not quite as easy. Add in the factor that we have a tractor trailer side rig and our choices are limited even more. 3 restaurants, 1 fast food joint and scaring the hell out of the people in the Waffle House as Andy turns around in their parking lot and making Jimmy eyes look normal, as he watches this from the passenger seat. To us in the back it's just trees, buildings and lights passing the windows a little closer than normal. There is no fear because if we learned anything on the trip it's that Andy can drive thread this rig though a needle without missing a beat. OK a rather large needle but you get the point. Our friend from the trip down after we got the flat would say “he’s a operator not chopperator” comes to mind. Our quest for food ends here and we chug on down the road for into the night. As we all start falling asleep as Andy finds a truck stop for fuel and everyone plies out for food. I grab the top bunk to get out of the way of the feeding frenzy that due to come. Dave comes in with bags of burgers, chicken and fires. I opt to get some rest vs. food. About 3am we stop for Andy to get some sleep and the crew arranges the sleeping quarters. With people sleeping everywhere we all get some needed shut eye.

Day 2 of the trip home starts about 6am as Andy jumps in the driver’s seat and heads down the road for the final leg. As the miles pass we all wake up at different points and as the sun is high in sky we are all up and about. We talk more about the past few days but the somber realization that we are going home sets in and that the weekend is coming to a close. We grab a buffet breakfast along the way and fuel the rig one more time. With the exit where Mike and I met up with the crew on Thursday night drawing close Andy head in and stops. Mike and I leave the crew behind and someone said "The legends are leaving us." Little do they know they are legends themselves.

Thus the first adventure of 2009 is in the books and the start of yet another season of adventures has begun. Once more we have added another story to tell in our later years sitting in our rocking chairs sitting on the porch, to whoever will listen.

George Benes...

Team Xcedrin #929.