ARCHIVES (News from 2007, 2008 and 2009)

Wednesday, Sep 30, 2009

Brian Blume comes on strong as the season comes to a close with the final race weekend at Blackhawk Farms. Check out the write-up.

Monday, Aug 24, 2009

A Blackhawk win. Not easy to come by! Quite a few "fast guys" call Blackhawk their home track. It took several laps in the 1:09's for Ron Hix to pull in the team's first expert race win at Blackhawk Farms this past weekend. Brian Blume also ran well, with two podium finishes and more than a few laps in the 1:10's. Check out the write-up.

Monday, Aug 3, 2009

Ron makes a strong showing at the AMA Heartland Park Topeka round last weekend. After qualifying 14th with a 1:40.2, Ron goes on to finish with a solid 16th in the AMA American Superbike race 1 and an oustanding 12th place finish in race 2! Check out the write-up.

Friday, July 31, 2009

Ron Hix qualifies 14th with a 1:40.2 for the AMA American Superbike round at Heartland Park.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Ron Hix had a strong showing running a 1:09.6 in the Unlimited Supersport race, beating out rival Brian Hall for the second step on the podium and taking home

some much needed Suzuki contingency. Robert Jensen took the win, setting a new track record with a 1:08.5 in the process. Hix Racing's Brian Blume also dropped his lap times down to a 1:10.5 during this race!

Friday, July 10, 2009

Hix Racing keeps their winning streak alive with a 1st overall and a GTO class win in the Michelin Team Challenge race at Heartland Park on Friday. That makes it 3 wins out of 3 entries for the team!

Friday, June 19, 2009

Hix Racing is proud to announce a partnership with Ohlins USA. The team is looking forward to working with Mike Fitzgerald (Thermosman) and his crew.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Updated our event schedule with CCS Heartland round on July 10 - 12 and AMA Heartland round on Jul 30 - Aug 2.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Added onboard video and pics to the AMA Road Am writeup.

Monday, June 8, 2009

Ron Hix takes a 20th in the rain and an 18th in the dry in his AMA debut in American Superbike at Road America. Full writeup posted here.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Hix Racing had a strong showing at the recent CCS / ASRA round 3 at Blackhawk Farms. With a dominating win in the Team Challenge series and 4 more trips to the podium, Hix Racing is on a roll. Full writeup from each of the races found here!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Added pics and onboard vid from Road America.

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Hix Racing adds a new racer to the team, Ian Flaws. Ian will be competing as an amateur during the 2009 season. We are expecting big things from him!

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Many of the team's 2009 sponsors have now been finalized. We are excited to be partnered with an impressive team of top quality companies this year. The sponsor page has been updated and is ALMOST finished, check it out.

Wednesday, Mar 10, 2009

Great news for the team and our partners! In addition to competing in the CCS Mid-west and Great Plaines regions for the 2009 season, the team will also be doing select AMA rounds in the American Superbike class. To say we are excited about this opportunity would be an understatement!

Friday, Jan 9, 2009

We are currently developing our race program for 2009. We have learned alot about how to make a sponsorship work for our partners and we would love to talk with you about how we can help your business in these tough economic times. If you are interested in possibly partnering with us, please contact Ron at 630.430.7449.

Sunday, Oct 19, 2008

They say that winning at Daytona means coming home with you and all your equipment in the same condition as when you left home. Well, if that is true then we definitely did not win this weekend at Daytona! Race write-up: CCS Round 10 Race of Champions in Daytona

Wednesday, Oct 1, 2008

Posted write-ups for Blackhawk Round 9. I'll try and add some cool video in the next day or two!

Sunday, Sep 28, 2008

I just got home from the last round of the 2008 CCS midwest season. I started off the 2008 season in hopes of bringing home 4 Amateur championships. Unbelievably, today I wrapped up all 4 of the Midwest regional championships for the Unlimited classes not as an Amateur, but as an Expert. Big props to my sponsors, I absolutely could not have done it without all their support. WOW, God has truly blessed me!

Saturday, Sep 13, 2008

Posted write-ups for Blackhawk Round 7 and Hastings Round 8.

Friday, Sep 12, 2008

Updates posted for the 2008 CCS Championships Points Standings after round 8. I have almost clenched several of the class championships, but with the last round being a double points round anything can happen! Current I have a 35 point lead in GTO, a 71 point lead in USB, a 90 point lead in USS, and 69 point lead in UGP.

Monday, Sep 8, 2008

Had a great weekend out in Hasting NE for round 8 of the CCS season. I was able to win the GTO race and the Unlimited Superbike race, as well as podium in my other two races. Write-ups coming soon!

Monday, Sep 1, 2008

Updates posted for the 2008 CCS Championships Points Standings after round 7. I still hold 1st in all the classes except GTO. Things are beginning to tighten up in the GTO class as Andy Feuerstahler and I are tied at 205 points a piece. With only two rounds left in the season, anything can happen!

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Updates posted for the 2008 CCS Championships Points Standings. The damage control mission last weekend at Blackhawk was successful, I am still leading all 4 of my classes!

Monday, July 28, 2008

Sometimes you gotta just lean into the dips. Read the write-up from CCS 2008 season, round 06.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

This game is full of highs. And unfortunantly this game is full of lows as well. I crashed hard at Blackhawk Farms today. Thankfully, nothing is broken and I am only banged up a bit. The bike however is currently in two pieces and looks pretty bad. Not sure the extent of the damages, but it is not real pretty. The short version of the story is that I went screaming down the straight and then at the last possible second found that I had absolutely zero front brakes. The brakes worked perfect all session, but on the last lap just completely failed. We are not 100% sure at this point what happened. I have some pics and video that I will post a little later.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Championship points standings updated. Holy crap! I am leading all 4 of my classes!

Monday, July 14, 2008

Write-ups, pics and vids from CCS Round 5 at Road America are posted!

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

I had a great time at Road America last week and last weekend. The team and I were able to bring home a couple of podium finishes despite some heavy competition, but more importantly we learned a ton from competing at the national level for the first time. I was able to drop my times down into mid 2:22's by the end of the weekend as I rubbed elbows at over 188 MPH with some of the best riders in the area! I feel very blessed to be able to get out there and race with such a good group of talented riders.

Monday, June 30, 2008

June has been a super busy month! We have enjoyed flying our banner at several NESBA events and we have also been busy gearing up for the big Jul 4th CCS Road America event. All the preperations are done, now it is time to go racing!

Monday, June 9, 2008

Major props to Jim Rashid and the guys over at 4 & 6 Racing for the serious hookups this past weekend. My partner, THE Flying Burrito (of Team Rodriguez Racing) and I spent the weekend at the Suzuki Doubleheader AMA event at Road America as special guests of 4 & 6 Racing. This was my very first AMA event and what a learning experience it turned out to be. This was also the first time in a long time that I have been at the track and NOT been riding, so I was able to really focus on absorbing as much as possible. It was an truly an awesome learning experience! On top of all the sites and sounds, we actually received some professional rider coaching from renowned Superbike stud Owen Weichel who is now a Safety First Racing rider coach. We were able to help several friends qualify for the big show as we just jumped in there and grabbed a wrench as needed throughout the weekend. I got to finally meet Eric Wood of Woodcraft, and I also got to see Michael Jordan and a ton of the pro riders. It was a memorable weekend indeed, lots of fun! It was also encouraging and frustrating at the same time as I saw many of the same guys that I race with week in and week out at the CCS Expert level, out there qualifying for the big show and doing very well. I know I could do it, I am just not sure how to go about getting that opportunity yet.

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Updated the gallery with some pics from CCS round 4 at Blackhawk.

Monday, June 2, 2008

We had a great weekend at Blackhawk. The weather was beautiful, we had lots of friends and family at the track supporting the team and we had some good race results. In addition, I was able to drop my laptimes a bit and more importantly, really get comfortable at race pace this weekend. Read all about it here: 2008 CCS Round 4 at BHF.

Monday, May 26, 2008

Got my first expert win yesterday at Mid-America Motoplex! Read all about it here: 2008 CCS Round 3 at MAM.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Had a fun weekend at MAM with the NESBA Mid-Central gang. The only thing better than the beautiful weather and grippy track, was the Saturday night meal provided by Tom and Carol Larson. (Glad I race a liter bike, cause I ate like a pig!) I was also able to help Rob Oliva of Lithium Motorsports do some tire testing and I really enjoyed that as well. Fun, relaxing weekend at the track.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Updated the site with pics from CCS round 2 at Blackhawk.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Updated the points standings. I am currently 1st in GTO, 3rd in Unlimited Superbike, 2nd in Unlimited Supersport and 3rd in Unlimited GP.

Monday, May 12, 2008

School was in session at Blackhawk Farms this weekend! Learned a ton and finished on the box in every race. So very close to my first Expert win in the last race of the day as the leader and I drag raced from T7 to the finish line...Read more here...

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Updated the gallery with some awesome pics from the boys over at Gron4.

Monday, May 5, 2008

We had a great weekend at Putnam Park with NESBA. This was the first of NESBA's new Skills Enhancement Days (S.E.D.) and I was honored to be able to do some of the instructing. Overall, we had a great turnout and really enjoyed both days! Here's some pics of the event.

Monday, April 28, 2008

I finished the writeup of the CCS round 1 at Heartland Park Topeka this morning, check out this latest addition to the "Tall Tales of Adventure" series!

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Two races today, Unlimited Supersport and Unlimited GP. Finished 4th in Unlimited Supersport behind Rob Jensen, Matt Hall and Brian Hall. This is a huge victory! I also finished 4th in the last race of the weekend.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

I requested a bump from Amateur to Expert this morning and was given the go ahead to run the white plates immediately. I am now a little guppy swimming with the hungry sharks. In my first expert race, I was able to finish 3rd on the podium and unfortunately was taken out in the last corner on lap 8 of a 7 lap sprint. I came back to finish the last race of the day with a solid 4th place finish.

Friday, April 25, 2008

First race weekend of the season at Heartland Park Topeka. I won both my amateur races (GTO and Unlimited Superbike) today. I won by a very large margin and actually finished 3rd among the Expert field. I decided that, for me, it was the right thing to go ahead and request the bump to Expert.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Had a good day at LVC today. Really good turn out with lots of friends coming out in support. Big props to LVC for putting on such a cool event and I really enjoyed the chance to crank out some tunes. Big thanks to those who came out!

Friday, April 18, 2008

Well since we were not able to get much testing done at Barber back in March and then last weekend at Blackhawk was snowed out and freezing, I went ahead and added the Wednesday (April 23) Blackhawk Farms track day and the Thuds (April 24) Heartland Park track day. We are hoping for some nice weather during these dates. This will put us testing on Wednesday and driving all night from the Rockford area to Topeka on Wednesday night, testing on Thursday and then racing 7 races on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Driving back Sunday night and going to work on Monday morning! Should be fun!!

Thursday, April 17, 2008

The NESBA weekend at Blackhawk Farms last weekend (Apr 12/13) was bitterly

COLD and raining / snowing. Saturday was canceled due to the weather, so big props to NESBA for refunding everyone's money. We split the costs of an inside garage and got some work done on the bikes while trying to keep warm. We pretty much froze sleeping in the garage Friday night, so Burrito and I took a trip to Wallymart and got us some of the 0 degree sleeping bags and nice blow up beds...slept like a baby Saturday night! The snow and rain stopped for us on Sunday, the track temps never really got above the mid 30's so keeping heat in the tires was a real struggle. We got in a couple of laps in the morning on the "A Bike" before electrical gremlins bit us again. No biggie though, we just switch gears and went to work on the "B Bike". We were able to get a lot done on it. Overall, it felt real good to get in some laps, even though the race tires were a little sketchy offering only minimal grip. Thanks to my team for all their hard work in prepping the bikes for the weekend and in enduring the miserable conditions.

Saturday, March 22, 2008

From all the positive feedback we have received, I think it is safe to say that our first ever Advanced Riding Techniques Seminar was a success. Even with the weather in the low 30's and snow on the ground, we had a standing room only crowd at LVC Motorsports. A big thanks to all of you that came out! See you folks at the track in a couple weeks where we can all work on actually putting some of this stuff into practice.

Friday, March 7, 2008

I am proud to announce we have partnered with GP Tech for the 2008 race season. GP Tech has an amazing range of really cool stuff aimed at the professional roadracer as well as some pretty pimping stunter bits as well. Hard to find stuff like thumbrakes, adjustable fairing stays, subframe kits, specially designed quick change systems for endurance racing, quick turn throttles, active brake levers, superbike tail seats...and the list goes on and on! Check out their web site, very cool stuff!

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Wierd, I don't remember praying for patience?!?! As a kid, I remember my Mom telling me, "Son, don't ever pray for patience... cause God will send you lots of trials to teach you patience!" Maybe I needed to learn some patience cause this past weekend at Barber Motorsports Park was certainly full of trials!

Normally, I bring a back up "B Bike", but with it being so early in the season that was not possible this weekend. This left me spending both days trying to resolve an oil leak and some fuel injection issues on my "A Bike" while the weather was just absolutely beautiful, clear and 86 degrees. The bike was prepped OK before the trip, but sometimes these things just happen.

In addition, during the couple of laps I turned late in the day on Saturday I managed to get some sort of debris in my left eye. By Sunday morning, my eye was really inflamed and I could barely see out of it. Big thanks to Dave Frick for helping me get some piece of metal out from under my left eyelid.

And as several friends reminded me, the good news is that I did not put the bike on the ground and it wasn't a race weekend with points going out the window. Big thanks to all those who helped me this weekend - especially Bill from Nice Raxx who fixed the oil leak and missed several of his own riding sessions helping me wrench for hours on end. I am not sure how much patience I learned this weekend, but I was sure reminded of just how valuable friends are that step up when you need help. A big 'ol THANK YOU to all my friends who helped me this weekend!

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

First event of the year is approaching fast - NESBA at Barber. Like some of you, I am feeling the stress of all the prep work required to get everything prepared to start the season. I'm really looking forward to getting out of this Chicago weather for a few days and spending some time with my Mom while in Birmingham this weekend. But more than anything else, I am just excited about riding!

Major props to the fella's over at 4 & 6 Racing for race preping my "A bike". Dean at DCDecals also did an outstanding job getting all the paint and decals for the bike ready on a ridiculously tight time frame. My team members at CSBRacing have also been going to bat for me to get me everything I need and of course I got to give it up to my wife for letting me go out of town on her birthday (Saturday, March 1)!

Monday, February 11, 2008

Returned from my yearly pilgrimage to Vegas recently. This was my third visit to Freddie Spencer's High Performance Riding School. The school continues to develop as it adds new methods and ideas to continually narrow the focus into clearly communicating only the most essential core skills required to be both a fast AND safe rider.

The curriculum is no nonsense, no BS. It is the tried and true skills and techniques used by the very best riders in the world today. The Spencer curriculum is the very best available anywhere. The class room sessions and on track drills really submerge you in these skills and techniques.

But, it is the people that really make all the difference. Freddie has surrounded himself with the very best in the industry. Nick Ienatsch, Dale Kieffer and Ken Hill make a potent teaching team that can pick out a rider's weak areas instantly and give one-on-one input that will help that rider reach his or her personal potential - this is a bargain at any price. As you can tell, I am a fan. This class is the single best thing I have done for my riding. I plan to continue to utilize this class to help push me to my personal potential.

Thursday, February 7, 2008

The plan from the very beginning has been to surround ourselves with the very best people and products. Nowhere is this more evident than in our latest sponsorship partner - Vanson Leathers! Go to any track day or race weekend and you will quickly become convinced of the quality and popularity of Vanson's race suits. These are the most sought after leathers - period. The quality, fit and unparalleled safety have been a hallmark with Vanson for more than 30 years. I am very pleased to be partnered with Vanson. Ask me how I can help you get your very own set of Vansons! Thanks for coming aboard Alan.

Thursday, January 31, 2008

A couple days before I went racing at Road America in July 2007, I stopped into LVC Motorsports and spoke with them about the possibility of a partnership for the 2008 race season. They were open to the idea and when I started in earnest looking for sponsor partners back in November, LVC was my first stop. Since then we have met numerous times to work out the details of this agreement and I am very excited to partner with such a successful dealership and such a solid group of people. Thank you Chuck, Jeff and Alec!

Thursday, January 17, 2008

I have worked as a Network Engineer for Sentinel Technologies for the last 10 years. During that time, Sentinel has stood by me through some rough spots and I have also stood by them through some lean years in the technology industry. Deep relationships have been built and I am excited to be able to use this season to bring attention to Sentinel. Sentinel is a top shelf IT integrator and an excellent employer. I gladly recommend Sentinel to any company or IT professional. Thanks for the vote of confidence Brian!

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

I have used Woodcraft products for years. Besides looking completely pimp, their rearset kits really help me to be comfortable on the bike by keeping me from dragging my toes so much in the corners and also providing me with a really nice and solid perch for my foot. My Woodcraft clip-ons are also a huge upgrade to the OEM handlebars, especially when it comes to quickly replacing a handlebar after a get off. Speaking of get offs, the engine covers, frame sliders and rear spools help protect my bike during these incidents and are key components to minimizing damaging. Woodcraft also meets my needs for tire warmers with their all new Woodcraft warmers in both a fully digital version and a dual temp version. After losing several knee pucks when they just came off my leathers unexpectedly, I ordered up a set of the Klucky Pucks from Woodcraft and have since fell in love with these things. The Velcro on them is just insane and the composite plastic feels great sliding along the pavement and seems to last forever.

In addition to having great products, Woodcraft's customer service is second to none. When I needed some product to go racing at Road America last July, I called Woodcraft on short notice and they not only had what I needed in stock but they actually shipped the products to the track for me! And I haven't even mentioned their easy to use website or new EBay store for scratch and dent items. As I'm sure you can tell, I am very pleased to have partnered with Woodcraft for this 2008 season. Thanks Eric!

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

After some discussions with Ken of Nice Raxx, I was very pleased that we were able to develop a partnership for this 2008 race season. Ken not only has a great product, but he is an avid sportbiker / track day guy (like many of us). In my opinion, it is awesome when we can take care of each other! Thanks Ken!

Friday, January 4, 2008

I first met Mike Pruitt of CSBRacing Ministries several years ago when he came to a NESBA event. I went to the Chapel service that Mike did that Sunday morning and it was like we were instant friends. I called Mike several months back and asked him for some pointers on going after sponsorship for this upcoming 2008 race season.

During the conversation, we talked about a lot of stuff and I was able to really share my heart with Mike. I shared with Mike my concerns about this whole race thing being "all about me". With the amount of time and effort and expense involved, it just has to be much more than that. I explained to Mike that I believed that God has given me a little bit of talent for riding and teaching. I shared with Mike that I wanted to be careful to use the talents that God has given me in a way that does not just serve myself.

After we talked for a while, Mike asked me if I might be interested in joining the CSBRacing team. This would give me an opportunity to continue to enjoy my passion for road racing and to couple that with my passion for ministry. I was humbled, exciting and scared all at the same time! This was a big decision for both of us, so we both agreed to give it some time, prayer and some serious consideration. I later met with another CSBRacing team member from the Chicago area named Don Elfstrom. Again it felt like reuniting with an old friend. I don't pretend to have a "red phone hot line" to God (I sure wish I did), but it was becoming increasingly clear to me that this was the right thing for me to do.

I was officially offered an invitation to join the team and I humbly accepted this invitation. I am very excited about the opportunities ahead. Thanks Mike and Don!

Friday, December 28, 2007

I received word from Billy at Armour Bodies agreeing to sponsor me for the 2008 race season! I am excited about the opportunity to partner with Armour Bodies and truly appreciate Billy's vote of confidence for me and the team. Thanks Billy!

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

After my team manager Brian Blume made the original contact with Armour Bodies (thanks Brian!), I had a great conversation with Billy about the details of the sponsorship agreement. I listened as Billy passionately described the entire manufacturing process and all the little things that make Armour Bodies a superior product to many competing bodywork suppliers. Billy is a true friend of racers and track day guys and gals. For years he has worked to make a superior product at a discounted price point. In that extended conversation with Billy, his passion and commitment won me over. I specifically was impressed with the Pro-Series Bodywork. These are the perfect kit for the budget minded racer like me or the track day fanatic who is looking for bodywork that actually fits the bike at an aggressive price point.

Monday, December 10, 2007

Back in the summer of 2005, I highsided myself to the moon going into turn 6 at Blackhawk Farms, as a result I tore my right shoulder up pretty good. Dr. Tammy at Synergy Institute worked some miracles to get me back to 100% in record time. Since then, DR Tammy has been my primary resource to both facilitate injury rehab and also help "injury proof" me as much as possible. I am please to announce that Synergy Institute has come aboard as a valued sponsor for the 2008 race season! Do yourself a favor and call Dr. Tammy at 630-236-4876.

Monday, November 26, 2007

I first got on the track back in April of 2005 at a NESBA track day at Blackhawk Farms. Even though I had been riding motorcycles (street bikes and dirt bikes) for years at that point, I immediately realized that I had a lot to learn. I was like a sponge over the next several months as the NESBA CR's took me under their collective wings and showed me the ropes.

Soon after, I was greatly blessed when I was invited to join the NESBA staff as a CR. I was now not only learning but also teaching almost every weekend at tracks all around the country. NESBA has provided me with many opportunities and for that I am very grateful. Because of all the things NESBA has done for me, I am adding them to my list of sponsors for the 2008 race season. THANK YOU NESBA!

Friday, November 23, 2007

My online home for the last several years has been C.L.S.B. Tony and Ken agreed to sponsor me for the 2008 season. You guys rock, thanks! ChicagolandSportbikes.com is my third sponsor.

Monday, November 19, 2007

Met with Jim Rashid and Dan Johnson. 4&6 Racing is looking to be more involved in CCS club racing in 2008. Jim gave me a huge compliment in offering to sponsor me for the upcoming season. Thanks for the vote of confidence Jim. I am excited to have my second official sponsor in place - 4&6 Racing!

Thursday, September 6, 2007

Dean Costopoulos took excellent care of me for my only race weekend of 2007. After speaking with Dean about my plans for 2008, I now have my first official sponsor - DCDecals.net! Thanks Dean.

Monday, July 9, 2007

I am on cloud nine after my first weekend of racing (CCS Road America). After doing track days for several years I really did not expect that I would be so elated after doing my first race weekend. Read the write up - HERE!