Welcome to Atlanta!

Our recent trip to Atlanta was nothing short of a fun-filled, busy weekend. With TST Industries sponsored rider Joshua Day crashing out before his races, we were able to see just how well our crash protection held up first hand in a nasty high-side. You can read more on that accident and others right here! This weekend also gave us time to connect with some fans, make some new friends, and get some one-on-one time with Josh for an interview which is posted at the bottom of this article.

Saturday was a huge learning day for the TST Team. Learning the track layout, finding good camera view-points, and working alongside the Westby Racing Team was quite the task. Below is a small look into the world of motorcycle racing – crashes and all. This is a sport that holds no bars and has no remorse for rider or bike in the event of a crash. Luckily with advanced rider protection, proper conditioning, and crash protection, most riders can walk away from a crash virtually unscathed. We were also able to watch a KTM RC Cup Race as well as many different practice sessions and qualifying races. A day truly devoted to the track.

Sunday came around and was a complete opposite of Saturday. With races happening all day and the Westby Team being out of the competition, we were able to devote our time to meeting fans and getting to know the team on a personal level. We also had the pleasure of running into some familiar faces like Anna, also known as RedSpade, from RedSpade Racing and watch the minimoto demonstration featuring the future generation of racers like Alexis Olivera, also known as Superlex26. Check out even more pictures below!

Here is out full interview with Josh Day and the video we made covering this exciting weekend.

Q: Josh what were you your expectations for this weekend?
Josh: We tried to come out and be as fast and consistent as possible. The goal was to carry over some of the momentum that we left at COTA. I know we had a rough second race last week but we had a great first race and overall made a lot of progress and had a very positive weekend.

Q: You were placed 6th overall and 2nd in your class this weekend and unfortunately you had quite the crash. How was the crash, what was going through your mind and how were you feeling after?
Josh: Yeah, it was my first timed lap for the session and we were feeling great up until that point. We had made some good, big changes with the bike and unfortunately had a crash coming out of turn 12. The rear started to go and I was trying my best to save it and then the front started to chatter and hop some because the front lost so much speed compared to the rear. It just carried around and ended flicking me off into the air. Lucky enough I was able to walk away with a small thumb injury and we will move on from here.

Q: How did the bike hold up, was there any mechanical damage? It looked pretty ugly on film.
Josh: As far as I heard it was great. I wasn’t able to see the bike after because we went to the medical center and off to the hospital. The TST sliders held up the best and kept the rest of the frame and engine safe. It didn’t give the team too much work to do to get it back ready for us.

Q: What are your plans for preparing for New Jersey?
Josh: We meet with the doctors tomorrow morning (April 18th, 2016) and schedule surgery for Tuesday (April 19th, 2016) morning. Then we head back home on Wednesday and do our best to be 100% for New Jersey and hopefully we can put it (the bike) back on the box there.

Q: Well it’s nice to see you still out here interacting with the fans. I see the crash didn’t take that away from you and you’re still out here signing autographs and taking pictures, are you still okay with that?
Josh: Yeah luckily I’m right handed and I injured my left hand so that didn’t hold us back any. The fans are what keep us all going, make this possible, and keep the sponsors coming.

Everything taken into consideration we had a great time in Atlanta working side-by-side with the Westby Racing Team. We are excited for this season to continue, for Josh to heal up, to attend more races, and most importantly to meet more awesome fans! Be sure to check out the MotoAmerica Race Schedule and try to attend a race near you!

About Mark Lourido

Customer Success Specialist. You can find me at the twisties, at the track, or just cruising around town!