RACER GETS RUSH FROM HOBBY

Mike Byrd sits on one of his street bikes outside his home in Jackson.

Mike Byrd comes around a curve at Putnam Park. He is the lead bike.

Mike Byrd comes out of a curve at a race at Putnam Park. Byrd races in the slowest class, but still reaches speeds of up to 130 mph.

Mike Byrd is a senior studying mechanical engineering at the University of Missouri-Rolla, in his spare time he can be found racing around a track at 130 mph on his 1988 Yamaha FZR 400.

He races in the Western Eastern Roadracers Association (WERA) in the light weight endurance and the light weight superbike classes.

He's been racing off and on since 1993. He was injured in a race in 1995. He suffered a shoulder injury at Putnam Park in Mount Meridian, Ind. He had to sit out all of 1995, but he has raced in three races this year and he plans to attend the WERA Regional Sportsman Series in Memphis, Tenn., Aug. 3-4.

Byrd is a novice racer, but he has to race against expert racers because they are not split up in the races. His highest finish at Putnam Park is a ninth place out of 17 overall in a 20-lap endurance race. He was third among novice racers in that race. Byrd also finished in third overall at two races in St. Louis.

"I've had a street bike ever since I was a junior in high school. I was fascinated by them," Byrd said.

Byrd now owns two street bikes and one racing bike.

"It is an expensive hobby," he added. The gear is a costly expense, as well.

"But it's worth it," he added.

Byrd emphasized that safety is important to him and to other racers.

"It's a lot safer to do it there, than to do it out on the street," Byrd said.

Byrd races in the slowest class, but reaches speeds of 125-130 mph at the end of the straightaway and goes around the curves at a 60-80 mph clip.

There is a lot of prepping that goes on before the race. Byrd races with Ted Tsikhlakis, of Jackson, and Chuck Scweain, of Cape Girardeau. Up until recently Perry Guard, of Cape Girardeau, raced with Byrd. The racers help each other get prepared for the races.

None of the others race in Byrd's class.

Byrd also said he gets support from Express Cycle Kawasaki and World of Honda/Yamaha in Cape Girardeau.

Byrd doesn't get many chances to practice for the races he goes to. He said that you can pay a fee and practice one day ahead of time for a race or there is an opportunity to practice the day of the race.

Byrd isn't sure if he will continue to race after college. He said it depends on where he gets a job and if he can find some people to go to the races with.