TFS Racing Ready for WERA National Endurance Series
www.tfsraceteam.com

By Bruce Wilkins

Racer Tom Fetsko Gets a Knee Down (Photo by Pete Smakula Motorsports Photography))

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Walk through the paddocks at virtually any WERA-sanctioned motorcycle road racing event in the National Series and you will probably encounter a pit setup that resembles Jimmy Buffet and Cartman meets Don Ho and Tony Manero. But, while TFS Racing may be well-known for their light-hearted partying, make no mistake about it, this WERA National Endurance Series team is serious about their road racing.

Team owner and rider Tom Fetsko of Charlotte, N.C. leads the TFS Racing team and not surprisingly, TFS stands for Traveling Freak Show. Jim Doerfler is co-rider and the crew chief and primary sponsor is Pamela Skaff, who owns PKS Racing Services. But when the sun sets at road courses such as Virginia International Raceway, Carolina Motorsports Park, Summit Point, and others, you'll often see dozens of people who will stop by for laughs and some of the finest track grillin' on the circuit.

Tom Fetsko and WERA officials George Mood and Sean Clarke (Breeze Photo by Bruce Wilkins)

Fetsko is a wannabe chef, but is actually a high-level computer whiz with a large banking system. When the smell of burning rubber and Nutec fades away for a race day, the aroma of sauteed vegetables and seasoned beef tenderloins arises amidst an array of tiki torches and disco balls. This light-hearted atmosphere in the TFS Racing pit is an important fixture in an extreme sport where serious injury and death is, unfortunately, not that uncommon an occurrence.

"Racing is a serious, serious sport, but we always try to have a good time and see that our friends and fellow racers, and even people we don't even know, have a place to relax and enjoy the excitement of the day," commented Fetsko. "But out on the track, we are serious racers and all-business."

In fact, the 2002 season brought just such an incident close to home when former team owner Richard Knight of Georgia was involved in a major, career-ending crash. Knight has made a steady recovery, but the incident will never be forgotten. "Richard's a great guy and truly loves road racing," Fetsko said. "He will always be with us, whether he's at the track or not." Doerfler and Fetsko completed the near-tragic season in honor of their fallen comrade.

Both riders are excited about the team's prospects in this year's WERA National Endurance Series. They will race their GSX-R600 Suzuki in the Mediumweight Superbike Class. "Our goal is to finish consistently on the podium, win the championship in our class, and finish top ten overall," Fetsko said. "That and to have a great time at every place we go."