Jack Pine Enduro, The GranDaddy of all Enduros

Jack Pine time, when "Jack Piners begin to gather." This coming Sunday, July 25th, 2010, another lucky recipient will take home the Jack Pine Traveling Cow Bell upon winning the 85th Annual Jack Pine Enduro Cowbell Classic in Moorestown, MI, the country's oldest running enduro.

"Call it homecoming week, the call of the clan or cowbell convention -- it's a special kind of comradeship that is genuine and lasting. It perhaps stems from a mutual feeling that we have been partners in a successful and wonderful adventure that we all enjoy and the back-to-nature feeling we experience in traveling through our beautiful Jack Pine country. Whatever it is, it is strictly Jack Pine, and you must be bitten by the bug to know what I mean." ~ Oscar Lenz, the "Old Jack Piner"

Lenz won the Jack Pine 7 out of 14 tries in the1920s, then became the chief organizer and trailblazer for the event for many years. The Jack Pine began back when Enduro bikes weren't much more than street bikes with a couple of add-ons. Originally a 3-day, 800-mile course with riders averaging 24 mph, the Jack Pine is currently a 2-day, 500-mile course with riders averaging about the same speed, maybe a little more. The race is legendary; the race is a tradition. Families have raced the Jack Pine for several generations, often with two generations in the same race, sons and grandsons carrying on the family tradition.

Also, for the 34th year, there is a Pine Cone Enduro, a family enduro held the day before the Jack Pine Enduro. Riding the Pine Cone is often a family affair. Last year's youngest rider was 5 with the oldest rider being 81, Ted del Solar, who has been competing since 1975, calling it his "Sunday cruise through the woods." I see he's on the roster for this year, too. I bet he's getting excited long about now. That's one guy with whom I'd love to sit down and have a chat. Can you imagine the stories he could tell?!

As expected, the Husaberg guys -- Mike Lafferty, Nathan Woods and Nick Fahringer are on the roster this year. The Race Shop's Mike Grizzle will be there, too. But who will take home the cowbell? Last year's winner, Leroy Keen? Or Charlie Mullins, who has already won it repeatedly? Maybe Grizz himself. I will have the answer in just a few more days.

Meanwhile, The Race Shop's James Embro will head out to Colorado for the beautiful Colorado 600. And we're all getting excited for the Vegas To Reno run in August. Embro and Hutchison will both run that one. Maybe I can tag along and document the whole thing. {heavy sigh} Wishful Thinking.

The Race Shop, for all things Husaberg
Oscar Lenz quote, courtesy NationalEnduro.com.
Jack Pine Enduro Race Info, Flyers, Registration, etc. LansingMotorcycleClub.

2010 ISDE: Adonde esta' el Podio de Meta?

Today marks the opening ceremonies for the 85th International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) held this year in Morelia, Mexico. The ISDE, often called the "Olympics of Motorcycling," is a grueling enduro event where each rider piloto will cover more than 150 miles of dirt road per day, around 7 hours of driving per day with no support. Each piloto is responsible for his or her own track-side repairs. His or her. There are 20 women registered to ride this year. Gold, Silver and Bronze medals will be issued, many go home with no medals, having never reached the finish line.
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The ISDE began in 1913 as a European-based event. In the '70s, the event began traveling outside Europe. The ISDE was held in the US in 1973 and again in 1994. For 2010, the ISDE is being held in Morelia, Mexico. Morelia is in the north central part of the state of Michoacan in central Mexico. Typical November weather in Morelia has 46 degrees for the low and 73 for the high with very little rainfall.
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Registered so far are 370 riders representing 30+ countries. This includes the following teams: 78 Trophy (6-rider), 40 Junior Trophy (4-rider), 20 women (3-rider), 221 Clubs (3-rider) and some Manufacturer teams (3-rider). The women are riding 250 or 300 cc, mostly KTM or Honda. I noticed 4 women on Gas Gas which I've been paying special attention to lately.
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US Women's Team: Kerrie Swartz #203 (KTM 200), Nicole Bradford #303 (KTM 250), and Amanda Mastin #403 (Yamaha 250). Local riders might recognize Mastin from GNCC.
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Also of special interest are the Husaberg riders. Oriol Mena is riding on the Spanish team: Oriol, Lorenzo Santolino ('10 EJ World Champ), Mario Roman ('10 Youth Cup winner) and Victor Guerrero. This same team took last year's ISDE Junior Trophy and wants to claim a consecutive win in 2010. "We have only one goal, which is to win," Mena told Husaberg, "Mexico is the place where I won the Enduro Junior World Championship last year, so it's a special place for me. The conditions are similar to Spain -- dry, dusty with many stones....... One thing that is unique here is that all bikes have less power because of the high altitude."
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There are 5 other Husaberg riders in the 2010 ISDE. Calle Sjoo and Kalle Svensson on the Swedish Junior Trophy team (which had less time to prepare because the team's container was held up in customs), Valtteri Salonen on the Finnish Trophy team, Nathan Woods on the US Trophy team and Nick Fahringer on the US Junior Trophy team. There is no Swedish Trophy team so Joakim Ljunggren is not participating, he remains at home preparing for the Indoor EWC.
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Interesting note: The Participants Handbook for the 2010 ISDE includes common Spanish phrases competitors might need. Here's hoping nobody needs these:
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Necesito una ambulancia (I need an ambulance).
Adonde esta' el hospital? (where is the hospital?).
Llama a la policia (Call the police!)
Estoy Perdido! (I'm lost!)
Perdi mi motocicleta (I've lost my motorcycle).
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The 2010 ISDE begins bright and early November 1 and runs through November 6. Good luck to all!
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as I originally posted over at The Race Shop.

Final Round of 2010 EWC, France

Ladies & Gentlemen: The Husaberg Factory Team at their finest. Sort of. Check out Oriol Mena's new signature move. (:38)

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Husaberg does a great job with their videos. You can catch several of them on the Home page of The Race Shop.
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Looks like Oriol Mena has definitely got back into the spirit after a bad crash in May, busting up his ribs and last year's EWC collarbone breakage. This was the ’09 Enduro Junior World Champion's first year in the E3 class and he did alright, even got a podium one time.
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Mika Ahola (Honda) is, as expected, the 2010 EWC Champion, a consecutive four time winner described as "a marvel of efficiency." A much deserved first time win for Ludivine Puy in the women's rally, the first time FIM has awarded a Female World Champion Enduro title.
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And, speaking of women in enduro, Annie Seel finished the Australasian Safari 15th overall, the first woman to cross the line. The Australasian is great prep for the Dakar and almost as difficult. 112 bikes started the Australasian this year with only 64 of them finishing.
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AND, speaking of Dakar, (you knew I'd get there) registration (for bikes) is already full four months prior to the start of Dakar 2011. Apparently, there are a lot more people than me ready for this thing to get going. Dakar begins Jan. 1 and continues for 16 days, allowing one day of rest, riding through Argentina and Chile.

Sandlapper Enduro, Salley, SC AMA Nationals

I spent the day Sunday with Nick Fahringer:

OK, so no, I only spent about 3 minutes with him. But he zigged and zagged past me all day long as he ran the Sandlapper and I sneaked thru the woods photographing the event like a crazed stalker.

I'm not really a stalker (honest!), it actually is my job to follow the enduro racing world and report on it.

That's not really stalking, is it?

Even if it includes hiding in the woods snapping pictures?

Because if I wasn't hiding, I'd get run over & kilt or something....

AMA National Enduro Round 3, Sandlapper 2012

 

The Sandlapper came to town this past Saturday.

Two or three of the national enduros come close enough to my home that I can go watch them.  I used to cover them for The Race Shop out of Atlanta, but The Race Shop closed its doors a couple of weeks ago.

Now I just go to the enduros for fun and to visit some of the guys I've met along the way....

My Bucket List

I am sick on the couch with the flu, trying my best just to stay alive & all I can think about is my Bucket List. Recently coined, The Bucket List is a list of things you want to do before you die - before you kick the bucket.

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I only have one item on my Bucket List.

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On most days, that doesn't bother me. I don't feel like a Big Loser. I feel like I simply live life to the fullest every day and I don't put things to do on a list - I just go out and do them. Here's my theory previously in print.

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But I'm sitting here sick, thinking about actually kicking the bucket and suddenly I have thought of a number two item to put on my Bucket List. I must live through this flu so I can do this.

#2. McDonald's Enduro. Lest you wonder how you've missed this wonderful sport, let me tell you, I just invented it. -- It's not for the weak. -- Before I die, I have decided to do a McDonald's Enduro with my kids and Cousin David, who are all proven McDonalds Endurance Champions.

The Plan: - We throw on some sweats, pile in a vehicle and begin driving west on an interstate.

• We must stop at every McDonald's we pass.
• Each person must purchase and consume one item. Only one.
• Each person cannot purchase repeat items, each visit requires a purchase of an item previously not purchased by the same person.

That's it. We see how far we can go. I'm very curious how long we could last and how far we would go across America. My personal goal is to cross the Mighty Mississip. And reward myself with a McMocha.

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Sign up here if you want to go. Be sure to list your personal goal.

OH - I'm sure you're wondering.... what IS the number one item on my Bucket List? a trip to Greece.

AMA National Enduro 2012 Opener, Sumter SC

I got several interviews with the guys at the AMA/Rekluse National Enduro season opener in Sumter on Saturday.   I haven't actually gotten the interviews in print or video yet, except for this one with Husaberg's Nick Fahringer.  He's a great guy and what d'ya know, we have something in common.  Check it out over at TheRaceShop.  Here's the full video from the race with footage and interviews at TheRaceShop.

Here's my shot of Steward Baylor who took first place:

Here's my shot of The Race Shop rider, Mike Grizzle, sporting him some Klim:

And here's my shot of Ashburn who was in the top 10.  He's a young gun that I caught up with while he was eating pork chops with his mom outside the bike trailer.  He's got a great smile and more than a little energy.

Catch the brief, fun video of the Night Before the race here.  We'll publish full interviews soon.

Gas- Gas

Gas Gas bikes have recently been making their way to the top of the list in the Enduro world. I think it's a Spanish bike. I saw one recently at the Bootlegger and prior to that I noticed a recent big winner, maybe EWC??, was on a Gas Gas. And I've been wondering if my friends at The Race Shop will start importing them. So the term's been on my mind.
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On the day of the Bootlegger, soon after I saw a Gas Gas not three feet away from me, the term really resonated. During a long moment of the rally, Tom S invited me for a relaxing quiet drive along the beautiful NC mountain roads. Just him and his lovely bride enjoying the scenery. How's a girl to resist? It began as a lovely drive...
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But as we began going up a rigorous hill into some really back country, my car sputtered and died. Despite the fact that Tom S is world renowned for running out of gas, in my love-is-blind euphoria, I honestly thought I had engine trouble.
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But Tom knew: We were just out of gas gas.

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I smacked my head: Of course! So we coasted backwards down the hill into this charming - but vacant - house's driveway. (BTW, it was on a stream that looked awesome for flyfishing) I opened the doors for the cool mountain air, propped my feet up on the dash and pulled out a book as Tom walked slowly away from the vehicle in search of gas gas. The Prince went to each and every house in the kingdom.
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I had a great view of all the enduro bikes passing by after the rally, returning to the podium. I hoped they all thought I was merely enjoying a nice summer read and not embarrassingly stranded, although I was tempted to flag one down and hop on the back, that would have been very fun. It seemed like no time at all when my prince returned, as if no big deal, and poured the gas in while he talked about the great people he met while searching for gas gas.
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...and the prince and the princess lived happily ever after.

Lafferty Takes Third in Round 2, National Enduro 2012

~ Husaberg Press Release

Greensboro, GA – Husaberg Factory rider Mike Lafferty landed on the podium for the second round in a row after earning a 3rd place finish at the second round of the AMA National Enduro Series......

GNCC Bootlegger Enduro 2010

So we crossed the Yadkin way up farther north than we usually do, it was a little muddier, a little narrower, and we went into Apple Festival Country -- Wilkesboro, NC. Met up with the Race Shop guys who were running on 4 hours sleep in between two Enduros and a 1450 mile round trip in the Race Shop Mobile, pictured here with me. It's a lot like the Batmobile -- modified, "technologically advanced," and bulging with hidden gadgets and superpowers.
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Here I am saying, with my best Napolean Dynamite voice, "Gosh! I hate this camera. Stupid camera!" tossing it in my pocket with Pedro's Tots.
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{sidebar. Who wants a Napolean Dynamite Party with me? I'm ready to watch it again}
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Now. Where was I?
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The Batmobile.
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On top? Is a tent. You climb the ladder on the side and go nightey-night, overlooking all the other little people camping on the ground. Peek inside the back door on the right wall? Yeah, a bed. Folded up on the sidewall. And see that white square above the bed on the right sidewall? Yeah. Toilet Paper. On a roller. Ready to go. 'cause you never know, right? The Racemobile has many, many more secrets, too, but that's for another day.
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We met up with some of the Race Shop riders: Mark Hutchinson and Michael Grizzle who left Atlanta Friday, raced in the NEPG in Indiana all day Saturday (The Muddobber), drove to NC all night long and raced in the GNCC Bootlegger (here) all morning Sunday. The rally ended around 1 and they were on the road again at 3:00.
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The Bootlegger was tough; if it had been raining, not many would have crossed the finish line. A lot of guys got hung up on the hills in the middle of the trail with no passing zones so a lot of guys behind them would have to get off and push the bike around. Not good.
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But it was dry. The Muddobber the previous day in Indiana was wet and slippery like riding on glass. What was the worst part of the Muddobber? The slippery terrain and log crossings. The worse part about the Bootlegger? No sleep. Hutchinson loved the Bootlegger, it was a lot of fun and way more fun than the Muddobber.
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When they first rolled out of the Racemobile and drearily approached their bikes, Grizzle sighed, "My wet boots: the only thing I dread." The bikes were filthy. All they could do was change the tires, clean the chain and hop back on. They were riding on about 4 hours of sleep, maybe 900 miles on the highway and 1 1/2 enduros at that point.

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The Bootlegger started out foggy and cool. A lot of hills, roots and tight places. I caught up with the guys in between Resets when they'd refuel, grab a drink and go again.
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There is one thing I still cannot get used to at these events. I can handle accidently peering into a Racemobile and seeing someone changing clothes. But I just can't get used to all the wide open bathroom breaks in the woods.
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Grizzle took first in his class both at the Muddobber and the Bootlegger. Hutchinson took third in his class at the Bootlegger and possibly also at the Muddobber. Both were using the fairly new (2010) Beta 400 RR, which they describe this way: "feels like a 250 on steroids." All in all, an excellent day in the woods.

First National Enduro 2012 Sumter

Marj and I had a great time last night at Sumter.

South Carolina Beats #1 Alabama!

It's absolutely unbelievable!

A surreal moment!

A "where were you when....." moment.

No, not the fact that USC beat #1 Alabama.

It's that Cousin David horned in on the action, yet again, showing up in the photos - here he apparently is just peeking over Spurrier's shoulder.

For those new to Planet Pookie, Cousin David manages to get in a lot of family photos. He has become a legend. Here are a few examples:

In Which he pops in the picture exactly like he did with Spurrier.
In Which a reader paints him in.
In Which, again, he's innocently in the background.
In Which I challenge him to a McDonald's Enduro.
In Which he enjoys some Fall Fun.
In Which we take him on a very wet backpacking trip.
In Which he visits the zoo.
In Which he dominates my birthday pictures.
In Which he's cute and adorable and wearing striped pants.
In Which Life is an Edventure.
In Which he does a good deed.
In Which he's part of what makes going home so stinkin' good.

Sumter National Enduro Race Footage and Interviews with 3 out of Top Ten

Catching Up with You

I haven't had the desire to blog lately.

It seems like each day the life just gets sucked straight out of me.  I have nothing left.  I tip over on the couch and zone out.  And other days it feels like I'm numb.  I can't think, feel, focus.  I find myself staring into space like a lifeless object.  I think it's just that time of life.  And my workload has increased to unmanageable proportions and I often think if I can't do it all, why do any of it?

Here's a note just to catch up a little.

The Sandlapper returned.

Can you imagine racing through these pines?

This was Round Two of the National Enduro. 

Because of my work for The Race Shop in Atlanta, I've met a lot of these guys and enjoy keeping in touch with them. 

Ringling Brothers brought the circus back to town.

It was Benji's first circus....

The Race Shop: 24-Hour Challenge, Perry Mountain

Photo courtesy of Kenny King

The Race Shop teams did excitingly well this past weekend at Perry Mountain's 9th Annual 24-Hour Challenge in Alabama. The Race Shop/Husaberg Elite Team (Mike Lafferty, Rick Lafferty, Nathan Wood, Nick Fahringer, Mike Grizzle and Robbie Jenks) took second place overall with 49 laps. Their best time was 16:24.328 in lap #46 and their best speed topped out at 43.888. It was an honor for the Husaberg Team racers to ride under The Race Shop banner and we loved spending time with them again.
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James Embro and Mark Hutchison, photo courtesy Kenny King.

The Race Shop Duo Team consisted of owner James Embro and Race Shop team rider Mark Hutchison. Our duo team took 1st place in the Duo Class with 41 laps, their best time being 18:40.575 in lap #35 and their speed topped out at 38.552. 41 laps, 24 hours, 2 Guys, 1 Monsoon.
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The 24-Hour Challenge started on Saturday at 10 a.m. with a LeMans start. We started out doing 30 - 33 minute laps and riding maybe an hour or hour and a half before pulling into the pit and switching riders. The Elite Team had 6 riders and used one bike, making the pit time crucial. The Duo Team had 2 riders and 2 bikes -- Hutchison and Embro got to use their own bikes. I think James Embro was riding his Husaberg 450. The Elite Team ran a Husaberg 450.

The Pit Team

We had Ben Hill, Stewart Houston and Josh Leigh helping in the pit. There's a lot of support going on in these races, people tracking the laps and scoring, notifying the pit crew when a bike's coming in, the pit crew checking gas, brakes, chains, cleaning the bikes and doing whatever instant repairs arise. It takes a whole team to win a race and The Race Shop is thankful for our great team. We had the support truck there, as usual, but had no serious bike problems and, thankfully, no serious injuries. A few falls, but no major damage.

The Race

The weather started out great, but hot. Humidity was high; the heat was really tough at first, a big factor in the competition. Around 4:30 the monsoon hit and the race shut down, everybody off the track. Elite teams were on lap 15; our duo team had done 13 laps at that point. This was probably the worst part of the whole trip. We didn't know for awhile if the whole race would be called off or not. We didn't know what the course would be like if we went back out. Those who were on a lap when the race was called would have to forfeit that lap and we thought that might raise a lot of protest during the scoring, but it didn't, everyone was gracious and calm.

The race resumed around 11:30 pm. The course was pretty brutal when we went back out, a lot rougher. A lot of it was cut out, re-routed around the impossible sections. What was left was sloppy mud. Those who've run the 24-Hour Challenge before pretty much know what to expect. Riders are allowed to walk the course before the race, but if you've been there before, this isn't necessary, it's basic hare scramble/enduro type course. But now, after the monsoon? It was a whole new ballgame. Nobody knew what to expect.

Our good friend Johnny Futo was riding the Ironman class. That's one man, one bike, 24 hours. There were around 60 in the Ironman and, very cool, about 5 in the Ironwoman class. Futo was also our cook and we ate like kings. We now call him The Race Shop's Celebrity Chef. Futo dropped out after the monsoon once he got all comfy and dry. The Ironman is just insane. There were some awesome riders out there in the Ironman.

Why We Did So Well

For Embro and Hutchison, always within 8 laps of the Elite Teams, there were some close competitors in the race. The 2nd place team -- "Mike Outdoors" (maybe Mike Woods?) was running neck and neck until darkness set in. Only one of their bikes had a light, so they had to share the one bike at the end. Since the race shut down at dark, we didn't have as much night racing as usual; only about 6 1/2 hours of night racing, the sun came up around 6 a.m. We had an advantage with our lighting system that most didn't have -- we replaced the stock light with an HID light from our friend Dale Mazorow at Trick Dual Sport. We have a history of riding with Dale out west in the Best in the Desert races. Dale also came to town and spent a few days with us, prepped our bike with the lights and stuck around for the race in case any lighting issues came up. No issues arose; those lighting kits are the best.

Besides the proper lights, other factors to do well in a race like this include proper hydration and nutrition (thanks, Futo!) and quality rest time -- mental preparation to get back out there as well as physical rest. Our experiences at Dakar taught us this.

The best part of the trip was probably when we realized we were going to win. At that moment of realization, the adrenaline kicks up a notch and the weariness disappears. And then, of course, many of our team would say the best part of the trip was the food.

The Winners.

It was a KTM team that won top spot overall, winning about 5 minutes before our team pulled in. KTM remains the most common bike in a race like this, but we're seeing more and more Husabergs out there each time we ride. House of Horsepower/Rekluse was #3 in the Elite. Winner of Open Expert was Husqvarna/Upstate Cycle/DirtySouthBoyz. Winner of 250 Expert was East Side Cycles. Valley Racing won winner of 40+. The Race Shop won the Duo. Dirt Bike Central won the Open Sportsmen. LACC Bayou Boyz took the 250 Sportsmen win. Appropriately, Wreckless Abandon took the 30+ Sportsmen win. The Top 3, in order, Open Ironman: Michael Goodman, Stephen Sturges, Devin Ferguson. Steve Gordon took the 250 Ironman win, Dusty Davis took the 40+ Ironman win and Luke Bartkiewicz won the 50+ Ironman. The Top 3, in order, for the Ironwoman are: Kaitlin Hagamaker, Hannah Roberts, and Kim DeLoach. You can see all the results with good details over at MyLaps.

What's next?

I'm hearing a lot of whispering about the Colorado 600 in July. I've yet to confirm that. The Best in the Desert's Vegas-To-Reno in August is almost always a must. I might stowaway in the Support Truck on one of those trips.

Big, big thanks to Kenny King's photography. If you're interested in photos of the event, click here to view Kenny King's photos. Thanks, Kenny, for the use of these photos.

Big thanks also to the folks at Perry Mountain and all the volunteers that make the 24-Hour Challenge a success.

EWC 2010 Round 3, Husaberg Video

I've been keeping an eye on the Enduro World Champsionship across the pond. Still nothing like the Dakar, but a little something to watch between Dakars.


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Check in with my friends at The Race Shop for all your Husaberg needs.

Sandlapper Enduro

60 miles of sand and tall pines, 300 riders averaging 24 mph without much trail to speak of. That's what we call fun. I'm over here today, enjoy the video and read more over there should you so desire, you sweet little thing, you.

Red Bull Romaniacs Overall Results

I finished yesterday's Red Bull Halfway Report wondering where Joakim was. 8 Pro Riders had come in and still no Joakim Ljunggren. Husaberg now reports that Joakim had to quit the race due to stomach problems. It turns out Joakim wasn't alone. Only 10 of the 21 Pro Riders made it across the finish line and less than half the original 165 competitors finished the race.

29-year old New Zealander Chris Birch (KTM), sometimes described as "Blazingly Fast," took his first Red Bull Romaniacs win. Graham Jarvis (Sherco 300), favored to win, claimed the second spot on the podium after harsh troubles on the second stage that irreconcilably set him back. 2009 Winner Andreas Lettenbichler (BMW G 450X) cracked his ribs on the first day and proceeded to ride injured and claim the third spot on the podium, only one hour and three cracked ribs short of Birch. Dude.

The Red Bull Romaniacs is reputed to be the toughest Enduro Rallye in the world and this year it was almost all under heavy rainfall, making it the toughest ever. The Rallye's menu consisted of "endless uphills, eye-opening downhills, rocky sections and deep Romanian forests." The heavy rains were described as "extra spice."

Husaberg rider Erich Brandauer ("Austrian Tower of Power") finished 10th in the Pro Riders on his FE570. His claim to fame is making it through the canyon that was shut down soon after he conquered it.

Overall Results:

1. Chris Birch, KTM, 28:17:31
2. Graham Jarvis, Sherco, 28:46:12
3. Andreas Lettenbichler, BMW, 29:18:19
4. Paul Bolton, KTM, 29:52:12
5. Jade Gutzeit, KTM, 30:21:32
6. Lionel Seydoux, KTM, 33:21:58
7. Gerhard Forster, BMW, 35:47:18
8. Darryl Curtis, KTM, 40:06:41
9. Emanuel Gyenes, KTM, 42:10:59
10. Erich Brandauer, Husaberg, 42:36:54

For all the exciting details and great photos, go to RedBullRomaniacs.com.

The Race Shop: Husaberg, KTM, Beta

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The Race Shop in Alpharetta, Georgia, within a stone's throw of Atlanta, is proud to announce the acquisition of their new domain www.TheRaceShop.com. Broadstreet Consulting has converted the domain from the previous www.AtlantaRaceShop.com to www.TheRaceShop, which holds true to the name of the business.
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James Embro opened The Race Shop in 2008 near Norcross, GA, to "specialize in Husaberg motorcycles -- from sales, service and parts, all the way to putting together adventure and training rides." Embro is passionate about Enduro and saw a need for an east coast source of quality, exotic, Dakar-worthy bikes. Embro partnered with Broadstreet Consulting in 2009 to build a website that would further promote the sport and share his passion with like-minded riders. Within two years, the business had to move to a larger location at 5665 Shirlee Industrial Way, Alpharetta, GA. and Broadstreet Consulting is currently in the process of expanding The Race Shop website to include online sales and products.
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In addition to providing Husaberg, KTM and Beta service, parts and bikes, The Race Shop has a racing team that participates in various Enduros, Hare Scrambles and Dual Sport Rallys, including SORCS, SE&TRA, GNCC, NASA and more.

They often go west for the Best in the Desert (BITD) fun, especially the Vegas-To-Reno run. The Race Shop has a support truck that goes with them. The support truck is tricked out with Blazin' Belltech aluminum storage products that utilize every inch of space in the truck. The truck carries a little bit of everything so if you're out on the trail and need some extra parts, look for The Race Shop truck and they'll be glad to help you out.

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I began working in the Content Development Dept. of Broadstreet Consulting a few years back when they began developing the site for The Race Shop. I guess it was my passion and "wanna-be" history with motorcycles that landed me this job. Working for Broadstreet has been the best work of my life, I love it. Creating new websites involves meeting people in a variety of businesses, all of whom are passionate about what they do, and it involves constantly learning about interesting people and events. I'm mostly a writer, but truly....

I'm a purveyor of information.

I find cool stuff and pass it on. I travel near and far to introduce you to new worlds. I am passionate about it and try to pass that on to others. However.... sometimes.... the travel wears me out.

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And now, my friend, I'm off to Charlotte's Epicentre for a 7:30 am Social Media breakfast. You know how much I love Charlotte. I love the hustle and bustle of a weekday morning, this will be great, but I have to wonder: Why the Epicentre in the morning? It's a nightlife party kind of place -- boots n bikinis -- which I'm sure they don't want me to participate in. I can't wait to report back to you what the Epicentre is like at dawn, as I tip-toe around the sleeping drunks.

Coca Cola Masters Social Media Leaving Me.... Thirsty.

Absolutely unbelievable. My dream came true.

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For somebody else.
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206 Countries. 365 Days. 1 Mission.

Coca-Cola is sending a team of Happiness Ambassadors around the world to visit 206 countries in 365 days. Their mission: Find out what makes people happy.
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Say Hello to your Happiness Ambassadors. They'll start Expedition 206 in January 2010.
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This is what I had in mind with my McDonalds Enduro. Only I couldn't articulate it right. And I didn't pitch it to the McDonalds Corp. And I just kind of sat around on my butt. Coulda Shoulda Woulda.
I think there are a lot of big companies out there thinking the same thing. Coulda Shoulda Woulda.
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As usual, nobody says it better than Mashable, here's a brief excerpt:
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"We’re constantly seeing new examples of big companies — and big brands — embracing and using social media to connect with customers. Still, it’s impressive to see a company the size of Coca-Cola, not only talk the talk, but actually follow-through. At lunch yesterday, we got a chance to hear about the origins for Expedition 206 and it became very clear that Coca-Cola gets social media....
The idea for Expedition 206 was kick-started by Clyde Tuggle, the senior vice president of Global Public Affairs and Communications for Coca-Cola. This is interesting for two reasons: 1) this initiative started from the top — the higher-ups didn’t have to be convinced of the power of social media and 2) this blurs the traditional lines and roles that exist between PR and marketing teams.
Tuggle made it clear that Coke knows that they don’t own the brand — the consumers own the brand. Thus, who better to trust to spread the message of happiness than those consumers? Mr. Tuggle reiterated the importance of authenticity, accountability and transparency when communicating with customers and is committed to making sure those are key parts of the Expedition 206 adventure....

With Expedition 206, Coke is really doing something unique. Not only are they letting the winners travel the globe to visit all 206 markets, they are going to utilize the social web along the way.
This is how it works: other than airfare, the team members will have to make their own way across the world. They have a schedule of stops, but they have to get their own food, find their own places to stay and meet up with the locals themselves. The team is going to be given per diem for food and local travel, but what they do and where they do it is pretty much up to the team members — and the people at home interacting with the Expedition 206 team online......
Along the way, people at home can recommend places to stay or must-see attractions, restaurants to definitely visit — or avoid — and more. Who knows, if the team happens to be in your area — you might even want to meet up for a Coke or show them something cool in your area.