Date: April 12, 2008 Saturday
Place: Bill Armstrong Stadium
Event: 2008 Men's Little 500 Race
Distance: 200-laps
Climate: Cloudy, cold, windy, mid-40's and stiff W winds. (The worst Little 500 weather in memory)
Time: 2:00pm
Winner: Cutters (2:10.10)
ATO starting position: 26th (Inside 9th row)
ATO finishing position: 3rd place
Pit Position: Sixth pit on backstretch.
Jersey Color: Purple & white
Team: Steve Ziemba, Alex Malone, Robert Perez, Derek Bailey. There was no alternate rider.
Mechanic: Michael Kehrberg
Pit Timers/lap counters: Cricket Houze, Lauren Reynolds, Lauren Ziemba
Coach: Norm Houze
The last time ATO competed in the Little 500, the team won. That seems like a long time ago since it was not last year, but the
year before. ATO was not on the track last year due to three fouled attempts at qualifications in 2007. That was a big HURT!
So in the past 4-years, ATO has experienced the absolute highs and lows of the Little 5 experience. It's time for more
redemption.
Since ATO missed the race last year and because of their low qualification position this year, no one has talked much about this
team. No one is considering ATO to be a force in this race. But no one knows the speeds these guys are capable of and they
are quite content on being the big surprise of the day.
This won't be easy. First.....the weather! It was terrible......the worst ever. The cold stiff headwind on the backstretch was going
to be a formidable wall to push through. But everyone has the same conditions, so we're even. But ATO also has to serve a
2-second pre-race penalty. It really ends up being a 10-second penalty when having to come out of the lead pack. Steve is
starting the race, so he'll be wasting a lot of juice to chase the pack after the penalty. We discussed several ways to serve the
penalty and we were hoping for a yellow flag to be an opportunity. And finally, our greatest predicament was the recent injury of
our 4th rider Derek Bailey. He dislocated his shoulder in a brush with another ATO fraternity member two nights prior to the
race. That little fiasco may cost the team in ways we'll never know. Derek will be unable to compete and that will overburden the
other riders. Come on ATO, keep your hands off the bike team!
The team stayed overnight at Norm & Cricket's residence and woke up to a miserable day. Since their arrival, the only thing
discussed was race strategy. There are unlimited scenarios involving burn-outs, burn-ins, yellow flags, penalties, and many
other things. It is impossible to cover everything, so we just hope the riders can inherently sense what to do out there on the
track today.
The sendoff from the ATO house was more subdued than in previous years since there were several policemen patrolling the
area. Steve forgot his helmet and Derek rode to the track with a sling on his left arm. Several ATO alumni riders were present
including Hans Arnesen, Chris Bence, Tom Meersman, Jeremy Hess, and Michael Paulin. Once at the track, the team started
their warmup and mechanic Michael Kehrberg tweaked the bikes and discussed communications and yellow flag issues. It was
difficult just staying warm, so the race officials bypassed some pre-race ceremonies to get things going. It was soooo cold. The
following is a racap of each set according to my best recollection:
Steve Ziemba (13-laps, 1-13)
33 (46 53 yellow flag, served 2-second penalty) 34 39 39 41 (45 44 yellow flag) 39 33 35 36
Steve is one of the few riders on the track who wears a championship ring. There was no question in anyone's mind who would
start the race. Steve is ready, he's fast, and is smart. He was elected to Riders Council this year and has done a good job
bringing the guys together for this year's race. No one has experienced the highs and lows of the Little 500 quite like Steve.
Missing last year's race was excruciating. He can't wait to do damage out on the track today.
First on Steve's mind was to pull out of the middle of the 9th row and scoot up to the front as soon as possible. A yellow flag is
very likely to happen in the first few laps because of the stiff headwind coming into Turn 2. And that's what happened. On the
second lap there was a huge pileup right behind Steve. It was fortuitous that Steve made his way to the front as soon as
possible because he could have been in that crash. The yellow flag was late in coming out, so Steve found himself on the
frontstretch slowing down under the yellow. He wisely pulled out of the lead pack and into the penalty box to serve his 2-second
penalty. That was a beautiful move and decision. He did exactly as we discussed prior to the race and made that penalty a
minimal issue. Way to go Steve!
The rest of Steve's set went very well staying up front and out of trouble. There was another yellow flag. This is the one I think
that took out the Black Key Bulls. BKB was a pre-race favorite, but it wasn't their day from the start. Their top rider Isaac Neff
was sick and their crash took them out early. Stuff happens out there.
Steve's bike exchange to Alex was absolutely beautiful. He could have done more laps, but we didn't want him to do more than
60-laps total. We were saving him until the end, so it was time to give it to Alex.
Alex Malone (26-laps, 14-39)
36 38 37 39 38 38 39 39 36 36 38 38 37 38 36 39 37 36 36 36 (41 46 yellow) 37 37 36 37
Alex is a senior and rookie rider. Since missing the race last year, Alex put in a ton of work to get himself ready to compete this
year. He arrived at spring break slim and trim. Watching him perform on the track in Florida indicated that Alex would pedal the
lion's share of the laps this year. We were preparing him to ride 80-100 laps. Alex has no racing experience, but he's got a
good head on his shoulders and understands the race. So he'll probably be OK out there. Alex also finished in 6th place in the
ITTs, so he has the respect of others on the track.
Alex jockeyed back and forth between the middle and front of the lead pack. He was in there for the long haul. He could have
done more, but a 26-lap set in the front of the pack is impressive. That's probably one of the best first sets for a rookie in ATO
history. He came in the pits for a 2-bike exchange to Robert.
Robert Perez (21-laps, 40-60)
38 40 38 38 38 36 38 39 36 38 40 40 39 41 37 37 37 35 38 36 40
Rob is a junior in his first race. He brings a lot of enthusiasm to the team and is very coachable. And he can put the hammer
down as fast as anyone out there. We also knew he'd have to peel off a 20-lap initial set because we only have 3-riders today.
It was cold, so it's actually better to stay out there and just do one lap after another. Rob positioned himself perfectly in the
paceline and actually led on several laps. That got the ATO crowd going. The guys were gaining more and more confidence
with each set. No one was out-riding them out there. ATO is for real and maybe the biggest surprise of the day. Rob brought
the bike into Steve for his second set of the day.
Steve Ziemba (22-laps, 61-82)
41 39 36 37 39 38 40 37 35 39 38 38 (54 45 yellow flag) 38 39 39 36 38 40 38 37
This was Steve's second set and he knew it would be over 20-laps. We figured this would be his longest set during mid-race
when things calm down a little. The times were slightly on the slower side because of the cold weather, but Steve was staying up
front through most of his set. On his 13th lap, Fiji crashed in Turn 2 and brought out the yellow flag. Turn 2 was where all the
drama and action was this year. The huge wall of wind into Turn 2 was the big factor. Steve had a great burnout to Alex with a
beautiful bike exchange. Things are going great so far.
Alex Malone (23-laps, 83-105)
38 37 39 39 37 41 40 37 41 37 37 37 40 41 42 45 40 36 38 38 39 36 38
Alex was ready to do another big set. Everyone indicated it seemed warmer out on the track than in the pits on the windtrainers.
Alex put together another masterpiece set of laps. He looked strong, confident, and positioned himself wisely. On his 8th lap,
he had to swerve around some riders while going by the ATO pits. That was close.....whew! Alex was on it. He paid attention
and knew when to react to other riders. There was a lot of tire rubbing out there. Things slowed a bit during mid-set for Alex
and I was hoping he'd use the slow laps to move up towards the front more. It makes us nervous in the pits when our rider gets
boxed in the middle of the pack. After 23-laps, Alex blazed a burnout to Rob. It was sweet.
Robert Perez (17-laps, 106-122)
39 38 39 38 41 38 38 37 37 37 37 35 37 39 39 41 38
OK, by this time the pit judge and fans behind the fence were reminding us that we had only 4-bike exchanges before Rob went
out on Lap 106. The rules require 10-bike exchanges in 200-laps. We did exactly 10-bike exchanges during ATO's win in 2006.
That's what I call perfect! If a team has more than 14-bike exchanges, something is wrong. Bike exchanges can increase the
risk and get you in trouble, so we try to minimize it as much as possible. I wasn't worried about our quota because I knew we'd
pick up a lot more bike exchanges during the last 20-30 laps of the race.
Rob pedaled a heroic set. He was starting to feel some cramps in his legs. He peeled off 13-hot laps and was ready to come in
the pits. We were ready with the second bike. In fact, Michael Kehrberg, the mechanic, was always attentive and right there
with the second bike. But Robert encountered the only minor screw-up of the day. Steve was out on the track ready to make
the bike exchange and suddenly we heard screams from behind the fence. The loudest scream came from Steve's sister,
Lauren Ziemba who was frantically motioning that her little brother was still wearing his warmup jacket. Steve had forgotten to
remove it. This caused some mayhem because as he was hurrying to remove the jacket, Rob was already flying into the pits for
the exchange. We made a split second decision to send Rob back out on the track. He was drained after that burnout, but I
think he understood something was amiss, so he accelerated out of the pits to catch the lead pack. By the time he came around
again, he was tucked in the middle of the leaders. Whew! That was close. Robert was always thinking and really cooked on
that lap. He spent two more laps gaining his position and did a beautiful burnout and 6th bike exchange to Steve. Impressive!
I don't know if ATO would have been penalized for the jacket, but knowing the crazy calls ATO has suffered since 2004, we
weren't taking any chances. It's great having your older sister around to pick up after you....right Steve!
Steve Ziemba (11-laps, 123-133)
42 38 37 42 39 41 38 37 36 39 40
This was Steve's third set. He could have done way more than 11-laps, but it was budget time. So far, ATO was looking real
good. We were staying up front and Steve had great position. Both Alex and Robert felt pretty good and I knew Alex could
come up with another big set in the mid-20's. So we wanted to keep Steve for two more short sets after this one. Steve was in
control and was able to stay up with any burnouts from Dodds, Cutters, and Phi Psi. He made a beautiful 7th bike exchange to
Alex.
Alex Malone (26-laps, 134-159)
42 41 40 37 38 36 42 38 37 42 35 38 38 39 40 40 43 38 37 40 37 40 40 39 37 39
Things were settling down and no one was making a breakaway. Knowing we had only three riders, it was too soon for us to
think of such things. All we wanted Alex to do was sit in the pack and eat up some laps. That he did. It was a real big set. We
would have liked Alex to move up some toward the front because he was starting to get pushed out the back. We flashed the
MOVE UP sign for four straight laps. He just stayed put. OK, he's running the show and doing a great set, so we just watched.
Suddenly he pulled out of his mid-set stupor and took charge out front. He motioned to come in and gave Rob a great burnout
and 8th bike exchange. Wow, this was a great set, just like his first one.
Robert Perez (10-laps, 160-169)
37 39 39 39 39 38 40 43 35 37
40-laps to go. It's now time for shorter sets. We needed to keep all three riders on the budget plan. Everyone knows things
start to heat up around this time. So we didn't want to drain anyone's tank unnecessarily. Rob really dominated the pack on
this set. He was out front most of the time and the announcer was alerting the crowd of ATO's performance. Back in the pits,
we're scrambling around checking how the riders feel and trying to now determine the final sequences of the race. Rob did a
masterful burnout and 9th bike exchange to Steve. Wow, that was a hot set in the freezing cold.
Steve Ziemba (10-laps, 170-179)
39 39 43 41 37 35 39 40 40 38
Steve's assignment was to do at least 7-laps, maybe 10. We knew he'd be going out pretty quickly at the end of the race and
we need to buy some recovery time for him. This is the time I really wish we had a 4th rider. A fresh rider could have done
some real damage out there. But so far, Steve, Alex, and Rob were doing a great job and staying up with the lead pack with the
Cutters, Phi Psi, TMT, and Dodds House. Steve pushed his total to 10-laps and was ready to come in. On his last lap, I flashed
a message "2-bike exchange to Rob" because while Steve was out there, we decided to change the rotation and give the bike to
Rob to later set up Alex for a 1-bike exchange to Steve in finishing the race. We just hoped Steve would get the message and
be ready for the 2-bike exchange to Rob.
Robert Perez (4-laps, 180-183)
39 39 37 40
Steve knew what was up. Robert took the tag on the 10th bike exchange of the day and was on his way. We were hoping he
could do 8-10 laps for his final set of the day. It was up to him to decide whether to breakaway or suck the Cutter's wheel. But
we were surprised that he motioned to come in after only 4-laps. Oops, this will alter the plan that was formulating in the pits.
We needed at least four more laps while the lead teams are slowing down jockeying for the lead. But maybe Rob didn't get
enough recovery time due to the change in rotation. I don't know, but Rob decided to pit and Alex was next to go.
Alex Malone (5-laps, 184-188)
38 38 40 42 39
Dang! We wanted Alex to go in at around Lap 188-189 and go to at least Lap 195. At this same time, the Cutters pitted and put
fresh legs on the track. Whoever was on the Cutter bike blew by Alex on the homestretch like he was standing still. They were
attempting a breakaway and ATO was running out of juice. This is the point where we really felt the pinch of not having that 4th
rider. This is the time ATO needed 36-37 second laps. Alex's 4th lap was a 42 and the Cutter lead was mounting. We were
the only team staying in the hunt behind the Cutters. TMT, Dodds, and Phi Psi's were all fading also. We motioned for Alex to
pit on his 5th lap and give it everything he got. I mentioned to Steve that Alex would probably have rubber legs coming in on this
bike exchange and to take the bike from him with authority. As Alex approached the pits, he barely got off the bike. His legs
became Mr. Gumby, full of lead and rubber. Steve grabbed the wobbly bike from Alex and was on his way.
Steve Ziemba (6-laps, 189-194)
39 38 40 41 40 39
Steve had been doing 35-37 second laps all day, but couldn't keep up the pace with the Cutters late in the race. ATO couldn't
afford any laps in the 40's. We desperately needed those 36's and 37's now. Steve was able to string out the rest of the
competition, but the Cutters kept turning the screws. By the time we motioned for Steve to do the final bike exchange to Rob,
the Cutters were mounting an 18-20 second lead. ATO was now racing for second place. Steve was on his last set. He
pedaled an extremely well executed race today. His head was in the game and he should be elected as an All-Star Rider.
Robert Perez (5-laps, 195-199)
38 41 37 37 35
Steve's bike exchange to Robert was a 2-bike exchange.....not what we wanted for the final laps. But as it turned out, Rob was
able to redeem himself by staying in the lead until Team Major Taylor pitted with 2-laps to go. Their sprinter was up and away.
He chased Rob for 1.5-laps and caught him with a half lap to go in the race. Dodds and Phi Psi's also caught up and all four
were together going into Turn 3 on Lap 199. Rob was boxed in but as TMT opened up a gap, Rob positioned himself on the
outside with Dodds coming into Turn 4. With 10 pedal strokes to go, Rob launched his booster and sprinted past the Dodds
House rider on the outside to capture 3rd place. That was a huge effort and a great move on the outside. It was beautiful.
ATO in the Top-3......UNBELIEVABLE! They executed a fantastic race and improved by 23-spots from the 26th qualifying
position. Only one other team has improved that much in the history of the race. This will earn them the Dixie Highway award
for 2008. This will also earn them a lot of respect of their fellow teams. It's very cool that they were able to do it with only
3-riders. A strong 4th rider would have resulted in a win for ATO, so I'm hoping there will be more riders trying out for the team
next year. There's no question that Alex and Rob should be voted Rookies of the Year. No other rookies were hammering as
much as our guys. Their race was near perfect.
The Cutters were dominant. They will lose 3-seniors but constantly reload because they enjoy superior recruiting advantages. I
believe ATO is the only fraternity who has won and been the most successful greek organization in the Little 500 the past
decade. Our guys are generally satisfied with their performance today. I am too. They are a great group of guys who
surprised a lot of people today. ATO's quest for a future championship begins tomorrow.
Total Laps Per Rider
Steve 13+22+11+10+6 = 62-laps (started)
Alex 26+23+26+5 = 80-laps
Rob 21+18+10+4+5 = 58-laps (finished)
Derek 0-laps
Total Bike Exchanges: 13 (Three more than in 2006, six less than in 2005 and three less than in 2004)
Total Penalites: 1 (2-seconds for pre-race penalty)
Crashes: 0
Norm Houze
1980-1989, 1999-2008 ATO Bike Team Coach
Place: Bill Armstrong Stadium
Event: 2008 Men's Little 500 Race
Distance: 200-laps
Climate: Cloudy, cold, windy, mid-40's and stiff W winds. (The worst Little 500 weather in memory)
Time: 2:00pm
Winner: Cutters (2:10.10)
ATO starting position: 26th (Inside 9th row)
ATO finishing position: 3rd place
Pit Position: Sixth pit on backstretch.
Jersey Color: Purple & white
Team: Steve Ziemba, Alex Malone, Robert Perez, Derek Bailey. There was no alternate rider.
Mechanic: Michael Kehrberg
Pit Timers/lap counters: Cricket Houze, Lauren Reynolds, Lauren Ziemba
Coach: Norm Houze
The last time ATO competed in the Little 500, the team won. That seems like a long time ago since it was not last year, but the
year before. ATO was not on the track last year due to three fouled attempts at qualifications in 2007. That was a big HURT!
So in the past 4-years, ATO has experienced the absolute highs and lows of the Little 5 experience. It's time for more
redemption.
Since ATO missed the race last year and because of their low qualification position this year, no one has talked much about this
team. No one is considering ATO to be a force in this race. But no one knows the speeds these guys are capable of and they
are quite content on being the big surprise of the day.
This won't be easy. First.....the weather! It was terrible......the worst ever. The cold stiff headwind on the backstretch was going
to be a formidable wall to push through. But everyone has the same conditions, so we're even. But ATO also has to serve a
2-second pre-race penalty. It really ends up being a 10-second penalty when having to come out of the lead pack. Steve is
starting the race, so he'll be wasting a lot of juice to chase the pack after the penalty. We discussed several ways to serve the
penalty and we were hoping for a yellow flag to be an opportunity. And finally, our greatest predicament was the recent injury of
our 4th rider Derek Bailey. He dislocated his shoulder in a brush with another ATO fraternity member two nights prior to the
race. That little fiasco may cost the team in ways we'll never know. Derek will be unable to compete and that will overburden the
other riders. Come on ATO, keep your hands off the bike team!
The team stayed overnight at Norm & Cricket's residence and woke up to a miserable day. Since their arrival, the only thing
discussed was race strategy. There are unlimited scenarios involving burn-outs, burn-ins, yellow flags, penalties, and many
other things. It is impossible to cover everything, so we just hope the riders can inherently sense what to do out there on the
track today.
The sendoff from the ATO house was more subdued than in previous years since there were several policemen patrolling the
area. Steve forgot his helmet and Derek rode to the track with a sling on his left arm. Several ATO alumni riders were present
including Hans Arnesen, Chris Bence, Tom Meersman, Jeremy Hess, and Michael Paulin. Once at the track, the team started
their warmup and mechanic Michael Kehrberg tweaked the bikes and discussed communications and yellow flag issues. It was
difficult just staying warm, so the race officials bypassed some pre-race ceremonies to get things going. It was soooo cold. The
following is a racap of each set according to my best recollection:
Steve Ziemba (13-laps, 1-13)
33 (46 53 yellow flag, served 2-second penalty) 34 39 39 41 (45 44 yellow flag) 39 33 35 36
Steve is one of the few riders on the track who wears a championship ring. There was no question in anyone's mind who would
start the race. Steve is ready, he's fast, and is smart. He was elected to Riders Council this year and has done a good job
bringing the guys together for this year's race. No one has experienced the highs and lows of the Little 500 quite like Steve.
Missing last year's race was excruciating. He can't wait to do damage out on the track today.
First on Steve's mind was to pull out of the middle of the 9th row and scoot up to the front as soon as possible. A yellow flag is
very likely to happen in the first few laps because of the stiff headwind coming into Turn 2. And that's what happened. On the
second lap there was a huge pileup right behind Steve. It was fortuitous that Steve made his way to the front as soon as
possible because he could have been in that crash. The yellow flag was late in coming out, so Steve found himself on the
frontstretch slowing down under the yellow. He wisely pulled out of the lead pack and into the penalty box to serve his 2-second
penalty. That was a beautiful move and decision. He did exactly as we discussed prior to the race and made that penalty a
minimal issue. Way to go Steve!
The rest of Steve's set went very well staying up front and out of trouble. There was another yellow flag. This is the one I think
that took out the Black Key Bulls. BKB was a pre-race favorite, but it wasn't their day from the start. Their top rider Isaac Neff
was sick and their crash took them out early. Stuff happens out there.
Steve's bike exchange to Alex was absolutely beautiful. He could have done more laps, but we didn't want him to do more than
60-laps total. We were saving him until the end, so it was time to give it to Alex.
Alex Malone (26-laps, 14-39)
36 38 37 39 38 38 39 39 36 36 38 38 37 38 36 39 37 36 36 36 (41 46 yellow) 37 37 36 37
Alex is a senior and rookie rider. Since missing the race last year, Alex put in a ton of work to get himself ready to compete this
year. He arrived at spring break slim and trim. Watching him perform on the track in Florida indicated that Alex would pedal the
lion's share of the laps this year. We were preparing him to ride 80-100 laps. Alex has no racing experience, but he's got a
good head on his shoulders and understands the race. So he'll probably be OK out there. Alex also finished in 6th place in the
ITTs, so he has the respect of others on the track.
Alex jockeyed back and forth between the middle and front of the lead pack. He was in there for the long haul. He could have
done more, but a 26-lap set in the front of the pack is impressive. That's probably one of the best first sets for a rookie in ATO
history. He came in the pits for a 2-bike exchange to Robert.
Robert Perez (21-laps, 40-60)
38 40 38 38 38 36 38 39 36 38 40 40 39 41 37 37 37 35 38 36 40
Rob is a junior in his first race. He brings a lot of enthusiasm to the team and is very coachable. And he can put the hammer
down as fast as anyone out there. We also knew he'd have to peel off a 20-lap initial set because we only have 3-riders today.
It was cold, so it's actually better to stay out there and just do one lap after another. Rob positioned himself perfectly in the
paceline and actually led on several laps. That got the ATO crowd going. The guys were gaining more and more confidence
with each set. No one was out-riding them out there. ATO is for real and maybe the biggest surprise of the day. Rob brought
the bike into Steve for his second set of the day.
Steve Ziemba (22-laps, 61-82)
41 39 36 37 39 38 40 37 35 39 38 38 (54 45 yellow flag) 38 39 39 36 38 40 38 37
This was Steve's second set and he knew it would be over 20-laps. We figured this would be his longest set during mid-race
when things calm down a little. The times were slightly on the slower side because of the cold weather, but Steve was staying up
front through most of his set. On his 13th lap, Fiji crashed in Turn 2 and brought out the yellow flag. Turn 2 was where all the
drama and action was this year. The huge wall of wind into Turn 2 was the big factor. Steve had a great burnout to Alex with a
beautiful bike exchange. Things are going great so far.
Alex Malone (23-laps, 83-105)
38 37 39 39 37 41 40 37 41 37 37 37 40 41 42 45 40 36 38 38 39 36 38
Alex was ready to do another big set. Everyone indicated it seemed warmer out on the track than in the pits on the windtrainers.
Alex put together another masterpiece set of laps. He looked strong, confident, and positioned himself wisely. On his 8th lap,
he had to swerve around some riders while going by the ATO pits. That was close.....whew! Alex was on it. He paid attention
and knew when to react to other riders. There was a lot of tire rubbing out there. Things slowed a bit during mid-set for Alex
and I was hoping he'd use the slow laps to move up towards the front more. It makes us nervous in the pits when our rider gets
boxed in the middle of the pack. After 23-laps, Alex blazed a burnout to Rob. It was sweet.
Robert Perez (17-laps, 106-122)
39 38 39 38 41 38 38 37 37 37 37 35 37 39 39 41 38
OK, by this time the pit judge and fans behind the fence were reminding us that we had only 4-bike exchanges before Rob went
out on Lap 106. The rules require 10-bike exchanges in 200-laps. We did exactly 10-bike exchanges during ATO's win in 2006.
That's what I call perfect! If a team has more than 14-bike exchanges, something is wrong. Bike exchanges can increase the
risk and get you in trouble, so we try to minimize it as much as possible. I wasn't worried about our quota because I knew we'd
pick up a lot more bike exchanges during the last 20-30 laps of the race.
Rob pedaled a heroic set. He was starting to feel some cramps in his legs. He peeled off 13-hot laps and was ready to come in
the pits. We were ready with the second bike. In fact, Michael Kehrberg, the mechanic, was always attentive and right there
with the second bike. But Robert encountered the only minor screw-up of the day. Steve was out on the track ready to make
the bike exchange and suddenly we heard screams from behind the fence. The loudest scream came from Steve's sister,
Lauren Ziemba who was frantically motioning that her little brother was still wearing his warmup jacket. Steve had forgotten to
remove it. This caused some mayhem because as he was hurrying to remove the jacket, Rob was already flying into the pits for
the exchange. We made a split second decision to send Rob back out on the track. He was drained after that burnout, but I
think he understood something was amiss, so he accelerated out of the pits to catch the lead pack. By the time he came around
again, he was tucked in the middle of the leaders. Whew! That was close. Robert was always thinking and really cooked on
that lap. He spent two more laps gaining his position and did a beautiful burnout and 6th bike exchange to Steve. Impressive!
I don't know if ATO would have been penalized for the jacket, but knowing the crazy calls ATO has suffered since 2004, we
weren't taking any chances. It's great having your older sister around to pick up after you....right Steve!
Steve Ziemba (11-laps, 123-133)
42 38 37 42 39 41 38 37 36 39 40
This was Steve's third set. He could have done way more than 11-laps, but it was budget time. So far, ATO was looking real
good. We were staying up front and Steve had great position. Both Alex and Robert felt pretty good and I knew Alex could
come up with another big set in the mid-20's. So we wanted to keep Steve for two more short sets after this one. Steve was in
control and was able to stay up with any burnouts from Dodds, Cutters, and Phi Psi. He made a beautiful 7th bike exchange to
Alex.
Alex Malone (26-laps, 134-159)
42 41 40 37 38 36 42 38 37 42 35 38 38 39 40 40 43 38 37 40 37 40 40 39 37 39
Things were settling down and no one was making a breakaway. Knowing we had only three riders, it was too soon for us to
think of such things. All we wanted Alex to do was sit in the pack and eat up some laps. That he did. It was a real big set. We
would have liked Alex to move up some toward the front because he was starting to get pushed out the back. We flashed the
MOVE UP sign for four straight laps. He just stayed put. OK, he's running the show and doing a great set, so we just watched.
Suddenly he pulled out of his mid-set stupor and took charge out front. He motioned to come in and gave Rob a great burnout
and 8th bike exchange. Wow, this was a great set, just like his first one.
Robert Perez (10-laps, 160-169)
37 39 39 39 39 38 40 43 35 37
40-laps to go. It's now time for shorter sets. We needed to keep all three riders on the budget plan. Everyone knows things
start to heat up around this time. So we didn't want to drain anyone's tank unnecessarily. Rob really dominated the pack on
this set. He was out front most of the time and the announcer was alerting the crowd of ATO's performance. Back in the pits,
we're scrambling around checking how the riders feel and trying to now determine the final sequences of the race. Rob did a
masterful burnout and 9th bike exchange to Steve. Wow, that was a hot set in the freezing cold.
Steve Ziemba (10-laps, 170-179)
39 39 43 41 37 35 39 40 40 38
Steve's assignment was to do at least 7-laps, maybe 10. We knew he'd be going out pretty quickly at the end of the race and
we need to buy some recovery time for him. This is the time I really wish we had a 4th rider. A fresh rider could have done
some real damage out there. But so far, Steve, Alex, and Rob were doing a great job and staying up with the lead pack with the
Cutters, Phi Psi, TMT, and Dodds House. Steve pushed his total to 10-laps and was ready to come in. On his last lap, I flashed
a message "2-bike exchange to Rob" because while Steve was out there, we decided to change the rotation and give the bike to
Rob to later set up Alex for a 1-bike exchange to Steve in finishing the race. We just hoped Steve would get the message and
be ready for the 2-bike exchange to Rob.
Robert Perez (4-laps, 180-183)
39 39 37 40
Steve knew what was up. Robert took the tag on the 10th bike exchange of the day and was on his way. We were hoping he
could do 8-10 laps for his final set of the day. It was up to him to decide whether to breakaway or suck the Cutter's wheel. But
we were surprised that he motioned to come in after only 4-laps. Oops, this will alter the plan that was formulating in the pits.
We needed at least four more laps while the lead teams are slowing down jockeying for the lead. But maybe Rob didn't get
enough recovery time due to the change in rotation. I don't know, but Rob decided to pit and Alex was next to go.
Alex Malone (5-laps, 184-188)
38 38 40 42 39
Dang! We wanted Alex to go in at around Lap 188-189 and go to at least Lap 195. At this same time, the Cutters pitted and put
fresh legs on the track. Whoever was on the Cutter bike blew by Alex on the homestretch like he was standing still. They were
attempting a breakaway and ATO was running out of juice. This is the point where we really felt the pinch of not having that 4th
rider. This is the time ATO needed 36-37 second laps. Alex's 4th lap was a 42 and the Cutter lead was mounting. We were
the only team staying in the hunt behind the Cutters. TMT, Dodds, and Phi Psi's were all fading also. We motioned for Alex to
pit on his 5th lap and give it everything he got. I mentioned to Steve that Alex would probably have rubber legs coming in on this
bike exchange and to take the bike from him with authority. As Alex approached the pits, he barely got off the bike. His legs
became Mr. Gumby, full of lead and rubber. Steve grabbed the wobbly bike from Alex and was on his way.
Steve Ziemba (6-laps, 189-194)
39 38 40 41 40 39
Steve had been doing 35-37 second laps all day, but couldn't keep up the pace with the Cutters late in the race. ATO couldn't
afford any laps in the 40's. We desperately needed those 36's and 37's now. Steve was able to string out the rest of the
competition, but the Cutters kept turning the screws. By the time we motioned for Steve to do the final bike exchange to Rob,
the Cutters were mounting an 18-20 second lead. ATO was now racing for second place. Steve was on his last set. He
pedaled an extremely well executed race today. His head was in the game and he should be elected as an All-Star Rider.
Robert Perez (5-laps, 195-199)
38 41 37 37 35
Steve's bike exchange to Robert was a 2-bike exchange.....not what we wanted for the final laps. But as it turned out, Rob was
able to redeem himself by staying in the lead until Team Major Taylor pitted with 2-laps to go. Their sprinter was up and away.
He chased Rob for 1.5-laps and caught him with a half lap to go in the race. Dodds and Phi Psi's also caught up and all four
were together going into Turn 3 on Lap 199. Rob was boxed in but as TMT opened up a gap, Rob positioned himself on the
outside with Dodds coming into Turn 4. With 10 pedal strokes to go, Rob launched his booster and sprinted past the Dodds
House rider on the outside to capture 3rd place. That was a huge effort and a great move on the outside. It was beautiful.
ATO in the Top-3......UNBELIEVABLE! They executed a fantastic race and improved by 23-spots from the 26th qualifying
position. Only one other team has improved that much in the history of the race. This will earn them the Dixie Highway award
for 2008. This will also earn them a lot of respect of their fellow teams. It's very cool that they were able to do it with only
3-riders. A strong 4th rider would have resulted in a win for ATO, so I'm hoping there will be more riders trying out for the team
next year. There's no question that Alex and Rob should be voted Rookies of the Year. No other rookies were hammering as
much as our guys. Their race was near perfect.
The Cutters were dominant. They will lose 3-seniors but constantly reload because they enjoy superior recruiting advantages. I
believe ATO is the only fraternity who has won and been the most successful greek organization in the Little 500 the past
decade. Our guys are generally satisfied with their performance today. I am too. They are a great group of guys who
surprised a lot of people today. ATO's quest for a future championship begins tomorrow.
Total Laps Per Rider
Steve 13+22+11+10+6 = 62-laps (started)
Alex 26+23+26+5 = 80-laps
Rob 21+18+10+4+5 = 58-laps (finished)
Derek 0-laps
Total Bike Exchanges: 13 (Three more than in 2006, six less than in 2005 and three less than in 2004)
Total Penalites: 1 (2-seconds for pre-race penalty)
Crashes: 0
Norm Houze
1980-1989, 1999-2008 ATO Bike Team Coach
Little 500 2008
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