- Nov 24, 2000
- 4,787
- 103
this was posted by teggers over at motodrive.com
...so I'm at Bithlo (MX World) last Wednesday like I already posted and Bubba (James) is there being way cool! My kid "goodkidbattlebotracervon" is getting pictures and posters and stuff from Bubba and Scott Taylor is there and Von says to Scott Taylor (Rider rep for FOX) (...sorry Bubba) "my favorite rider is Ricky Carmichael".
So... Scott says "come over to my truck, I have something for you" (can the BS guys). He pulls out a REAL authentic RC jersey and hands it over to Von. This is a jersy that was made for SX win #6 (I think). Each week has a different amount of "Fox Bones - ie:wins" on it so you know when the jersey was worn or was supposed to be worn. Well, obviously, Von is stoked. He want's to thank Ricky. (in addition to Scott) ..... so
Scott says, (roughly translated) "Why don't I have Ricky call you and you can thank him in person." Von is blown away and he doesn't go to bed that night til 3 AM. We figure that the best time is after Southwick practice....but Von is racing that night at Bithlo. We (secretly) set up a call to Von after his practice and during the riders meeting so the rest of the racetrack can listen in on the phonecall.
I talk to Scott several times in the next few days and Ricky is into it.
My kid (in the meantime) has found the Ricky Carmichael toys in Wal-Mart (as well as Bubba) and pulls strings to purchase them. (He has 2 "freebies" from being good in school the last two weeks of the year.) He uses them and now owns 2 RC's and 1 Bubba. (He already had an RC)
Soooo... we set this up to have the phone call arive at about the time that the riders meeting is going on for the Saturday night "nitecross" series. Scott checks ahead and Ricky "OK's" a short interview after Von talks to him. After some quick calls and disconnections, Ricky calls my cel and all is on!
I hand the phone over to Von (7 years old) and really let them talk. I didn't listen or supervise. Ask Ricky sometime what they talked about... but Von definitely wanted to tell him a new joke and let him know that he was dropped into a salad (his RC toy). I don't know if he was able to do it or not. It really is a funny story. I asked him what he said and he just says " I don't remember!" At about 3 or 4 minutes into the call, I motion Von to walk towards the riders meeting. It takes us a few minutes to get to the announcers tower. The whole time, all the racers, fathers, mothers, and track personel are watching Von talking with Ricky.
Now keep in mind that Jeff Layman, the track announcer has been telling people for the last hour that we will be talking to Ricky around 7. He is up doing the riders meeting and announcing that Ricky is on the phone.
...so Von walks up the ladder to the top of the tower (very steep) - the whole time not breaking conversation with Ricky (and EVERYONE watching) holding the phone with one hand while I walk behind him up the stairs so he doesn't fall - (wearing his RC jersey) - and finally, he gives the phone to Jeff for Ricky's short interview. I put the phone on speaker and Jeff asks some great questions and Ricky is superb with the answers. Jeff gets done, Ricky says by to Von and an amazing day for a 7 year old.
Now aside from all this...
I do production for concerts, live remotes, video tapings and many other forms of entertainment, and I have NEVER had one go off this perfect! The phone worked flawlessly, Ricky called when he was supposed to, the contact - Scott Taylor - stayed in touch the whole way....Jeff Layman was the perfect announcer (if we had him at the Nationals each week - we'd be happy) and Von - 7 years old - got to talk to his racing idol!
Ricky was awesome - as far as his message - which I TOTALLY agree with; Only race if it is fun. Of course he talked about other things - Like racing the 450 toward the end of the season, and feeling TOTALLY comfortable with Southwick.
He says he is still having fun and that is awesome. Alot of us here in Florida watched Ricky grow up racing at the tracks that we still race at week in and week out and it's cool that we have a "link" to him from these tracks. It gives us a little hope that greatness can come from our weekly races and tracks!!!
I am indebted to Ricky for making a 7 year old joyously happy.
I think there will be more to this story...not what you are thinking though....
I'll post when it happens...
...so I'm at Bithlo (MX World) last Wednesday like I already posted and Bubba (James) is there being way cool! My kid "goodkidbattlebotracervon" is getting pictures and posters and stuff from Bubba and Scott Taylor is there and Von says to Scott Taylor (Rider rep for FOX) (...sorry Bubba) "my favorite rider is Ricky Carmichael".
So... Scott says "come over to my truck, I have something for you" (can the BS guys). He pulls out a REAL authentic RC jersey and hands it over to Von. This is a jersy that was made for SX win #6 (I think). Each week has a different amount of "Fox Bones - ie:wins" on it so you know when the jersey was worn or was supposed to be worn. Well, obviously, Von is stoked. He want's to thank Ricky. (in addition to Scott) ..... so
Scott says, (roughly translated) "Why don't I have Ricky call you and you can thank him in person." Von is blown away and he doesn't go to bed that night til 3 AM. We figure that the best time is after Southwick practice....but Von is racing that night at Bithlo. We (secretly) set up a call to Von after his practice and during the riders meeting so the rest of the racetrack can listen in on the phonecall.
I talk to Scott several times in the next few days and Ricky is into it.
My kid (in the meantime) has found the Ricky Carmichael toys in Wal-Mart (as well as Bubba) and pulls strings to purchase them. (He has 2 "freebies" from being good in school the last two weeks of the year.) He uses them and now owns 2 RC's and 1 Bubba. (He already had an RC)
Soooo... we set this up to have the phone call arive at about the time that the riders meeting is going on for the Saturday night "nitecross" series. Scott checks ahead and Ricky "OK's" a short interview after Von talks to him. After some quick calls and disconnections, Ricky calls my cel and all is on!
I hand the phone over to Von (7 years old) and really let them talk. I didn't listen or supervise. Ask Ricky sometime what they talked about... but Von definitely wanted to tell him a new joke and let him know that he was dropped into a salad (his RC toy). I don't know if he was able to do it or not. It really is a funny story. I asked him what he said and he just says " I don't remember!" At about 3 or 4 minutes into the call, I motion Von to walk towards the riders meeting. It takes us a few minutes to get to the announcers tower. The whole time, all the racers, fathers, mothers, and track personel are watching Von talking with Ricky.
Now keep in mind that Jeff Layman, the track announcer has been telling people for the last hour that we will be talking to Ricky around 7. He is up doing the riders meeting and announcing that Ricky is on the phone.
...so Von walks up the ladder to the top of the tower (very steep) - the whole time not breaking conversation with Ricky (and EVERYONE watching) holding the phone with one hand while I walk behind him up the stairs so he doesn't fall - (wearing his RC jersey) - and finally, he gives the phone to Jeff for Ricky's short interview. I put the phone on speaker and Jeff asks some great questions and Ricky is superb with the answers. Jeff gets done, Ricky says by to Von and an amazing day for a 7 year old.
Now aside from all this...
I do production for concerts, live remotes, video tapings and many other forms of entertainment, and I have NEVER had one go off this perfect! The phone worked flawlessly, Ricky called when he was supposed to, the contact - Scott Taylor - stayed in touch the whole way....Jeff Layman was the perfect announcer (if we had him at the Nationals each week - we'd be happy) and Von - 7 years old - got to talk to his racing idol!
Ricky was awesome - as far as his message - which I TOTALLY agree with; Only race if it is fun. Of course he talked about other things - Like racing the 450 toward the end of the season, and feeling TOTALLY comfortable with Southwick.
He says he is still having fun and that is awesome. Alot of us here in Florida watched Ricky grow up racing at the tracks that we still race at week in and week out and it's cool that we have a "link" to him from these tracks. It gives us a little hope that greatness can come from our weekly races and tracks!!!
I am indebted to Ricky for making a 7 year old joyously happy.
I think there will be more to this story...not what you are thinking though....
I'll post when it happens...
