Group W Racing

Name:

Michael Bateman

Home City/State/Province:

Born and raised in Newport, Oregon,

Hometown now Kingston, WA, married to my wonderful wife Danya and stepson Stewart

Age: 44

How many years have you been racing?

Motorcycles – 11 years, but with a 5 year hiatus from active racing 2003-2008.  I’ve been involved with the race club since about ‘91 or so.

Prior to that I’d raced sailboats and Pro Rally cars (mostly as co-driver).  I don’t imagine racing Huffy bikes down power line access roads with sticks in our back pockets to jam in your buddie’s front spokes counts for much?

What Race Organizations do you belong to?

WMRRA currently.  OMRRA and WMRC in the past.

Do you belong to any other M/C Organizations?

Nothing other than the loosely organized herd of cats known as “Group W Racing.”

What is your current racing motorcycle/s?

A 1965 CB160/175 hybrid, formerly known as “The Kid Bundy Bike.”

Did you have a/some previous racing motorcycle/s?

Yes – I was racing Honda RS125s in the 125GP class when I discovered 160 racing.  I owned a 1994 and a 1996 Honda RS125.

What tracks have you raced on?

Pacific Raceways (Seattle International Raceway) of course, Portland International Raceway, Spokane Raceway Park, Mission Raceway in Mission, BC, and Thunderhill.

What is your favorite track?

Whatever track I’m racing on at the moment.  If I have to choose when I’m not actively on a track then I choose Pacific Raceway, with Thunderhill and Spokane Raceway Park close seconds.

What is your most memorable racing experience (good or bad)?

The entire experience has been memorable – almost without exception good, usually fantastically good.  One of the most memorable races was at the Mission track with Fats Fowlinski.  We ran the entire race side-by-side, never more than a half wheel apart.  At the end we got a standing ovation.  We had no idea who they were clapping for – we had just been having a great fun race and were wondering who had the epic race the crowd was all excited about…

Travelling with Fowler to and from races for many years – a rolling adventure of fun, rusty junk, racing and unprintable exploits.

Rolling into Canada in Simon-Pierre’s box van at o’dark thirty (sitting in the middle on an antique folding wooden chair using a zip strap for a seat belt) – and the Canadian border guard saying “tell me boys – just exactly what are three such young gentleman as yourselves doing coming into Canada in a vehicle such as that at a time such as this….”  Then walking around the track at midnight sipping on a bottle of cheap wine, scaring ourselves silly at the condition of the track surface and proximity of walls/trees to the racing surface.

This past weekend’s SOTP weekend and my return to the track was fairly epic.  Lots of fantastic close racing with good friends, and I was much closer to up to speed than I thought I’d be.  The competitive fire does not die apparently but rather smolders within me.

Throwing a 125 GP bike into Turn 1 at Portland with both wheels sliding sideways, using tire scrub as brakes with 4 or 5 of your closest friends doing the same thing within inches of each other.

Winning my first race (on a 160).

Winning my first championship (on a 160).

Setting a new lap record on the first race back after having been hospitalized after having gran mal seizures.

Instructing/teaching new racers.

Spokane Hyjinks…

Chris and Marty…   (RIP Marty)

But by far the most memorable experience of all is the fellowship, friendship and support of my fellow racers.  Helping me and my family when we were down, and doing the same for everyone else as well who’s had life challenges and/or disasters.  There are no finer folks on the planet.

Why did you start racing?

As a skills building exercise.  I had been a high mile street rider (30-40,000 miles/year), and helping Scott Menezes race bikes as a sort of helper/mechanic/tuner.  I thought they were all nuts though.  Scott would often come in with someone else’s brake lever hanging out of his fairing.

But – a fellow named Saman Perrera had brought a whole bunch of used Honda RS125 GP bikes into the states in a container in late ’97, so they were dirt cheap.  I bought one thinking I’d take the race school and dabble at racing to improve my riding skills.  Right….

From the first half lap, with all of us “nervouses” head down going faster than we’d ever gone before and the instructors (Gary Lewis and Jeff Kittle) sitting up with one hand on the bars looking back at us instead of at the track, urging us to start moving, I was hooked.  There would be no dabbling or skills building exercises – I had found my drug of choice.

Why do you like racing?

For the time that you are on the track, the world does not exist.  The only thing that exists is you and the bike, the pavement you’re on, and the next guy/gal in front of you that you’re working on passing.  There’s a famous quote attributed I believe to Steve McQueen in the movie LeMans – “Racing is living.  Everything else is just waiting.”

It takes complete concentration to race at full speed – there is no way to race on the limit thinking about anything else but racing.  For me – that is the ultimate stress relief.

In addition – racers and in particular vintage racers, are some of the best folks on the planet.  Willing to bend over backwards to help out a friend (or even someone newly acquainted).  Friendly, helpful, fun and supportive.  No one could ask for a better bunch of guys/gals.

Do you have any other remarks?

There is no way to fully describe the fellowship and camaraderie within the vintage racing crowd.  I recommend you come out and experience it for yourself.  If you’re like us, you may find that you’ve found your home.

I’d like to thank everyone within the racing community who’ve helped create all of the memorable experiences over the years.  There is no way to list them all.