While filming at Baja Acres with Nick for the Answer Racing Grass Roots Tour, I was invited to join his son and friend/mechanic Adam Call for dinner Sunday night. I had a stack of homemade meals sitting in a vacant motorhome at the top of the property, but with my legs wobbling from the days work and my stomach requesting food at the nearest opportunity, we were off to the restaurant.
It was quaint, much in the image of a local diner in Anytown, USA, the type of place that has a menu as thick as the bible. There’s such a variety of food that nothing has the right to be any good, but most of it ends up delicious. Nick’s son, Vincent, raced to the entrance, practically bouncing off the walls as we entered the door. He was entertaining thoughts of seeing Ronnie Mac and Larry Enticer going off at the Pond Palooza event when we got back to the track. Funny enough, he kept asking Adam, “Who’s Larry? Who’s Larry?” He only knew the guy’s name, not who he actually was. In the same way a kid might’ve asked who Jeff Stanton was in the early 2000’s, Vince wanted the 411 on Larry. Instead of listing off championships and race wins, Adam told Vince he was the “Still gonna send it!” guy. And he was right.
“I looked like Pig-Pen from the Peanuts cartoon…”
Nick led us to a table, his hat balancing on the top of his head, tilted slightly sideways. On anyone else, it’d look stupid. Like, T.I. hat angle geometry stupid. But it’s Nick Wey… he pulls it off. He’s got a certain aura about him that makes it possible. Though Nick never held down a professional title or big bike race win, he still carries himself with a certain confidence that I can only imagine is attainable when you become a professional athlete. He sat down and messed with his hat a bit, I sat next to him across from Adam and Vince. I looked like Pig-Pen from the Peanuts cartoon, covered in dirt from getting roosted all day and slimy from a bottle of Coppertone. We ordered, and nothing truly out of the ordinary happened the rest of the night. Vince stole some of his Dad’s food while we talked about Mini-Parents and the California scene.
On Monday, when the event was over and filming was a wrap, I found myself with a stack of camera gear waiting for a ride back to the top of hill (parked about a mile away from the Answer rig). Vince was making a motocross track in the sand with his Ryan Villopoto replica toy. I helped dig out an inside/outside turn with my shoe and told him I had to split. He got up, wiped himself off, and stuck his hand out. “It was nice to meet you!” He said, and offered up a firm handshake, certainly for an eight year old.
Before Adam drove me back to my camper, Nick called to Vince, “Did you tell Jared how much you liked the video?” Referring to a short profile I made about the family last year when Nick raced professionally for the last time. Nick told me that Vince and his other boy, Donovan, have watched it numerous times. Vince thanked me.
It was nice moment of appreciation after an extended work weekend. As if you needed another reason to be a fan of the Wey’s, there’s one more. Nick, thanks again for the meal. I hope Vince likes the video.
While filming at Baja Acres with Nick for the Answer Racing Grass Roots Tour, I was invited to join his son and friend/mechanic Adam Call for dinner Sunday night. I had a stack of homemade meals sitting in a vacant motorhome at the top of the property, but with my legs wobbling from the days work and my stomach requesting food at the nearest opportunity, we were off to the restaurant.
It was quaint, much in the image of a local diner in Anytown, USA, the type of place that has a menu as thick as the bible. There’s such a variety of food that nothing has the right to be any good, but most of it ends up delicious. Nick’s son, Vincent, raced to the entrance, practically bouncing off the walls as we entered the door. He was entertaining thoughts of seeing Ronnie Mac and Larry Enticer going off at the Pond Palooza event when we got back to the track. Funny enough, he kept asking Adam, “Who’s Larry? Who’s Larry?” He only knew the guy’s name, not who he actually was. In the same way a kid might’ve asked who Jeff Stanton was in the early 2000’s, Vince wanted the 411 on Larry. Instead of listing off championships and race wins, Adam told Vince he was the “Still gonna send it!” guy. And he was right.
Nick led us to a table, his hat balancing on the top of his head, tilted slightly sideways. On anyone else, it’d look stupid. Like, T.I. hat angle geometry stupid. But it’s Nick Wey… he pulls it off. He’s got a certain aura about him that makes it possible. Though Nick never held down a professional title or big bike race win, he still carries himself with a certain confidence that I can only imagine is attainable when you become a professional athlete. He sat down and messed with his hat a bit, I sat next to him across from Adam and Vince. I looked like Pig-Pen from the Peanuts cartoon, covered in dirt from getting roosted all day and slimy from a bottle of Coppertone. We ordered, and nothing truly out of the ordinary happened the rest of the night. Vince stole some of his Dad’s food while we talked about Mini-Parents and the California scene.
On Monday, when the event was over and filming was a wrap, I found myself with a stack of camera gear waiting for a ride back to the top of hill (parked about a mile away from the Answer rig). Vince was making a motocross track in the sand with his Ryan Villopoto replica toy. I helped dig out an inside/outside turn with my shoe and told him I had to split. He got up, wiped himself off, and stuck his hand out. “It was nice to meet you!” He said, and offered up a firm handshake, certainly for an eight year old.
Before Adam drove me back to my camper, Nick called to Vince, “Did you tell Jared how much you liked the video?” Referring to a short profile I made about the family last year when Nick raced professionally for the last time. Nick told me that Vince and his other boy, Donovan, have watched it numerous times. Vince thanked me.
It was nice moment of appreciation after an extended work weekend. As if you needed another reason to be a fan of the Wey’s, there’s one more. Nick, thanks again for the meal. I hope Vince likes the video.
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