It started with a casual comment at the dinner table sometime in 1992. Nick Ienatsch was our guest that evening and somehow the subject of racing came up (imagine that). Nick had almost won the AMA 250 GP championship in 1991. But a late season crash while leading the series dashed his hopes for that number one plate. The aftertaste of a victory almost-at-hand was still on his tongue. And the lack of a sponsor and inability to contest the 1992 season still stuck in his craw."I’m an opportunity waiting to happen", he volunteered, apropos to nothing in particular. "Excuse me?", I said hoping I wouldn’t be expected to know what he was talking about.

"Well, you know. I have a shot at the 250 championship...and I write about it in the largest all-streetbike magazine in the country..." "Hmm. You’ve got a point there", I say, feeling relieved that, not only do I have a grasp what he’s saying but understand the implications for a company willing to step up to the plate. "Man, I wish we could get involved in racing at that level. We’ve sponsored a number of teams on the national level with product. Maybe one day we could make the leap." "Maybe...", he said.Be careful what you wish for...Wouldn’t you know. Nick and Steve Biganski went gunning for the title again in 1993. Yamaha had loaned them a TZ250, Laguna Seca was history, and Road Atlanta loomed ahead. And their entire race budget was spent. "Hey, we’re racers, not business men". In the meantime I’ve filed away the idea of our own roadrace team, bringing it out occasionally to give it a good mental massage.

"Hey Nick", I say (we’re at dinner again). "Why don’t we start a road race team and call it Team Zero Gravity? We’ll get you through the rest of the season on a low key basis and see if it’s something we can handle." "Okay", came his unexpected reply. After all, I was just kidding. Right? Wrong. Next day I’m on the phone lining up chain, bodywork and airline tickets. My first race as a team manager was the Road Atlanta round of the 1993 AMA Superbike series. Hot and muggy, the Atlanta air was charged with race gas fumes and new possibilities. We’d bummed a ride for our bike and gear with Fastline Racing. And we’re a road race team! Team Zero Gravity. Let’s just get through this year and see if we can hang...