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By Matt Hickman
Herald/Review
HUACHUCA CITY — Tiras Banks got his first motorcycle at 19 — relatively late in life for one who would go on to race competitively.
It wasn’t long before Tiras realized he rather like the speed a lightweight bike could achieve and the way it could hug a curve like no four-wheeled machinery ever could. Needless to say, it wasn’t long before this became a problem.
 Mark Levy Herald/Review Road racer Tiras Banks of Huachuca City sits on his 600cc racing bike inside his travel trailer. Banks discovered motorcycles relatively late, but has used his taste for high speeds and tight curves to vault into first place in the standings at Arroyo Seco Raceway in Deming, N.M. |
“I used to go out to Charleston (Road), started riding out there, Parker Canyon through the West Gate, wherever you can find twisting roads,” Banks said, not wanting to go into too much detail as to what attention this drew from the authorities. “I got a ticket once.”
His father Fred Banks, who owns Lectra Serve in Huachuca City, was less non-chalant about it.
“It scared us to death,” the elder Banks said. “He bought a motorcycle, a big one, and started riding on the street, getting tickets, getting into trouble. That was scaring us. Then someone told us about track days in Phoenix. We went up there and he learned how to ride. He learned about protection and safety.”
It wasn’t long before those track nights at Firebird Raceway southeast of Phoenix gave way to a competitive desire. But the track at Firebird is not ideal for motorcycle racing. So Tiras turned his attention to Arroyo Seco Raceway in remote Deming, N.M.
“After I did track days I started 2005 going out to Arroyo Seco and saw all the racers,” he said. “I thought, that’s really cool.”
Midway through his third season of racing in Deming, Banks sits atop the point standings in the seven-race series, taking first-place finishes in five races in differing classes.
Banks rides a 600cc motorcycle which he’s taken 170 mph. This is the kind of racing that cause most to cringe at the sight of riders pinching corners at 45 degree angles with their knees mere millimeters from the asphalt.
“It’s all about feel for the motorcycle,” Banks said. “You’ve gotta trust your tires — it’s all in the tires. You have to use your knee skimming as a feeler...It just takes a lot of finesse. You have to be smooth and consistent at that kind of angle.”
In addition to racing at Arroyo Seco, Banks races in other series around the west. Two weeks ago, he competed in Salt Lake City, placing 16th in one race, 11th in another and crashing in another.
Banks has had his share of run-ins with the asphalt, but all in all, has been very fortunate.
“I’ve been down five times now but I’ve never been seriously hurt,” he said. “You hit and slide — if you’re lucky. If you’re not lucky, you start tumbling.”
Banks estimates that the cost of racing is $700 per race weekend. Winning at Arroyo Seco provides some “contingency” payout, which is essentially racing necessities donated by manufacturers and distributors. The 23-year-old Banks, who works as an electrician for the family business, hopes if he can keep riding and keep winning, he can one day ride at a sponsor’s expense and even pick up paychecks as a professional racer.
“That’s my dream, that’s what I’m going for,” Banks said through his cell phone on his way to another race in Las Vegas. “I’m going to go as far as I can. I’m putting everything I have into it.”
Banks is currently sponsored by Lectra Serve, Huachuca City’s Competition Auto Center, and Tucson-based 108 Motorsports and Evan Steel Performance.
His family was somewhat nervous when Tiras began racing, but not anymore.
“We found that racing was a whole lot safer,” Fred Banks said. “There’s a whole lot of safety equipment, an ambulance is there, there’s rules.... Actually, we love it now.”
Fred Banks has even become a knowledgeable fan of the sport.
“In any sport there’s guys who are gifted but they seem to reach a level and go no further,” he said. “Ty has the potential to go a long way.”
Now that he’s racing, Tiras no longer rides motorcycles on public roads.
“It’s a lot safer racing (on tracks) than it is racing on the street,” Tiras Banks said. “I’ve met a lot of guys who’ve been hurt real bad on the street.”
Todd wrote on Jul 1, 2008 8:54 AM: