SPORTSMEN

It's appropriate that I go out into cyberspace to conduct this cyber-interview with a racer who works and then rides. This familiar arrangement is common in motorcycle drag racing, in other sports too, but the uncommon aspect of Sportsmen is that they are so dedicated, but often silent when asked to be public about their sport. It's also appropriate that this cyber interview is with a cyber-worker. Meet Ric Naylor, an IT Support Manager for a publishing and exhibitions firm of Miller Freeman in the UK. This Information Technologist is in his second season racing a Yamaha RD. Ric also has four Yamaha street bikes, and claims his house is cluttered with bike parts. Ric's girlfriend is currently rebuilding her RD400 on the kitchen table. (I can relate to that space…the Drum residence is in stages of remodeling and my dining room table is temporarily full of computer peripherals.)

Ric Naylor's dedication as a Sportsman has caught the attention of Compaq, partly because Miller Freeman buys Compaq servers and partly because a colleague talked up his racing and that resulted in a sponsorship budget. We'd like to hear more sponsorship stories like this, but let's take a moment and step into the cyber-spotlight with Ric Naylor who claims there are many remarkable people who have been motorcycle drag racing way longer then he has.

RIC NAYLOR CYBER CHATS WITH DWIGHT

DOB: 8 Sep1967… Birth Town: Southampton, England
…Home Town: Barnet, London

Do you have a nickname?

"Not really, some of my mates call me Ricsta, so I guess it could be that!"

Who would you most like to be like?

"I'm happy being myself."

Who are your heroes?

"Harry Barlow for his tuning abilities and Jerry Collier for currently being the quickest RD rider in the world. And John Floyd because he's about to blow it wide open."

What are (or have been) your scariest moments?

"Thankfully I've not had any on the track! On the road it was finishing a right turn (don't forget we drive on the left) and hearing screeching brakes as a car jumped a stop light and T-Boned me."

Do you work out?

"No. I used to study Aikido, but gave it up after an injury. I need to restart it to get me de-stressed again. It's also quite good for general fitness."

Do you have a special diet?

"Only the cliched 'See-Food diet!' I'm lucky. I don't seem to put on any weight. (140lbs)."

What mental routine prepares you for each run?

"I just get kitted-up and sit on the bike in the fire-up road, make sure I'm comfortable and put everything out of my mind. Once I'm up at the line, I'm only focusing on the tree lights, and my ultimate destination, the end of the track."

Do you have other hobbies?

"I'm a very amateur guitar player and enjoy music. Me and Caz are also looking to get a horse. Otherwise, it's bikes, bikes and more bikes."

What do you do to unwind?

"Watch TV. Sometimes too much."

What personal quality (one trait) would you want to be admired for the most?

"Sincerity."

What's most important?
1.Fame 2.Money 3.Thrill/fun 4.Winning

"Thrill/fun and winning."

Are you happy?

"Yes."

What could make you happier?

"Getting the two stroke twin street tyre world record."

If you could change one thing about motorcycle drag racing, what would it be?

"Better promotion to the public in general. Everyone I have introduced to it has loved it and come back to watch again. If more people were more aware of it, I reckon it could be a lot bigger than it is. I sampled the US way of things in Gainesville in March…way, way different to what we have here. I'll be back next year."

When driving a car, do you always wear a seatbelt?
1. Yes. 2. No. 3. Sometimes

"Yes."

What does 185 (or faster) miles an hour on a motorcycle feel like?

"I don't know, but 126 certainly feels fast when your butt is nineteen inches off the ground! The biggest rush is sitting up into the airstream in the shut-off area. It really feels fast then."

Where do you find the most peace in your life?

"Walking in the country side when it's quiet."

What is your full-time occupation?

"Yes, I'm. IT Support Manager basically looking after IT systems for our site, used to doing manly programming and web stuff."

You're a skilled racer…What skills separate you from the fast traffic on public highways?

"Usually about three seconds! I treat every other driver as an idiot out to knock me off and I ride/drive defensively."

What got you started in Motorcycle drag racing?

"I've always been into bikes, my brother had bikes and so when I was sixteen I got one too. My friend Barrie Gregory asked me to crew for him two years ago, after a year of that, I decided he was having too much fun, so I built my own bike and joined the fun."

What do you worry about the most?

"Probably too many things! Nothing specific though."

Is your career path a chosen road to the professional level?

"No, it's purely for my own fun and fulfillment. Maybe later if I turn out to be exceptionally good I could consider it, but not in this country."

Gary's question:
How do you find the cash to race?

"Last year it was a matter of scrimping and saving and putting money towards the bike instead of other frivolous luxuries. Running RDs is a bit of a budget-racing thing really. No where near the cost of running a Pro Stock bike, so it's not too difficult. This year I'm lucky enough to have a decent sponsorship deal with Compaq as a major sponsor. The deal with them means we can try new stuff that'd otherwise be out of our budget."

Additional Comments?

"Is this the 'Thank-you-speech-bit?' Well thanks to my sponsors who made it possible for me to race! Harry for building me a killer motor. Ken for using his machine shop. Logical /Compaq and Live 2000 for their funding. Hideout for some decent leathers and to Caz and Jon for crewing. Thanks also to all the racers in SuperTwins who make it such fun to go racing each month. You can keep up with what we're doing on www.teammr.co.uk. Do I get an Oscar??? :o) "

I hope you enjoyed this cyber-interview, a few moments with Ric Naylor, conducted oceans apart. It's hard to find a word for a cyber guy who races fast on two wheels, so I didn't feel I could consult my friendly Webster Dictionary and find a proper adjective on that edge…so I made one up. When all else fails, sometimes you have to trust your own thinking process…a scary thought sometimes, but I think I caught part of a double edge here. I didn't consult Gary. Sometimes it's easier to do, than it is to ponder. Ric Naylor makes his living on computer speed and has his fun on a two wheel rocket…He has the all the fine ingredients of a true Sportsman. I hope he persists. Ric Naylor is…

CYBER-HOT