JASON THOMAS - 'THE HARD WAY' - PART 7.
3rd Jun 2013
Hey guys and girls, I’m back at it with another blog. By now everyone has probably seen the results from Round 4 of the GNCC. The race didn’t go well at all – in fact it was a total disaster but I’m confident after testing this week I have pin pointed a few problems, and I will be pushing hard for a win at Round 5. The GNCC series now heads into tracks that need a little more than brain removal in order to win and I’m excited about that!
Leading up to the last round I was staying in NC with the Watts family, and while I was there Carrie and Shane were busy setting up a 5k “Tough Mudder” style race as a fund raiser for the school their kids go to. I had a few rest days in my schedule so I went down to the woods to help Wattsy out. Always enthusiastic, and doing things 100% right, Wattsy had a loop set up with all kinds of fantastic, challenging obstacles. It was fun to help him set things up, and it was very similar to setting up an extreme off road event. The loop had mud bogs, log crossings, slip and slides, and much more good stuff! Shane and I got to run a hot lap on the track mid week when it was warm and it was a blast. With the GNCC race being close by on Sunday my wife Laci and I decided we would run the Mudder on the Saturday. In the morning it was a little chilly but the little kids loved doing the mini-Mudder. I got to encourage them at the ice bath and assist them up and over the wall, every one of them having a go at it with a smile. It was awesome to help out and be involved.
Come the afternoon it was the adults turn to have a crack at the 5k. Laci and I started at the back and it soon became clear why I had to encourage the kids into the ice bath, ha, ha! Getting wet and then covered in mud and then ice water was awesome until we had to slow down and stop for other people to clear the obstacles. With my race being on Sunday, and the coldness getting into the many pins in my body, I was really starting to hurt, especially my hands (9 screws!). I kept going and then my prayers were answered when the wife clipped a log and launched right into the slop face first, ha, ha…. I had to giggle and her reply was WE ARE DONE!! And that was that – 2k’s in and we were then walking back to the car with our bottom lip dragging. I was really looking forward to the event but my body told my brain no more. I must be getting old?!?
After a shower I wanted to show some support to the other competitors so we returned to watch the end of the event. Last man across the line was Wattsy and I take my hat off to him. He was out there all week, and then all day in the freezing cold helping and encouraging others, while Carrie coordinated everything else, right there alongside. Seeing how much effort and passion they put into everything they do really makes me want to better myself. Well done guys, fantastic job!
Being in the NC area I started thinking of faster guys to ride with and who better than Kailub Russell. Now some people may think, whaaaaaat? KR557 and I raced each other for the GNCC XC2 Pro Championship a few years back, and at times things got pretty heated. One day at Unadilla it boiled over when KR decided to clean my clock at the end of a 3 hour battle just a few turns from the finish line. I ended up in the fence with a sore leg, so about 30 seconds later after I had followed KR across the line I swooped him one around the head, ha, ha. Anyway, since then we have forgotten the past and left it behind us. Kailub has grown up a lot, and really come out of his shell, so I texted him to see if he was riding. He told me when and where and it was on.
On my way to Kailub’s I passed the track where my Pro career really started at – Yadkinville. Being there really bought back some memories.
In 2006 I came to compete in my first year of racing in America, and I raced the OMA series where I finished 3rd in the Championship. Even though I had a pretty good year results wise, being away from home for the first time was very hard. I didn’t like the food, I didn’t have friends, and I was living on the road but really had no idea what the road even was or where I was. Come the end of the season I parked my motor home at my friend Tim’s house and set off for the airport. Back then I was here on a Tourist visa which is only good for 90 days, and seeing as I wasn’t making any money I had no reason to change. The day I was scheduled to fly home was the 90th day of my visa. Now anyone who knows visas knows what’s coming next…… If you over stay a visa in the US its bad news.
Sitting at the airport, a major storm started to roll in……. Within an hour every flight out was cancelled! This meant I would over stay my visa. The following day I was able to fly home, but with me having over stayed my dad had already started working on fixing the problem. When I landed I had an appointment at the US Embassy in London. Now, I really didn’t understand the visa thing back then, and to be honest I had no interest in returning to America. Maybe the US Embassy immigration officer could sense this, or maybe it was just not meant to be, but I was told I would never be allowed back in to America. As soon as I was told that a fire started deep down inside me. I had done nothing wrong, and that really bugged me. As the months went on my desire to want to race and win in the US grew. It wasn’t that I wanted to live here, it was that I was winning everything in the UK cross country scene and I knew I could win at the GNCC.
Every weekend I raced and every night of the week my mates and I would crush the club scene, burning the candle at both ends. That year I got to live my youth and hone my skills, but I had also developed one goal and that was to get back and win a GNCC. I had an attorney working on my issues and had about $10,000 into it when the guy went MIA. At that point I was crushed, it seemed like everything was against me. People were telling me to forget about it and move on but I would not listen. I told myself that anything worth doing wasn’t going to be easy! I did some research and figured out Canada had some XC races, so I emailed some shops and the promoter but got no reply. The races started in March so I booked a ticket to Calgary, Canada, and the next day I asked my dad if he could drive the camper up to Calgary and he would fly back to England. I would figure out the rest from there. Most people would simply say no at that point to my request, but old “Jezzabulb” knows when I say I’m doing something you had better get on the train because it’s about to be a crazy ride. And crazy doesn’t come close…….. As agreed, Jez was waiting in the airport when I got off, the only thing was that he had a very worrying look on his face. “Have you got a coat?”, he says. “Yeah, why?”, I reply. “You’re gonna need it!”
Some of you may have been to Calgary in March, but this guy, not so much. The snow was so deep you couldn’t walk, and the wind so cold it would freeze your snot. I had never seen anything like it. Jezza was booked to fly home in just a few days but seeing as we were so close we headed up to Lake Louise. To say it was breathtaking is an understatement! Getting to see that with my old man was amazing. The lake was frozen so we got to walk on it and take a happy snap.
We talked about how hard it was going to be trying to stay alive in the camper. I didn’t have the money to stay in a hotel, and I didn’t know anyone, and my dad had to return to the UK. We headed into the town where one of the dealers I had emailed was, Leathbridge Honda. We walked in and I asked for Alf. A big guy voice calls us into the office and tells us to sit down. “Are you crazy?”, Alf says. “No Alf, I told you I was coming. I’m here, and I’m looking for some support.” The dealership sold KTM’s, and I already had my own 200, so Alf agreed to talk to KTM. After that it was off to find another attorney, one that I could find if he decided to do a bunk. When we walked in we were greeted by a very nice young lady and asked to wait. While we sat there, Jezza, who could strike up a conversation with anyone, started to chat with the girl and tell the story so far. The girl’s name was Jess and she gave me her number in case I needed anything…..
We met with the attorney who was confident he could fix the problem but it would take some time. After leaving I remembered something someone once told me and decided to act. I text Jess. “Jess, it’s Jason. There is something I really need….”. Jess replied, “Hi Jason, yes, anything I can help with?”
“I really need a hug……”
Ha, ha, long story short I never had to spend a night in my camper, and I moved in with Jess that night! Dad left for the UK and I was able to work on a cattle ranch welding pens for a few months. Alf came to the first national race, where I lapped everyone and the next day I got a $2000 parts budget from KTM Canada. KTM also flew me to compete in a 12 hour race on the east coast and after winning that it opened up a door. I’ll talk about that one another day.
Anyway, I finally got my visa a few months after that, and the following weekend was the Yadkinville GNCC. My best friend flew in, and I cashed in my $2000 budget as I never used any parts when racing, and off we set for USA. That’s the last time I saw Jess, and the people I met in Canada. We drove non stop to the GNCC, eating McDonald’s and drinking pop all the way. When we arrived some of the people I had met before the previous visa issue were shocked to see me, one person in particular being Fred Andrews. You see, I needed to be on a team for one kind of visa to get into the US, and Fred’s team looked very professional, and my dad had already driven to see Fred before he even originally drove up to Calgary. Fred told him there was no room on the team and my dad left. So 3 months later when I showed up it was a surprise, but the best was to come.
The only bike I had other than my 200, which I couldn’t race in XC2, was a 250XCF that belonged to my mate Ricky. Ricky was from England but got a good deal on the bike from my mate Tim at FunMart. I had picked it up for him and had intended on keeping it safe and ready for when he wanted to fly in and race it. Another friend of mine was at the GNCC, Dave the Rave. Dave has helped me in the pits from day one here in America and Yadkinville was no different. The night before the race Dave gave Ricky and I the low down on who was ripping and who would run up front. I told Dave, “It’s not going to matter David, I’m going to wax them!” Sure now, I was pretty cocky, but I had been kicked to the bottom and crawled back up via Canada, and I was mentally stronger than anyone and I knew it. My best mate Ricky was on the pit board, and Dave on the gas can! I don’t remember much about the race, except on the last lap Ricky put on the board, “4 JEZZ…”. I waxed everyone on a bike straight off the dealership floor, against bikes with every trick bit that money could buy. I did it because I told myself I couldn’t be beat, and because my dad supported my crazy dream. I did it, 4 JEZZ!!!
And that was all it took. Fred Andrews signed me the following week and I spent 4 years under him, and I did finally win a championship ironically though back on the same brand that I first won on. It was a stock bike, with Dave on gas, and Jezza in my heart! Ricky, Dave, and Jezz were all there at the race when I finally won the XC2 championship, along with the newest member, and now most important part of the team, my wife Laci.
I hope you enjoyed this read and have a little understanding of “The Hard Way”
Until next time, believe in yourself and trust everything happens for a reason.
Boom, boom, POW
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