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STT Southern Division Director
Name: Lois Sheldon
Profession: STT Southern Division Director
Hometown: Cleveland,TN
Current Bike: The only thing you will see me ride is my Yamaha Grizzly, However it is equiped with a laptimer! (been married to Mark too long!)
Recent Highlites: Moved from the "rat race" of Atlanta, to the peacefull mountains of Southeast Tennessee.
Hobbies: Used to have them, now I spend all my spare time picking Mark up out of the "bowl" at Little Tally.
Best advice for trackdays: Sign up early so you can ride in the class you truly want to be in.
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STT Southern Division Director
Name: Mark Sheldon
Profession: STT Southern Division Director
Hometown: Cleveland, TN
Current bikes: Triumph 675, Kawasaki 636, Honda CRF250R
Recent highlights: The arrival of our two dachsund puppies "Gus" and "Abby"
Hobbies: Motorcycles, Fun cars, Reading, Quiet time.
Best advice I would give someone for track days: Relax and try to ride as smooth as possible.
Stupidest thing I've done on a motorcycle: Line up at the starting line of a moto-cross race, dump the clutch and loop the bike over backwards. How embarrasing! |
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STT Southern Division Lead Instructor
Name: Larry Haber
Hometown: Charlotte North Carolina
Profession: Manufactures Representative
Current Bikes: 2004 Ducati 999, 2002 Ducati Monster 750, 1982 Honda XR80
Hobbies: Track days, working out, cooking, and playing with the “herd” of pets at home
Advice: Keep calm and ride within your own limits
Recent Highlights: Changing careers and being named “lead instructor”
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STT Southern Division Lead Instructor
Bill Birchfield
Profession: Manufacturers Representative
Hometown: Charlotte, NC
Current Bikes: Track bikes - 2006 NCR Millona R & 2004 Suzuki DRZ400SM.
Street bikes - 2004 BMW R1200GS, 1996 Bimota db3
& 1979 Moto Guzzi Lemans I
When you are not at the track, where is your favorite place to ride: North Carolina Mountains
Hobbies: Riding Motorcycles. I only have time for one hobby.
Best advice for someone doing track days: Don't try to go fast, speed will come naturally as you become comfortable and improve your (techniques) skills sets. Work on one skill set at a time. Late braking or "charging" should be the last skill set that you work on.
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STT Southern Division Lead Instructor
Name: Michael Wheeler
Profession: Ops Manager for IT Company
Hometown: Memphis, TN
Current Bikes: Honda CBR1000RR
When you are not at the track, where is your favorite place to ride: Roads are for trailering my bike to the track.
Hobbies: Guitars, Parrots, Rollerblading & working on sportbikes
Best advice for someone doing track days: Make the turn!
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STT Southern Division Lead Instructor
Name: Felix Kay
Day job: Flight instructor, Lockheed Martin, Naval Air Station, Meridian. I'm also retired from the Navy - brown shoe.
Home: Meridian, Mississippi.
Bikes: have several. Usually ride a 10 year old Gixxer 600 at the track. This provides a good built-in excuse as to why I'm not very fast anymore. That, and I may be a little on the seasoned side.
Hobbies: anything motorcycle. We also like cars, aviation, and traveling.
Advice on track days: Take your TIME. Learn fundamentals first. Practice techniques. You can always add speed to a good foundation. Modern bikes make it ridiculously easy to go fast. Don't be tempted to skip ahead by hammering straights and charging corners. Anyone can do that. Crashing sucks, especially early in the weekend. Ask lots of questions. We all really enjoy what we're doing and like to help you do your best. Have a good time!
CAUTION: repeated track days can cause lost interest in street riding .
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STT Southern Division Recovery Vehicle Driver
Name: George Niedoba
Profession: Shop owner
Hometown: McMinnville, TN
Bikes: 2003 Yamaha R6, 2005 Honda CBR 600RR, 2005 KTM 450SMR
Hobbies: Working on cool bikes and cars
Best advice: Go out there and have fun. Remember, there is no such thing as crash truck ride of shame!
Stupid thing: Mistaken road for race track.
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STT Southern Division Instructor
Name: Jim Calandro
Profession: Retired Salesman, founder of USDESMO.COM
Hometown: Waxhaw, NC is where I live, grew up in Eastchester, NY
Current Bikes: 1979 Ducati 900 SS, 1987 Ducati F1B, 1998 Ducati 916, 1999 Ducati ST2, 2005 Ducati 999
When you are not at the track, where is your favorite place to ride: Blue Ridge Mountains
Hobbies: Competitive swimming in the senior games and the masters program, Restoration of older Italian motorcycles
Best advice for someone doing track days: Relax and have fun, take small steps and work on one skill at a time. You really need to learn what to do and what not to do and then move on to the next skill set.
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STT Southern Division Instructor
Name: Mark Johnson
Profession: Retired Coast Guard officer.
Hometown: Merritt Island, Florida
Current Bikes: 1999 BMW F 650, 1983 BMW R80 ST and 1992 Ducati 900SS/NCR Replica
Favorite Place To Ride: North Georgia/North Carolina/Tennessee tri-state area to explore paved roads and dual sport offroad opportunities on the numerous Forest Service and other unpaved roads and trails.
Hobbies: Motorcycle travel, camping, dual sport riding, track days, fabricating one-off tools and gadgets for making bike maintenance easier.
Best Advice For Track Day Riders: Relax. Work on smoothness and technique. Ride within your comfort zone. If you scare yourself, go back to the previous point. Speed and confidence will come as you get smoother. Don't rush it.
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STT Southern Division Instructor
Name: Mike Smith
Profession: Electrical Engineering
Hometown: Atlanta, GA and currently reside in Cocoa, FL
Current Bikes: ’01 Aprilia RSV Mille (dedicated track), ’01 Aprilia RSV Mille (solo street riding), ’83 Honda CB650SC Nighthawk (commuter & two-up riding)
When you are not at the track, where is your favorite place to ride: Back roads across the Mormon Ranch in Central Florida, North Georgia Mountains, The Gap & Cherohala in Tennessee/North Carolina, or just cruising around with friends!!!
Hobbies: Motorcycles, tinkering with my Mustangs (’65,’89,’02), water sports (surfing, wakeboarding), and competitive shooting in IPSC & IDPA
Best advice for someone doing track days: Remember it is a track day and not a race, there is no podium, no trophy, and the checkered flag only means end of the session!! We are here to learn and get better at our craft….and most importantly, to have fun!!! Don’t be afraid to ask questions, the only stupid question is the one you don’t ask. Your instructors are here for you, so don’t be shy, we will gladly help you in anyway we can to ensure you have the most fun on two wheels you’ve ever had! Work on keeping relaxed, focus on what’s in front of you, slowly apply the skill sets you learn and gradually sneak-up on getting faster. By the end of your day, you’ll be going faster than you imagined you could. Ride safe and we’ll see you at the track!!!
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STT Southern Division Instructor
Name: Tyler Beard
Hometown: Charlotte, NC
Profession: Customer Relations
Current Bike: 2006 R6
When I'm not at the track...: I'm not riding.
Recent Highlights: Getting married
Hobbies: other than bikes...cars and driving my wife crazy. ;)
Best Advice: Remember this, at the end of the TRACK DAY, there are no trophies, no women, no money, no prizes.......Just you and your bike. Take both home in one piece.
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STT Southern Division Instructor
Name: Kirsten Adams
Profession: Intelligence Analyst
Hometown: South Florida
Current Bikes: ’06 Suzuki GSXR 600
When you are not at the track, where is your favorite place to ride: The
mountains (obviously, not in Florida!).
Hobbies: Anything motorsport, and being owned by my two “alien” kitties.
Best advice for someone doing track days: Use your time on the track to hone your skills and have lots of fun!
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STT Southern Division Instructor
Name: Matt Dean
Profession: Police Officer/Lake Unit/ Police Motor Instructor, Cullman P.D.
Hometown: Cullman, AL
Current track bikes: 06 GSXR 600, Paughco Rigid, 05 Police Road King
When not at the track favorite place to ride: I just like to take a leisurely ride with friends, location is not important
Hobbies: Spending time with my wife and daughter.
All types of outdoor activities, and Teaching Police Motor Operations
Best advice for someone doing track days: Relax, Breathe, HAVE FUN!
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STT Southern Division Instructor
Name: Marc Perrone
Profession: Telecommunications Technical Sales Specialist
Hometown: Cumming GA
Current Bikes: 2006 GSX-R 600
When you are not at the track, where is your favorite place to ride: In the dirt... No more street for me.....
Hobbies: Spending time with my wife and 2 daughters, Barefoot Waterskiing and having a good time
Best advice for someone doing track days: Ride at your own pace... Ask to follow someone around to learn the lines of the track your on..stay Hydrated
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STT Southern Division Instructor
Name: Rick Claypole
Profession: Harley-Davidson/Buell Special Test Rider
Hometown: Excelsior Springs, MO
Hobbies: Sleeping in my hammock
Best advice for someone doing trackdays: If at any point while circulating the racetrack you feel yourself tense up. You are no longer learning, you are surviving. Slow down a 10th or two & work on that area. Understand why & ask questions. |
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STT Southern Division Instructor
Name: Tony Weadon
Profession: Electrical Engineer
Hometown: Homestead, FL
Current Bikes: ’03 HD Heritage Softtail,96 Erion CBR900RR, 99 SV650, Thumpstar pitbike
Hobbies: Track days, Motorcycles, Bicycling, Flying and Photography
Best advice for someone doing track days: If you find yourself entering a corner to fast, let off of the brakes and turn the bike. Ride smooth ,within you limits, ask as many questions as possible and above all have fun.
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STT Southern Division Instructor
Name: Mike Monahan
Profession: Comercial land ,sales and marketing
Hometown: locust grove ga
Bikes: Ducati 999s, YZF R6 , Ducati 1098
Hobbies: ,anything with a motor,
Advice: Relax ,you have the whole day ,so don't rush it or you will get bit by the snake
Stupidest thing: Gettin bit by the snake in turn one at a buck thirty
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STT Southern Division Recovery Vehicle Driver/Instructor
Name: Rodney Wilkes
Profession: Manufactures Representative
Hometown: Johnson City, TN now Alexandria, AL
Bikes: 05 GSXR750, 05 DRZ400SM, 05 CRF70 Mini Motard
Hobbies: Riding & Getting ready to ride
Best Trackday Advice: When working the crash truck, don’t need a ride on it.
Stupidest Thing: I crashed in a motocross race in Gatlinburg, TN and when I was
exiting the track I ran right into the rubber band starting line and it threw me right
off the back off the bike in front of everyone.
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STT Southern Division Recovery Vehicle Driver
Name: John Ellenburg
Profession: System Tech. For Charter Communications
Hometown: McMinnville Tn.
Bikes: 2005 Honda CBR 600 RR 2005 , 2005 Suzuki DRZ 400 Sm, 2005 Honda
CRF 70 Mini Tard
Hobbies: Riding, boating, riding, shooting, riding, anything outside really!
Best advice for someone doing trackdays: Take it easy, I can't keep up with
Noah, Jacob, or Mark EITHER!! LOL
When your not at the track where is your favorite place to ride? We have a cool
little track for the Mini tards.
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STT Southern Division Instructor
Name: Kenny Watts
Profession: Route Sales (Frito Lay)
Hometown: Hanceville, Al
Current Bikes: 2005 GSXR 600, 2007 KLX110 Motard
Hobbies: Enjoy riding my 05, hunting, relaxing, having my wife drive
everywhere.
Best advice I would give someone for track days: Relax, enjoy and ask
questions if your not sure!
Stupidest thing I have done on a motorcycle: Rode with John and George in
novice class (oops bad choice)
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STT Southern Division Instructor
Name: Dan (Benny to his close friends) Montgomery
Profession: Parts and Service Director at Shoals Outdoor Sports
Hometown: Florence, AL
Current bikes: 2006 Yamaha R1 and 2007 KTM 250SXF
Hobbies: Motorcycles, Flying, Water Skiing and other sports that can have painful sudden stops.
Best advice I would give someone for track days: When learning a track, ride around in a gear taller than normal to help with your lines and corner speed.
Stupidest thing I've ever done on a motorcycle: All I can say is that Barber has cameras on the whole track and Lois can get really mad when provoked.
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STT Southern Division Instructor
Name: Steve Fox
Profession: Owner Fox Automotive, Inc.
Hometown: Weston, Florida
Bikes: Ducati 900ss and Ducati 996rs for racing, BMW R1150RT, Honda VTX
1300 and BMW R1200S for the street stuff
Hobbie: Riding as much as possible, hockey, skeet shooting and other expensive crazy stuff
Best advuce for track days: Calm down and have fun! The racing scouts are
not, I repeat, not in the stands looking for you!! If you need help don't be
afraid to ask, you can find me anywhere, I'm the one with the big motorhome!
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STT Southern Division Instructor
Name: Shaun Fassina
Profession: Legal Admin
Hometown: Trussville,AL
Current Bikes: 2003 R6, 2006 Thumpstar
Favorite place to ride: The Race Track is the one and only!
Hobbies: Spending time with the wifey, Racing with WERA, Wake Boarding, Dirt Bikes, Pit Bike Racing, and Flying. Pretty much anything fast and dangerous!
Best Advice for Trackday riders: Save all your lunch money for tires! Stay focused! Try to stay calm and relaxed, and ride your own pace. Do not get sucked in by a faster rider causing you to ride above your ability.
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STT Southern Division Instructor
Name: Michael Blevins
Profession: Sales manager boulevard suzuki
Hometown: Gadsden, AL
Bikes: 06 gsxr 1000
Hobbies: riding, hunting, anything outdoors
Best trackday advice: relax have fun and ask plenty of questions |
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STT Southern Division Instructor
Name: Joe Melendez
Profession: Water Tower Repair and Ironworker
Hometown: Perry, GA
Current bikes: 2006 GSXR 600
Recent highlights: Making the STT staff
Hobbies: Motorcycles, Computers, Paintball.
Best advice I would give someone for track days: No matter what happens, JUST TURN. More often than not you CAN make it, and you have a better chance on the tarmac, than you do in the dirt.
Stupidest thing I've done on a motorcycle: Overjumped a finish line tripple by about 60ft on an MX track, to try to take back 3rd place. Did a couple hundred dollars in damage for a $2 trophy.. that I didnt win
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STT Southern Division Instructor
Name: Greg Beaty
Profession: Low Key Low Stress
Hometown: Chickamauga, GA
Current track bikes: 2005 CBR 600rr, 2001 TLS1000, 2002 DL1000
When not at the track favorite place to ride: Around home I enjoy riding the Blue Ridge Parkway, Cherohala Skyway, and the Suches, Georgia area. My favorite place to ride would be anywhere in the Rocky Mountains.
Hobbies: Cycling and anything motorcycle.
Best advice for someone doing track days: Don’t try to ride fast- try to ride smooth. Over time smooth will become very fast.
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STT Southern Division Instructor
Name: Chris Borden
Profession: Dentist
Hometown: Russellville, Alabama
Bike: 2006 GSXR 600
Best advice: Learn something every trackday. Dont just try to win it. We all have the tendancy to go "hero-mode" and give it the berries every session. Allow some time to focus on a particular skill or challenging section of the track and improve on a single aspect of riding. The puzzle comes together one piece at a time.
Stupidest thing I have done on a motorcycle: Forget I have responsibilities outside of motorcycling.
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STT Southern Division Instructor
Name: Paul Freeman
Profession: Custom home builder
Hometown: McMinnville, TN
Bikes: 2005 Yamaha R6, 2003 Kawasaki zx636r, 2004 Honda 1800 VTX
Hobbies: Chasing Dragboat world championship titles
Best advice: You are never to old to do what ever trips your trigger
Stupid thing: Mama said "Stupid is as Stupid das":) |
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STT Southern Division Instructor
NAME: Greg Huffman
PROFESSION: Shop Foremen/Motorcycle Tech at a Honda,Suzuki Dealership
HOMETOWN: Blountsville,AL.
CURRENT BIKES: 2003 GSXR1000, 2004 GSXR600, 1997 CBR1100XX,
1988 CR500,and a few more.......
HOBBIES: Anything to do with motorcycles, outdoor activities, and riding with
my wife and son.
RECENT HIGHLIGHTS: My son starting to ride at age 2.
BEST TRACK DAY ADVICE: #1 Have fun,start out slow,stick to the basics,
set personal goals and the speed will come, alot of crashes are from trying
to go to fast to soon.
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STT Southern Division Instructor
Name: DJ McCall
Profession: Unix / Systems Administrator
Hometown: Sugar Hill, Ga
Current track bikes: 2003 zx6rr, 1989 Honda Hawk
When not at the track favorite place to ride: Suches, Cherohala Skyway
Hobbies: Motorcycles, computers, spending time with my daughter.
Best advice for someone doing track days: Relax and enjoy yourself. |
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STT Southern Division Instructor
Name: Jeff Foster
Profession: Home Remodeling
Hometown: Oakland Park Florida
Current bikes: Ducati 996, Honda CBR 1100, Blackbird Suzuki, Hyabusa 1300, Yamaha RD 200, Yamaha FZR 1000
Hobbies: Motorcycling in the North Georgia Mountains and riding as many track days as possible.
Best advice I would give someone for track days: First study the track and learn the track as you ride, relax and enjoy yourself as there are no trophies given as the track day concludes. Always ask questions to gain experience as you progress through your sessions.
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STT Southern Division Instructor
Name: Zach Roberson
Profession: Lumber and Truss Sales
Hometown: Haleyville, AL
Current Bike: 2007 CBR 600RR
When I'm not on the track: I don't ride on the street anymore.
Hobbies: Being on the lake, being with my girlfriend and her kids, bicycling, canoeing, camping, going to the beach, anything fun and new to me.
Best advice for someone doing trackdays: You can never over prepare for the heat but you can under prepare. Always alternate water and gatorade. Sometimes throw in a little pedialyte, it really helps. If you don't feel like you should go out for that next session then don't do it. Sit one out, it's not worth getting hurt or hurting someone else because you get exhausted.
Stupidest thing I have ever done on a bike: Jumped a dirtbike with a tree in my landing zone.
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STT Southern Division Instructor
Name: Henry Saludes AKA Tio Loco
Profession: Professional Yacht Captain, Marine Consultant
Hometown: Dania Beach, Florida
Bikes: Ducati 996, BMW R80/7, Suzuki GSXR 750 race bike, Suzuki SV650 project bike, Kawasaki Ninja 250
Hobbies: Motorbikes, Surfing, Mountain & Road Bikes, Music, Cooking, Shooting Sports
Best advice for track days: 1.Look as far ahead as possible and lock onto the solutions not the problems. 2. Stay relaxed and loose. 3. Think positive. 4. Work with the track not against it. 5. Slow down to go faster. 6. Be rested, hydrated and have your kit ready two days before the event. 7. Make sure you’re always having fun. 8. Never hesitate to ask for pointers or help from the staff, we are all here for you and we are all always learning, (at least if we pay attention!).
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STT Southern Division Instructor
Name: Ray Miller
Profession: Operations Mgr. for National Sign Plazas
Current Bikes: 2007 zx6r
When you are not at the track, Where is your favorite place to ride: North Georgia Mountains
Hobbies: Anything to do with motorcycles and college football.
Best advice for someone doing track days: Make sure the bike is safe to ride and you have good tires. Be smooth first and speed will come later. Have fun if your not having fun you should be out there.
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