Fri, 23 Nov 2001, 08:07 PM Let's Do It On Two Wheels!

By Bob Frey

In addition to the Summit Racing Series World Champions in the car classes at Pomona, there was also a motorcycle class that was contested and it saw Tim Pazour, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, take home the title. Tim, who works on motorcycles at his family’s shop in Cedar Rapids, has always raced bikes and he said that winning the Pomona race was "absolutely the best time of my life. It’s a feeling that I’ll probably never have again, unless I win it again." And, with his drive and determination, he just might do that.

Tim Pazour

Tim, like so many of the motorcycle competitors who race at local tracks all over the country, grew up around bikes, and he is a second-generation motorcycle racer. His dad, who never competed on the quarter mile, was the Iowa state flat track champion back in 1956 & ’57, so racing is in his blood. A three-time track champion at Tri-Sate Raceway in Earlville, Iowa, Tim earned his way to Pomona by winning the Division 5 championship, even though he wasn’t the track champ this year. "I blew a motor early in the season and got behind in the points," he said. "If you miss two or three races like I did, it’s tough to win the title at our track." When Tim says that he "blew an engine," he really means that he blew one up big time "It broke a rod and then it was like a chain saw went through the engine. There weren’t a lot of salvageable parts." Fortunately, he had a spare engine that just needed a few parts and he was back and ready to go. Still, the down time probably cost him the track championship.

Tim, who raced bikes as a kid, and once finished second in the famous NFL "Punt, Pass and Kick" competition, is like so many good racers who simply hate to lose. "I lost that football contest by about three feet, and, if I had won, I’d have gotten to compete at a Green Bay Packers’ game," he said. "Losing isn’t fun!" Tim got into the serious end of motorcycle racing about a decade ago. "We had a used bike at the shop and a friend of mine wanted to see what we could do with it. It was a GS 750 and we just added some wheelie bars and did some work on the engine and took it to the track." Obviously, it ran very well. He’s had his current bike for about nine years now, and says that he feels very comfortable on it. "It’s an ’86 Suzuki, 1255 c.c. that I bought second-hand about ten years ago. We did all of the engine work and electronics at our shop and it’s a really good race bike." Ironically, even though he’s raced the bike for years, Tim almost didn’t get to compete at Pomona. After his two and a half day ride out from Iowa, he and his friend, Larry Christensen, pulled the bike into the tech area on Wednesday. "We went into the tech line and they brought out a tape measure and measured my wheelie bars and told me they were too long. Since I’ve raced the bike for a while, I was surprised, but they told me I had to change them or I couldn’t race." Well, where does a nice Iowa boy go in Southern California to get his bike worked on in a hurry? The answer was only a few feet away in the Pro Bike pit area. Tim went over and found Craig Treble, a racer whom he’d never met before, and they started talking. "I told him about my problem and he said that he could help. He introduced me to Dave Earll (of Trac Dynamics) and he said that he could fix it." So they loaded Tim’s bike up, headed to Dave’s shop about 50 miles away, and shortened the bar. The next day they were back at the track and ready to go. "Without Craig and Dave I don’t know what I would have done," Tim said. "They really saved me and I can’t thank them enough. I guess it’s a good thing we got to the track on Wednesday, huh?"

George Bryce

Even though Tim had never met Craig or Dave, two of the more prominent names in motorcycle racing, he did have experience with some other major players in the two-wheel class. "I attended Frank Hawley’s school, and had George Bryce as my instructor," he said. "In fact, I went to the school twice, for the Super Comp class and the Pro Stock bike class. The first time I was there Angelle (Savoie) was there as a student. The next time I went, she was one of the instructors. George and Frank are such great thinkers, and they really tell you how to become a winner. I can’t begin to tell you how much George Bryce meant to me as a rider. I wanted to catch up with him and thank him at Pomona, but I didn’t get the chance. But I’ll tell anyone, that he’s one of the main reasons why I won this thing." High praise from a guy who’s been around bikes and racing all his life.

Tim’s experience at Pomona was like that of most of the other competitors, that is, he said it was a dream come true. "When I first heard that Summit was putting on this event, I said, ‘I’m going to be a part of that someday.’ It was everything I expected and more." Still, after winning the title, Tim said that he was emotionally drained. "The photographer at the end of the track wanted me to pump my arms in the air and look excited after the final round, but I was simply too exhausted. But that doesn’t mean that I wasn’t happy."

When I asked Tim if he met or talked with any of his fellow competitors at Pomona he had what I found to be a very interesting response. "I don’t talk to my competitors," he told me. "I don’t want to know them or like them." And, while that may seem harsh, Tim said that he feels that this approach gives him a mental edge over the other racers. "I want to concentrate on what I’m doing. As George taught me at the school, you’ve got to stay focused and see your runs through from start to finish. You’ve got to practice them and I can’t do that if I’m talking to the other guys." After his performance in California, I’ll bet Mr. Bryce is pretty proud of his student.

Tim said that the key to winning a race like this, or any race, is to not make any mistakes. And, when his final round opponent, Ed Ehrke, fouled out, Tim was the champion. "We rolled a little extra into the box, were very careful of our dial-in in the finals and gave it our best shot. After spinning the tires badly in the first round, I really didn’t know what to expect." Well, with a history, a track record and a mental attitude like he has, I’m sure Tim expected the best, and he got it. "This is something I’ll never forget."

Now, as he goes back to work at his dad’s shop, Tim can tell himself that those trips to Frank’s school, the lessons from George and his unique approach have all paid off. Tim Pazour is the motorcycle champion on the Summit Racine Series.