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As I indicated earlier, Mike has kept track of his over 250 races attended as a racer or with his boys, I will try and recount a few of the highlights. In the beginning as I said he ran ASH, switching to Alky and going with AOH, today known as 250H. Something I did not know, was how really crazy Mike was, is, before, now????? He was a deck rider in the FRR class for several years. As I have said many times, going close to 100mph, only one guy driving and its not the guy riding. In 1978 Mike was at a race in Freeport, Pa and too the A-F hydro classes winning all 5 of the classes in the hydro division. Mike the son went to his first race at 3 months old in 1987 and that year Mike the Pop finished 9th in the Worlds for 250H. In 1993, Mike and I were both at Lakeland for the Worlds for 250H and 500H. That year the storms would come in and out of the area and as you know Lakeland’s backstretch is a fur piece across the water. As a heat in the 250 was ongoing, a storm came across from the NW corner and blew Clark Maloof and a driver from Sweden who were side by side went up and over with both sustaining injuries as Mike right behind them looked up as he passed underneath. He won his first championship in 1996 and if my memory is correct, Mike was originally disqualified for having gone out of the markers at the start, but fortunately was reinstated as he was driven by another driver bearing away at the start. In 2006 he made his first trip to Italy as a mechanic for Billy Allen driving Craig Dewald 125 rig. Then other trips followed with his boys.
Mike then began to turn more toward his boys Mike and Eric’s racing endeavors as Mike the Son showed in 2009 as a rookie winning the prestigious Col. Green high point trophy with 45,000 points driving 125/175/250/350H and OSY, being the first rookie to ever take home that trophy. When I think of Mike, I have a vision of him in his hydro at Hartford on the tree lined river and just after crossing the start finish line, he took off, I feared he was headed for the trees, but fortunately no issues there and Mike was okay. Mike raced in Europe and in 2012 finished 5th out of over 20 and the next year went back and finished 6th against another stout field. A great young man, Mikey went to the worlds in Lake Alfred and finished on the podium for a 3rd place finish. Brother Eric joined the circus in 2011 and was high point champ in the 125H class and brother Mike won the 250H championship at Depue, duplicating Pop’s win there as well. Mikey came back in 2014 and scored another National title. In 2015, Eric had a conversation with Rossi and was invited to come to Italy and work at GRM and Eric took a leave of absence for 3 months while learning from the master engine builder. Eric participated in the championships in Boretto Italy and qualified 3rd out of 20 in that race. In 2017, Eric won and duplicated Dad’s and brother Mike’s win in 250H, and in 2018 took home the 250/350 Championships to Connecticut. He won every race he entered in 2018 and in 2019 finished 2nd in 350H running his 250 motor after winning the last heat.
Mikey and Eric are talented in their driving efforts, but I don’t know if many people know that Mikey started building his own boats and this added to over 30 boats and 43 different engines that became a part of MSR racing. Mikey build 12 different boats over the years and those boats and motors have won National titles over the years and have proven to be winners wherever they are presented. Mikey was also a prop man as he machined hubs for the propellers and then cut the blades for each, while Pop using those skills learned from Dick Fickett and honed over the years of work, welded them together.
Mike and Eric have both retired now from racing much to my disappointment. You could not find two nicer and polite young men anywhere. They are both now racing motorcycles in Hare Scrambles. 2-hour races through the woods. If you think that this is nothing, you need to youtube that stuff, unreal going through the woods and trees at speed. Mikey is married to Stephanie and is the proud Poppa of 2-year-old Logan. Eric is the quiet one Mike says. Claims he went to the Mike Krier Public speaking class. LOL. He may be quiet, but totally observant as to what is going on around him. Eric in his first race used Mikey’s worn-out cycle and took the win over 50 other riders in his first try, some things never change. He runs a different type of challenge than Mikey, as his races are split in 1/3, with Motocross, woods, and obstacle courses set up. We wish them both well and would hope that our paths will cross again. So now Pop Mike is now working on boat engines and motorcycle engines and do believe the wins will continue.
Between the three of them, they own 11 Highpoint championships, 2 competition records, and 5 National titles to go along with 3 North American Championships, quite a legacy they have left for us to ponder. A great family of racers and we are all better off for having known them, watched them and had them as friends.
We look forward to seeing team MSR still on the water as John Palmquist will be the MSR driver for the 2021 season and we look forward to seeing him running that equipment.
Mike then began to turn more toward his boys Mike and Eric’s racing endeavors as Mike the Son showed in 2009 as a rookie winning the prestigious Col. Green high point trophy with 45,000 points driving 125/175/250/350H and OSY, being the first rookie to ever take home that trophy. When I think of Mike, I have a vision of him in his hydro at Hartford on the tree lined river and just after crossing the start finish line, he took off, I feared he was headed for the trees, but fortunately no issues there and Mike was okay. Mike raced in Europe and in 2012 finished 5th out of over 20 and the next year went back and finished 6th against another stout field. A great young man, Mikey went to the worlds in Lake Alfred and finished on the podium for a 3rd place finish. Brother Eric joined the circus in 2011 and was high point champ in the 125H class and brother Mike won the 250H championship at Depue, duplicating Pop’s win there as well. Mikey came back in 2014 and scored another National title. In 2015, Eric had a conversation with Rossi and was invited to come to Italy and work at GRM and Eric took a leave of absence for 3 months while learning from the master engine builder. Eric participated in the championships in Boretto Italy and qualified 3rd out of 20 in that race. In 2017, Eric won and duplicated Dad’s and brother Mike’s win in 250H, and in 2018 took home the 250/350 Championships to Connecticut. He won every race he entered in 2018 and in 2019 finished 2nd in 350H running his 250 motor after winning the last heat.
Mikey and Eric are talented in their driving efforts, but I don’t know if many people know that Mikey started building his own boats and this added to over 30 boats and 43 different engines that became a part of MSR racing. Mikey build 12 different boats over the years and those boats and motors have won National titles over the years and have proven to be winners wherever they are presented. Mikey was also a prop man as he machined hubs for the propellers and then cut the blades for each, while Pop using those skills learned from Dick Fickett and honed over the years of work, welded them together.
Mike and Eric have both retired now from racing much to my disappointment. You could not find two nicer and polite young men anywhere. They are both now racing motorcycles in Hare Scrambles. 2-hour races through the woods. If you think that this is nothing, you need to youtube that stuff, unreal going through the woods and trees at speed. Mikey is married to Stephanie and is the proud Poppa of 2-year-old Logan. Eric is the quiet one Mike says. Claims he went to the Mike Krier Public speaking class. LOL. He may be quiet, but totally observant as to what is going on around him. Eric in his first race used Mikey’s worn-out cycle and took the win over 50 other riders in his first try, some things never change. He runs a different type of challenge than Mikey, as his races are split in 1/3, with Motocross, woods, and obstacle courses set up. We wish them both well and would hope that our paths will cross again. So now Pop Mike is now working on boat engines and motorcycle engines and do believe the wins will continue.
Between the three of them, they own 11 Highpoint championships, 2 competition records, and 5 National titles to go along with 3 North American Championships, quite a legacy they have left for us to ponder. A great family of racers and we are all better off for having known them, watched them and had them as friends.
We look forward to seeing team MSR still on the water as John Palmquist will be the MSR driver for the 2021 season and we look forward to seeing him running that equipment.
