08-25-2008 WOW!  The response to this blog and what happened this past weekend has been interesting to say the least! Everyone and I mean EVERYONE that asks me who it was; says to me, "Good, he had it coming. And even more if he doesn't watch himself."  How incredibly sad to be so very much disliked by your contemporaries! And the worst part is, he doesn't even see it; he honestly thinks that he is all that and that he has done nothing wrong. As was made more evident by a message that I received. I'm curious, did I miss a memo or something? When did I become the go between for everyone? I couldn't even respond to the message, I have no idea what to say. I want no part of it, as long as Tracy doesn't get dragged into it. I tried to be the peacekeeper at the track and it kept that rider from making the situation worse. But when he was given the chance to let it all go he told the cop, "No f*** him, take him to jail." So, I'm done keeping peace for that bunch! I guess that I've just forgotten what it's like to be so young and stupid and not think about the consequences of your actions. I wonder what the excuse is for his older friend that was pushing him so hard to press charges? I guess maybe some people just don't age out of their stupidity. I pray they wise up soon before something very terrible happens. That is certainly not a threat, but I can see it coming. I would honestly hate to see ANY ONE of those riders seriously injured or killed.  There should be a peaceful and amicable resolution to this matter. We all just want to do the same thing, race and have a good time.  See ya at the races!

08-24-2008 Oh, how great it was to head to River Valley Raceway and see SO many of our quad racing friends and family! The Schatz', the Clucks', the Snapps (and Darrin Thomas; welcome to the quad side!), the Magnusons (you know I love you Megan!), Chance Maxville, the Daltons, Garrett and Westin. Oh, it was so great to see you all again, it feels like forever since we've all been together! The races went well, pretty much. The quads were the first three races up, of course, since they watered the track. There was a lot of mud in the first moto, and I think Johnny Hale was the only one not covered with it since he was out front during most of the moto, only being passed by Chase Snapp in the last lap. Tracy was covered and ran out of tear offs, but he still finished 4th in moto 1. He did really well! Moto two was tense, but can you believe it? Tracy got the holeshot!! Of course, he was quickly passed by Johnny, who went on to stretch out a very nice lead and win overall. But both Tracy and Caleb were right in there in the front on the start; so that was exciting. During the race, Tracy's rear shock went out! :( And then, he broke out the center of a Hyper and lost a wheel! But, he didn't crash and he was not injured. That was the best part.  Matt finished 4th overall and was actually in the money! Yea Matt! Now... I know that many of you came here to see what I would say about the incident that occurred between two quad riders last night at River Valley. I've spent a lot of time thinking about it, and I have decided that I will not rehash what happened there. It was an unfortunate incident and it should not have happened. But the thing that is most upsetting to me are the events that occurred AFTER.  I DO NOT see why it was necessary for the police to be called. And I certainly DID NOT appreciate the owner bringing that police officer to our pits and speaking to us all like we were 3 year olds when NOT A ONE OF US AT OUR PITS was involved in the altercation. It didn't have anything to do with us, but he came over and jumped on us all and let us know that it was his PRIVATE PROPERTY and we WOULD NOT behave like buffoons. No one there was involved in the incident, and when I pointed that out to him, he didn't even have the decency to apologize. I believe that we were singled out because it was quad riders involved and we are quad riders. Frankly, I would not mind if we never invested any more of our time or money at River Valley Raceway. And, I would like to also say that if these track owners that have us on their "PRIVATE PROPERTY", continue to ignore the spoken and literally threats and danger that a particular rider (I won't name him, but you all KNOW who I'm talking about) is taking out on the the track; there is eventually going to be BIG trouble for said owners. Up until now I have never had a personal problem with this rider. I have even defended him in the past.  I have had some strong opinions about his behavior at times; but since I am not his mother; I keep those to myself.    BUT   when this rider tells me to my face that he is going to be trying to take out another rider during the second moto; and my son is going to be on that track when this is taking place... then I have a BIG PROBLEM! And when I inform the track owner and he tells me "well, what happens on the track stays on the track"; then I have another BIG PROBLEM. Fortunately, up until this point, this rider hasn't succeeded in hurting anyone but himself (although EVERYONE knows that he has certainly tried to hurt others). But I'm afraid that there will come a time when he will hurt or even kill someone else; if something isn't done. And those friends of his that are encouraging him to do these and other things are just asking for trouble themselves. You know who you are.  I pray for the safety of my son every time he is on the track. But just let me say, that if he is ever injured because this rider is out there acting like an idiot and trying to "take someone out"; I will be doing a whole lot more than blogging about it. I will pursue every single legal avenue that I can find in relation to the occurrence. And that my friends is NOT an idle threat. I'm not a mean person, I honestly try to get along with everyone. And most people find me pleasant to be around. I've made mistakes, of course; and I'll be the first one to admit when I'm wrong and make apologies. BUT when it comes to me and mine; and I feel a threat of danger or that my family is under attack.... Well, they just don't call me a BITCH for nothing... See ya at the races!

07-21-2008 Round Nine of the TQRA series. North Forty MX in Sherman, Texas. First of all, let me say this...Quad racing, middle of the day, middle of July, in TEXAS!! HOT HOT HOT! Ugh, I was miserable almost all weekend! But other than the heat, it was just a wonderful time from start to finish, even if we did have some bad luck! Tracy's Blaster gave out in practice on Saturday. It just won't start, and Gary just hasn't taken the time yet to figure out what is wrong with it. So, since he didn't get to ride in the Blaster class, he wanted to sign up in the Open 4-stroke class. This was the first TQRA race on his new Honda, and he was really looking forward to riding it. He was looking great in practice, that Honda was just screaming around the track. The Open 4-stroke was the first race of the day and Tracy got the holeshot and just stretched out the lead. That is until the Honda decided to go crazy! We don't know yet was exactly happened, but the side case is cracked and they are saying clutch basket. He didn't finish that moto of course and he had to ride the Yamaha in the Open B class.  He finished 2nd overall in the Open B class and second to last (I think 7th) in the Open 4-stroke. Considering how many crashes there were this past weekend, we feel lucky that we just had mechanical failure and he didn't end up hurt! Our injured friend, Tyler Steffens was able to make it to the race with his sweet fiancé and his grandpa. The show of support that the TQRA family gave for him in donating money in the bucket and buying the support t-shirts was just awesome! On Sunday there were so many of those orange tees it was hard to tell who was who! I want to say a very big THANK YOU to Jennifer of Octane Pics for organizing and getting the t-shirts done. She is just the best!! See ya at the races!!

07-17-2008  This past weekend we finally made it to a CKMS race. We really enjoy going North to race and we had been trying to get to one all season.  When we got there Saturday night, it was actually cold! LOL Boy, what a switch! Sunday morning the weather was perfect, and much to Gary's favor, the Kansas International Dragway was RIGHT next to the track AND they were having drag races! He was in heaven! He said, "This is my favorite track!" LOL  Because the CKMS rules are different than the TQRA rules, Tracy was able to sign up in the Pro Am class and the B class. It was his first race on the new Honda, and WOW! He rode that thing like a pro! He finished 1st overall in both classes, and he and Matt were the only ones doing the big triple. It was pretty! Caleb Schatz and Rosin Shinn also both signed up in the Pro Am class and they did really well too. Rosin actually won the 2nd moto, but Tracy finished 1st overall. At one point the three of them were bumper to bumper and looked like a train! I love that kind of racing! This next weekend we'll be heading to Texas for the TQRA race. Tracy is looking forward to riding the Honda in a TQRA race as some of the riders are just so much faster. He's interested in seeing how he does on it. It should be a fun weekend! See ya at the races!!

07-08-2008 We had a terrific holiday weekend. Mostly just spent with our wonderful friends, but we did do some racing on Sunday. We went to JRP for Round 3 of the Red River Supermoto series. Tracy loves to race supermoto, it's something different; and it sure is fun to watch! There were two heats and a main. Tracy and Colton Cluck were in the Amateur class. Jake Hornaday beat Tracy in both of the heats, but not by much! Tracy was on him the entire time, just trying to find a way around; but he couldn't get it done. In the main, Tracy got the holeshot, but Jake came around him in the first turn. Again, Tracy was right behind him trying to find a way to pass. Finally, after a couple of laps, Tracy found a way around. Man, it was exciting! After that, Tracy was able to stretch out his lead because he (and the other motocross guys) were the only ones doubling the jumps. It was a good race, though, as Jake is an excellent rider! Colton was railing it around those turns on his 150, and he came in third, beating guys on 450s! It was pretty! Chase Snapp and Matt Holmes raced in the pro class. Chase was again at his best, passing for the lead in the main and stretching out his lead so far that he even lapped several riders. Matt rode really well, finishing 5th overall. The main was 15 laps, and it really separated out the ones that weren't in shape! It was a great day and we had so much fun! We really hope that we'll be able to make it to some more of their races! Be sure to check out the Gallery for some great pics! And go here for a short movie of Tracy's race.  See ya at the races!

07-02-2008 This has been an interesting week to say the least. Apparently this blog is a lot more popular and read by more people than I have ever suspected. And also apparently, I may have said some things on here that could misunderstood. I just wanted to say some thing about that. I am a reasonable person, but I have some faults. I can be hot headed and offended sometimes especially when it comes to my kids. Usually I have the capacity to think about it and realize that the offender probably didn't mean it as I took it. I was able to not become offended once by remembering that not everyone is made to be a parent; and they are allowed to express how much they dislike children. My first natural response was to be offended, but then I was able to be rational and realize that it was not necessarily an attack on my children personally! But I also have my moments when rational thought does not prevail before I open my big mouth and insert my foot. But I am a reasonable person, and in times like those, I will always admit when I am wrong and do my best to make amends. I'm not sure that anyone on this planet could expect any more from anyone else. Although I have my moments, there is one thing that I am not; I am not two faced. I would not say anything behind a person's back that I would not say to their face.  With that being said, I wanted to say that if you read something here or someone tells you something that I may or may not have said; and it bothers you; send me an email or talk to me at the races. I think that many a hurt feeling and a misunderstanding can be avoided by communication. I'm open to it, and I welcome it. Peace & See ya at the races!

06-30-2008 Round 8 at Ridgeline MX in Fletcher, TX. This was the first race back since Tracy got his cast off after breaking his thumb in Round 6 at Cooperland.  We weren't sure if we wanted to even go or not. To be quite honest, we're so very tired of all the DRAMA. When you feel like people that you thought you were friendly with, turn on you; it makes you rethink your involvement. The stress was even following us home, and frankly, sometimes it feels like it's just not worth it.  I think that our emotions were on edge this weekend, and we probably took things the wrong way. Shoot, we're human, and God knows I'll be the first to admit that I am not perfect.  And I'll also be the first to admit when I am wrong and apologize for any mistakes. But I am terrible about holding a grudge if I feel I or my family have been wronged and that person doesn't try to make it right with. If they sincerely apologize then it's over and it's all good. But if they act like they didn't do anything wrong, I won't forgive. It's a flaw in me I know; I'm working on it. :) LOL I am fiercely defensive of my family too; that's the surest way to get on my bad side, bad mouth my son or my husband. LOL Right now I believe there is just too much drama going on in TQRA. Some of it involves us, and some of it doesn't. I'm not sure what we need to do to fix it, but I know that we've got to find a way to fix it. Or our organization is going to suffer. We're likely to lose some families from our organization; and I really believe that EVERY family at the races is essential to the organization; we can't afford to lose anyone. I know that basically everyone involved are good people. I know that emotions run high, the weather is hot, the racing is close (and everyone wants to win); and sometimes personalities just clash. But I think we all have to find a way to get past it. We decided to go and have a good time. Well, we had a time, but I wouldn't call it good or bad. It was okay. Of course the drama was there again. I am not going to drag it all out, but let's just say, Gary was ready to pack up on two separate occasions on Saturday and come home. Thank you Brandon Johnson for your patience in listening to our complaints and making assurances. I know what a pain must be to have to deal with upset people.  So, anyway we stayed, but Tracy's heart just wasn't in it. He is not a fan of the track, and felt it was too rough and dangerous. He certainly didn't want to get injured again on his first time back out.  He still rode well though, and we are proud of how he finished. He got second in the Blaster class, and fourth in the Open B.  It was very nice to see and spend time with our friends there that we haven't seen in several weeks. We enjoy the time spent and the fun and laughter! On the way home we stopped to see Tyler Steffens at the OU Medical Center in OKC. Tyler crashed at Little Sahara and broke both of his wrists and both of his legs. It was a bit iffy for a while as to whether he would get to keep his right leg after the compound fracture. Fortunately, they were able to save it. Anyway, we stopped to see him, and considering the circumstances, he was in good spirits. He was awake, and had no pain meds that day. He talked with us for quite awhile and we were glad we got to visit with him. Keep him and his family in your prayers. See ya at the races!

05-05-2008 We traveled down to Celeste, Texas for the rescheduled Round 5 of the TQRA series at Badlands this past weekend.  It was a beautiful weekend for racing and we did have a wonderful time! Tracy finished 1st overall in both the Open B1 and the Sport Blaster classes. He rode really well, and I'm so happy to see him back to his old self! Matt was finally ready to go out and ride after his knee surgery. He raced in the Pro Am class and did pretty good for his first time back. He got hung up with another rider in the 2nd moto and finished last, I'm not even sure how he placed overall. But he just wanted to get back out there, and he said it felt pretty good to be racing again; although he knows he's got a lot of work to do! There was a little bit too much drama in the Sport Quad Blaster class during the second moto. It didn't involve Tracy, as he was the leader, and pretty much away from the rest of the pack. But it seems that there was some team racing going on, and some intentional blocking for the advancement of another rider. Of course, all the parents were very upset, there were some angry words exchanged, and I'm sure that Rick felt as if he were being bombarded on all sides. I wanted to just stay out of it, because I know all of the people involved and like them all very much. So, I was really surprised when Tracy was dragged into it be being accused of riding dirty during the first moto! Interesting how nothing was said about such a thing until after the second moto incident that he wasn't even involved in. Fortunately, Rick was a witness to the first moto, and quickly put a stop to any such claims. I have to say that after my initial reaction of being very angry; I was hurt. Seriously. Anyone that really knows us, knows that we don't ride that way; and we would never encourage or allow Tracy to do that either. Anyway, I know I have to let it go, and I have, it's not worth the energy. That sort of behavior just shows you the true character of a person and the lengths they'll go to to justify their own behavior. I do want to say this. EVERY one of those kids involved are great kids and talented riders. There was a mistake made; but they are kids, it'll happen. It doesn't make any one of them a bad rider, and I look forward to seeing the rest of the season of them racing; and watching them improve in their skills.  Rick, our fearless leader, did a great job in handling the situation, I thought. I wouldn't want his job for anything in the world! Next round, Cooperland! YEAH BABY! See ya a the races!

04-10-2008 Well, it's not looking so good for this weekend's TQRA race at Tulsa Motocross Raceway! Not unless we're planning to race jetskis! Too much rain and not enough time for it to dry out, I'm afraid. I guess we're still at the wait and see stage. We're really looking forward to racing a TQRA race this close to home, so hopefully it will dry up! :) See ya at the races!

04-02-2008 We're planning to head up to Kansas this weekend. The Central Kansas ATV Series starts on Sunday at Bar 2 Bar. Check out our schedule page for a link.  We hope that some of our Oklahoma & Arkansas friends can make it up to the race. I know that the cost of fuel is killing everyone. That is a big reason for us wanting to support this series that is closer to us than TQRA. Don't get me wrong, we love TQRA and we plan on continuing to be a part of it. But if gas prices continue to rise, there may come a time when we are unable to make a 5 hour drive to race. In that case, it would certainly be to our advantage to have a series that is closer to home. That's why I've been pushing to support the CKMS ATV races. Some of the other of you local riders should consider it too! I don't have much of an update on how it went at Oakhill since I wasn't there. I do know that Tracy got first in the Blaster class and second in the Open B class.  Anyway, he did well, and came home in one piece! That's the most important thing. :) See ya at the races!

03-28-2008 Oakhill this weekend baby! The boys are excited, and we heard through the grapevine that they added even more whoops (geez, weren't there enough!?) so that should be interesting.  Unfortunately, I won't be making it to the race this weekend. :( Abby has had a nasty virus all week, and she's running a high temp. We went to the doctor this morning, and she said that it will probably stay high for the next few days. So, I'll be home with her, letting her rest and trying to get her well.  I'm bummed that I'm not going, but that's the way it goes; I gotta watch out for this little monkey.  Gary's thinking about seeing if anyone wants to carpool to save money. And I know they'll all have a great time even with me not there! :) Be safe everyone, and ride well!

03-10-2008 What a terrific time we had at Cooperland! It was so good to get back out to the track and see all of our racing friends! Saturday's practice went well, I think everyone got in some good seat time. There was a pretty muddy spot, and several riders got stuck. Check out the Gallery to see pics of that. Sunday dawned EARLY since we had to spring forward and lost that hour of sleep. Boy, it was hard getting up! And it was cold too! But we got moving and the day was off to a great day of racing! After watching the Sport Quad/Blaster class at Village, Tracy decided that he wasn't quite ready to give that class up yet, and so he rode his Blaster in that class. He did very well in both motos, finishing 1st in both and overall. He is really riding that Blaster like a pro, he just makes it look so easy! :) In the first moto of the Open B class, he got an okay start and had to work his way through the pack, finishing I think it was fourth. In the second moto, he got stuck on the gate. He and another rider said that the gate didn't drop all the way, but we didn't push the issue. He rode his butt off in that moto to catch up and finished 5th; taking 4th place overall. The most disappointing in the Open B class was Caleb Schatz's run. In the second moto, he was running in second, and riding so well. He was set to finish 1st overall and his balljoint broke! He crashed but he was okay. He didn't get to finish the race. Fortunately, he had already raced in the Open 4 stroke class, taking 1st overall in it.  Corey Snapp decided to take a shortcut through the fence, OUCH! He's okay, but he was done for the weekend and didn't get to race. Chase Snapp did very well in both the Pro-Am and Open Expert, he finished 2nd in both overall I believe.  It was so nice to see our friend Chance Maxville back out on a quad. He rode surprisingly well, considering he hasn't been on a quad in a while. I don't know how he finished, but I'll post as soon as I find out. Colton Cluck just continues to slaughter them in the Mini Mod class on the 150; the gate dropped and the race was over. I was so disappointed that I didn't get a picture of him doing the big step up! Yes, he did it on his 150! It was awesome! We were sorry to see that Melissa Worm had to be taken out of the track in an ambulance. She crashed in the Mom's race and hurt her back. I don't know how she is, but I'll update when I find out. We wish her well and a speedy recovery! I know I heard her Dad say, "That's my little girl, and I'm her daddy; and I say she is DONE (racing)!" No one can blame him for feeling that way!  See ya at the races!

03-03-2008 Five days until Round 2 of the 2008 TQRA Summer Series. This race is at COOPERLAND! in Stillwater Oklahoma. We are so excited, this is our favorite track. It's close to home and Tracy just loves the layout. We always have such a great time there. Gary and Matt spent last Saturday buffing out the trailer, it looks great! Gary is working on getting the plumbing fixed for us. And if the weather forecast is correct, it should be a great weekend for some riding! I just hope that it's not to much to ask for another weekend like we had at Round 1. :) I don't think it is, after last season, it's time for Tracy to have some good luck on the track! LOL I'm looking forward to seeing all of our Oklahoma and Kansas friends that weren't able to make it to Texas. It will make for some interesting racing! See ya at the races!

02-25-2008 Wow! What a great time we had this weekend! The weather was a bit cold on Saturday for practice with the wind blowing. But Sunday was perfect! The turnout was awesome! I saw a lot of new faces that I haven't seen at TQRA races before, and most of the classes were packed. They had to have heat races in the A class, and the final moto was very interesting to watch! We love the new B class age format, it seems like it makes it more fair for all of the riders.  Tracy signed up in the Open B1 class and he went out there with a vengeance! He came out of the first turn out in front in both races and just stayed out in front. It was so nice to see him riding that way again, everything going smoothly, him getting a good start and riding beautifully! Last season was a bit rough, and we're glad to see him get back in his groove! Getting 1st place was an added bonus! :) Caleb Schatz (it's pronounced Shots; the announcers had the darnedest time trying to get it right and we laughed about it) entered in the Open B1 and the Open 4Stroke(or whatever they are calling it now). He was right behind Tracy in the first moto of the B class, and the two of them stayed out in front with a comfortable lead.  In the Open 4stroke, he got a decent start, but still had to work his way up to 2nd place. He did some awesome riding. In the second moto of B, he ended up third but still came out in 2nd overall. In the 4stroke class, he managed to get 2nd again, but it was enough to give him 1st overall! There was a new rider in both of their classes, I think his number was 188, and his name is Hunter (I forgot his last name), and he was an awesome rider, gave Caleb a run! We hope that he manages to make it to all of the series, we'd love to see him in there competing with the boys! Colton Cluck rode his 150 in the Mini Mod class, there was only two of them. The other rider, a number 12, was new too. His family was terrific and we really enjoyed talking with them. Colton got the holeshot in the first moto, and got a comfortable lead for the entire race. In the second moto, Colton got the holeshot, but this time number 12 didn't let him get a comfortable lead. He was on Colton the entire race, and even tried to pass a couple of times. It was a great race to watch! Colton did end up 1st overall. The Snapp brothers, Chase and Corey, both entered in the Open Expert class. The first moto, Corey got a great start, but Chase got tangled in the gate, and he just destroyed it! :) But he rode his tail off, and made it all the way back up to third! Corey bobbled on a step up and Chase passed him, Corey finished 4th. In the second moto, Chase got a good start but had some more trouble and had to work his way up through the pack again. Corey bobbled again in the same place (by this time, the track was very rough!) and we thought he was going to ride it out, but he got pitched over the berm. He is okay, but he didn't get to finish the race. Chase went on to ride all the way up to second place! He finished with a 2nd overall.  We had a terrific weekend, everyone rode well, no major problems and no injuries! Just the way we want a race to go! Now, just two weeks until Cooperland, Tracy's favorite Oklahoma track!  Be sure and check out the Gallery for all the great pics that Tony Snapp took this weekend. See ya at the races!

02-22-2008 Today we're getting everything ready to head to TQRA Round 1! We'll be caravanning with the Clucks and the Schatz. And I know for sure that the Snapps are heading down. And I think several other Oklahoma riders, many of whom it will be their first time at a TQRA race. Oklahoma will be well represented, and it'll be fun to see how everyone does. The weather is supposed to be nice for us, and if we can survive the 5 hour drive, we'll be good!  The entry fees have gone up since last season, which is understandable seeing as how everything has gone up! But we'll actually be paying less, because Tracy is just going to ride in one class this year. At least that is the plan for now! And TQRA made several changes to the rules and classes, so it will be interesting to see how that plays out.  Abby is excited to be going down too. She's certain that her AX friend Austin will be there, and he's going to "go fast and win, because I'll be cheering for him." :) See ya at the races!

02-20-2008 The first race of the 2008 Texhoma Quad Racing Association series is this weekend.  We'll be heading to Village Creek MX Park in Ft. Worth, TX.  We're all looking forward to it, we're ready to get back outside! Hope the weather holds out for us! Tracy is feeling good, his quad is good, and he's grown about a foot since last season. He's ready to kick some butt! Matt is still recuperating from his second ACL surgery, he's just not ready yet. We don't know if he'll be ready by Round 2, but he's determined to be ready asap! Everyone keeps telling him that he's too old and he needs to retire. I think that just makes him more determined to prove everyone wrong! In addition to K&N Motorcycles, our ever faithful sponsor for the past 5 years; we've picked up a great new sponsor for '08! Tony Snapp of Crystal Pools has taken Tracy on as a rider! We were always excited to be on the same team with the Snapp brothers (Corey & Chase) as Team K&N riders; and we're even more excited as a part of the Crystal Pools sponsored riders! Thanks Snapps! See ya at the races!