Chris Parrish- 2021 Twins Cup Rider on His Nearly 20 Year Career

Note: The transcript is AI generated and may contain errors.

[00:00:14.480] - Dave Sulecki

Welcome to Pit Pass Moto, the show that keeps you up to speed on the latest in motorcycling and brings the biggest names in motorcycle racing right to you. I'm Dave Sulecki, and this week we have as our guest, Chris Parrish. Moto America The home of AMA Superbike Championship, featuring 190 miles per hour, Superbikes is the official sponsor of Fit Bass Moto MotoAmerica, the official AMA Road Racing Series for North America at MotoAmerica com. Tickets, info and complete 2021 schedule at MotoAmerica com. Tickets don't miss a minute of action, practice, qualifying races and video on demand at MotoAmerica live plus streaming.

[00:00:51.500] - Dave Sulecki

Follow Moto America on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. The latest news in racing, we've got results from the uni Dilla in New Berlin, New York outdoor Ma Motocross 450 Class Ken Roxon sweeps the class with a one one. He was on fire all weekend. Just looked really good. Dylan Verandas, our red plate holder, came in second with a two three, followed by Marvin Muskin. The KTM rider, finished third. Your points standings in 450 class. Dylan Ferrandis continues to lead, sitting on 345 points, Ken Roxon just back with 39 and Eli Tomax sitting in third at 62 points behind in 250 action.

[00:01:31.670] - Dave Sulecki

Jet Lawrence goes to one for first overall, followed by Justin Cooper, who went one four for second, and Jeremy Martin finishing on the podium with a three two. Your point standings in the 250 class. Justin Cooper continues to lead with 324 points. Jet Lawrence sitting in second, just four points back. So I've got a close battle, followed by Hunter Lawrence and third, sitting 61 points back. Motogp Racing Grand Prion Ostrich Brad Bender brings it home for first on his KTM, followed by Francesco Bagni, the Italian rider, and Ducati finishing third.

[00:02:05.000] - Dave Sulecki

Core Martin Your point standings in Moto GP. Fabio Cuartero, the Yamaha rider, sitting on 181 points, followed by Francesco Bagni with 134 and tied up in second. Yohan Mir on the Suzuki with 134 points. Big news out of Moto GP Racing Maverick Venez was suspended for the weekend and did not ride shortly after that. Announced that he is signed for Aprilia in 2022. So big news coming out of MotoGP American flat track, short track racing from Weeds, Port, New York and super twins Jared Mes takes it home and wins it, followed by Jared Vander Coy and Brandon Robinson for an Indian sweep of the podium and standings.

[00:02:46.830] - Dave Sulecki

Briar Bowman continues to lead, sitting on 197 points, followed by Jared Meas with 175, 22 points back and Brandon Robinson sitting in 3rd, 29 points back. We've got results from MotoAmerica at Pitt Race PRI Raceway in Pittsburgh this last weekend. In Superbike, Jake Gagne does the double, just continues to dominate and Race one takes it home, followed by Tony Elias and third Matthew Sculpts. And in Race two, Jake Ganye wins again. That is 13 straight for those keeping count. The man is on fire this year, followed in second by Matthew Sculpts third.

[00:03:24.480] - Dave Sulecki

Bobby Fong so you're standing so far this year. Jake Gagne continues to lead with 325 points. Matthew Sculpt sits 93 points back in second and third. Cameron Peterson sitting on 184 for 141 points back in Stock 1000, Jake Lewis takes at home over Travis Wyman and Hayden Gillham. So that was a great race point standings. Jake Lewis sitting on 182, followed by Corey Alexander, who's 20 points back. Travis Wyman is 34 points back in Super Sport action. Rpgs Glane takes it home in the the first race, followed by Sean Dylan Kelly and Rocco Landers for third and Super Sport race to Sean Dylan Kelly takes at home and wins it, followed by Ritchie Escalante in third again, Rocco Landers and your point standing so far this year?

[00:04:12.780] - Dave Sulecki

Sean Dylan Kelly leads with 320, followed by Richie Escalante with 259 and Sam Lockoff sitting back in third with 163 in Twin Cups action, taking it home for first. Anthony Mazato on the Aprilia wins it, followed by Teague Hobbs on his Suzuki in third. Hayden Schultz in the ever popular Build train race program. Cj Loch wins it for her second win of the year of the three race series, followed by Becky Gobel and Alyssa Bridges. That is a great series. I hope everybody gets to see in action this week's.

[00:04:56.100] - Dave Sulecki

Pit Pass Trivia question is what rider won the inaugural Motor America Twins Cup Championship. Name the rider motorcycle brand and the year the answer to that question. After our interview with Chris Parrish.

[00:05:19.080] - Chris Parrish

We.

[00:05:30.450] - Dave Sulecki

Would like to welcome back to Pit Pass Moto 2021 Twins Cup racer and the mastermind behind Ghetto customs. Chris Parrish. Chris, thanks a lot for coming on the show today. Awesome.

[00:05:41.420] - Chris Parrish

Yeah. Thanks for having me, man. Good to be back.

[00:05:44.090] - Dave Sulecki

Yeah, absolutely. It's been a while, so it's always good to catch up again and see how things are going. You had just a great weekend at Pit race taking home a fifth and Twins. That was outstanding. Talk about the weekend. How'd it go?

[00:05:56.380] - Chris Parrish

The weekend was fun. I know I had to get around Pittsburgh pretty well, so it was good to be back. And it's a really fun track. And I threw down some solid qualifying times. And the last one I did, the last qualifier, I did put down a really solid lap. It was a 49 four. And I came in and I was like, well, where did that put me? I'm up in the top five. She was like, no, you're in six. I was like, crap. That sucks.

[00:06:20.410] - Dave Sulecki

That spot as close to top five as you can get, though.

[00:06:24.540] - Chris Parrish

No, it was fifth. Yeah. The Flyer put me in fifth, so he put me in the middle of the second row, and I thought that was a really fast time and then end the race. I ended up doing some high 48. I think it was 48 seven was my fastest lap. And that's smoking around that track of an SV. Yeah.

[00:06:39.880] - Dave Sulecki

And that's something I want to talk to you about here in a minute is the SV. But just for you, it's been a great season as a privateer. You've had three podiums this year, just killing it. I just got a wonder a guy who's got his own business that's contributing to the racing. He's in part of the series and also a private terrace. How do you do it? When do you sleep? And how do you keep it all going?

[00:07:04.380] - Chris Parrish

Well, I usually sleep when I get done working, I guess, which usually is about midnight. Anytime I'm at home, it's a little difficult stressful, but it's kind of easy in a way that best. She works at night, which allows me to be able to work all through the night. And then sounds at home, I don't really work on my own stuff. I'm just trying to get everything caught up with other customers because I paint all of the bikes for the M for team. So usually if I have a bad weekend, I'm there at home painting or repairing their stuff.

[00:07:35.830] - Chris Parrish

And at the same time, I'm building body work or just whoever has ordered anything and trying to get it shipped out and sometimes doing a little bit of trail repair. And then, of course, we actually plan to stay up here for this week. And then we had a knock sensor go bad on the van. So I've been working on line out all morning trying to get these sisters out of these exhaust or crazy pain in the butt. So long days and long nights, just try to get work done to get caught up on the shorter mountain town mom at home.

[00:08:04.900] - Dave Sulecki

Well, I know for the SV with your business, you talked about a while ago about you had developed some new body work and possibly some new intake system. Did that ever get up and running on that bike, or is that something you're using?

[00:08:16.790] - Chris Parrish

Now? That is, I was able to make an air box for the third Gen in the airbox. It's pretty large. It kind of goes down inside the frame. And on the SV, you have the boots that Bolt to the engine that the throttle bodies kind of screw into. Also, for this air box to work, you got to take the bot off the engine. You got to completely clear all that out. You got to clean up the wiring, move the rectifier around a little bit to get it to fit down in there.

[00:08:42.530] - Chris Parrish

And once you get it down in there, you put the boots back on, you put throw other bodies back in and wire everything up. But I haven't really finished the whole intake system, the cold air system. I'm still working on that kind of stuff. I did develop all new body work for the second and third Gen. I've made Superbike tills where everything fits easy. There's minimal modifications. You have to do all of my faring stays and side brackets. All them fit perfect. Everybody that's got some they've been real happy with it.

[00:09:09.770] - Chris Parrish

And tell me how easy it is to install, because that's the idea. You need to be able to take it out of the box and install it to the back. It should be easy with no cuss words that you don't have to work on it for a week compared to other bodies that are made for the SD. And it's been a long time. It sucks that I waited so long to do all this. I should have done it long ago, but I never had an interest until now.

[00:09:31.500] - Chris Parrish

Other than the cold air intake I'm still working on, I'm probably working one more upper to have a mouse on the front for all the cold air stuff to fit up to. But after this year I'm probably going to I'm about done with the Se, and then I almost get an R seven and I'm going to start building bodywork and brackets everything for the R seven. And plus the Aprilia guys want me to build body work for them. And also the Ninja 400. So I got a pretty full plate that I want to do through the winter.

[00:10:00.340] - Chris Parrish

But yeah, the SV has been my go to and I'm about done with it worked out well, I would say.

[00:10:05.790] - Dave Sulecki

I mean, what's it been 1718 years on the same bike. It's generationally changed, but it's fundamentally the same engine other than the intake and the Fi. But you've done amazing things with it, getting horse power out of it and being so competitive over that time, winning your first Championship on it. All of those things just really tell that it's a good, solid platform.

[00:10:28.400] - Chris Parrish

Yeah, I work out well, it's been fun. I've been around these things for I've been racing for 18 years. I've been running SV for 16 of them.

[00:10:36.320] - Dave Sulecki

I would say that's a good lineage. And one thing that's so interesting to me about twins is it's the various platforms that go out and compete. And now you've got the new Yamaha hitting the track. You mentioned April is starting to make noise. It would be interesting if I wish I had the Magic eight ball. It would tell me what other manufacturers are going to get into the scrum and try to contribute or introduce new platforms. Are you hearing any kind of noise in the pits?

[00:11:02.460] - Chris Parrish

Nothing at all. I really wish Suzuki would follow suit and, you know, the whole bike itself fine. It's like you said, the engine hasn't changed since 2003. It's the same technology, like the clutch, AC, water and a couple of little things is different, but it's basically the same. I wish they would follow suit and come out with a parallel twin, the shoving and the frame that already works and keep the SV going. I haven't heard anything about it, but I just hope they do anybody else. I don't think anybody's make a new twist right now talking about the Moto America series.

[00:11:38.760] - Dave Sulecki

I see that they added Brainerd this year, which has always been a track that's been around but not part of the series. And I got to imagine you've spent some time up there. What was the track like this year? What was the venue like? How did that event go for you?

[00:11:52.400] - Chris Parrish

So I'd only been to Brainerd twice. Once was like a race weekend on a borrow bike. And that's when I was starting to ride for Andy Farmer. And then the second time, the engine had broken, the second session, so the whole weekend was gone. That track is really fun. The whole carousel and Joker combo, as they called it, is a little sketchy and it's a little too slow, but the rest of the track is really fun. And sure the, Surface has a really good grip, and it's not too bumpy or some tracks, some motor tracks of bumpy, but it was kind of cold the weekend that we were there.

[00:12:27.060] - Chris Parrish

It was like low 70s and stuff, so it was really tricky with tires and everybody having to scramble around and making decisions. Other than that, a Brainer is still a front track.

[00:12:35.810] - Dave Sulecki

It was a long time racer. This series. I see Mode America trying to inject some new blood with the Build Train race program they adopted from Royal and Field. They've incorporated them into the series. Have you been watching any of that series? I had some three race series, but have you been able to see the ladies race, kind of check out the bikes and see what they're doing to the.

[00:12:55.070] - Chris Parrish

No, I haven't. And I hate myself that I haven't been able to make it over. It's just not only is the race, I'm the tire guy and the gas guy and everything for my bike. So it's hard to get away sometimes to go check out those things, but it does look really cool. And glad to see most Paris is involved with it, and it sounds really cool. But yes, I definitely need to go and check out all those ladies. They're rocking out there, and she going fast, too.

[00:13:19.730] - Dave Sulecki

If you happen to get down to Barbara, I think that's the third race in the series. So if you make it down there, that will be the chance to see it in action. And I just wanted to mention to you, Chris, you are officially a celebrity. As a side note, you are our pit pets. Trivia question Answer this week, since you won your first Championship, he won the first Championship in Twins Racing Formodo America. So Congratulations that you're a part of history, man.

[00:13:47.470] - Chris Parrish

Yeah, that's very surprising that I was able to do that because that first year just kind of looked over at Beth and I was like, hey, you want to go pro racing? She was like, sure, what's it about? And I was like, I don't know, we'll just go try and ended up winning the whole thing. It was quite the eye opener with all the traveling and how much we spend and tires and just the whole we blew the budget, all the park and just kept going with it and ended up being fun.

[00:14:16.120] - Chris Parrish

We're still having fun. We're still traveling around with Moto America and trying to do some endurance race. That's the reason why we stayed up here in Ohio, because we're going to go back to Pittsburgh this weekend to do endurance with were in two.

[00:14:28.870] - Dave Sulecki

And Beth has been a big part of your program. As I understand it, she's pretty much the life blood and keeping things going and keeping the lights on for you.

[00:14:36.250] - Chris Parrish

Yeah, for sure. In our adventures, we just have to make sure we get back home so she can get to work. And she only works like three days a week, the 312 hours shift at the hospital. She's been the backbone of this. She helps out a bunch. She does a lot more work than she wants to. And surprise enough, she doesn't mind it. And I don't know why she keeps coming to the track, but I'm glad she's with me, and she's really good looking, too.

[00:15:00.550] - Dave Sulecki

There you go. There's a winning program all the way around for sure.

[00:15:05.860] - Chris Parrish

She's right here smiling at me now.

[00:15:09.370] - Dave Sulecki

Melissa, Chris, I know time is short and you've got some, let's say, vehicle repairs to attend to. I know. So if you'd like to take the last few minutes to thank anyone that's helped you out or helped you along the way, How's the time to do that?

[00:15:22.920] - Chris Parrish

For sure. A big shout out to Crystal Rich and those guys. He put an engine together for me this year and it's held together. It's super fast. All the people that's done the helmet sponsor. I really appreciate that. That helps pay for the tires and Millennium Technologies and future Star Wingmans garage. Those guys a great man. Huff Oil to use. Sponsored me with boxes of oil Amsoil and all those guys and Beth and our parents and everybody that's behind us. We appreciate everything. We travel around in the van with a blue trailer that I've made myself.

[00:16:01.060] - Chris Parrish

We're just having fun and we appreciate everybody that's standing with us and help with us.

[00:16:05.740] - Dave Sulecki

Awesome, man. That's great to hear and make sure you check out Ghetto Customs, I think probably on Facebook. This is the best place to find you.

[00:16:12.160] - Chris Parrish

Yeah, well, it's surprising. My Facebook account got basically got Rob and it got Deactivated, so I had my GC services page. I can see it out there, but I can't access it no more. So I'm having to I had to redo my Facebook page and then I'm working on another business page. It'll be get Customs 128. But yeah, if anybody needs anything for me, as far as so, body work or any kind of questions, just find me on Facebook or Instagram.

[00:16:38.520] - Dave Sulecki

Chris, thanks again for taking the time to spend time with Pit Pass Moto. We appreciate it. Thanks for joining us.

[00:16:44.160] - Chris Parrish

Man, awesome. I appreciate it. Thanks for having me back.

[00:16:55.200] - Dave Sulecki

We would like to thank our guest, Chris Paris, for spending time with us today. This week's Pit Pass Trivia question was, what rider won the inaugural MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championship? Named the Rider Motorcycle Brand and the year. And the answer is, of course, Chris Parrish, riding a Suzuki, won the inaugural MotoAmerica version of Twins Cup in 2018. Previous versions of the series combined Super Sports 600 and Super Stock 600 classes and ran from 2015 to 2017. Upcoming Events We've got AMA Outdoor Motocross at Bugs Creek, Maryland, August 21.

[00:17:33.190] - Dave Sulecki

American Flat Track at PRIA, Illinois, August 21. World Superbike at Cirque de Navara in Spain, August 20 through 22nd. The MX GP of Turkey, September 5 and September 8. Moto America New Jersey Motor Sparks Park, September 10 through 12th. Motogp Racing The British Grand Prix of 2021, September 12. Thank you again to our guests for being with us today, and thank you for tuning in. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to follow us on your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode. If you have a moment, please write review us.

[00:18:29.300] - Dave Sulecki

We really, really appreciate it. Make sure you're also following us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and visit Pit Pass Moto Com where you can check out our blog. This has been a production of Evergreen Podcasts. A special thank you to Tommy Boy Halverson, Chris Bishop, Producer Leah Longbrake, an audio engineer, Eric Koltnow. Now, I'm Dave, and we'll see you next week.