| Friday, December 17, 2004 08:21:21 AM
EST |
by
Matt Polito, Dragbike.com |
On the
Road to Rockingham |
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Summer means it's road trip time again. One of my favorite parts of this business is loading up with the boys and traveling to some strip of asphalt where they would have at it. Ah, the camaraderie,
This particular trip is to Rockingham Dragway for the Schnitz Summer Sizzler one of the four in the Rockingham race season. If you have never checked out one of Rockingham's all-bike events you owe it to yourself to put it on your list. Track Owner Steve Earwood throws quite a party. Two days of bracket racing, heads-up racing with the Worlds Fastest Street Bike (AKA Streetbike Shootout), Outlaw Pro Street and of course the notorious high-voltage grudge runs. And when Earwood has his back turned there is some of the most vicious pit bike racing in the country. And, of course, the Pure Gold girls!
The time is 1:39AM as I write this and we are somewhere outside of Washington DC.
As is typical we are traveling courtesy of "Flyin" Phil Gonesh. Better known as Big Phil, owner of "Phil's House of Power" a bike shop in Queens, NY, and one of the baddest Shootout bikes in the country, a 1984 GS1150E known as Godzuki.
As is also typical we were late. Phil got caught in traffic and didn't make it to the meeting place, rider Tommy Miceli's house just south of Englishtown Raceway Park. I, for the record, was on time.
The crew for this trip consisted of Big Phil (who, incidentally is getting smaller all the time) myself, Miceli, Pat Leonard and Ron Fubu, who is snoring up a storm as I type to the bluish glow of a helplessly underpowered laptop.
In the trailer is the aforementioned Godzuki, Brad Mummert's GS (which currently holds the national ET record with Miceli at the controls and will be ridden by Michael Phillips at this event) Leonard's 600 SuperSport (with backing of Del's Performance) and the baddest of them all, Phil's Honda Elite scooter, the top dog in Pit bike racing with an unconfirmed record of 285 wins to 6 losses. "It's the biggest money maker in the rig," noted Miceli.
At the current time everyone's asleep except me and Phil and we aren't talking. Phil's got an endless loop of angry rap music going to help tune me out. It's going to be a long trip to Rockingham.
It became quickly apparent on this trip that Phil has some unresolved issues to work out. Issues with me.
It all started during the Canada race. I was traveling with the Del's team in the Rumblestrip van and we were caravanning with Phil. We were late getting to the track and Leonard was really getting antsy because he knew Street ET was getting called to the lanes. The pressure was on and I took the responsibility of navigating for the pack.
The route was flawless but we missed a turn due to the error of our driver (who will remain nameless but can be seen on the far right of the "Heavy Hitters of 600 SuperSport" photo I posted as "Photo of the Week" on Dragbike a few weeks back).
Anyway, we missed the turn and Phil calls on the cell phone and tells us we are going in the wrong direction. I get a handle on the situation and re-route us and Phil takes the opportunity to give a call back and question my navigating skills and indeed my very manhood. And then I snapped.
OK so things were a little pissy. It was the ill-fated Dragfest event, everyone was in a bad mood, we were sleeping 5 to a room, we couldn't fine the legendary go-go bars and we picked for food the worst "restaurant" in Canada. All this to deal with while Leonard is carrying-on about missing his Street ET run and Phil decides to lay into me on the phone. Something had to give.
I start into a high-volume cursing rant aimed right at Phil's gut. I felt the veins popping out of my neck and as I click off the phone and throw it at Del, "F*CK!"
We got to the track and I immediately apologized to Phil. He said he thought I was joking but I knew it was a cover. He was plotting his revenge.
Since then Phil has been kind of cool towards me. When I asked him if I could catch a ride to Rockingham he said he would let me know if there was room. That was cold. He also went on with his usual bit about me having to drive. I wish he would get over it.
So we are loading up for our trek to The Rock and Phil is a little distant. I thought he was anxious about the trip and a little guilty for making the group late. Did I mention I was on time?
We are not 50 feet from Tommy's house and Phil turns to me and says to me, "Matt, do you remember in Canada when you yelled at me on the phone?"
"Yes," I replied trepidatiously.
"Did you call me a fat f*uck?"
I immediately realized he cornered me as soon as he had me at bay. I was in his van, with my clothes and all my cameras in the trailer. I was at his mercy for the next 12 hours.
I didn't recall calling him a fat f*ck but I was in such a heated state of passion I may have. But if I did it was probably after I hung the phone up. If that was the case someone ratted me out.
I once again took the high road and said if I did call him a fat f*ck, which I didn't think I did, I was sorry. Phil didn't let up. He came at me with everything he had, trying to beat me into mental submission with loads of guilt.
I decided the best defense was a good offense and volleyed back at his detailing the ways he shows me disrespect.
We had at each other. It was a bitter, angry display. A no-holds-barred dragging through-the-mud thrashing by both parties. Tommy, Pat and Ron were getting a real kick out of it.
After a couple of hours the banter died down and I took to the solace of the laptop. Writing is a therapeutic way of working out anger.
We just stopped for fuel. Phil had his first non-confrontational words to me. Standing at the outside mini-mart he picks up a beef stick/process cheese combo pack, looks at me and says, "Do you think this will give me the runs?" I started gagging. Good thing for us he put it down.
It's close to 4 now and I getting a little sleepy. I put my head down and as I drift into unconscious the last thigh I hear is Phil's voice.
"Fat f*uck, huh?"
Yeah, it's going to be a long trip....
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The Crew arrives
at Rockingham with "Godzuki"
left to right, Ron, Tommy, Big Phil, Pat and yours truly.
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