After a Week...

...of traveling, I'm now back. I'm back to my cozy bed and messy room. YESSS! I'm finally back.

When I got into Las Vegas, I got sick and was running on about 2 hours of sleep. Yep, the night before was a great time of celebrating the domination of the USA at Motocross of Nations. It was fun but I think it finally caught up to me. I was ready for a good night sleep on Monday...but wait.

That night (Monday night aka early Tuesday morning), I was asked to do a favor for a friend that needed me after a wild night of drinking ended at the airport (I do not know how they got to the airport). I hopped into a cab, picked them up, and returned them safely back to the hotel. If you ever need a friend to bail you out at the end of a long night, I'll be there for you. But you will owe me big. Thankfully, I got the cab money back in chips and made an extra $20.

The dealer show was an overall success and I was happy to hang out with everyone in a non-race environment. At the races, tension is high and here, everyone was really laid back. Even though this was a pretty long trip, I was really happy I ended up having the opportunity to go to Motocross of Nations and the dealer meeting. Both were firsts for me and now I need to plan my trip to Ireland for next years' MXoN.

Here are some pretty hysterical pictures from the week.

They may be champions on the race track but not when it comes to the vegas night life.

Jamie shows off his new hat collection. It doesn't even fit his extremely small head.


If Rog can get it on his head, so can Jamie.


This is what being sick and little sleep can do to a person. Photographed and Encouraged by Dani Parker.

Here is a little blast from the past:

This is my best friend Dani and I at a wedding last year. This is my way of trying to redeem the last picture.

Well, hopefully I'll have more stuff to share after a relaxing weekend at home with my friends. I'm excited to say I am going back to Vegas for the US Open in two weeks. Should be fun!!

Day Two of MXoN

Well, here we are on day two of the 2007 Motocross of Nations. It was a great day for the USA team as we swept every qualifying race there was. Ricky Carmichael won the MX1 class, Ryan Villopoto won the MX2 class and Timmy Ferry won the Open class. It was an amazing day for the USA!!!!

Overall, my day was busy with a topping more busy. I had a few times where I was able to sit down and do nothing but most of the time I was setting up interviews, watching the races, or writing/posting releases.

I'm really tired and have to wake up at 5 a.m. my time, which is 3 a.m. in California. I do have to show you some great pics from today. Have a looksie!

Only East of the California border.

No shame for the USA!

Team USA meets the Governor of Maryland.

Here is a good view of the track. (Corey and Chris, don't be jealous)

Timmy after his qualifier win. Not many expected him to dominate but I was ready with a podium hat before he even started racing!

Official hat of the Team USA.

I'll be back with a better report (hopefully) tomorrow. Miss you all and I'll see you soon!

Day One of MXoN

Today was the first day we attended the famous race, Motocross of Nations. Its was interesting because it brought me back to the weekend the AMA Superbike shared Laguna Seca with MotoGP. All the foreigners and all the different rules and sanctioning bodies. I felt like I knew what to do with the other countries representatives but with the rules and how the races are run is all new to me.

I get to be graced with the presence of people I am not used to. Its really fun and I am thrilled I get to be around people that I don't normally encounter. Timmy and his family are so great and have been really welcoming to me. We get special uniforms and maybe, just maybe, I'll get a shot of it tomorrow for the little gallery.

I want to take a moment to send you to a site that will confirm what some don't want to believe is true. If you go to http://www.buddscreek.com/ you will see a paragraph on the home page about how Motocross of Nations was formerly Motocross Des Nations. You know who you are and I want to let you down easy. Love you!

Before I leave you with a few pictures, I did want to note a little "moment" that I had earlier. I got back to my hotel and the housekeeping peeps left the A/C on full blast. Although it was hot earlier, I was freezing. SOOO cold. So i decide to turn on the heat for a few minutes to warm up the room to a bearable level. I only had it on for about 2 minutes when the smoke alarms sends an ear piercing noise across the hotel room. I react quickly, turning off the heater and spastically fan the smoke detector so the smoke will move away from it. (Yes, spasticallly is not a real word)
That moment brought me back to a time when Ben told me about how he started a grease fire in his hotel room at Road America. His was a little more serious but I was laughing so hard!

Now you will see some photos from today but better ones will come tomorrow.

If you can see it, my room number is written on the wall. Just gives me more proof that my room was the former laundry room.

Here is Timmy's bike with the sweet USA graphics. Go Team USA!

Here is Ricky and one of the riders from Team Belgium talking. From what I gather, they are one of the teams that will be tough this year.

Here are the Ferry's.

That's all for now but check back tomorrow night and i'll hopefully have some good stuff from the track and pit area. Miss you all!!!

Another Week...Another City

This blog entry comes from 35,000 feet up above as I travel to Motocross of Nations (Or as Chris calls it, Motocross Des Nations) in Budds Creek, Maryland. This trip came up last minute and I seem to be making every motocross fan very jealous (cough…Corey and Chris).

The race is a gathering of over 30 countries from around the world, bringing together the best riders from each country. Several of the riders race in the AMA but will ride for their home countries, such as Ben Townley who is from New Zealand. The race for the coveted crown of being the best of all the nations dates back over 50 years. It’s been exactly 20 years since the race has been to American soil and for industry people, it’s a pretty big deal.

Anyhow, that’s where I will be till Monday when I travel back West to Las Vegas for the Kawasaki Dealer Show. It’s also a pretty big deal and people have been planning this for several months. Held at the glamorous Mandalay Bay, I get to make sure everything goes according to plan with the rider appearances and their part in the huge presentation. Awesome! (P.S. I am not a huge fan of Vegas and I’ll be ready to come home on Thursday)

Lastly, I wanted to thank my beloved friend Dani for traveling with me to the last race in Monterey. It was great for one of my close friends to see exactly what I do while I’m on the road. This was a special race since it concluded the race season. There was much celebration, especially since Roger Hayden won the AMA Supersport championship. It was the most intense race of the season and it ended great for Kawasaki!

(One more thing...as we flew into DC, i got to see the capitol lite up from the sunset with the Washington Monument leading to it. Oh man, it was breath-taking.)

Check out this site. It has a photo of me under the tag of Road Atlanta... http://automotophoto.com/

Below are some pictures from the race and hopefully my next blog will have more pictures from the biggest race in the world

I sincerely miss all of you and hope you will comment on how I can make this blog better. I write it for you guys so you know I’m still alive in the midst of all the craziness of my traveling.

Dani and I just outside the garages. We were so cold, but still ready to pose.

Here is my brother Chris workin' it for the camera. He was running the handle bar mustache all weekend.

I love Ben's helmet. "Love the Fight"

This is the hottest umbrella chick on the starting grid. Don't let the other girls look down at you. You're HOTT!!

Here is Roger Hayden coming up to the podium to accept his number 1 championship plate!

The Coast of California...My Friend!

While the world around me keeps me spinning, I drove up the California coast with Danielle to attend the final road race of the season. I say spinning because there are suddenly so many things around me that could uproot me, but I know and trust that Jesus will keep me planted firmly on the ground. So I press on for a fun-filled weekend up North with my BEST FRIEND Dani(elle).

With my world a little crazy, I got off to a late start and we got on the road just after 10 a.m. We made it through L.A. with little traffic and was in Santa Barbara within 2 1/2 hours. We rock! We were cruisin with such speed that we caught up to my mom, who had left an hour before us. (She did stop for a quick lunch with her gang...I'm not that much of a speed racer...geez)

At about 2 p.m., we stopped for lunch in Morro Bay at "Taco De Mexico". (Make sure you say it with a little flare, makes more of an impact!) After some crazy man came into the store and claimed that some of the customers were being gross...SUPER RANDOM MOMENT...we started driving to the part of PCH that grazed the blue coast of California. We stopped a few times for pictures and to take in the AMAZING scenery. Dani and I were both just amazed at the vastness of the ocean and how great God is.

We finally made it in to our hotel and went to eat at Piatti's in Carmel. That little town brings me back so many memories from years ago when I would come every year to the race in July. I love this town and area!

Below are some pictures of the trip along with two very funny (or at least to Dani and I) videos from the ride up. Get ready for race action, starting with qualifying Saturday!

This is Dani and I at the famous "Taco De Mexico." Oh yes, its famous for its nice people and tasty crushed ice! (Notice I didn't say food)

Dani poses at an amazing cove. It was the perfect weather; shorts and shirt with a light breeze.

See! The ocean...it just goes on forever!

Please enjoy but protect....we were probably 75 or 80 miles away and Monterey Bay wanted to keep the coast looking good! Thank you environ-mentalists.

Thumbs up for beauty!

Here is the Bixby Bridge. It was built in 1932 (I think). I tried not to think about that as we crossed!

What a view!

Ok...So I Am Slacking

Thank you Peter for reminding I have been slacking on my blog entries as of the last week. I really have been busy but HEY, that's no excuse!

This past weekend I attended my very first Motocross National at Glen Helen Raceway. If you like hot, dusty, long days, you should definitely go to one. Haha. Just kidding. It was actually really fun. I am still bias to road racing but I love getting the chance to do things I've never done before.

This weekend, Danielle and I are driving up to beautiful Monterey, Calif. for the last round of the AMA Superbike Championship. I am SOOO incredibly looking forward to it. I always have fun at the races but how much more when my best friend is there! Yes!

I'm going to leave you with some random pictures, not necessarily from the races but fun none the less.

Oh man, It's HOTT!

Ok...so I'm super tired from the day, meaning this may be a little shorter than I had hoped. I took lots of pictures to introduce you to some of the peeps I work with and are entertained by.

Last night brought rain, which made the track a little damp in the morning. The schedule got squished together and the day was non-stop from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Our boys did awesome today. In the Superbike race, Jamie Hacking finished third and Roger Hayden finished sixth.

So I wanted to show you pictures of the people that get me through the race weekend with a smile. This picture to the right is Cody. Seriously, this picture makes me laugh every time I look at it. I swear he was seriously working away and the second the camera comes out, the funny faces begin. Its awesome!







To the left is Jamie Stauffer and his 727 bike. Like I said yesterday, he is a family friend from Australia who is trying to get a ride in America. He is such a great guy and came out of qualifying in the third spot.




To the right is Ross, my adopted Australian brother. It was awesome having him around when I first started at Kawi.


Apparently, this is how its done back in the south. When the water's coming through the track, just bust out a jet-pack leaf blower.







Lastly, this is Ben Attard being interviewed after he got second in the Formula Xtreme race. I'm really excited for him because he's had a rough year and deserves to be on the podium.




Well, that's all I got for now. I'm going to bed. Yes its only 10:15 p.m. eastern time but tomorrow's a long day. Let me know if there is anything in particular you want to see. I'll take the picture or video and post it here. Good Night and Good Luck.

Go UCLA!