Junior here from Lifestyle Cycles, and I'm here with Clay Braun and Frank Rosales from FDR Foundation and Frankie Dean [Music] Racing. Okay, everybody, I have now been officially decorated by the FDR Racing Team. They wanted me to look like them on the race track. So now, not only do I have one of the cool guy shirts, I also match the cool guy bike. There it is! And I’ve got to tell you what, this is something you're not going to want to miss. It's coming up soon, and you're going to watch me out there looking super cool. Super cool! We got him. We got him.
Okay, November 16th and 17th, we're going to be at Willow Springs International Raceway. Yes, sir! We got Junior coming out with his whole team. We're going to really make it a party. We're going to make it a party. It's going to be a good time. Clay is going to be back from his injuries; it's going to be his first official ride back on the bike. We've been out testing non-stop, and his times are right there. Cody and Arie, we're coming for you, baby! We're coming!
So, let me just ask you, okay? For everyone who does not know, what is the Bagger Racing League? What is the Bagger Racing League? It’s an organization that allows us to run Harley-Davidsons on the racetrack. We modify these things extensively to get them on the track. You know, you’ve got to have belly pans, slicks, 17-inch wheels. We jack the motors as much as we can. We’ve got Josh from RPM who builds our motors, and they just make them nasty. That’s why we call this bike "Bag Nasty" because she just gets after it. Yeah, Clay’s won quite a bit on this bike.
So, for most people looking at this, they don’t know. Are these factory-sponsored teams, or are you a grassroots team that just wants to go fast? We are grassroots. We are not factory. We are Team Lifestyle Cycles. He’s one of our premier sponsors. We’ve got Saddlemen that backs us up. We have S&S Motors behind us. We've got RPM, and we’ve got Alloy Art as our premier sponsor, next to, of course, Junior. They give us tons of love. Tons of love.
Who else? Just do it the right way. There it is. Let’s tell everybody about all your sponsors. Start from left to right.
Left to right: So, of course, it’s Frankie Dean Racing. Frankie Dean Foundation is basically the whole reason why we’re doing this. We started this just to get awareness of what we do with the foundation. So, I got together with Clay. Well, you're the reason for that, actually, why we got into racing. Because Junior decided we needed to have a flat track bike, and he gave me two of them. So, I needed a rider. That’s how I met Clay. Then Clay got me into the Bagger Racing League, and it just kind of grew from there. I can’t even tell you, it just went crazy. Went crazy.
Yeah, and we got Team Swollen on there. We got Young Blood, who is Clay. We have Shred Moto, Rudick, FDR Foundation. I can’t say enough good things about Robbie and Justin over there at Alloy Art. And of course, the wonderful Junior, who’s really kind of backed us on all this stuff. A lot of people don’t know this, but I’ve known Junior for many, many years. I was the best man at both his weddings, and we go way back. When I say I want to do something, he just backs me up 150%. And that goes for the foundation as well. He's one of the founding members of the foundation. So, we can't give you enough stuff. They don’t make enough shirts for my gratitude, I’ll tell you. Well, this is enough. It’s enough for now.
Yeah, this is enough. Anyway, so let’s go back to the interview.
Okay, so Clay, where did you get your start racing these? How did it all begin?
So, it all started one day. My buddy Brandon, Brandon Quaid, and Ravi were like, “We’re going to the track!” And I was just like, “What are you talking about? Kind of sounds dumb, you know?” And they were like, “No, we got a leather suit for you.” You know, just kind of poking the bear. I’m like, “You’ll never catch me in a leather suit, dude. That kind of sounds weird. Not about it.” I end up going out there and having the best time of my life, getting passed by street bikes and being like, “Whoa, what the…?” You know? And just trying to chase those dudes down on a Harley. It was like, “We’re not meant to be out there.” And they hated it. So, I think that’s what made me love it more, because they didn’t really like us at first—the metric bikes.
Now, rumor has it you're fast.
Could be faster.
Okay, so what’s it going to take? What’s going to make you faster this year?
Just a little bit more seat time and just sticking to the books, to the stats, and seeing where we can go from there. Diet, discipline, working out. He’s got a great program going. He’s eating right. He’s working out. He’s back on the bike now. You had an accident recently. If the fans need to know, you just came back from something pretty horrific. And you know, actually, I’m surprised you’re walking.
Yeah, I mean, me too. It’s one of those things where I got the best worst-case scenario. I know people that had a lot less happen to them, and their injuries were way worse. But yeah, I got hit by a car six months ago, and you know, I’m walking. Had a couple surgeries here and there, but got a little bit of metal in my right foot, left arm, and my pinky’s a little twacked. But we’re good. I can grip and ride a motorcycle.
So, when you’re going down the track, you’re just going to have it hanging out there like a toddler sipping some champagne and twisting the throttle?
Yeah, honestly, it’s kind of like my little measuring stick. You know, just keeps me level. So, I don’t get too tired on the throttle at all. So, it’s good.
All right.
Okay, guys. So, it’s race day. You’re out there Saturday morning. The crowd starts coming in. What’s going through your mind?
Panic. For me, not for him. He’s chill. I’ll get it. But for me, it’s just getting everything ready for the guys. You know, I just want to make it to where last year was quite the cluster for him. He had nothing but troubles. He did it all by himself. For me, I just want to make sure the boys fly in, they got a hotel, they get a good night’s sleep, and just rest. So, for me, it’s stressful in the mornings because I want to make sure everything’s ready to go for them so when they get there, they’re just getting suited up and going.
Okay, so now, Clay, let’s switch. Because you said you’re chill.
Okay, so are you really chill? Or do you have butterflies? Are you sitting there going, “Oh my God, what am I about to do?”
I mean, I’m chill to a certain extent. I would lie and say I’m 100% chill because I don’t know. It’s like, it’s all mental when you get on the track. It’s 100% mental. Once the green flag or the red lights come out, you know what I mean? It kind of all goes away.
But so, when you’re out there on the track, now, how fast are you going? What is your top speed at Willow Springs? What are you going to be doing going down the back straightaway and to turn one again?
I can’t even tell you. I just know my hair is going to be flapping. That’s it. I don’t have—no idea. I’m just going to be leaned over and getting it.
You’re just going to be going after it.
I’m going to say triple digits. Hopefully.
So, you’re out there, you’re going around the track. Does everything else disappear? Do you not see any fans? All you see is the track, and you just get so hyper-focused? You’re in your own world?
Yeah, it’s way different than a track day for sure. Like, race pace picks up everything. It’s almost like a blur. I compare it to like Fast and the Furious kind of thing, when homie hits the nitrous, and you’re kind of just into it. That’s what I compare it to because it’s you and the bike, you know?
So, it’s just something you can’t really explain. And after the race is done, you get the checkered flag, it’s like everything’s done and over with, but you’re still like, you know, all shooken up. Like, this is crazy stuff.
How many laps is a typical race for you?
Anywhere from six to ten, just depending on what track and what organization you race with. I was just out at Willow Springs the other day, and I gotta tell you, that’s a big track.
Yeah, that’s going to be a lot of