It is that time of year again and my team and I were getting things ready for Daytona. We had a hectic schedule planned with doing some early season dirt track events as well as another opportunity to race the opening round of the Moto-ST at the famed Daytona Speedway. While excitement to get back racing was high, we were brought back down to earth by the unexpected passing of my mom, Loretta Rispoli. It was crazy and I actually still have a tough time believing it even as I think and write about it. My mom went in for a routine operation, whatever that means. She had it all planned out too. She would go in, my dad and I would stay with her for a couple of days, then make our way to the Indy dealer show. The plan was to pick up mom on Monday at the hospi tal and bring her home until Thursday, when we would bring her back to the docs to get the stitches out. On Friday we planned to get in the RV head to Daytona together. Mom needed around six weeks before she could return to work and my dad and she were going to hang out in Florida before she had to go back. What happened was called “complications.” In a total of three days instead of leaving for the Indy show, we were planning my mom’s funeral. It sucks! My mom was a great friend, she had a great listening ear and she loved coming to the race track. All the kids coming up through the dirt track ranks knew her, and probably ate a breakfast or had a sandwich that she made. My dad and my sister Samantha and brother Chris all decided mom would want us to go to Daytona and race. So my while my brother and sister w ent back to college, I headed down to Daytona with my dad. RIP mom!

Savannah, Georgia

My first stop was the head to my sponsor in North Carolina. AB-1 Motorsports. My dad had some business to do in Orlando and I would meet him for the Thursday night practice at Savannah when he was finished. At the practice, I tested both my 450 framer and my 505 Rotax framer. The Rotax was never run on a stock car track and we wanted to see how well it would handle so we could use the frame for a special project. Both bikes worked awesome. I only did two practices with the 450 because I wanted to save the motor and I ran several practices with the 505 so I could get the cob webs out from the long winter lay over. Dad wanted to see that my head was on straight in the practice and that I would be smart and safe racing.

Friday night was the first hot shoe event and I was ready. The track was too wet to race on and we had to wait around (2) hours or more before it dried up enough to get out for practice. Mike Varnes was working with me and I was riding out of the White’s H-D tent. My road race crew was doing the wrenching and Mike helped with set up, times and on track tactics. This was the first time Mike and his dad ever watched me race and it was cool to have an experienced dirt track chassis guy in my corner to work with me.

I ended up winning my scratch heat, heat race and ultimately the final. I had to come from behind in the final because I had a bad start, but once I caught the leader, Shayna Texter I was able to gap her and hold on for a solid win. I wheelied the length of the front straight on the last lap for the checkers and knew this was the not only the first win of the season, but a great win that I dedicated to my mom.

Volusia Pro-Am and Moto-ST practice

The next race was Friday night at Volusia Speedway Park. This is another clay stock car track that is known for not being the smoothest track to race motorcycles on. I had to pull double duty because I had a Moto-ST practice between 3 PM – 6 PM. The Moto-ST practice went well and the bike felt quick and nimble. My team Cycle Dynamics and owner Charlie Benton had the Kawasaki 650 running smooth as silk. My team mate Ted Cobb, who is an instructor at the Kevin Schwantz Suzuki School went out first and brought in some good feedback. I got out for my practice and needed some time to get use to the new track configuration since I never ran it before. It was a fun time and our team was looking pretty good. The dirt track pro-am was also running that night and while I was practic ing at the Speedway on a road racer, they were already practicing on the Volusia track. I knew that if I was going to race dirt track it was going to be tough to make my heats since I was about 35 minutes away.

Well we hopped in the motor coach after the Moto-ST practice and high tailed it out to the Volusia track. Mike Varnes had cleared the deck for me and had the bike through tech and me registered in. We got to the track just as the scratch heats were starting and mine was up in two more. I was catching my breath as I ran up trying to get my leathers on at the last minute. It was pretty cool being able to get there, but I didn’t get a chance to practice, so I had no idea if my gearing was going to be right or if the suspension was going to work. I managed to get off the line OK in the scratch and win it and while the track was rough and tumble, I felt that the bike was geared good and ready to rock. In my heat I spun on the line and didn’t get a great start. I was like third out of turn two and managed to catch the leaders and make a pass for the lead by the end of the second lap. The bike and tire were working but Mike saw some hopping and makes an adjustment to the suspension. In the final I had a good pick on the line, but again I just spun getting off. I was like second to last going around the outside of turns one and two. I knew I had to get it on and I went for it diving down to the bottom going into turn three, way under everyone and I passed like five riders in one shot. I passed another going through three and four and came out on the front straight in third. I settled in for a lap to catch my breath before I made a run in the leaders on lap three. I passed the second place rider and was now setting up the leader by the half way point of the race. I got another great drive coming out of turn f our and laid the bike in deep at turn one. I slid up into the groove and held it there forcing Shayna up and outside. I was in perfect position to come off of turn two and from there on I was able to gap the field a little and hang on for the win. It was really cool to get my second win in two attempts. I dedicated the race to my mom and thanked all my sponsors, especially Mike Varnes and the White’s Harley Davidson’s Dirt Track Team. Mike and his dad took my bike from Savannah, serviced it and got it ready for me to just show up and ride. They went out of their way to help me and I just can’t ask for a better team to dedicate the win to. Thanks guys!!!

Daytona Speedway/Moto-ST

I was going to miss a hot shoe on Sunday because I was racing in the Sport Twins class for Charlie Benton and his Cycle Dynamics race team. Charlie prepared a 650 Kawasaki that me and my team mate Ted Cobb were going to ride in the 3.5 hour opening round of the Moto-ST race series. This was a pretty big deal since the race series was getting TV coverage and all. It was also a big deal because in our Sport Twin division, the defending champions are the Pair of Nines team of Jay Springsteen and Jimmy Felice. All of these guys had lots of time on Daytona during their careers and this was only the second time for me and the first time with the shorter configuration so it was taking me a bit of time to learn the track.

I opened the race round and was starting from the back of the grid with Springsteen because both of our teams tested with excess HP after the practice on Saturday. There were 42 teams and we were dead last not only in our division, but overall!!! We took off and I knew it was going to be tough since my times were not yet up to what Jay could lay down and he started to pull a lead in the early going. I knew it was a long race (108 laps) and anything could happen. I also knew I would eventually learn the track and feel more comfortable on the bike as the race went on and my team told me to just relax and let the bike and the track come to me. Eventually it did.

The race was cool because we had cautions, pit stops and all kinds of strategies and tactics. Our helmets are wired and it was good to be able to talk back and forth to Charlie while I was on the track. My team mate Ted did such an awesome job. He was able to do almost a second better than the competitors and was able to make up quite a bit of time. Because we pitted a bit early we also had a jump on the gas tank pit stop strategies and felt that if we needed to we could push and get to the finish with one less pit then our competitors. The whole idea of this kind of team strategy was new to me but I really got into it as the day wore on. When it came time for me to get on the bike again, I was going to have to really push to get my times down. Jay was o ut when I mounted and we had a slight lead over the Pair of Nines team. Jay eventually caught up to me and once I got the word from Charlie I stepped up the pace once again. Jay and I battled for at least the last 10 of 25 laps of the race going side by side on the banking, touching, trading paint, and holding on to turn one waiting for the other to chop the throttle. It was nerve racking but it was so awesome. I thought I would never get to race against someone like Jay Springsteen because by the time I was good enough on the dirt track I figured he would already be retired. To have a chance to race side by side with such a legend of the motorcycle business is such an honor I can’t tell you how great it feels. In the end, Jay came in for a last “splash and go” and my team then asked me to come in the next lap just to make sure we take advantage of a fresh rider and a little insurance by taking on some gas as well. The strategy worked and my team mate Ted ran the last 10 or so laps and brought home the win by just over 19 seconds. It was so awesome!!!

Ted and I dedicated the race to my mom on the podium. I wore some sun glasses because I knew I was going to have tears in my eyes when I accepted the first place trophy. I knew my mom was riding with me and know she watched me and was so proud. To win at Daytona is such an accomplishment for anyone, but for me being only 16 years old and having the opportunity of a life time is almost too good to be true. I know I am blessed to have such great supporters around me helping to guide me and my career as a professional motorcycle racer. It is the coolest job there could be in the whole wide world and I intend to keep working as hard as I can and continue to win as much as I can to make it in the business.

Again I just want to thank all my sponsors and supporters for all their help over the years and especially all those companies and people who believe in me today. I won’t let you down!
AGV, AGV Sport, AB-1 Motorsports, Bettencourt Suzuki, Cycle Dynamics, Coolskunk Racing, Interstate Cycles, Sunnyside Cycles, White's Harley Davidson, Motion Pro, Raceimage.net, Wicked Quick, TOP ONE OIL, RHC, VFORCE, K&N, Durelle, Aprilia USA, West Coast Hot Shoes, Powerstands, Pirelli tires, Trackside Racer Supply, Performance Friction Brakes, Brembo, DeJarnette Research Systems, Mom and Dad

James “the Rocket”