How could this be? I stood slack-jawed watching Davis Fisher toss around an Indian FTR750 like a play bike in his backyard. This bumpy New Hampshire short track was not for the faint of heart, you had to steer with the rear as you hopped thru the ruts. Push too hard and get slammed to the ground – or worse, not enough and get left behind. It was a study in controlled aggression.

Davis Fisher, a study in calm at speed. [Steve Koletar]
People outside our sport don’t get it. You can’t force her, as ‘too much’ will get you hurt. It’s about finger tips and toes at this pace. A calm mind and a deft touch.

Davis Fisher and his #1 (Makenna) with his Indian FT750 flat track racer. [Steve Koletar]
Davis Fisher is a paradox. The male fans are surprised by his soft spoken humbleness. Female fans are smitten by his bashful, boyish charms. How could this gentle soul be such a charger on the track? The paradox in personality boggles the mind.

Would this man stomp all over you in a race? Well, yes. [Steve Koletar]
Sometimes, being media, I remember things others forget. At Daytona’s season kickoff, Fisher was looking fast until he crashed out of the semi, breaking his back. Without harping on bad luck or pain, and grateful not to be paralyzed, he quietly got himself together, methodically working his training program to get back in the game.

The FT750 is the machine of choice in American flat track racing today, although racers need an edge, so install the engine in different chassis. [Steve Koletar]
People outside the circle don’t know the sweat and tears it takes to be a professional motorcycle racer. While fans motivate you race day, they aren’t there with you in the gym. We are driven by the dream of racing. For the hardcore, it’s a thin line between joy and pain. Racing makes us feel alive again. It gives us purpose.  We are not just another guy sitting in a cubicle.

Not just another guy in a cubicle, but it’s still work. [Steve Koletar]
And after dealing with all this rough stuff, Davis Fisher remain as racy as ever. Even after bittersweet fallout from the Rapid City incident. The struggles with sponsorship. Coming back from injury. His epic ride to 3rd at the Sacramento Mile. Davis stays focused on his dream. Regardless of the chatter bumps racing throws at him. He just flashes me ‘that smile’ and keeps rolling on.

When something breaks, and you’re the mechanic, it sucks. [Steve Koletar]
Changing rules in American Flat Track have limited the number of entries in Premier class, which could force Fisher out of racing. I know he’ll do whatever it takes to stay in the show. It would be a real shame if Davis Fisher drifted away.

 

Michael Lawless [@electric_horseman], our ‘Poet of Packed Earth’, is the Flat Track Editor for TheVintagent.com, and has his own blog: Electric Horseman
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