We're Into Competing

Professional motorcycle and rally racer Jeff Seehorn, in his own words.

“We’re here in Portland at Portland International Raceway after a six-year hiatus from motorcycle racing while I pursued my rally passions,” said Seehorn. “I have a break from rally.

“My car’s in the body shop, so I’m not having to work on the car right now.

“So, I have some time to come back and enjoy the sport that I fell in love with 10, 12 years ago.”

Two-wheeled love

“I love motorcycle racing. It’s a very simple, simple sport. It’s two wheels, one guy; and you don’t have to have a co-driver next to you. You don’t have to have a crew to come and service your bike.

“And it’s just you on the machine, and it’s exciting. We’re going 160 miles an hour and then braking into a third-gear corner; and you’re

dragging your knee. It’s an adrenaline rush. It’s addictive. When you’re on the bike, everything else just fades away.”

More respect on a bike

“I think in car racing there’s a little bit less respect for the driver because I think a lot of things fall back on the car. People think, ‘Oh, he has a fast car.’ Motorcycle racing, the bikes come off the showroom floor ready to be competitive at pretty much any level.

“There are very small changes you can make to make it just a little bit more competitive. So, if you’re fast, people hold high respect to that.”

Family support

“I met my wife, Tristan, at a motorcycle track day back in 2013.

“She was here this weekend. She actually rode the practice track day on Friday.

“When we met, I was actually going to sell the bike so I could focus on stage rally because I was building my first chassis at that point. It’s just been a great experience having someone who’s just as passionate about my racing as I am.”

To go fast, you can’t be afraid

“The fear from racing, to me, is a challenge you have to overcome. I’m drawn to it because I don’t want to be afraid to go fast. Being aggressive and being in competition always help your performance because you’re trying to beat that guy. And you’re typically lined up with guys that are right at your level, so competition to me is very important because it drives you to be better.

“With transitioning from dirt bikes and road racing to stage rally, a sense of speed is universal. So, you can always figure out where you can carry more speed.

“And it’s kind of a feeling in your seat or in yourself when you’re g-loading through a corner or we get that sense-attraction, loss-attraction trying to maximize everything to make sure that you’re performing at the optimum level.”

Racing = life

“All the series of racing I’ve done all cross over and combine, and it’s all relevant to performing well.

“I never think about what is after racing for me because that’s what I live for. That’s my passion – racing itself. There’s always the risk that something bad is going to happen. And that’s the risk you take. But, to me, it’s worth it.

“You know, if you’re not living, you’re dying. So, racing is living for me.”