Ray's Cycle drag team working their way to the top
Aug 5, 2008
“Those guys are nuts.” “I can’t believe how fast they go.” “I could never do that.”
These are just three statements that could be overheard by the average fan at the Wisconsin International Raceway drag races this season.
The Forest County Potawatomi Racing team of Ray’s Cycle sees it a little differently.
“This is by far the most extreme thing I ever did in my life,” said newest team member James Koga. “Lining up at the line is the best experience you could ever have and when you leave it’s just a feeling of freedom.”
Call me crazy, but covering a quarter mile in less than 10 seconds is not exactly my idea of freedom.
“The most challenging part is to realize that it’s your own race and you need to slow yourself down, not to feel so shaky,” said team member Steve Dennis. “Just take a deep breath and slow it down.”
Apparently that is some special air Dennis is breathing to make him feel like going 137 miles per hour, which happens to be Dennis’ personal record, is slow.
Whatever it is that gives these three gentlemen the confidence to do what they do, it’s working. Out of roughly 50 bikes at WIR this season, both Koga and team owner Ray Samson are in the top 12, while Dennis is currently in the top 5 overall.
That’s quite impressive considering not too long ago, none of them had any racing experience.
“I got started about 7 years ago,” says Samson. “I got started through some friends down here and just kind of got hooked. My wife and I own Ray’s Cycle in Medina, and we own the bikes.”
Koga started out racing dirt track stock cars and just this year started out rocketing down the straight-aways for his new team. He had been friends with Ray for a while and got the opportunity to jump on one of his bikes and is grabbing the bull by the horns so to speak.
Dennis’s story is a bit different.
“I was asked by Ray and Chris Samson,” said the Neenah native. “I thought about it pretty much over the weekend. I came back to them and said ‘Is that spot still available?’ I was thinking to myself ‘I’ve got to do it. What an opportunity.’”
That kind of enthusiasm is still evident in all three of the drivers. Dennis was in the finals at Sturgis in 2006 for the Super Eliminator Class. Samson finished 7th out of 50 at WIR last season. Three weeks ago Samson & Dennis finished first and second at WIR. Judging by those kind of results, they’re not letting up anytime soon.
