“Just being able to hang out with the people is the
best part of the events”
Written by Jim Fox Photography by Jesse Fox (3G Video)

It’s Not About How Fast
My son rides motorcycles and for him it is about how fast, to a certain point, but I, on the other hand, didn’t ride motorcycles much. Bicycles all my life but not motorcycles. That’s why this story intrigued me so much and made me want to give you an inside look. With drag and drive being a fairly new event, although it has been around for 20 years, it has only become a fast upcoming event in the last three to four years. With that being what it is not many of the events that are being organized are allowing motorcycles to compete in them. Because of this fact you can only witness the fun they have at limited events. Maybe that will change as time goes on. Here is an ex-military man, motorcyclist that could maybe help set a new trend in the sport.

A Heavy Equipment Mechanic
Pat Cook lives in Harlington, TX and has worked as an emergency vehicle tech for the last nine years. The company he works for is a Fierce Firetruck dealer. Pat has worked on everything from a 1929 American LaFrane to the newest firetruck that comes off the manufactory line. Not only on the trucks but the ladders, pumps and anything in between. He served in the military for eight years and got out in 2013, deployed to Afghanistan and to Korea twice. During his time in the service he was a heavy equipment mechanic. This lead to him getting a job in Harlington for the fire department. Then the company he works for now came into town and he started working there.

No Interest in Motorcycles
Growing up in western New York state he was around motorcycles due to his dad being the president of the local Christian Motorcycle Association chapter but his interest was not there. He started riding with his dad at age nine, first time he rode by himself was at age fourteen and on the street when he got his permit at age fifteen. When Pat was in high school the interest was in car road racing. Couldn’t afford cycles, although a desire to road race cycles was there. He was a big fan of Moto GP World Superbike at that time. Pat had a memory of when he was nine or ten, his family went to Erie, PA to a motorcycle game event and he got his picture in the paper of him on the back of a motorcycle with some guy his family didn’t even know. These type things stick with you and leave lasting impressions in your mine.

The Honda Grom Guy
In 2022 Pat decided to get involved in a drag and drive event. He had been to the track a couple of times but had never raced. What he had at the time was a Honda Grom, rode it to Rocky Mountain Race Week (RMRW) 1.0 and then again to RMRW 2.0. He was well known as the Grom Guy. It was a stock Honda Grom 125cc, averaged 22.86 in the quarter mile. Wasn’t fast but had a lot of fun. In 2023 the Grom was still his ride at The Circuit where he still averaged 22 second runs and at RMRW 1.0. Then at RMRW 2.0 change took place and he rode a 2021 Ninja 400, ran 14 second quarter mile and he pulled a trailer with it. Also did King of the Open Road in Texas that fall. All the drivers and people at the events encouraged him that was what drew him back. His statement says it all about drag and drive events,

“Just being able to hang out with the people is the best part of the events.
The people make the event”

Catching up with The Grom Guy
In 2024 my wife Tana and I went with our son Jesse to The Circuit in April to help and I got to sit down across the table and talk with the Grom Guy. There had been yet another change in his ride. He showed up to this event on a 2018 Suzuki Hayabusa 1300cc. Pat had gotten off work the day before at 3:30, left Harlington Texas, rode eight hours almost to Dallas, then rode to Missouri another seven and a half hours. Covered 947 miles one way to be a part of the event then rode several hundred miles during the event then back home. He said about the motorcycle,

“Should be 10 second quarter mile, the bike should do it just fine,
it’s the rider that will be the problem”

He took it easy the first couple of passes to get used to it. The fastest he had ever been was in 2010 on a 2004 Honda RC51 running an 11:22 at 128 mph. He had a great time all week, getting more and more hooked on drag and drive.

The Next Surprise
Then in June of 2024 RMRW 1.0 was being held in late June and it got hot in Oklahoma. One of the biggest fields of motorcycles so far showed up, around twelve, to have fun. Four of them ended up in the shootout on the final day. What a great interest they showed in wanting to be involved in drag and drive. But guess what? The Grom Guy showed up in an Eco Boost stock F-150 truck, his daily driver. Air conditioning, comfortable seats all the luxuries. He ran in the Rowdy Radial Class, finished fourth in his class and came in runner-up in the Shootout. He had a blast, no he isn’t the fastest but he has fun no matter what he shows up with.

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