Season Overview;

March 3, 1992

Dear Family, Friends, and Fans;

The 1992 season started poorly for Team Charm. The first event of the year (an AMA National 3-Hour Endurance Race) turned into our first crash of the year. Kenny 'Bike-slayer' Abbott high-sided the Team's FZR600 at Daytona International Speedway (DIS).

Myself, Tom Broglio, and TZ250 pilot Ernie Thiel rode down in the pleasure truck, with previously-poky Tony Braddock and virgin pit crew member Vanessa following close behind. After a Thursday of set-up and an evening of bowling we awoke to a beautiful practice day.

Meanwhile, Kenny and Steve Harris had left D.C. at 5:00pm, reached South Carolina by 9:30, and arrived at the track at 3:50am. It was this drive that set the stage for Kenny's crash. Due to a lack of cruise control, Steve was forced to hold the van's throttle wide open for most of the drive to prevent cramping. In doing so, he was sending Kenny (asleep in the van) subliminal messages of excessive throttle openings. Kenny, who is currently undergoing corrective hypnotic therapy to stop WFO syndrome, hasn't been able to drive normally since.

Everyone worked out the kinks of four months of not racing, and eliminated the mechanical gremlins that seize a scooter over the winter months. After Steve, Kenny and myself had all ridden the freshly painted FZR600, we all agreed that it was running stronger than ever and the speeds were impressive. We were over 150mph on the front straight, and pulling past many 'equal' bikes.

Saturday was beautiful, although windy, and a day for sprint racing for many of our friends. Ernie did fine on his TZ, turning 2:08 but now racing with the big boys. On his FZR400, Tony dropped his times to an impressive 2:23 and placed 2nd and 4th in his best races to date. Chris Stefanik won the only race he could afford to enter with his 400, and his victory podium speech was an inspiration to all.

Sunday at DIS was even more beautiful yet, and our morning practice went well. The bike was perfect, and there was no wind. When the flagged dropped I began the first hour, although a slow start and a handful of 2:17-2:18 laps didn't do Team Charm very well. I finally settled into 45 minutes of 2:13 laps, and handed off to Kenny for the second hour. I was stiff but pleased and probably able to go another half hour, something we may try next fall if we can build a bigger gas tank.

Kenny started off with a few 2:15s, then fell into a series of fast 2:11s and 2:12s. Unfortunately this only lasted 28 minutes, when he high-sided in Turn 4; a 115mph left hander. His worst injury is a badly sprained ankle, and lots of bruises and road rash. The bike was taken back to our pits, where it didn't take us long to realize the futility of attempting repairs at the track. Poor Steve never got to race his hour.

While the bike was damaged severely, 2drunkCrew is currently reassembling it under the guidance of crew chief Steve. The bike will be ready for the 6 hour race in Georgia March 14th, but we still need people to help crew this event. We will have to provide our own scorers in addition to the regular pit duties. These are tough times for Team Charm, and it's time the tough step forward.

Rich Sturges
Captain, Team Charm

March 23, 1992

Dear Family, Friends, and Fans,

The second event attended by Team Charm had mixed results. The good news is that we finished 8th in class at the Roebling 6 hour endurance race, and 21st overall. The Team managed not to crash despite Stephen running off on the last turn during the fourth hour. On the other hand we did have catastrophic failure of the support vehicle, resulting in a $1247 repair to the transmission.

The 4th hour grass excursion was the result of an underwear-soiling rear-end slide that had Stephen's eyes the size of half dollars. With great care he managed to bring the errant beast-cycle back under control while Team captain Rich Sturges looked on with bated breath. The true cause of this incident was our worst Team decision in recent history; we had decided that the whole race could be done with one set of tires.

The event was well crewed; special thanks go to Tom Broglio and Glenn Wangdahl, who both went the extra yard. Also in the Team Charm pit was Bike Slayer, his left ankle in a walking cast. We put him to work scoring for us in the tower. Steve and Rich did all the riding in 2 sets each.

The Team managed to complete all but two of its pit stops during red flags, saving a little time. The real battle came when the tires started to go off, making the bike a beast to control. Both riders agreed that riding a bike in that condition is little-to-no fun. More tires will be in the budget for the next event of this length that we attend, if and when we get the cramps out of our backs.

Aside from traction problems the bike was handling great due to the efforts of Tom and Crew Chief Steve during the weekend before the event. While the bike looked rough around the edges from its Daytona flight and subsequent harsh landing, the replacement front end (grafted off an FZR1000) worked quite well. There were a few carburation problems that affected the bike in the last turn, however time necessitated that the riders learn to adapt.

The only bad news of the weekend came on the trip home. Barely an hour from the track the transmission on the "sport van" gave up for ghost. The Team personal left the owner of the van, Stephen, to effect repair and continue the trip. While we are still not sure what happened during the two days that he was detained, his wife has heard him squealing like a pig in his sleep. He hasn't said much other than muttering something about Ned Beatty in "Deliverance."
The current break in the season will find us busy assembling our sprint bikes in eager anticipation of the up-coming club races. All parties interested in attending these parties should contact either Steve or Rich. The next event will be the WERA club event at Summit Point, April 11 & 12th.

See you at the races!!!

Stephen Harris Rich Sturges

April 20, 1992

Dear Family, Friends, and Fans,

Stephen was absent from the April 12th WERA races at Summit Point, supposedly out pricing houses. The weekend began early for Rich, who had finally discovered why the infamous Cowasaki had run poorly last fall; there were 4 broken valve springs!! Late nights Thursday and Friday saw the replacement of the useless motor with a stock spare, and Saturday he was assisted by crew-in-training Brad Holister. After a weekend of jetting changes and a disappointing 13th place finish, it was decided that the after-market carburetors could not be used with the stock motor.

The AMA/CCS sprint weekend of April 19th at Roebling Road had mixed results, a trait becoming characteristic of Team Charm's season. On the one hand Rich & Steve managed to bring home plaques, but the bad news is that onetime Team rider Ernie Thiel suffered a season ending crash.

For his part Steve finally got the TZR back together after a year and a half of waiting for parts from a reputable twostroke tuner who apparently lied about having lost parts in the maIl. In typical time mis-management he ended up getting the bike together at the last minute, and at the expense of "quality time" with his wife. Friday night saw the two doing the nine hour drive to Georgia. Saturday was spent setting up the EX and breaking in the TZR. Rich boldly went where no mechanic has gone before by using small lockwashers to shim the needles on the stock carburetors. Oddly the hack job worked, and Rich was doing consistent low 1:29 during his last practice. Steve on the other hand was having a difficult time getting use to the laser-like handling of his bike, and resisting the urge to wind his motor into the 12,000 rpm range.

The low point of the Saturday came when Ernie Thiel high-sided his TZ250 in turn six, landing flat on his back and sliding into the alligator berm. The impact cracked two vertebra, his right wrist, his shoulder, several ribs, and gave him a concussion that knocked him unconscious for six minutes. We are advised by his doctors that he will make a full recovery, however he will be wearing a back brace for six weeks.

Sunday's races saw Steve progressively wearing in the motor. In his first race he took sixth place by less than a foot from Dave Yaakov. The lightweight GP race was run just after a solid rain storm, and Steve managed to prove yet again his affinity for racing in the rain by running in second place behind a 1992 TZ250. Second until the last lap, that is, when Steve's concentration slipped and a freight train of three bikes went by, leaving Steve fifth behind Tony "slowpoke" Braddock.

The third race on the agenda pitted yours truly against each other for the first time in two years. While Rich was gridded five rows in front of Steve in the expert field, by the third turn of the first lap Steve managed to catch him. On lap two Steve made a late-braking pass into turn one, only to be passed back by Rich two turns later. Steve again braked past Rich on the next lap, and in the ensuing battle maintained his lead for the rest of the race. Steve took 1st in the amateur field, while Rich was third to a distance 1-2 race 20 seconds ahead.

The last race for Team Charm was Rich's entry in the lightweight supertwins event. Ducati rider Mike Meyers distanced the under-powered EX500 from the start, and Rich engaged in a race long battle with the first place amateur for a fun-filled fifteen minutes. All told our finishes of 6th, 5th, and 1st (Steve), and 3rd and 2nd (Rich) netted us some important points in the championship chase.

Rich will be at Summit Point next weekend. After the Memorial Day bash at chez Daniels, the next full-force Team Charm assault will be June 20-21st at Summit Point, bring your own beer mug!!

Rich Sturges Stephen Harris
ps- cards can be sent to Ernie at 122 Forest Hill DrElberton, GA 30635

May 8, 1992

Dear Family, Friends, and Fans,

Dear Editor;

As you know, about 8 months ago I moved from Washington, DC, bastion of forwardthinking, beautiful people, to Hartford, Connecticut, poopie hole of the great Northeast. When not toiling away at my insurance weenie job, I occupy my free hours watching cable and praying for spring. They say it's ok to remove the snow chains now, but I'll believe it when I can see the blacktop. I've also been spending a lot of time lately cleaning my 12guage and reading Ernest Hemingway. What keeps this man alive, you ask? More importantly, why the hell is he bothering me with his pathetic problems? In three words, 'your newsletter'. Yes, your newsletter brings sunshine to my days and firestarter to my evenings. It represents the brightest journalistic talent I have ever witnessed, and I have done some witnessing! From Boys World to Hustler to Boys World, I've read them all. Nothing can match your journalistic wit and technical flair. You boys make Peter Egan and Kevin Cameron look like a whining sentimentalist and lawnmower mechanic, respectively. Keep up the good work and please renew my subscription for another year. Mike 'Cold in Connecticut' Balady

This update covers only our most recent race, the AMA/CCS event at Summit Point May 3rd. We wanted to mail these now in order to give everyone sufficient lead time for the colossal June event detailed in the accompanying flyer. As a new feature of the newsletter I have included a 'Dear Editor' section; readers are invited to share their thoughts and writings here.

This race was a solitary affair for Rich; Stephen was busy attending to family affairs in Connecticut. On Saturday Debbie Burnham and Brad Holister made the 6am sacrifice to help me with practice. A leisurely practice set reveled a slick track but the Cowasaki was working fine. Throughout the morning the track improved, and Debbie and Brad were quickly mastering use of the Team dirt bike. After practice we shod the EX with new rubber and left it there until the next day.

Sunday dawned with the same glory the previous day held, and this time it was Tom Broglio who served as pit crew for the morning practice. The new, smaller rear tire scrubbed in well and proved as good as last year's model. By lunch time Dave and Jill Sturges had arrived to share in the excitement.

I had entered the first race of the day, heavyweight supertwins, more as further practice than to try to compete. After a mediocre start I spent two laps working through traffic, only to be slowed for the rest of the race by an 851cc Ducati. I tried to pass numerous times but I was out-gunned on the straights. I finished 6th and was turning 1:35 lap times.

Two hours later I was back on the starting grid, hoping for a better finish in Sportsman. A good launch put me fifth or sixth into the first turn, but a mental lapse left me far behind after turn three. Determination and excellent front brakes (finally!) had me back up to 4th at the checkered flag. The first lap mistake cost me third, but first and second place were quite a bit ahead. Times were in the 1:33 range.

My last race was even more fun, and after nearly a year of feeling slow at this track, I was finally hitting the turns right again, dragging body and bike parts half way 'round. Lap times dropped to 1:32's, although the end result was another 4th. Rebuilding the faster motor has now become paramount, as these straight-away fly-by's simple must be stopped!!

It was difficult to be disappointed with the weather as great as it was. Thanks to all who came out to help with either assistance or moral support. Both are necessary and appreciated. The Team will make a quick 'pop-and-drop' in Savanna over Memorial Day, skipping practice in order to maximize social enjoyment at the Daniel's new house in North Carolina. After that, it's the 4-day extravaganza at Summit Point. (In late-breaking news, New England riders Mark Ouimet, Ted Burnham, and 'the Goutch' will ride under the Team Charm flag in the 3-hour National Endurance race at Loudon this same weekend)
Love ya all,

May 29, 1992

Dear Devoted Readers,

New homeowners John & Holly Daniel hosted the 1st Annual (bet'cha didn't know we're coming back next year!) Memorial Day Pit Stop, and the Team took full advantage of their big 'ol house. Barney Harris and Laura Schabacker joined the Friday-to-Monday event, a relaxing weekend of work avoidance.
Saturday night Rich, Steve and Tom began the 24 hours of Roebling, a one day attempt at maximizing race results while minimizing lost social time. The decision proved very profitable, as Rich came home with a 2nd, 2nd, and 3rd; while Steve yielded a 1st and 4th. Less than six hours later we were back to drink the Daniel's beer and soil their jacuzzi.

Once at the track we decided that Saturday's missed practice opportunity was not important, as both bikes were running well. Rich went out for heavyweight supertwins in the first race of the afternoon, and held second place for just about the entire race. Unfortunately it was the very last half-second of the race in which he was third. In the race immediately following Steve also wasted away a second with a last lap slow-down. Both riders are now confident that stupidity can overcome all skill and efforts.

The long-awaited Sportsman re-match began with a string of 6 bikes snaking thru the back section. The second place rider crashed in turn 8, leaving Dave Back, an unknown RZ350, Rich and Steve to head down the front straight for the first time. This order changed about every half lap in what Steve and Rich agree was one of the most exhilarating races of their careers. Spectators noted that it was also the best race of the day. Each of us had the lead at some point, and each entry into turn one had us desperately trying to late-brake each other. Power among the bikes was equal, and going down the straight we could have shared a pepsi. (or turned off the other's key, but I would never think of that) The Amateur RZ rider had handling problems (massive understatement) and dropped back on the 6th lap, during which Rich took back the lead. But Dave got back around and then going into the last lap Steve took second from Rich. This remained the order at the finish, with all three less than a quarter-second apart. Rich thus had second in Expert, and Steve the sand-bagger took first in Amateur.

Later in the day Rich finished second in Lightweight Supertwins, turning steady 1:25 laps and far ahead of Dave Back. Meyers' ultra-fast Ducati was still uncatchable. Hope rests in the new motor, which should be completed by early June. Steve will also rebuild his motor, but to the same specs currently used.
With 3 of the 7 AMA/CCS races completed, we stand as follows in the Championship points chase:

• Sportsman Lgtwt superbike Lgtwt twins Lgtwt
  GP Hvywt twins Steve 2nd (40 points) 6th (23pts) 12th
  (11pts) Rich 2nd (45points) 2nd (47pts) 4th (25pts)

Back at the new Daniel castle we spend Sunday night lounging in the hot tub, now convinced that we need one. (racing gets more expensive every year...) Happily Pregnant Holly did a great job of hosting our difficult group; thanks and congratulations. Due to our racing addiction we missed meeting most of their new friends and neighbors, but hope for a second chance. The Cary, NC area was just gorgeous, and their home is in a quite and very nice suburb.
Thanks to Tom Broglio for driving to and wrenching at Roebling. The Summit Point party June 19th is still on; if you need more information please contact us. We should have tee-shirts made for the weekend and we will announce details when they are available. Ride safe.

Rich Sturges Steve Harris

September 2nd, 1992

TEAM CHARM BREAKS EVEN!!!

A series of mediocre, even disappointing races have left you, the devout reader, without any recent Team Charm news. All this changed last month with a most auspicious 2nd place at "The Rock". But first a little history:

June 1922nd was a four day racefest for Team Captain Rich Sturges. Friday was the $50forallthelapsyoucaneat practice sponsored by MARRC. (This is the safety club that supplies the cornerworkers at Summit Point and also the Nationals at Daytona; for more information on cornerworking, or the awesome MARRC newsletter, contact Rich) Saturday & Sunday was the 3rd AMA/CCS race and both Rich and Steve Harris competed. Our pit was huge, with over 30 Team fans coming out to eat, drink, & watch us lose.

Saturday Steve used the WUF to race the 25 lap GTO, only to pull out due to fading brakes. Saturday night the Team sponsored a 2keg happy hour thanks to Tuner Tom Broglio and John Fraas. Diner, and a wide variety of weekend meals, were prepared by master chefs John & Rachel Sturges, Dave & Jill Sturges, and many others. Sunday's racing started with Rich having a modest 7th place finish in HWST. Steve was then to provide the entertainment in LWSB, but he was blackflagged on the second lap. This was due to a brainfart on the part of the race officials, who offered apologies and a gracious partial refund of Steve's entry fee. Steve felt less than adjudicated. Sportsman found Rich and Steve both on the starting grid, but a blown head gasket brought Steve and his TZR to a steamy halt. Rich continued on to place 3rd. Lastly Rich contended in LWST. After a miserably start and finally working back up to 3rd, Rich ran wide and off the track in turn one. A fifth was salvaged from this mistake.

Rich stayed over on Monday for a new riding experience: teaching street riders the best line around Summit Point. This was very rewarding... the relatively slow riders looked up to even Rich as a demigod of racing.

July 1819th had Rich and Steve back at Summit and ready for action. Again we offered a keg to the public, this time augmented by a 4' TV screen on which we watched the latest World GP races after dark. In Sunday's first race Rich cruised around the track a bit less than confident in an aging set of tires. Steve and Rich went out for Sportsman, the only race Steve had entered due to the reliability problems with the TZR. The warmup lap proved to be even more than that, as confused race officials had us sitting on the grid for over 40 seconds. This caused both of our handbuild, highoutput motors to overheat. The fourstroke EX merely lost power for the first lap until it cooled. The twostroke TZR, however, seized in the first turn and nearly dumped Steve on his butt. Rich was unable to makeup the deficit and settled for 5th. With 2 races remaining it looks dim for either of our favorites to take a 1st overall.

This brings us back to Rockingham, NC, where Steve and Rich dug out their WERA licenses and combined a social visit to the Daniels' with a 2hour endurance race on August 1st. A light crowd and steady, fast riding by Rich and then Steve earned them 2nd in the middleweight class, third overall on the WUF. After subtracting the entry fees from our winnings, we actually had $6 left over with which to buy beer!! With renewed confidence in our profitmaking ability, Rich headed for Pocono on August 20th. Friday practice (one 15 minute set) showed the EX running well, and by Saturday's regional unlimited supertwins race he had posted times of 1:52. Gridded at the back of 50someodd bikes, he had worked up to 12th place before the front tire overheated and started to grease up. With Rich taking care of his own bike and tires that weekend, he unfortunately had no one to blame for the low air pressure that led to this situation.

On Sunday Rich entered a PRO race, the fastest level of racing in this country. Aware that the leaders were turning 1:45 laps, Rich was still hopeful for a topten finish. But soon after the green flag dropped it became apparent that the EX was the smallest and slowest bike on the track. Aggressive infield riding and midcorner passes were simply negated on the straights. To add injury to insult, the exhaust pipe broke with two laps left. Clearly a more competitive bike is necessary on the PRO level.

The final two races on the regional points chase hold little hope of Rich pocketing another championship, and even less hope for Steve. Rich is willing to settle for a full weekend without any off-road excursions and Steve would be happy to just finish a race. The ritual for the Daytona Nationals is now well practiced; drive down there with a competitive bike, ride fast, and wait for disaster to strike. Thoughts are slowly turning to next year's strategy, and new equipment is definitely in order. Anyone want to buy a nice motorcycle, custom paint, low miles, only ridden on Sundays....

UPCOMING EVENTS:Sept 1214th 5th Round of the AMA/CCS MidAtlantic Regional Races.Summit Point, WV Saturday both Steve and Rich will be assisting the MARRC Roadracing School in the instruction of new racers. Saturday night we will of course host a happy hour, and Sunday we will be racing. Monday one or both of us will stick around to once again control the track actions of the Cycle Sport street riders. This will be our last real race at Summit so get your butt out there! Call Team Charm headquarters for more information.Sept 2627th Final Round of the AMA/CCS MidAtlantic Regional Races.Road Atlanta, GA Yeah, it's pretty far away but call us if you want to go!!Oct 11th (Summit) WERA 2hour endurance; we may race if there's nothing better to do.Oct 1618th AMA/CCS National Championship Races.Daytona Beach, FL This is the winnertakeall final weekend. With over a mile of straights, good motor and an unrelenting throttle hand can be as important as fast infield riding. Wish us luck!!

Team Charm Racing
3229 Blundell Road
Falls Church, VA 22042

Oct 1, 1992

REGIONALS OVER, TEAM CHARM OUT

Stephen continued his sabbatical by skipping the last two races in the Mid-Atlantic Regional series. He did, however, join the MARRC Road Racing School on September 12th to assist teaching eager speed-junkies in proper racing procedures. I also donated that Saturday to help out, and it was an eye opener for the both of us; the school needs help and will receive input from us next year whether they want it or not.

On Sunday I ran morning practice and found that the clutch on the EX was slipping badly. We began a search for a new one as the spare was at home, but upon further inspection the springs were the only problem. An hour and $12 later we were ready for the Sportsman race. In an effort to save tires and engine, I did not run the HWST race and thus found myself slow in the first laps of Sportsman. The EX ran well but three others maintained the lead that developed while I got up to speed. The rest of the race was routine until I bumped a blueshirt while lapping him. Fortunately he did not fall. I consider it his final lesson from the RRS instructors; pick your race line and stick to it!

LWST was an hour later, and it proved to be an eventful race. As the flagged dropped I got a great start and was first into turn one. This also put me in a position to see the red flag first, indicating that the race was stopped. Alongside me on the first row, points leader Mike Myers had stalled and was hit from behind. He suffered a broken leg and was transported to DC.

With five of seven races complete, and Mike out for the last two, I approached the re-start of the race with renewed hopes for a Championship. But I had to beat Dave Back in both races. I got another good start and led the first lap. An unknown Ducati rider walked by for a solid first place, and novice rider Jesse passed me on his very fast Hawk. I tried to re-pass Jesse but bumbled that, allowing both Jesse and Dave to pass me. Having to slow once for a backmarker (my finger still hurt from the last one I hit) and a missed shift had left me about two seconds behind going into the last lap. I was still determined to catch Dave and got on the gas too hard, too early, in slow-speed turn five. When sparks started coming from the handlebar I finally admitted to myself that I could not save the slide and let go of the bike. Damage was minimal, but the loss of points left me unable to catch either Mike or Dave.

Several days later it was pointed out that Dave had not made the original start of the race and therefore was not eligible for the restart. Had I noticed this I could have protested him, not crashed, and been in a good position to take the over the championship in Atlanta.

Two weeks later Tom and I drove down to Road Atlanta, to visit Ernie & Leigh-Anne and race Georgia's excellent course despite the fact that the championship was out of the question. Saturday the track was wet but everything worked well as I spent the morning trying to learn this very technical track. Following this the four of us had a wonderful Southern time at flea markets and county fairs, and of course we visited every single bar in Elberton county (it closed at midnight). Sunday it rained all day and practice became a portent to problems yet to be understood. The severity of handling problems were lessened with the reduced wet-weather speeds, but the bumps in several turns were giving me problems. The ride became much smoother, however, when a curious spectator pointed out that two of the frame mounting bolts were missing.

Curious myself of the points standings, I noticed that I was only two points away from a Southeastern Regional Championship in LWST. This gave me a little incentive on the track; just beat Dave Fine. But first came Sportsman, and the EX would not accelerate cleanly. We suspected that it was either ingesting too much water or shorting the electronics, or both. Tom and I did what we could, and of course the scoot ran perfectly around the pits, but a championship would not be mine. Once the flag dropped for LWST it was immediately apparent that there was not sufficient spark, and I pulled out after two laps. Dejected, we drove back to DC.

Mike is doing fine; his leg will be out of the cast in November. With any luck we'll get good weather, fun times, and two bikes that can last 7 laps at Daytona on October 17th. A top-three finish for either Steve or myself would be icing on the cake.

October 23, 1992

Dear Friends,

Stephen once again spent hours practicing for the high-banks of Daytona Speedway, done by holding the throttle full-on-open on 95 south. Combined with our travel philosophy of don't stop 'til your back teeth are floating, this got us down to Florida in well under 12 hours. A day of registration and relaxation followed, and Friday morning we were gearing up for practice on one of our favorite tracks.

Contrary to past Daytona experiences, Rich's EX500+ ran well, reaching nearly 150mph with a little tail wind. This extreme speed (for such a puny little bike, anyway) came at a cost, however; the motor would predictably overheat after five laps. The problem was identified, but solutions were elusive. A minor oil leak also cropped up but was quickly fixed. Steve's now-infamous TZR also ran strong, and in the absence of major problems Steve was able to get the most out of our two practice sets.

The Sportsman race was the first of the weekend, which had Rich competing in the Expert ranks while Steve was gridded with the Amateurs. At precisely 2:05 the green flag dropped, and three seconds later Rich actually realized that the race had started. Being last into turn one was incentive for a fast first lap, and going into the second lap fourth place was easily achieved. Arch nemesis Dave Back was up ahead, slightly behind the two leaders. The gap was closing and Rich looked certain to pass Dave by the end of the next lap when Dave made things easy by crashing out in turn three. The lead was in sight, and getting slowly closer, when (you guessed it) the motor began its water weight-loss program. Two laps to go; Rich slowed as much as he dare, keeping a lookout for those wishing to reclaim the final podium position. The motor survived, although seeing through the steam and water was difficult. Post race tear-down revealed less than two cups of water left in the cooling system.

For his part, Steve planned to jam everyone in turn one after the flag dropped. Having been at Daytona before he know that turn one is an increasing radius turn, and the amateurs (who for the most part had never raced Daytona before) would slow down needlessly. A mediocre start put him fourth coming into one, but in a perfect position to dive under the others as they slowed down. Unfortunately a few of the "experts" had crashed in this first turn. Steve backed off knowing that crashing into one of the downed riders would be ugly. Besides it was easier being a wimp and rely on the draft of the banking to pass those ahead. Guess what... four bikes immediately went underneath Steve, putting him ninth coming out of turn one. In the next seven laps he was able to work back up to fourth, but victory would elude him on this important day. That moment of hesitation cost him a chance at the win.

Friday night saw little restraint as we cruised the more affordable watering holes in Daytona; Steve was finished racing and Rich was happy enough with his Sportsman finish. Saturday morning both riders went out for the one practice session, and the EX cooling problem had not corrected itself overnight. Rich raced Lightweight Supertwins anyway, and while the bike made it through the race (except for 5th gear) it was slow compared to the Hawks and Ducatis and he finished out of the top ten.

The 1992 season was a success in many ways. Rich earned 3rd and 3rd in the Mid-Atlantic Region for Sportsman and Lightweight Supertwins, and also earned the #10 plate for next year. Stephen's several DNF's kept him down to 4th in the Sportsman regional tally. We certainly had plenty of fun this year. Thanks to the many people who came out all year to cheer, cook, eat, and drink our beer.
Most importantly, both racers (and other Team members, for that matter) are still physically healthy and in one piece. Less can be said for our mental situation, although we expect a full recover by spring.

Looking ahead to 1993 one thing is clear; these old bikes are getting difficult to maintain. Next year may see some new hardware. Financially, Team Charm has named its pain... and it is the AMA-CCS. While we have not fully developed our racing strategy for the year, three things are clear:

• 1) We will quit drinking before running another of the AMA's endurance races.
• 2) The FZR600 will remain in our stable and will be raced at select WERA endurance events.
• 3) The TZR250 has been sold, and at a sizable profit for Stephen. Sponsors?! We don't need no stinkin' sponsors!!

The most likely scenario will have the two of us racing WERA much more than previously. If Rich's EX can be sold with the success of our recent deals, he may have enough to buy a new sprint bike. And of course, mo'better parties will be hosted in 1993. Hope to see you at some of them!!