Rainbow Sox Racing, 9012 Performance Ct, Cresson, TX (2026)

05/04/2021

We could not be more proud of former RainbowSox Racer Otto Black! We want to wish him all the best! Go Otto!!!

08/24/2018

EXCITING NEWS!

This past weekend at MotorSport Ranch in Cresson, TX:

Thursday, I rode 3 sessions of the private Member Day and even with the heat index of 107F I felt really good on the track! The heat usually increases the chances of my concussion symptoms coming back and is a very good test of where I truly am in my recovery.

I’m happy to report ZERO return of symptoms!!! I couldn't believe it! The one lingering symptom (flashes of bright light in my peripheral vision) that kept appearing in the past couple of months was gone! That sneaky symptom had made it very difficult to turn corners with red and white paint and it was not happening even in the heat of the afternoon! Woohoo!!

The next day, I made it out in the afternoon sessions for the CMRA Friday Practice. Again, zero return of symptoms and I was able to start pushing braking markers on a few sections of the track! There were even a handful of moments when I passed other riders! Michael was out there on his 250 and could tell I was doing way better! He is still faster than me right now but that won't last much longer! 😜

Saturday morning, I decided that I was ready to participate in a race and entered the 500 SuperStock race. Even though my grid position was in the back row of the Experts on the first wave, I decided it was best to grid up behind the entire field of about 45 bikes.
My race start was on point! I even wheelied as I shifted into 2nd gear and passed several bikes! Being out there with everyone was the happiest feeling I have had on the track in the 17 months since my concussion!
Making my way to the finish line, even though I was not actually winning the race, I felt like a Champion!! The checkered flag was my trophy that day and you can see how happy I was after the race in the photo that DGillen captured as I exited the track.

It's official - I AM BACK TO RACING! 😁

Next step is to start ramping up my pace and preparing to get back to competitive lap times by 2019.

Never give up on your dreams! ❤️

06/23/2018

Update!

I've been continuing to ride at member days and on some CMRA Friday practice days. I feel good, safe and continue to work back to where I was. I still have some issues that are preventing me from getting all the way back up to race pace. It's frustrating but I continue to remain positive and I am thankful I'm able to ride at all.

I did get to do something exciting this week though. Michael's company, Zenoss, held their annual user conference this week in Austin, Texas. They also hosted a Women in Tech Luncheon. I was able to attend and represent Rainbow Sox Racing at the events. Zenoss, in a nutshell, monitors IT Infrastructure. You might be thinking "What does that have to do with motorcycle racing?". Actually, there are a lot of corollaries and it starts with data, big data, Steve :D. All the pro Teams, and a lot of us at the club level, collect lots and lots of data. We graph it, we analyze it and we use it to get better on the track. That's what Zenoss does for IT. They collect lots of data, they graph it and they let their customers analyze it and use it to make their IT Infrastructure run better. It's really not that different. I learned a lot from attending the customer sessions and took away strategies around data collection and analysis that they use that I will be able to apply to my racing program as I continue to get better. It really was a great opportunity for me to learn and network, especially with some really amazing women in the technology industry.

I also got to have some fun. To kick off the conference and the opening keynote the Zenoss CEO, Greg Stock, came flying in from outer space driving a car in a space suit. The outfit looked suspiciously like my racing suit. Then next night was the big awards party and Greg asked me to wear the suit and be his stunt double. It was so much fun! I wore the suit for over an hour just walking around the party taking pictures with everyone! I think everyone really got a kick out of the tie in to the conference opening and had fun taking pictures with "The CEO". It was my first acting and stunt double gig :D! I really enjoyed it and the whole conference. It was a great week!

If you see this and happen to have any picture of me from the party, please post them so I can see them!

02/24/2018

When I crashed on March 12th, 2017 I had no idea the recovery period would take as long as it did. Having to sit out at the race rounds while I was still having symptoms from my concussion was so frustrating and seemed like it would never end.

The type of concussion I had resulted in having to re-train my brain to process motion, visual information, and spatial orientation.
As I progressed in my recovery, I had to increase the speed at which I could do all of those things. You wouldn't believe how much your brain processes every second of the day!

The concussion specialists told me that I could test out my riding as soon as I was completely symptom-free for one week. That point finally came around at the end of November but the weather wasn't really cooperating for me to get out on the track. Being able to ride around the paddock on the KTM390 during the first race round was such a great feeling! There was no doubt in my mind that I was certainly ready to put on my gear and try to turn some laps on a track. I wanted it to be on a clear day, with good traction and without too many other bikes out there with me just in case any symptoms came back while I was riding.

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to turn some laps at MSR-Houston and NOLA Motorsports Park.

On Sunday, I put on my gear and hopped on a Yamaha R3. I was a bit nervous but eager to test out my brain on the track for the first time in almost a year.

Taking it super easy through the first few turns and the first couple of laps, all seemed to go well and I decided to pick up my pace as I was symptom-free. Not wanting to get too excited on my first session out, I maintained a safe pace until the session was over. For the next half-hour, I waited for the following session. No headache. No eye pain. No disorientation. Still symptom-free!

By the end of the day, five 20-minute sessions later, I happily got to mark myself as "Passed"!

Since Sunday went so well, we decided to make the drive to NOLA. On Monday, the track went hot for motorcycles after lunch. Once again, I suited up and rode the R3 out to the track. This was the track I crashed at and got my concussion. I was ready to take it on!

As my comfort level kept increasing, continuing from the day before, everything started clicking once again. I was able to start working on my riding like normal. I pushed my brake markers each session and focused on my lines through each turn instead of focusing on simply making it through them. By the end of the day, I was dragging my knee in the turns I usually drag a knee in at this track!

Obviously, I plan to ease back into riding but I have to say that I'm SO HAPPY to finally be coming back!

Big THANK YOU to Julie and Memo for helping me get out on these tracks, pit in their garage (which gave me space to relax and focus on riding) and borrow their Yamaha R3. PLUS they drove me to/from NOLA and gave me a place to sleep. Y'all ROCK!

Thank you to Michael for working so hard and making it possible to do all of this at the last minute. He has been so supportive and patient throughout this past year as he watched me struggle to overcome the symptoms of my concussion. He was always there to listen to me and/or hold me on my worst days and I couldn't have done it without him.

And thank you to everyone who gave me words of encouragement as the year went by. I am so lucky to have friends like you!

Thank you to all of my sponsors that patiently waited for me to recover and are still ready to support me a full year later.

IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK!!!

Cycle Center of Denton
Vesrah
BD Racing
Raceworx USA
The Metric Garage
MotoBros
South Central Race Center
Pirelli
ROCKADI
M4 Exhaust
Moto Liberty Dallas
Woodcraft Technologies
Texas Speed and Performance, LTD

02/13/2018

Rainbow Sox Race Report (wow I can't believe it has been 6 months since my last update!)

The CMRA 2018 Race Season kicked off the past weekend at MSR Houston in Angleton, TX. While I am still not quite healed up to get on the track, I did have the opportunity to put on my gear and ride around the paddock on Jim Doyle's KTM 390! I felt pretty good and didn't seem to have any issues turning corners or processing all of the visual information while I was riding, which is super exciting, and indicates that my brain injury has recovered enough to try and turn a few laps on the track. I will post an update once that takes place.

On Saturday, I pit crewed for the G-Baby Racing Endurance Team. We had Dylan Deutschlander and Erica Muse on the SV650 for the 4-Hour Endurance. Everything went pretty well from the start, Dylan pulled us into first with some awesome lap-times in the wet conditions during the first hour and Erica kept the team going for the second hour with consistent lap-times even though it started raining even more. For the third hour, Dylan took the bike out again and as it started to rain a little bit less, a dry line began to appear in some sections of the track. As Dylan zipped through turn 7 on the dry line, water splashed from the bellypan and the rear tire lost traction. Jim got the bike back together with the help of Michael, Nick, and Mike and we sent Erica out on the track. All seemed to be going okay until just a few laps later and Erica had to bring it back in because it was unrideable. The forks were so bent, I am incredibly impressed she was able to get the bike around the track as many times as she did! Good teamwork, G-Baby!

During the endurance race, I had the opportunity to meet Elyse McKinnon, a drag race champion, who raced the BMW S1000RR that I got to ride back in June for the BMW Rally Event at Amelia Earhart Airport! Ever since that event, I have wanted to reach out to Elyse and talk to her about motorcycles and what it is like to drag race. You can only imagine how excited I was that she had come to visit the G-Baby Racing Team!

On Sunday, Michael had the chance to ride my GSXR 750 in the Formula 40 race and he placed 4th. It was the first time he had raced a bike larger than 300cc in a few years and also his first time racing in a big bike sprint. I am glad he got my bike on the track, even if he almost came back with frostbite!

Next race round will be March 9-11 at NOLA Motorsports Park in Avondale, LA.
Hope to see you there!

08/07/2017

I wanted to give everyone, especially my sponsors, an update on my status. Needless to say, I am still experiencing symptoms from my concussion in March. The main issue I have is processing motion while turning. It's a pretty frustrating symptom. I've undergone numerous tests and have more to take and I continue with my cognitive and vestibular therapy. The doctors are not 100% sure what the specific issue is and they have no idea on a timeline for full recovery. I do have good days and bad days and I also continue to improve.

I was fortunate enough to have a good day in June and was able to ride a little bit in an exhibition with the G-Baby Team for the BMW Vintage Days at Amelia Earhart Airport on an awesome BWM S1000RR provided by Engle Motors. It was all straight line "drag racing" on a runway. It was a lot of fun and it felt good to be on two wheels. Not having to turn meant my symptoms were minimal.

I met some great people and made some new friends during the event. One of whom was an amazing woman, Bethany Root. I felt like we were kindred spirits. She had an amazing story and became a pilot later in life and was one of only a few female crop duster pilots. Tragically, she lost her life in a crash as a passenger in a P-51 Mustang aircraft last month. She was such an awesome person. Even though we only met once, I feel like I've know her forever. I recently found out that the G-Baby Racing Endurance Team has been invited back to the event next year.

To honor Bethany, I will be getting my pilot's license as soon as I am able to begin training. My goal is to be able to fly and ride, in her honor, at the event next year.

I want to thank all of my sponsors for their support this year. I'm sorry the 2017 season has become what it has but it is part of the risks we take when we participate in this sport. I have not given up, I will race again!

Cycle Center of Denton
Vesrah
BD Racing
Raceworx USA
The Metric Garage
MotoBros
South Central Race Center
Pirelli
ROCKADI
MOTO-D Racing
M4 Exhaust
Moto Liberty Dallas
Woodcraft Technologies
Texas Speed and Performance, LTD

04/08/2017

Good luck to all our friends who will be racing today! Beautiful sunrise and my Niemi cup to start the day!😊🏍

04/04/2017

Some days I feel like Wonder Woman.

Some days just don't turn out the way I plan.

My concussion was more severe than I initially thought. I'm definitely improving the more I "take it easy" (I had to google what that meant) and get my "brain rest" (also had to google that AND ask the doctors exactly what it meant, lol)....

Bottom line, my plan to to race at MSR Cresson this upcoming weekend is not cleared by my doctors due to my ongoing symptoms. This is incredibly disappointing but I understand what would be at stake if I raced against doctors orders and it's not worth the risk. I'll be back out there soon though!

I am planning to cheer my friends on and hope to share the experience through FB Live Streaming!

Michael will be racing in the Saturday morning sprints, so make sure to watch Race Monitor!

If you're in the DFW area this weekend, take a short drive out to Cresson, TX and watch some motorcycles go really fast!😃👍

Cycle Center of Denton
Vesrah
BD Racing
Raceworx USA
The Metric Garage
MotoBros.net
South Central Race Center
Pirelli
ROCKADI
MOTO-D Racing
M4 Exhaust
Moto Liberty Dallas
Woodcraft Technologies
Texas Speed and Performance, LTD

03/19/2017

Well, this last weekend was a rough weekend. It started out great. I received my sponsorship package from Vesrah! That was really, really exciting. It is such an honor and privilege to be sponsored by such a great company with such high quality products! Thank you!

I got to the track on Thursday and had a good practice on Friday. Saturday I started the race as a sub on The Bootleggers Ninja 250 for the 8 hour ULWE race. I had a good ride for the first hour. However during the next rider's stint the bike developed a fuel delivery problem. We spent most of the day chasing that down before we were able to get it running right. Dean was able to ride the last hour plus of the race before it was shortened for darkness.

Sunday I woke up early to a big rain storm that was being pushed through by a cold front. We were delayed a couple of hours to clear the puddles. When we finally got to go out for our only practice session, I went out on rains as it was still very wet and very cold. I'm usually very confident in the rain but something felt a little off. I would have liked a little more practice in the conditions to work out some of the kinks but there just wasn't enough time. Because of the delay, the races were condensed so my first race was race #4. I gridded up with full rains again as it was still very wet and there were lots of puddles. I got a great start and had the lead coming out of turn one and was increasing it going into turn 3 when I lost the front. I'm still not sure exactly what happened. The bike was still straight up and down when it just went away. Bumps, water, surface or some combonation of those put me on the ground, hard. I popped back up and got to my bike and, with the help of the corner worker, got it up and started. Ryan was there to get me back into the pits where I quickly got re-teched and reentered the race. I was too far back to have a chance at winning but I finished the race. Congrats to Abigail for the win!

I got the bike back to the pits and Michael and Mark got busy putting it back together for me. I made it out for my next race but the bike wasn't right on the warm up lap so I came in. Jimmy came over and tweaked it for me and made a couple of changes and I rested up for my next race. I went out and the bike felt better now but I didn't. I had started to get a headache and during the race, it got worse. Every bump I hit made it worse. I tried to go faster but just couldn't focus. Even though I had 2 races left, I pulled in and I called it for the day. I had hit my head in the crash, I didn't think it was that bad but, in retrospect, I obviously had a concussion. The ride home sucked (thanks for driving Michael - I normally don't let him drive my truck :D). Every bump made my head hurt. I made it though and have been resting, in the dark without TV or computer or phone (as much as possible) which means I've also been unavailable on Facebook. I'm feeling better already. I have no doubt that I'll have the bike and my body back in shape and ready to go fast at Cresson.

I'm sorry to my fans and sponsors that I had a crash and wasn't able to perform up to my personal standards. I promise I will make it up to everyone at the next round!

Thank you all very much for your support.

Cycle Center of Denton
Vesrah
BD Racing
Raceworx USA
The Metric Garage
MotoBros.net
South Central Race Center
Pirelli
ROCKADI
MOTO-D Racing
M4 Exhaust
Moto Liberty Dallas
Woodcraft Technologies
Texas Speed and Performance, LTD

03/11/2017

Getting ready to start the 8 hour endurance with The Bootleggers!

03/06/2017

Sox got to play some cards with the Southern Stars Australian Women's Cricket Team😃

02/25/2017

Sox is ready for an adventure!

Rainbow Sox Racing

05/04/2021

08/24/2018

06/23/2018

02/24/2018

02/13/2018

08/07/2017

04/08/2017

04/04/2017

03/19/2017

03/11/2017

03/06/2017

02/25/2017

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