Hello and Happy Independence Day and Happy 4th of July to Everyone! Remember to be safe around fireworks, keep a bucket of water nearby when lighting them off, and we all will even though we see it as burning your money or wasting it by blowing it up, but it is so MUCH FUN!!!! I love July, it means we are one step closer to the holiday Season, School re-starting and FOOTBALL GAMES and cooler weather! Can you tell my favorite time of the year is Oct – Dec. But for now, be sure to plan your trips, watch the weather, bring your rain gear, and drink lots of water when out and about riding. It’s freakin hot and it’s only going to get hotter.
Speaking of hot and wet, we have our biggest and best ride of the year this month happening, The Annual Soaked and Sore Ass Poker Run on July 15th. This great ride is sponsored by the Fran Haasch Law Group 866-LAWFRAN or LAWFRAN.com. It’s going to be huge as we are starting at Quaker steak and Lube and heading down to Islamorada in the Keys. You do not have to pre-register for this ride, we do have about 50 people pre-registered, but you do not have to. You can show up the day of at Quaker, we will have plenty of people helping register and we have the pre-registered already also on a list. We do this to know how many shirts we will need to make. We are looking at this being one of the largest Sore Ass rides we have ever done! We should have over 200 riders on this ride! Sunday you can either head home or like most everyone does is head to Key West and Spend the day there, grab a room and head home on Monday. The prize money for the poker run is based on how many hands were sold, the past few years 1st place has been upwards of $600 - $800.
Please spread the word on this ride and tell your friends to come out with you. We want this to be a spectacular ride and our biggest one to date. Our stops are very reasonable and about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes in length. We start at Quaker Steak and head to Adrenaline Harley, then to Bert’s Black Widow Harley, then Rockstar Harley, then to Island Café in Everglades City, the next stop is a little bit away and that is at Last Chance Bar and Package. This is about an hour and 45 mins, but it’s because there is nothing in between to stop at. You will want to stop and gas up at the Shell/Pilot gas station at Us 41 and Krome Ave. across from the Miccosukee Casino. This ride is great because you do not get your t-shirt patch and certificate until the end stop when you make it all the way. If you don’t make the end stop, you don’t get your reward / prize! And we don’t just give these items to anyone, when we are done, we will offer them to the people on the ride as extras, but if we have them left over, we throw them away so you can’t just get a shirt if you didn’t do the ride! Please feel free to call us if you have any questions about this ride, we could always use some chase vehicles also on this ride in case, well you know, shit happens….
We are working on some new bike nights, and we hope to see everyone out at them when you get a chance. Our first bike night is Diesel’s, the 1st Thursday of the Month! This has grown to be a huge event with 300400 bikes each time! We must thank our newest attorney sponsors: Denmon Pearlman Law for stepping up and giving away some amazing prizes to the biker community. So far, we have given away Grills, tools and work benches, and TV’s and this month we have yeti Coolers that are not cheap at all! I believe next month we will give away kayaks – how awesome is that!? We are starting another bike night at the Roost, and this will have a cowboy / cowgirl country theme to it and YES, we will have a mechanical bull there. Check out the ad in this month’s issue for more info.
We only have two months left of our ADVERTISING SPECIAL where we have discounted our full page and half page ads for the summertime. We know it’s hot and hard to ride because of the rain but we are still here putting on events and producing a great publication that helps you plan your rides and your weekends. Let us help you promote your business, charity ride, restaurant, side hustle or whatever you do! That’s what we are here for, the biker community, 110%! Be safe, be smart, don’t drink and ride and we will see you soon!
Summertime is here, so in addition to riding Florida’s backroads, traveling, it is also time for cooler activities like Pool Parties, Cook-outs, Indoor Socials, and Ice Cream.
The Tampa Bay Chapter has been encouraging newer riders with a Ride Captain Challenge to take charge and ‘lead’ a local group ride. This builds the confidence level of new riders to plot a road trip and lead… versus just tagging along and watching those around you. Amber took charge and led the group of members and guests to Dunedin for Ice Cream and to check out the Murals Dunedin has to offer. Great time and laughter were had by all… Later in the month, Hel led four Diva chapters along the back roads to the Tail of the Gecko and onwards to Rivers Edge for hydration and lunch. It is fun to get together with sisters from other chapters for a good day riding and libations.
July 1st Diva Angels had their First
Annual Picnic at Maximo Park, which is a central location between Sarasota, Tampa Bay, Herricane and Pasco Chapters. We had All Chapters and some NOMADs in attendance, it was a great day playing in the park, potluck lunch, and socializing.
If you are interested in learning more about the Diva Angels ladies riding group, and more safety tips, please come see us. Tampa Bay Chapter meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month at Quaker Steak and Lube in Clearwater (6:30-7:00 social/meet & greet, 7:00 pm Meeting). Check out our website http://www.divaangels.org/ to find a chapter near you or visit us on Facebook at https://www. facebook.com/DIVAANGELSTAMPABAYCHAPTER/ (Pinellas County area) to keep up with events and our shenanigans, join in when you can. We are a 501c(7) not for profit organization.
Helene Miller
Bay Chapter Treasurer; Media/Marketing; Web Admin
COME RIDE WITH US!
What’s going on my people
“ Mi Gente”!!! here we are again another month. It’s gonna be awesome with July 4th coming up soon, and the Soaked N Sore A$$ ride to Islamorada on Saturday July 15 !!!! can’t wait to see you all !! it is still early to book your rooms with a group or friends at hotels close by. This month has been pretty amazing with our bike nights and poker run. I have to admit we couldn’t have done it without y’all and the awesome sponsors ! Denmon Pearlman Law!! not only sponsor our bike nights but are like a true new biker family always looking to support our biker community. I want to thank the “ Divas” for supporting and volunteering their time assisting us with our 5 bridge poker run ..ladies did an awesome job especially, with
the beads entertainment show..Thank you LOKA!! way too funny at Burt’s Barracuda. I just want to remind everybody on the Soaked and Sore A$$ ride we all need to hydrate and keep in mind we will always run into a little rain,Also check your tires, tire air pressure, do a thorough check on the bike. And don’t forget the most important reminder… Be safe and have fun ! enjoy the ride.
As always, I will remind everybody try to wear your helmets. Be safe. Keep your heads on a swivel…so many accidents happen daily..It’s just nonstop every week even as I’m driving I can see how many Bikers can be involved in accidents with drivers just not focusing on the road.
They call him “Reverend Jim” of “Preachers Motorcycle”. I call him an old brother, a friend and, a true fellow patriot. Born in Olean New York, 1952, self-employed most of his life, Jim started his first business while in high school. He graduated on a Saturday and turned the key to his first repair shop the following Monday.
Jim is a maniac of anything with high horsepower. He lives his life breathing just that. Not sure it is blood flowing through his veins. I think it may just be 10W40, 20W-50 or top fuel depending how good his coffee was in the morning. Rev. Jim got every certification for mechanics he could get including not one but two Master Mechanics Degrees. Jim moved to Florida in 1986 and began a custom paint business that evolved into the brand name “Preachers Hot Rod Cycle Designs” (www.facebook.com/Preacherscycles/).
Preachers Hot Rod Cycle Designs is a full-service shop specialized in complete motorcycle fabrication, machine work and custom paint. Preachers has turned several motorcycles into winning machines. That is in some of the biggest shows in the industry. Most recently “The Championship Of Americas Performance” class. Jim and his work has been featured in several national magazines, numerous local publications and on the Velocity Networks Cafe Racer TV show.
Now what? Well, our Reverend has retired and made it his mission to continue the charity he helped start along with some familiar names in the business. Among them are Dennis Campbell, Bruce Murakami (RIP) and Wayne Witczak.
“Racing for Orphans” is dedicated to
helping orphans by inspiring them to pursue their dreams through motorcycle racing. Collaborating with the local Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches located in Live Oaks Florida, they create opportunities for children in need to receive monetary gifts and scholarship programs. They do this by offering marketing programs to corporate sponsors. Among them to name a few are none other of course than our beloved Fran Haasch and her husband Rhett Jones of www.lawfran.com followed by House of Kolor www. houseofkolor.com, Brothers Powder Coating www. brotherspowdercoating.com and Eagle Motorcycle Salvage www.facebook.com/eaglemotorcyclesalvage. It is reported that “100% of all donations go directly to the children.” Racing for Orphans, LLC is currently a 501.(C)(3). All donations go directly into the secured Sheriffs’ bank account specifically set up for the Racing for Orphans program.
Racing for Orphans currently has four bikes in its stable; a test bike that looks like a beast from the Madmax movie, a Bonneville bike for Utah’s salty race track, the Orange bike that looks like a pure bread for asphalt speed addicts. Worth mentioning here is that the famed Orange bike was built
on Dicovery Channels Cafe Racer TV. It made the cover for Cafe Racer magazine. It was tuned on TV by legendary top fuel motorcycle racer Larry "Spiderman" McBride and ridden by 11 time champion Ricky Gadson. It was also raced to a land speed record in its’ category (~110.14mph) at Bonneville (2018) by Racing For
Orphans Own "Aloha" Terry Hopkins. Last but not least is my favorite the “OB$E$$ED” that looks like an old school overpowered chopper with drag racing handle bars.
The Racing for Orphans crew is Lisa Goodrich, Chuck Carroll, Ray Walsh and Joe Cihak.
The racers are; Lea “Dream Catcher” Martinez of www.leamartinezfoundation.org. Lea “Dream Catcher” Martinez, is a pro female motorcycle drag racer. Racing For Orphans field a retro dragbike that will run in the Man Cup Drag racing series starting this fall 2023. Racing for Orphans called Lea to ride the new Honda CB 750 SOHC. Lea is small in height but large in courage . Lea approaches 200 mph on her personal dragbike. Racing For Orphans are proud to have Lea as a rider and wants to bring exposure to her story of surviving cancer while bringing awareness to orphaned, fostered and at risk children. She loved racing as a young girl. Her dad raced pro-stock cars. Lea only began riding motorcycles at age 37. Don’t let that fool you. She can do circles around you on her 2007 Suzuki Hayabusa before you blink!
Steve Aretz is a lifelong motorcycle enthusiast. Steve funds his passion for motorcycles and racing them through his successful welding company Hot Shot Welding www.hotshotwelding. com. Steve has lent his expert welding talent to a number of different race bikes built by Rev. Jim. Most recently the new vintage sidecar project that will run across the Bonneville salt flats August of 2023
. Steve will Ride another of the Honda CB 750 SOHC
entries.
Jim has been a wealth of knowledge and experience for a multitude in the industry including myself. Reminiscing the old days in collaboration with him he would challenge me to the unattainable. I would take great pride in delivering and overachieving. The bantering began and lasted still to this day. I remember getting in his van distributing magazines and listening to stories that could fill all pages of an entire magazine. Today I want to thank him. I applaud him and his entire team for their years of dedication for children in need.
If you want to find Rev. Jim you can usually find him at his booth at Quaker Steak and Lube on 49th Street in Clearwater Florida every Wednesday bike nights where 100s are known to “fellowship”. By the way, Racing For Orphans will auction off a custom made Evil Knievel tribute guitar at the Quaker Steak and Lube 20th anniversary in October 2023. Get your tix and support children’s dreams.
Psalms 82:3 Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. www.racingfororphans.com www.facebook. com/floridanighttrain
Source: Rev. Jim and web
Racing For Orphans
