Check out or new pages.
Meet the Members	Rider of the Month	Archived News

Updated 7-28-09

A TRIBUTE TO A FRIEND

WHY WE DO IT

As I write this, it is hard to believe that eleven years has passed since the death of our friend and long standing employee Pat Blount. Dave Waters' childhood friend and neighbor that was directly responsible for shaping his life. Dave was timid as a child, very hard to imagine I know, but every so often you meet that person that influences you more than you realize. Pat was into sports and anti-drugs so in the ever popular drug culture of the 80’s and 90’s his peer pressure kept Dave away from that vice. Pat also was directly involved in shaping Dave’s future career path. His Uncle Terre owned a collision shop and the boys learned the skills that would further shape in the decision to own and manage a collision shop. Pat was Dave’s first official employee and they spent many hours in the beginning burning the midnight oil getting jobs out to feed their families and meet the bills. These weren’t always the easiest time for the two young men but as the business grew and the reputation was built, Dave knew he could always count on his best friend Pat.  Their love for speed and everything fast also grew. Dave and his brother Don were brought up on motorcycles, so it was an easy fit when the boys started racing that Pat would go along for the ride and help them wrench. The passion and freedom that motorcycle riding offered only grew with time.

Then on a beautiful April morning in 1998 a careless mistake took his life in route to work. Pat was excited to ride his newly purchased bike to work which would end up being his last. A driver pulled from an intersection and it was a hard enough impact to bring his life to an end. I remember it well, I was on my way to work that morning also and as I approached that very intersection that same day, I recognized the helmet from 50 or so feet away. You see I had just gotten my bike license the previous summer and was a novice road rider. We had done some road trips and local riding together that year and I had been taught by Dave and Pat.  My stomach was in my throat when I saw the bike lying in the middle of the road. I was stricken with such an extreme fear, as I came upon the accident scene. There was panic in the air as a local doctor that had been passing by was performing CPR on my friend. I slowly drove by the scene. It was all so surreal. I went past and pulled over with dread in my heart. I made the phone call to the love of my life and told him what I just had witnessed. My head told me that it was going to be alright that he would come back to us but in my heart I knew he was already gone.

The hardest part of this story is not what I experienced but what followed. I knew his wife would want to be by his side so I went to where she worked and asked them to get her for me. It was “take your child to work day” and unfortunately she had her daughter with her. When she asked his condition all I could say is we need to get to the hospital but I am sure the look on my face gave me away. Dave called Pat’s parents when he got to the hospital and accessed the situation. This really couldn’t be happening was all I kept thinking. The day just got worse from there.

As it goes, I know that there are many people that have lost loved ones from careless drivers not seeing motorcyclists. I cannot emphasize enough, especially to our young drivers, that it is your responsibility to be alert and aware of your surroundings when you have been given the privilege of a driver’s license. Being in a hurry and being reckless is no excuse for a loss of a life and it happens so fast. I have not told all the details of that day out of respect to the Blount family, who still struggle with the loss of their only son and brother. Pat left behind a widow and four children. The Pat Blount Memorial is our tribute to our beloved friend. Motorcycles are everywhere especially when the weather turns in the spring. Please always be aware and share the road with your fellow motorcyclists.

GOD SPEED PAT, YOU ARE MISSED!

RJ IS STILL THE BIG DOG

 BUT WATCH OUT FOR THE LITTLE DOGS

Opening day crowds did not get disappointed with the action dished out on Sunday. With one of the largest Open Expert and Open Am rider turn out we have seen the racing was tight and the excitement was high. One of the best races of the day was Jeremy Higgins in the 250 Expert Class chasing down his mentor RJ Overholt. Just when Overholt kept thinking he was getting a little distance between them and then there he was again a tire to the inside then to the outside, “he was all over me and I couldn’t see his line.” It was an on your feet moment for this youngster who put one of the top riders to a tough test early on in the season. John Richenberg would be the next one over the line to finish a solid third place.

In the Open Am race Sam Tambe was able to pull the hole shot but his dreams were quickly dashed when he went down in the hairpin after working so hard for the lead. This opened the door for Matt Zacher who road hard for the win on his #100 Yamaha, followed by Becki Traxler on the 90T, and Mark Dehond who was able to pass Jeff Garlock on one of the final laps to wrap up third place.

The Open Expert was a hard and fast final. RJ Overholt was able to get the hole shot on the start which allowed him to get a little bit of a lead while the other riders tangled going into the hairpin. While Overholt was trying to spread his lead from the ensuing pack, 71B James Rispoli and 63 Don Taylor were toughing it out for second and third. In the meantime, Jeremy Higgins was moving up through the pack and passes #39 to take the fourth place spot on lap four. Former track champ, Brian Newman, goes down in the pit turn which puts him out of podium reach. Two more riders go down, Lawrence on the 5^th lap and another rider high sides in the hairpin. It’s starting to get ugly but the top runners are still all battling for the top spots. When it all is said and done it is RJ Overholt, Rispoli, and Higgins that cross the line one, two and three.

The 250 Am class was dominated by Flyin’ Ryan Wells, Justin Jones was giving it a good run but Ryan was definitely the dominator.  Cole Parker Yauchzee was third to cross the line.

The Grand Prix action is filled with the top two riders from each class from the 125cc division on up. The smaller bikes and less experienced riders start further up on the track which gives them a head start on the experts with the larger bikes, in theory this is an excellent opportunity for the younger riders to run with the experts to gain valuable experience.

 Grand Prix Final:    

 1^st) Ryan Wells-250 Am

 2^nd) Jeremy Higgins-250 Expert

 3^rd) RJ Overholt-Open Expert

 4^th) James Rispoli-Open Expert

 5^th) Justin Jones-250 Am

 6^th) Cole Parker Yauchzee-125cc

 7^th) Jon Richenberg-250 Expert

 8^th) Matt Zacher-Open Am

 9^th) John Parker-Senior

10^th) Becki Traxler-Open Am

11^th) Austin Luczak-125cc

12^th) Ron Richenberg-Senior

50cc Chain

1^st) Carson Payne

2^nd) Ryan Scavuzzo

3^rd) Bryce Walker

50cc Shaft

1^st) Ashton Collazo

2^nd) Rodney Davis

3^rd) Colby Petrie

65cc

1^st) Tyler KcKnight

2^nd) Darren Prentice

3^rd) Zack Aiken

80cc 12-15

1st) Justin Parker

2^nd) Jon Welles

3^rd) Tim Wells

125cc

1^st) Cole Parker Yauchzee

2^nd) Justin Jones

3^rd) Austin Luczak

250 AM

1^st) Ryan Wells

2^nd) Justin Jones

3^rd) Cole Parker Yauchzee

250 Expert

1^st) RJ Overholt

2^nd) Jeremy Higgins

3^rd) John Richenberg

Open Am

1^st) Matt Zacher

2^nd) Becki Traxler

3^rd) Mark Dehond

Open Expert

1^st) RJ Overholt

2^nd) James Rispoli

3^rd) Jeremy Higgins

Senior

1^st) John Parker

2^nd) Ron Richenberg

3^rd) Leo Fournier

125 4 Stroke

1^st) Tim Wells

2^nd) Troy Keller

3^rd) Paul Tuttle

Disclaimer* the opinions posted in this article are strictly formed by its author and not necessarily the views of the Crusaders Motorcycle Club. If you have any questions or if there have been any oversights it is not intentional or intended to be malicious. Please feel free to contact me directly at rsmooney@rochester.rr.com with any upcoming news or information you would like to see posted and I will try and accommodate you if possible. I only ask that it pertain to racing or racing related topics.

Sincerely the author, Rhonda Waters