Ice Racing Trophy Plates

Ice racing has always been a fascination of mine, and going to a race has been on my bucket list for a few years now. Friday I finally got to cross it off the list as I attended Round 1 of the 41st World Championship ICE Racing event in Reading, PA. Lucky for me, I got to play a bigger role than just a spectator that night.

About a month ago I got in contact with the McGrane family to help with the design of the trophy plates. Fallen flat tracker Kyle McGrane called this race track home, and his brother Tommy wanted to make these plates extra special for this round. I was more than happy to help, and I got into Illustrator to put Tommy's vision to life. The whole process went really smooth, and the final printed product turned out really rad. Below are the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place plates for the bikes main event.

All three plates are very similar in their design, but the placement of the transparent picture of Kyle in the background is unique on each. I designed the 1st place plate first and made sure the 99A was large and centered. When I began to work with the 2nd and 3rd plates, the shape of those numbers were significantly different, so the placement of the 99A had to shift. I made the image a bit smaller so that when I placed it, you could see the 99A number plate clearly on each plate, while it still being fairly centered. In my opinion, this also made the 1st place plate stand out a bit more. I also did a second version of the plates for the quad class that just swapped out some copy. Tommy was really happy with the designs and printed them. 

On race day I ran an Aid to Injured Riders booth at the arena and had a great set up right inside the doors. AIR had stickers for Kyle, Charlotte, Morgan and Dominic for sale, Kyle bracelets and our flat track trading card sets. 

I ended up having some really good conversations with the fans. Some knew flat trackers, others didn't. Even those who didn't know much about flat track, still donated money, and it was yet another humbling experience. Below is an action shot of the AIR set up with Throttle Down Speed Co.'s Em front and center!

At the end of the night I got my very own copies of the number 1 plates that Logan McGrane got signed for me! I've already found a sweet spot for them in my apartment to show them off. Congratulations to Jake Mataya for making a last lap pass for the lead to put the #99A bike on top of the box.

Flat Track Racing Stickers!

Find me tomorrow at the Timonium Indoor Flat Track Motorcycle Races at the Maryland State Fairgrounds to purchase these stickers I will be selling on behalf of the Aid to Injured Riders. Need event info? Practice 4:30, Racing 7, more details here. Not able to attend and still want stickers? Send AIR a message on Facebook and we will get an order sent out to you. Hope to see you tomorrow night!

Throttle Down Speed Co. Tracker Sticker

I've mentioned it before, well it's officially for sale! Get yours: https://www.throttledownspeedco.com/products/tracker-sticker

AIR's Meet the AMA Flat Track Stars at OKC Event

Nicalee Sowders and I of AIR have been diligently working on making sure we have everything pulled together for the Aid to Injured Riders' Meet the AMA Flat Track Stars at OKC autograph signing. If you find yourself in Oklahoma City tonight (Friday, June 17th), be sure to come by Pole Position between 5-8pm. Riders will be there throughout the night to sign autographs. There will be food by Mutt's and it's at an indoor karting raceway, so strap on a helmet and get racing! The ladies of AIR have worked hard on this event, so I hope everyone enjoys themselves. See you there!

My Prized Possession

I suppose I haven't officially posted on this space of my prized possession:

I purchased this stock 1974 Honda CB360 on the evening of Wednesday, July 22, 2015. It was by far the most proudest moment of my life. I've wanted a motorcycle for as long as I can remember. I used to go to the York Bike Week Nights with my dad to watch the parade, and I remember probably nine years ago saying to him, "well if I get my bike next year let's ride in the parade." I got my license the summer after when I was seventeen and went off to college with a tiny savings account and every distraction from buying a bike.  Nine years... that's a long time to want a bike.  I since graduated college, moved away from my hometown and my college town to a foreign town for a brand new job that I now call home.  Three plus years into it, I feel like I finally have a grasp on what I'm doing around ehre.  I have to be honest, I was not planning on purchasing a bike this past summer.  Financially, it wasn't in my plan, and I'm quite a strategist.  However, in July I found myself at a point where I needed a spontaneous event to occur, and this bike landed in my lap with the help of my friend Pete.  He was looking for a bike to replace his Ascot he bought and flipped and stumbled upon this beauty on Craigslist.  Before I knew it we borrowed his grandpa's truck, tossed in the bike straps and headed west to Palmyra, PA.  I could go into every detail of that night, but I'll spare you and get to the good part.  Essentially, I made Pete do all the talking, negotiating, test riding, etc.  I just showed up with my envelope of cash and said "okay, you got a sale."  After a title transfer, we took what was left of my envelop of cash and went to the local Texas Roadhouse where we shoved our faces with food and I called my parents to inform them I had a bike in the back of Pete's truck.  ...Surprise!  I couldn't stop smiling, the whole 100 or so miles.  It was the greatest day ever, and I will never forget that pure happiness.

About 3 months later I smacked the stock beauty into a stopped car as I turned right in an intersection going on a ride with my friend & his Harley after work.  Great ending to the story, I know.  I landed on the hood of the car, which honestly worked out nicely for me and ended with no road rash.  It did result in a fancy ambulance ride with a dislocated left shoulder and a souvenir of twenty stitches in my right thigh.  Calling my mother from the ER was one of the saddest things I had to do, but I was calm which somehow made her not freak out entirely.  The front end was trashed, but luckily the forks took the biggest hit.  Whatever, we became blood brothers that evening.  Since then my CB beauty turned into a pile of metal as the Throttle Down Speed Co. crew tore it down to just the frame and motor.  The plan always had been to cafe it out, I just wasn't quite expecting to do it in September already.  Either way, it remains as my favorite, even if it is just a pile of metal.

Today I finally hit a highlight.  Last week I stumbled upon a rolling cb360t frame with the parts I need plus a little more to polish and resell.  It's been quite the learning experience dealing with craigslist flakes, I've had plenty of disappointment which everyone in this culture can relate to.  Today I can say that this rolling CB is in the works of becoming mine, and I couldn't be more thrilled.  I have a few key people to thank for making this purchase possible to get my original beauty running again; however, I will save those thanks for a future date when it is more of a settled deal.  Either way I am very hopeful and look forward to putting my pile of metal back together.  It'll be a proud day hearing her purr again.  It might even be as good as the day I purchased her.  I'll keep ya posted.

Throttle Down Speed Co. Has a NEW Site!

I'm proud to announce that Throttle Down Speed Co. has a pretty brand new website with an all new look and feel! A huge thanks to Brian Matthias for slaving over the new site and making it possible. We're always fine tuning it so check back often. Plus there will be a ton of new gear soon, so stay tuned! 

If you've purchased from us, please write a review! They are one of the new additions to the site and appreciate your support. Check it out: throttledownspeedco.com

They may lack design, but there is no lack in motorcycles

They may lack design, but there is no lack in motorcycles, and motorcycles are what count when it comes to the Timonium Motorcycle Show!  The event is held annually at the Maryland State Fairgrounds of Timonium in February.  This year’s event was held from Friday, February 11th through Sunday the 13th with an entrance fee of fifteen dollars, unless you snatched a five dollar coupon from their website at www.cycleshow.net.  But like I said before, do not judge their show quality based on the design of their website because when it comes to showing motorcycles, they are top-notch, without a doubt.

Harley-Davidson, Victory, BMW, Triumph, Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Polaris, KYMCO, Boss Hoss, Lehman Trikes, and Eastern Performance Cycles are just a few of the heavy-hitters that set up and display their finest at the Timonium Motorcycle Show.  Aside from motorcycle manufacturers, there are endless vendors selling apparel, gear, antiques, stickers, patches, seats, and of course food.  Besides my love of motorcycles, I have to admit, I went for the food!  Pizza, ice cream, smoothies, pit beef, ham, and BBQ, fries, sausage, and an assortment of snacks were available.  And this event would not be officially held in Maryland if there were not a crab cake to be found.  Being the starving college kid I am, I chose the pit beef sandwich over the crab cake because the portion was outrageous.  I covered that sandwich with some BBQ sauce and I was set for the day!

The variety of entertainment is nearly equivalent to the variety of motorcycles that can be found at this event.  Celebs and bike builders are featured on their website, this year included Michele Smith, the host of American Thunder, Roland Morrison and his speed machine, and bike builders Arlen Ness, Chica, Doug Keim, Parker Brothers Custom Choppers, Randy Simpson, Cooper Mike, Jeff Kessel, the six stars of Sons of Anarchy, and of course the endless list of bike models.  It would not be a show if it were not for the annual attendee of Gary Nixon who graced the event with his presence all three days.  Without a doubt, he is always my favorite guest at the show because we can always catch up on the latest Flat Track news, guaranteed.

So there you have it, my excerpt for the annual Timonium Motorcycle Show.  If you did not make it this year, keep it on the radar for next year because it is a great way to break up the winter and motorcycle and motorcycle racing off-season.  Now, bring on Daytona!

Gorgeous vintage photo from a York, PA Flat Track Race: )

Graphic Design Book Cover Design

November 1, 2010

Objective: To create three very different conceptual designs for one book title.
Title: Norton: The Racing Story

Concept: Going back in time, as the book does, to review the past championships of Norton Racing.  Norton Racing was notorious for its victories and this cover conceptualizes the history of their winnings.

 Concept: This book cover provides a classic image of the Norton Motorcycle Gas Tank.  The colors are predominant colors of the British Motorcycle brand and this cover also emphasizes the beauty of Norton's original logo and that typeface.

Concept: Denim masking tape, and sharpie marker are the materials that compose this particular book cover.  The concept behind this design is to go back in time before racing was highly commercialized as it is today.  This cover represents a time before there were flashy race gear, well-designed leather jackets and suits, and a time when racing was just that.  With this cover, I hoped to create the rawness of racing from the past.

Please Support My Helmet Design

I have been hoping to get my feet wet in helmet design, so this contest has allowed me to do just that.  Now, all's I need is your support!

Here are the two things you needs to do in order to participate and help me out:

Step One: You must Like BikeBandit.com on Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/pages/BikeBanditcom/10150121993020188

Step Two: Like my design :) ! (It’d the red & white one with the large star on each side)

http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=15228130&id=10150121993020188&fbid=10150284032305188&ref=mf

Thank you so much for taking the time to help me out, I really appreciate it:)  Please spread the word by reblogging, retweeting, reposting, anything!  Thanks thanks 

The Death of Cycle News

I have found a very interesting article from the blog of the former editor at Cycle News Magazine that I would like to share today.  The blog post may be found here and I encourage everyone to take a look at it.  I find it interesting how text written about the ceasing of a motorcycle magazine could be so moving, to where I find myself grieving over the end of a company, more than I had grieved over the recent loss of a family friend.  I suppose the reasoning of this would include the passion written in the text of the editor's post and the fact that I can relate to the late publication.  It still sounds so silly to me to think that there could be sorrow over a publication, but to hear the words of passion for a publication that supports motorcycles and particularly motorcycle racing somehow speaks unexplainable volumes.  Perhaps this death pulls a heartstring for the fact that this was somewhat of an ultimate career goal.  While, the goal is not completely thrown out of the window by any means, it still forces some perspective on the form of media and even the economy.  Certainly, I have no doubt that a rockin' online journalist publication of gorgeous photos and enlightening textual design will arise in the near future, but there is still that attachment to a printed publication with an incredible history such as Cycle News.  Perhaps I have rambled on too much about a publication that has ended, and will stay ended despite any words from I or anyone that matters, the words will remain: el fin.