For those who haven't met us yet, or haven't been involved in SOAR or endurance racing yet, I want to introduce the team, and what we are doing, and explain what we have done so far. We are 3 SOAR novice riders. We came to be friends quickly at SOAR, just by racing against eachother and pitting near one another. Even though we dabbled in the endurance arena in 2012, our mission started at the beginning of 2013 when we formally became Squids for Kids Racing........we decided that we wanted to race for a cause close to our hearts, as no other teams in this country were racing for a cause at all. Being family oriented people, We want to help bring smiles to children's face, and happiness to their hearts. Especially this time of year, when children from families with less fortunate circumstances might have a harder time putting toys under the tree. So we set about to try to earn, raise, contribute, donate, race and raffle our way to as much $ as we could by racing (and hopefully winning) throughout the 2013 season in the 6 rounds of SOAR's 3 hr endurance racing series. I am happy to say that for 2013, we managed to buy over $3300 worth of toys for children in our own communites for Xmas!
I introduce 2013 champs, undefeated 6 straight wins for the season, Squids for Kids Racing:
We have 3 riders- Scott Forgie (omnivore)
Tyler Brewer (outtacontrol)
Paul Rogers (Paul)
...But that isn't the whole team of course- endurance racing is alot more than just riding the bike. Our wives and children, as well as our extended track family and pit crews made up of people like Brian P, Pepper, carboncat, chinto, kneedragger88 and many many more have been integral in our success so far. And a huge portion of the thanks for our success falls squarely on our sponsors, who make the endurance racing possible- without them, we simply couldn't do it. They are all fantastic people, not faceless names of companies on the internet, but real people, who, like us, love this sport. People who ride. People who you can shake hands with face to face at the racetrack. People who will loan you tire warmers, rebuild your forks the morning of the big race, emergency repair your leathers or gloves in a lunchbreak so you can get back on track, people who always have the right nuts and bolts to fix your rearsets, people who always put the right tires on your bike, for unheard of prices, people who hide parts in the bushes for you on a rainy Friday night to make sure you have your handlebars before the race weekend, even when they are out of town and can't hand them to you themselves.......these people stand right with you all the way to the checkered flag. When you need motorcycle parts, gear, apparel, repairs, service, tires, setup and advice, make sure you get a hold of the people I am listing below- you won't be sorry, I promise. I stand by my word that I was friends with, and paid for these people's services, even before they offered to sponsor our team. I used their services, because after 30 yrs of motorcycle riding, I have figured out who I do and don't want to do business with.
Furthermore, all of these vendors and sponsors are my friends. Period.
GTAMotorcycle.com-
Canada's largest online motorcycling community-Paul and Cutekill, and their team of moderators give us all a place in cyberspace to rub shoulders, share ideas, stories, meetup for rides and ride reports, reviews and introductions. If you know anyone who rides, used to ride, or is thinking about riding, be sure to send them an invite to come and meet us all here.
Competition Cycle, (recidivist)
run by Dave Noble- Wheelchair or not, this man can (and does) race with the best of them. And his passion for racing himself, only serves to make him a better vendor for you to buy repair or go fast and service parts, spares, and tires fro your bikes from him. Dave has saved me more than a few times, with odd things like fancy Unobtanium spark plugs for a CBR929 that are always special order from the moon, but miraculously, he had them on his trailer, trackside..... Chains, sprockets, rearsets, clipons, quickshifters, fuel controllers.....he has it all.
Platinum Powersports, (toastman)
Run by Donald Broadfoot- As an active track rider, track day organizer, operator of the Intro to Track program, he is not new to the needs of advanced and new riders alike. Furthermore, Donald runs a full service shop just a half hr from Grand Bend Motorplex, full of parts, apparel, and services that can repair or tune anything from a scooter or pitbike, to a Screaming Eagle kitted Harley dresser, to a 200+ hp modern racebike......from 1920's vintage iron to the newest european sportbike, there isn't a bike that I wouldn't trust Donald and his team to repair or tune for me. Even the mechanic program at Conetoga College looks to Donald for advice and help on their curriculum and co-op placement program..... I have personally been using Platinum's services for nearly 20 yrs.....long before I knew what the internet was, or my way around a racetrack.
Trackside Cuts, (Trackside Cuts)
Run by Drew Morrisey and Sunny Park- both are fellow SOAR racers with us, and as a customer you can always be assured that they will be there, at the track, when you need them. Whether it's leather repairs, custom lettering, cleaning and deodorizing your stinky suit, or simply making up some cool custom graphics for your bike, Trackside Cuts should be on your contact list. They also have bike safety items like brake lever guards and shark fins to keep your body parts where they belong in the event of a crash. And when you need tire warmers, or a slinky undersuit to help you get that freshly repaired leather suit back on, Trackside Cuts is right there with the full Moto-D lineup to get you going.
Dunlop Tires, (recidivist)
Our trackside Dunlop tire vendor also happens to be Dave Noble of Competition Cycle. You want sticky tires that last and last? whether they are street tires, DOT race tires, or full on slicks, call Dave.
Bluestreak Racing, (Bluecanuk)
Run by Tony Blue, his shop just so happens to be on my way to grand Bend Motorplex-however, I have been getting great service from Tony for yrs before I even began racing. Whenever I need go fast parts or tires in a hurry, you can bet Tony has them! He has bent over backwards to help me out of a bind more than once, he even hooked me up with a racebike on a moment's notice when my old one caught fire, and he personally took time out of his day and taught me to do my own race wiring. A former factory race team mechanic, you can bet Tony knows what you need.......and will ship it free at a great price!
Velocity SPortsgear, (Velocity Sportsgear)
Run by Jimmy Singh, he is in Mississauga, and can get you outfitted for safety and comfort, no matter what type of riding you do. Need a leather suit for street luge on your 7 ft long skateboard? He can do that. A custom or off the rack sized, full spec 1 or 2 pc race suit in kangaroo hide for lightweight and abrasion resistance? He can do that. Tough and versatile textile 1 and 2 pc suits? He can do that. Need heated gear to stretch that riding season, or to get you to the Arctic Circle and beyond for your Alaska Haul Road trip? He can do that......need the safest race gloves money can buy? Call Jimmy at Velocity- We have crash tested them repeatedly, and they rock! Service excellence with a smile! Thanks for the donation for raffling off Jimmy!!!
Compulsion Racing,
Run by Brad Clarke, and active and successful racer who has been in and around the scene for decades. He can service, rebuild, modify and improve your stock suspension, as well as hook you up with some new high end handling parts
Reflections Auto Refinishing, (carboncat)
Run by TJ in NIagara- worth the drive. Whether you want a show stopping paintjob on your Harley showbike, or a paintmatched repair to one panel from that lowside at the end of your driveway, to a full fibreglass repair and repaint on your racebike from that 100 mph tumble, TJ has you covered. Many on this message board have already joined his winter group buys, and you won't beat the price. I had two done last winter and they turned out great. This winter I will be havinghim enlarge an endurance fuel tank and custom paint another set of fairings for me. Just send him a mesage and you'll see.
...and of course SOAR- Run by Ken McAdam (kneedragger88):
His dream has become our reality- a racing series for everyone. The funny thing is that SOAR has become much more than what was originally intended I am certain, because of the racers and their families and crew. If you are considering racing as a stepping stone to a national series, join SOAR- One look at the upper echelon of racers who have gone on from SOAR to National events will tell you that you can and will indeed find competitive racers here.....and if you're like me, old enough to be washed up before you began racing, that's fine too. Come on out, and spend your own dollars becoming a legend in your own mind!! You will have the time of your life, and will make lifelong friendships that you will fondly remember for the rest of your days.
-------------------------------------------------------------
We also had some great donations of gear to raffle off this season from Deeley Harley Davidson, which helped tremendously to raise $ for our cause. We would like to send a big thanks to them, and suggest that if you're looking for a cool All American cruiser or dresser, or even a beautiful beginner bike now that HD has some 500 lb 750cc bikes coming, go to Deeley's and see what they can do for you.
We hope that some exposure and racing success this season will only serve to bring more sponsors and help to light, in hopes of making our 2014 campaign an even bigger success.
I will update this thread with some new developments.
I welcome and encourage any sponsors and partcipants to post up ideas, product donations to our cause, helpful comments, advice.
Thanks to the GTAM community!! You guys rock!
I introduce 2013 champs, undefeated 6 straight wins for the season, Squids for Kids Racing:
We have 3 riders- Scott Forgie (omnivore)
Tyler Brewer (outtacontrol)
Paul Rogers (Paul)
...But that isn't the whole team of course- endurance racing is alot more than just riding the bike. Our wives and children, as well as our extended track family and pit crews made up of people like Brian P, Pepper, carboncat, chinto, kneedragger88 and many many more have been integral in our success so far. And a huge portion of the thanks for our success falls squarely on our sponsors, who make the endurance racing possible- without them, we simply couldn't do it. They are all fantastic people, not faceless names of companies on the internet, but real people, who, like us, love this sport. People who ride. People who you can shake hands with face to face at the racetrack. People who will loan you tire warmers, rebuild your forks the morning of the big race, emergency repair your leathers or gloves in a lunchbreak so you can get back on track, people who always have the right nuts and bolts to fix your rearsets, people who always put the right tires on your bike, for unheard of prices, people who hide parts in the bushes for you on a rainy Friday night to make sure you have your handlebars before the race weekend, even when they are out of town and can't hand them to you themselves.......these people stand right with you all the way to the checkered flag. When you need motorcycle parts, gear, apparel, repairs, service, tires, setup and advice, make sure you get a hold of the people I am listing below- you won't be sorry, I promise. I stand by my word that I was friends with, and paid for these people's services, even before they offered to sponsor our team. I used their services, because after 30 yrs of motorcycle riding, I have figured out who I do and don't want to do business with.
Furthermore, all of these vendors and sponsors are my friends. Period.
GTAMotorcycle.com-
Canada's largest online motorcycling community-Paul and Cutekill, and their team of moderators give us all a place in cyberspace to rub shoulders, share ideas, stories, meetup for rides and ride reports, reviews and introductions. If you know anyone who rides, used to ride, or is thinking about riding, be sure to send them an invite to come and meet us all here.
Competition Cycle, (recidivist)
run by Dave Noble- Wheelchair or not, this man can (and does) race with the best of them. And his passion for racing himself, only serves to make him a better vendor for you to buy repair or go fast and service parts, spares, and tires fro your bikes from him. Dave has saved me more than a few times, with odd things like fancy Unobtanium spark plugs for a CBR929 that are always special order from the moon, but miraculously, he had them on his trailer, trackside..... Chains, sprockets, rearsets, clipons, quickshifters, fuel controllers.....he has it all.
Platinum Powersports, (toastman)
Run by Donald Broadfoot- As an active track rider, track day organizer, operator of the Intro to Track program, he is not new to the needs of advanced and new riders alike. Furthermore, Donald runs a full service shop just a half hr from Grand Bend Motorplex, full of parts, apparel, and services that can repair or tune anything from a scooter or pitbike, to a Screaming Eagle kitted Harley dresser, to a 200+ hp modern racebike......from 1920's vintage iron to the newest european sportbike, there isn't a bike that I wouldn't trust Donald and his team to repair or tune for me. Even the mechanic program at Conetoga College looks to Donald for advice and help on their curriculum and co-op placement program..... I have personally been using Platinum's services for nearly 20 yrs.....long before I knew what the internet was, or my way around a racetrack.
Trackside Cuts, (Trackside Cuts)
Run by Drew Morrisey and Sunny Park- both are fellow SOAR racers with us, and as a customer you can always be assured that they will be there, at the track, when you need them. Whether it's leather repairs, custom lettering, cleaning and deodorizing your stinky suit, or simply making up some cool custom graphics for your bike, Trackside Cuts should be on your contact list. They also have bike safety items like brake lever guards and shark fins to keep your body parts where they belong in the event of a crash. And when you need tire warmers, or a slinky undersuit to help you get that freshly repaired leather suit back on, Trackside Cuts is right there with the full Moto-D lineup to get you going.
Dunlop Tires, (recidivist)
Our trackside Dunlop tire vendor also happens to be Dave Noble of Competition Cycle. You want sticky tires that last and last? whether they are street tires, DOT race tires, or full on slicks, call Dave.
Bluestreak Racing, (Bluecanuk)
Run by Tony Blue, his shop just so happens to be on my way to grand Bend Motorplex-however, I have been getting great service from Tony for yrs before I even began racing. Whenever I need go fast parts or tires in a hurry, you can bet Tony has them! He has bent over backwards to help me out of a bind more than once, he even hooked me up with a racebike on a moment's notice when my old one caught fire, and he personally took time out of his day and taught me to do my own race wiring. A former factory race team mechanic, you can bet Tony knows what you need.......and will ship it free at a great price!
Velocity SPortsgear, (Velocity Sportsgear)
Run by Jimmy Singh, he is in Mississauga, and can get you outfitted for safety and comfort, no matter what type of riding you do. Need a leather suit for street luge on your 7 ft long skateboard? He can do that. A custom or off the rack sized, full spec 1 or 2 pc race suit in kangaroo hide for lightweight and abrasion resistance? He can do that. Tough and versatile textile 1 and 2 pc suits? He can do that. Need heated gear to stretch that riding season, or to get you to the Arctic Circle and beyond for your Alaska Haul Road trip? He can do that......need the safest race gloves money can buy? Call Jimmy at Velocity- We have crash tested them repeatedly, and they rock! Service excellence with a smile! Thanks for the donation for raffling off Jimmy!!!
Compulsion Racing,
Run by Brad Clarke, and active and successful racer who has been in and around the scene for decades. He can service, rebuild, modify and improve your stock suspension, as well as hook you up with some new high end handling parts
Reflections Auto Refinishing, (carboncat)
Run by TJ in NIagara- worth the drive. Whether you want a show stopping paintjob on your Harley showbike, or a paintmatched repair to one panel from that lowside at the end of your driveway, to a full fibreglass repair and repaint on your racebike from that 100 mph tumble, TJ has you covered. Many on this message board have already joined his winter group buys, and you won't beat the price. I had two done last winter and they turned out great. This winter I will be havinghim enlarge an endurance fuel tank and custom paint another set of fairings for me. Just send him a mesage and you'll see.
...and of course SOAR- Run by Ken McAdam (kneedragger88):
His dream has become our reality- a racing series for everyone. The funny thing is that SOAR has become much more than what was originally intended I am certain, because of the racers and their families and crew. If you are considering racing as a stepping stone to a national series, join SOAR- One look at the upper echelon of racers who have gone on from SOAR to National events will tell you that you can and will indeed find competitive racers here.....and if you're like me, old enough to be washed up before you began racing, that's fine too. Come on out, and spend your own dollars becoming a legend in your own mind!! You will have the time of your life, and will make lifelong friendships that you will fondly remember for the rest of your days.
-------------------------------------------------------------
We also had some great donations of gear to raffle off this season from Deeley Harley Davidson, which helped tremendously to raise $ for our cause. We would like to send a big thanks to them, and suggest that if you're looking for a cool All American cruiser or dresser, or even a beautiful beginner bike now that HD has some 500 lb 750cc bikes coming, go to Deeley's and see what they can do for you.
We hope that some exposure and racing success this season will only serve to bring more sponsors and help to light, in hopes of making our 2014 campaign an even bigger success.
I will update this thread with some new developments.
I welcome and encourage any sponsors and partcipants to post up ideas, product donations to our cause, helpful comments, advice.
Thanks to the GTAM community!! You guys rock!
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