All racers know that work equals success, but most who raced professionally in the eighties and nineties consider work an entirely different thing. Those riders are over 50 now, and work literally means real work—as in a real job. The men battling at the front of the Masters (50+) class at the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Amateur National Championship at Loretta Lynn Ranch work regular jobs. Always have, likely always will. This is the story of members of a dying breed in this sport—the weekend warrior who still races.

Tool and Diehard

At 6 a.m. each day, John Grewe, 52, is at work. He’s a tool and die man in Michigan, making jigs and fixtures that help automotive companies stamp more accurate parts. After work, he goes to the gym. He hangs his hat on fitness, so when a 20-minute moto in the Tennessee heat looms, he smiles.

Grewe started riding at age six, but he didn’t start racing right away. His father worked at a subsidiary of Kawasaki in Michigan, and one day he had to deliver a generator to Eddie Warren, a local Team Green prospect. The Warrens told the Grewes to check out a race; before long, they were racing every weekend, and John hit the first AMA National at Loretta Lynn’s in 1982. He placed 15-9 in his two 85 classes, and in 1983 he finished second overall in 125 B Stock. Finish second in a B class today and you’re staring at a factory ride, but that wasn’t the case in those days.