Are We Having Fun Yet?

I am always scouring the internet for information and stories about the greatest road race on earth.

- Scott and Carla Odell

There is a lot of it out there and it keeps my cravings down a little, but the need to experience the sounds and sights is a different story. I can go to a lot of tracks and see motorcycles racing in the USA, but one thing is missing…sidecars! I have never seen sidecars race in the USA in my life time. I punched in a few choice words on a Facebook search and low and behold, South Florida Sidecar Racing popped up!

I went straight to the page and contacted Tony Doukas and was on the phone with him in just a few minutes. He told me about the SFSR, the organization that has been racing in South Florida for a year. “You need to call and talk to Peter Essaff, he is the one that got me into sidecars,” said Tony. Of course, I called Peter and within minutes of our conversation, I knew that we were destined to meet…this man has raced at the Isle of Man!

It was a no-brainer to go see him race and before you know it, Carla and I were at Palm Beach International Raceway for the weekend to dive into the sidecar culture first hand. In the sea of 2 wheel race bikes were the scattered tents and trailers with sidecars. We found Peter Essaff and had a chat with him. “I have been racing sidecars since 1977, first as a passenger and then as a driver. I have won National championships with the AMA over the years and I have traveled all across the country racing sidecars. In 2015, a Canadian team went to the Isle of Man and they didn’t have a lot of luck with the weather or qualifying. In 2016 I got a call from them asking if I would drive their sidecar. “Are you nuts?” was my reply. After an hour later and a few beers I called them back and said yes. I made 4 trips to the IOM and drove a rental car to try and memorize all the turns and nuances of the famous mountain course. I qualified and actually made 21 laps, yes 21 laps around the course! It was a time I will never forget!” Peter exclaimed.