So how has your winter been going?

It’s been good! I’ve been staying busy with the Arenacross. We’ve got two pro riders in the Arenacross Series and it’s been a lot of fun.

What all do you do at the Arenacross events?

I’m the “Pit Pastor” and mechanic. At every Arenacross, we hold a chapel service, so on Saturday afternoons we feed all the racers and crews, then hold a quick twenty minute chapel service for everybody, then we’re off to racing. So, sometimes I do the speaking then I’m usually spinning wrenches on Kevin Johnson and Kelly Smith’s bikes.

Wow, so it sounds like those weekends are almost as full as your GNCC weekends!

I would say that’s pretty accurate. It’s definitely pretty hopping! 

For those who may not know, what exactly is Team Faith?

We are a race team that brings church to the racetrack. Anywhere we go we compete, but we also provide the chapel services for the race series. So, we’re full time on the Arenacross and GNCC Series, and also have our founder, Brian O’Rourke, back into watercraft racing.

So Team Faith is pretty widespread then! 

My whole schedule revolves around the GNCC Series but Team Faith has people doing everything from freestyle shows over in Egypt to Arenacross and Watercraft. We have the personnel to do that and it’s great!

How did Team Faith get started?

Brian O’Rourke started Team Faith back in 1994 on the watercraft side. He had a burden for one particular racer in that series who he wanted to see come to know Jesus and decided to pack up an S-10 pickup and go to the racetrack. And it’s grown from there to what it is today!

So how did it transition into the dirt side of things?

In 2000, watercraft racing was kind of on a decline and Brian felt that the next move for the ministry was to go motorcycle racing. He had always been a fan of motocross and had raced a little bit when he was in high school. So he found a good rider and went Arenacross racing! Here we are twelve years later still doing Arenacross and also the GNCC’s as well.

How did you get involved with Team Faith?

I was a factory rep for Yamaha for almost 10 years. Through coincidence I bumped into Brian O’ back in about 2001 and stayed in contact. When I became serious about my relationship with Jesus Christ, I got in touch with Brian then started hanging out and volunteering when I could. Eventually it gave me the bug to go GNCC Racing. I did it first in the Rhino, which was my first ever GNCC back in 2008, and I ended up winning the (UTV) Lites class I entered. Afterward Brian basically said, “Hey, that’s a pretty cool gig, why don’t we finish up that series?” So in 2008 we did all the UTV races. Then in 2009 we were invited to become the official chaplain for the series and have been coming ever since!  

For those who have never attended a track service, what is it like?

We meet Saturday and Sunday mornings at 8:30 at the Team Faith rig on Vendor’s Row. It’s pretty simple. It’s a non-denominational service that lasts about twenty minutes. It consists of me holding the microphone and sharing what I believe God has put on my heart. I usually do a lot of research and a lot of study because I want it to be a quality service that people can actually get something out of and it can help them in their walk with Jesus Christ.

Do you use a lot of racing related comparisons to help people understand your message?

Being that that I’m in the ATV and dirt bike world, yes. (laughs) I try to make it simple enough that I can understand it, so it turns out that if I can understand it, most people can too.

What would you want to tell someone about your at track services?

Come check us out! Come see that we’re the real deal. We bring church to the track since most guys can’t get to church on Sundays since they’re racing. So definitely stop by, everybody is welcome. 

Shifting back to the racing side, how did your 2011 season go on the bike?

Lots of fun! I had a good group of guys to race with and I ended up third in the Vet B class. I definitely feel like I was a faster rider at the end of the year than I was at the beginning. That is all thanks to the nature of the competition out there.

What about the UTV, how”˜d that go last year?

We ended up winning the Lites class. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a heavily contested class but we’ll take it. We had a lot of fun regardless. We’re working on getting together a program to go into the Open Modified class this year because that’s obviously where it’s at in UTV racing.

Between the two, which do you have more fun with and which do you feel is more competitive?

The UTV is probably more competitive just because once you get into that Open Modified class everybody is fighting for the top spot on the podium, whereas on the bike I’m an amateur so I do not have to fight for the podium. I have a lot of fun on two wheels. I grew up as a trail rider and it’s been the time of my life having the chance to get out there and compete these past couple of years.

What are your plans for the 2012 season?

We’ll be doing the same program. I’ll be at thirteen rounds doing chapel services on Saturday and Sunday as well as competing in the Vet B class and the UTV is still to be determined at the moment.

Sounds like it’s going to be a fun season! What do you hope to accomplish in 2012?

I would love to see people come to know Jesus Christ better. That’s my first priority, that’s why I’m there. I’ll be available to anyone, anywhere, anytime for a prayer, just to talk or to introduce them to Christ. For a personal goal on the racing side is that I want to win the championship in the Vet B class.

All right, before we wrap this up, who would you like to thank?

Team Faith, Fly, Western Power Sports, Pilot, Silcolene, DZ Graphics, Vertex Pistons, Athena, K&N Filters, EBC, and Trinity Racing.