The first gate drop is always the most difficult. The nerves are high, you may be stepping out of your comfort zone, or the unknowing is a challenge for everyone. Whether its a first race ever, a return from injury, first race in a many year hiatus, or just the first race of the new season, getting on the gate the first time is the hardest!
This is MY first gate drop into the blogging world. I’m running through all the emotions of any other first gate drop. I’ve returned to racing after many years off, I’ve returned from injury (as anyone that has ridden a dirt bike has) and being from the NE I definitely get the jitters every spring at the first race. Once the motos are done that first day, you have some post-moto beers, and you’re bench racing with your buddies you forget what a challenge that first gate drop was. That’s what I am hoping for myself from this blog. This is a challenge. Where do I start? What do I say? Does anyone care? Will this help, or is it worth it? I suppose to answer any of those questions, I should probably first answer WHY? Why am I writing a blog now?
First, let us start with why the moto industry. It begins with my passion for racing. I have been around dirt bikes since I was born. Racing is what my life revolved around. I was riding a bicycle without training wheels at 2.5 years old. I was riding three-wheelers and four-wheelers by the age of 3. My first dirt bike was at 6 and I was racing by 7. From 2001-2008 my family balanced a climbing debt problem with traveling up and down the East Coast for amateur races. We chased Loretta Lynn’s every year, and I made it there 3 times. I was in Tomac’s and Barcia’s class and have random feats of beating people like them. (Not only is this a humble brag but hopefully the “core” moto people will understand I am NOT a complete spode. I’ve been around a while I just have other hobbies too.) I attend several races every year. 2-4 Supercross races and 1-2 Pro Nationals typically. Racing is my first love and I want to be involved in any way possible. Moto is my passion and dream and that is why I want to be a part of it. Why a blog though, what leads me to believe I can do this?
The reason I can succeed and have the credentials to do so is from my post-moto past. These reasons give a bit more of a peek into who I am and how my personality is. I have always been hyper analytical when I watch anything. I’m told constantly that I take the fun out of watching football, SX/MX, UFC, ect ect. I’m looking for the intricacies of the RB motioning and taking the MLB to flat, just as much as I’m watching Jett pre jump SX quads (SMX LA Coliseum) or Tomac jumping braking bumps over jump faces (High Point national 2021). I’ve always watched things with a keen eye. In High School I was one of two students that got to announced our football games. I was the Master of Ceremonies for many activities in High School. After High School I started calling into a local radio station on Sundays and giving Fantasy Football advice. I wrote very few fantasy football articles for a website, then I started my own fantasy football podcast. All of that is said because it is important to outline that ever since high school I have been the personality type to make myself vulnerable and put myself in front of people.
Now that we have covered my credentials for writing as well as my knowledge about racing, the question remains why here, what is No Gas Media? This idea began in 2021. I had been done with my fantasy football podcast for a few years at the time but still had all of my recording equipment. I also attended 6 different races that year. I had the idea of getting a bus or box truck, traveling to races, and doing a podcast live with random people in the pits. (Think Red Bud and the characters you could interview). The goal of this was to attend these races for free. I had hopes of getting media passes, going to each race, and sharing what I saw at each race. I bought the domain, wrote one article in 2022 to make sure I knew how to operate it, then life happened. Excuse after excuse I could make why I never followed through with it, but it just didn’t happen. So here I am 2.5 years later paying for the domain name for what? 3 views on a 2 year old article every 2 months? That can’t be where this chapter ends.
As I walked around Daytona pits, as I listen to everything pulp, all of Blairs stuff, listen to the MotoX Pod, spend time on vital, listen to RotoMoto, read Osbornes Dennys and Riesenbergs tweets, I can’t help but think I have something to add to the moto industry. I have some unique perspectives. I get frustrated listening to the aforementioned when they miss things. Or they don’t see things through laymen’s eyes (see DB on Pulp show why he thought people boo’d Jett, I personally know he is wrong). Unlike several moto bro’s I have other hobbies and pay attention to other sports and media outlets. That helps bring a new perspective and hopefully a different style of media to the sport. All of this, THIS IS WHY I am writing a blog today. This is why No Gas Media exists: bring a unique perspective to the moto industry while getting me fully devolved into the sport I love.
As I stated from the start, this is just the first gate drop. I finally pulled the trigger on it! I understand this will probably have zero views, or at least no one will read it in its entirety (I know I wouldn’t read someone’s first post ever, too “cool” for that), but I have to start somewhere. I am going to attempt 2-5 blogs per week and see how it goes. I have been told consistency is key. I’m not positive what I will always write about. I do want to have a piece that comes out on Mondays called “Track Snacks.” It will be insight of whatever I saw over the weekend. I do ride a lot with a large group including ex factory pros, so bits from our days of riding will make it in. As I (hopefully) do these more, there should become a routine and things should be less hodge podged together. If you made it this far, thank you! If you want to hear about anything specific, if you have suggestions, or any comments at all please let me know. My Twitter handle is @No_GasMedia I would love to hear from you! Cheers!!