Track Lessons
by
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When Slosser crashed in Turn 1 on the nrxt-to-the-last lap, he was agitated. Before the race was even over, he complained to USMA officials that Johnny Soma had t-boned him in the middle of the turn, causing him to crash. Slosser said Soma was a dangerous rider, a "Jesus-freaky squid," who had caused many crashes before, and wasn’t properly qualified to be on the racetrack. Slosser claimed that he and his father would sue the USMA if they let this mix-up stand, and it ended up costing Slosser "his" championship. Slosser claimed that he was thoroughly familiar with USMA rules and policies and that the correct thing for the USMA to do was to disqualify Soma and give the first-place finish to Slosser since the race was more than 50% complete at the time of the incident, and Slosser was leading the race at the end of the last complete lap before the incident.
Alex Raynor, the USMA Chief Referee, was not impressed by Slosser. The Referee radio-ed his two corner workers stationed at Turn 1, and they told him there was no contact, very clear, very simple "NO CONTACT." Likewise, Slosser’s claim that Soma "wasn’t qualified" wasn’t convincing as the referee knew how carefully riders were vetted by the USMA for legal and insurance reasons.
The referee wanted to document the situation carefully, so he invited the three riders who were directly behind Slosser at the time of the incident and Slosser, to meet with him immediately after the podium celebration.
As George, Matt, and Soma walked to the USMA trailer, Soma was nervous about the meeting and asked: "You guys have any idea about this meeting?"
George replied, "Might be Slosser bitching about the way you passed him in Turn 1."
Matt added, "Probably is. His dad’s a lawyer, and they are always pushing their weight around when things don’t go their way."
Soma was getting more nervous, "But that was a clean pass!"
George replied, "Clean enough, I almost hit him when he slid across the track on his back."
Matt couldn’t resist, "Better luck next time."
George grinned but could see that Soma was anxious about the meeting. Just before they arrived at the trailer, he stopped and looked directly at Soma and said,
"Johnny, it was a clean pass, don’t worry, you’ve got truth on your side. Relax, keep it simple, just answer any questions honestly. Only answer the questions from the ref. That’s all. Nothing else. Got it?"
"Yep."
They walked into the trailer to find Slosser and his grandpa already there, chatting with the ref at a small conference table. It was clear that the ref was in a hurry, and as soon as the three took their seats, he started: "OK guys, we have a situation here that I need to document. Mr. Slosser here has made some serious charges about Mr. Soma and his conduct on the track. We’re going to get this settled in ten minutes or less, so we can all get back to racing. OK?"
He didn’t wait for an answer.
"Slosser claims he was leading the race, and at the beginning of lap six, Soma ran into him in Turn 1, causing him to crash out of the race. I’ve got two corner workers on Turn 1, and they both said very clearly ‘no contact.’ Now, I want to get, for the record, statements from other eye-witnesses, the three guys behind Slosser at the time of the incident. We’re recording this meeting, just in case it’s ever needed, so keep your answers short. OK?"
No waiting.
"First question, in this incident at Turn 1, on lap six, was there any contact between Rider thirty-three Slosser, and Rider two-nineteen, Soma? Your answer, position two, Rider twenty-three, Gindlesburger … oh, hey George."
"Hi Alex, I was on the outside trying to get around Slosser. Soma came in to pass Slosser on the inside. Slosser tried to shut the door on him, lost his front end and low sided. No contact."
"Position three, Rider two nineteen, Soma."
"No contact, Slosser was first into Turn 1, George was second and starting to pass Slosser on the outside. I was trying to pass both of them on the inside. Slosser low sided and slid across the track. I never touched him."
"Position four, Rider seventy-one, Lewis."
"No contact, Slosser’s a lyin’ sack of shit!"
"OK, on that cheerful note, this meeting is officially over. The official results stand. Thank you all and goodbye."
The ref turned the recorder off, walked over, and opened the door to usher everyone out.
Slosser was the first one out of the trailer, flushed with anger, stomping back towards the pits. He already had his phone out, probably calling his dad, and he appeared to be wiping tears from his eyes.
Grandpa Slosser was gloomy and looked back at the three other racers and squeaked out, "sorry guys."
George replied, "Not your doin’." and they shook hands.
Soma and Lewis followed George’s lead and shook hands with Grandpa Slosser, and he turned to follow his angry grandson.
The three racers, The Podium Crew, sauntered back to the pits, their cheerful victorious spirits returning quickly.
George finally spoke up, "Matt, ‘Lying sack of shit?’ That something you learned in law school?"
Matt replied, "No, but the ref said we were in a hurry, so I didn’t have much time to be civil."
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About the Book
George was a quiet, down to earth guy who loved motorcycle racing and later in life learned to love Jesus. The best of his eighty-three years on earth was 1989, when at fifty-four, he got married, adopted a son, and won the United States Motorcycle Association National Championship for the Harley Davidson 883 Sportster series.
Motorcycle racing was the constant in his life. Much of what George learned and much of what he taught came from his experiences on the track. Near the end of his life, his two grandsons pick him up at the nursing home to share a weekend of motorcycle racing. During this weekend, George recounts stories of his 1989 championship season, and other highlights of his life.
In Track Lessons, author Charlie Seymour creates a mosaic of events that reveal the character and life of George. Each tile of the mosaic is simple, but the collection of tiles shows how average events lead to a deep, meaningful life filled with family and love.
About the Author
Charlie Seymour has lived in many places around the world and worked as a teacher, computer programmer, corporate executive, auto mechanic, entrepreneur, and farmer. He retired in 2005, and has devoted himself to writing, travel, spiritual growth, tinkering with cars and motorcycles, and staying alive.