When I came up with the idea to do this blog it was because on this road to fulfilling my dreams I need inspiration. I figured that other Sleepwalkers out there needed inspiration as well. Darrell Kendall is one of those people that embody the type of inspiration I was thinking about.
I met Darrell over a year ago at my current job. He’ll give you about a day to get situated in the office, but once you talk to him long enough you’ll know he’s got a passion for something outside the office. That thing is racing motorcycles. He exudes this passion. Whether it’s the photos posted around his desk, the screensaver of his bike on his computer, the apps that he downloads on his iphone to help him keep track of his bike, or the conversations he has with you...you’ll know he loves bikes and racing!
You’re thinking, “ok, but that’s no different from anyone else with a dream”. Yeah, but do you work a 9-5,then go deliver pizzas and put the money strictly in your passion? Do you write for a magazine in your passion in between all of that to help with getting extra dates (as in time) on the track? Not only that, in the short time he’s been riding at the track, he’s gone from intermediate to advanced.
A big thing that inspires me is his drive and commitment to studying the craft of racing bikes. As he told me, “It’s not that I really have determination, it’s that I have a desire to do one thing and one thing only…and everything else revolves around that!” He’s always telling me about the new thing that he learned about bike mechanics to help him race faster. He’s always demonstrating the technique and posture needed in riding, and all the hard work paying off for him! Nicknamed “Spider Monkey” at the track for his long limbs and speed on his bike, Darrell has definitely grown into a Sleepwalker to watch!
When did you first start sleepwalking?
It’s tough to say when I first started chasing after my dream. It’s not like I grew up thinking, “I am going to race motorcycles.” It is a dream that has just developed over time. I would say that after not having the financial means to ride the track at all last summer, I had enough. It came to a point where my pride was shadowed by my love of riding the track. It was at that point that I was willing to do whatever it took to get the bike back on the racetrack. I started writing again, I started delivering pizzas for the cash I needed, and I started to entrench myself totally into the sport. When Trackday Magazine and Lithium Motorsports decided to sponsor me as a trackday rider, it was definitely a huge boost. Now, I have no intention of letting up. I just made my trackday schedule, and I am going to be out on the track nearly every other weekend this summer. I really cannot wait to be back on my bike!
What motivates you to keep going after your dream?
It’s fun. I don’t think I will ever get to a point that my hobby consumes me to the point of not being fun. When it does, then I need to reevaluate me intentions. I highly doubt that I will ever be fast enough to make money doing this, so there is no reason to put that kind of pressure on myself. I am going strive to lower lap times, to push the bike as far as I can (without being stupid about it), and to continually learn more about the technical side of the sport. After all, I don’t want to be just a good rider, I want to be my own crew chief. I want to understand the bike. I am simply amazed at the guys that can look at a tire, see a ridge on the tread and immediately diagnose and fix the problem. I will be that guy. There so much to know about everything on and off the bike, and I want to know it.
Wake up: What have been some of the biggest challenges in going after your dream?
The biggest challenge in this sport is the cost. A bike is expensive, but that is just the beginning. When you start adding up the cost in parts and upgrades that you have to make to a stock motorcycle track-worthy it gets a little overwhelming. On top of that there are costs for things like protective gear: helmet ($500), Suit ($400-$1200 for entry level), Gloves ($120), back protector ($100), and the list goes on. Also, track time, tires, lodging, and transportation all cost money. It’s easier to (responsibly) remain oblivious to how much I am really spending. Again, THANK GOD for the guys at Lithium!
The other challenge is its effect on my social life. Few people get this passionate about one thing, and therefore don’t understand why I do this. It really has consumed me, and I am okay with the ramifications. I have given up weekends to make money, I save my money for parts, and I often forego parties and happy hours to do something related to this. That’s okay with me. Real friends will understand. Oh yeah, lets not forget that people judge people that race anything…especially in DC. In many minds I might as well wear overalls and spit tobacco! That’s okay though, I know that I am having more fun than them anyway!
Don’t sleep on this: What’s one thing you have learned in your craft that fellow sleepwalkers shouldn’t sleep on?
There are two things: 1) There are a lot of unexpected things that can be learned when you immerse yourself in anything, so be ready for that. I have struggled all my life with focus. Look at my report cards from K-12. They all say that I had trouble paying attention that I couldn’t sit still, that I talked a lot. Ask my co-workers now, they will agree. But, it has actually gotten better. At the track, when my helmet is on, my mind is clear. I have one goal and one goal only. Be fast. Sure I think about things like braking points, hitting the apexes, getting on the throttle earlier, but in the end it all relates to being fast. I have never been able to channel that energy before. It surprises me all the time.
The second thing that I learned (or had reaffirmed) is that anything that is worth doing takes hard work. No one is going to hand me a MotoGP bike and say “have at it!” No one is going to buy me track time, or new leathers (though if you are reading this and feel like doing so, I can send you information on how to do that!). I cannot download riding skills into my brain. I know that if I am going to do this, it is going to be me that makes it work. Sure I have a supporting cast that will give me the occasional motivational “rah rah speech” but this dream will take work, and lots of it. I wouldn’t want it any other way!
Top 5 accomplished sleepwalkers you admire in your craft and why?
Ben Spies- He never stops quieting the haters. That and he is tall, so I love to study his riding style
Melissa Paris- She has been riding motorcycles for only a few years and has done A LOT in that time! Last year she got a wild card to ride World Supersport, and the nay-sayers were citing her gender as the only reason she got it. In the end, she did what it took, bottom line!
Valentino Rossi- His on-track skills are second to no one that has ever sat on a motorcycle, more than that though, he redefined the role of a professional racer off the track. No one has more fun than Vale. As long as he is riding, I will be fan!
4/5) Tim Hull and Brian Wink- These guys are Control Riders (coaches) with NESBA (a trackday organization) that take their time and knowledge and share it with aspiring riders. They have been instrumental in developing my riding and my passion. I can’t wait until the day I can pass them!
You heard it here first folks! Don't be surprised if he's the next Rossi! lol. Maybe not Rossi, but I have no doubt Darrell will be successful in racing. Darrell Kendall, aka Spider Monkey, aka Mr. 927... a Sleepwalker to watch!
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