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Me and Donn spent many of the formative years of our youth in the Four Aces.  I joined the club around 1969.  I was sponsored into the club by Harold King as I was friends with his daughter Judy.  For some years before I was old enough to drive Harold, and several other club members, accepted the challenge of giving me rides to and from the desert.  During that time I rode a number of different displacement Bultacos, and finally a Hodaka Super Rat.  Almost my entire focus throughout high school was to get school work done so I could concentrate on getting to the desert.  I pulled my last District 37 number in 1974.  I started college in 1973 and was just too short of time and funds to continue racing.  But by that time riding in the desert became my passion, which continues today (which is why I bumped into Susie).

Many years ago my wife found my whining and sniveling about not having a motorcycle insufferable.  Through an old friend she bought me Eric Hallgath's old Husky 250 for Christmas.  The spark had never died and I have been enjoying myself trail riding in the desert ever since.  I tried racing again at a Moose Run in the early '90's (on that 250 Husky) and scared the s--t out of myself.  For now I am content camping, riding, and pretending I could still race if I wanted.  Despite the fact that I am now old, fat, and slow I still can't think of a better way to blow out the cob webs of the everyday grind.  Having a surrogate family like the Four Aces was a great way to grow up.  I was able to learn discipline, organization, self-reliance, self-confidence, and people skills.  I still use all of those skills today in my everyday life.  To all those "adults" that helped me grow into the man I am today; Harold King, Jim Main, Harry Reed, Al Newhall, Freddy Ellsworth, The Jenkins Family, Bob Hayes, Terry Ray, Al Ferdman, Jerry Kensvogal, and a score of others who's names are not popping into my mind at the moment; THANK YOU.