Personal Info
Name:        Tim Dinger
Birthday:  08/18/76
Height:   5’9”
Weight:  155
Hometown: Charlotte, NC 
                 (originally Chicago, IL)
Favorite Food(s):  Good Ole’ PB & J
Favorite Movie:     Donnie Brasco
Favorite Restaurant: Any Sushi place
Favorite Track:   Southpark or Rockford
Favorite Race City:  Vegas Bay!!
Other Interests\Hobbies:  Cars (mini cooper),  Mountain Bikes, Road riding, Movies,  Snowboarding, and trails
Years Pro:   9
Biggest Win(s):  NBL Grands
Bike:  Formula Nucleus
Race Gear:  FLY Racing (thanks Ray)
Sponsor(s): Formula, Monster Energy Drink, Fly Racing, Rennen Gears,
Industry Nine Wheels, Cane Creek, Tangent, & Hornball

Q. How long have you been racing BMX?
A. 14 Years

Q. At what age did you start riding (and racing) a bike?
A. I started at 17 after I stopped skateboarding.  I wish I had started
earlier.

Q. How did you get started in racing and who was responsible?
A. Well I always had a bike when I was a kid for my paper route. (yes I
had a job at 12 years old)  I skated for most of my life and one day
we started jumping and building some trails near my house.  Next thing I
know I met a kid named Larry Dobson. He raced for Sundance cycle at
the time and he brought me to my first track, Elgin, IL (The Hill) After
one race I was hooked.  I had 3 half-pipes in my backyard for skating
at the time.  The following year they were torn down and I began to dig.
 Next thing I know I had full out trails in my yard.  It was great!
(Thanks Dad)

Q. What was your first real race bike?
A. My first race bike I bought off a friend of my brothers.  It was a
Free Agent Limo.  It had powerlite bars, DK Stem, 1 3/8” rims with TNT
Hubs, Uni seat, & I was the only one in my town that had 3-piece cranks
(GT)  Needless to say I had a sweet bike at the time.

Q. What was your best moment in racing?
A. Best moments racing are hard to pick out.  I think that the best
times I have had are with friends at the races and not the race itself.
But recently at NBL Grands was amazing.  There was no way I could win
the title, but I felt that I had to win the race.  What made it so special is that my mom, sister, aunt, girlfriend, and all my friends were there.  I ended up winning the main & throwing an x-up into the 2nd corner.  It was great just having all my friends and family at the finish line.

Q. What was your worst moment in racing?
A. My worst moment had to be when I fractured my back at Elkorn BMX.
About 10 years ago I was at the track practicing and I was bump-jumping
a table that went into the first turn.  Anyhow, someone behind me got loose and hit my back tire, which threw me over the bars and onto my head.  I woke up at the starting hill and realized that something was wrong.  I was choppered out of there and found out that I fractured 5 vertebrae.  Needless to say I was freaking out  I was injured, alone, and thinking I was going to be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life.  I had a long recovery from that and I didn’t know if I wanted to ever ride again.  Well after about 2 months in a rigged-up neck/back brace I knew I wanted to ride again.  I had about a year of re-hab and came back to racing.  Even though it was a terrible thing that happened, it was one of the best thing as well.  This injury taught me a lot about life. Life isn’t about all the stuff you have or how fast you are, life is about the people in your life, friends & family.  Because when I was laying there in that hospital and couldn’t feel my legs, the only thing I could think about was the people who are in my life.

Q. Who was your first sponsor, who have been your sponsors in the
past, and who is your current sponsor?
A. My first sponsor was IDC Racing. Jack McDaniel decided to start a
team back in the day of local kids and I was one of them that used to
ride at the trails.  It was a cotton Jersey and that was it.  It was just
a bunch of cool kids that liked to race and had a ton of fun in the process.
It was great.  That team eventually became bmxweb.net  (with Rich Montalvo).  Still the same concept of just having fun at the races,
but we had better jerseys, and some flow from a few co-sponsors  In my
opinion it was one of the best teams out there.  We originally had kids
on the team because they were cool and their parents were cool.  As it
turned out these cool kids started rippin it up.  We had Nick Crifase,
Joey Woltjer, Lee the Flea, Andy and Mitch Wright.  It was gnarly!.
This is when I met Ray from FLY.  ( I did ride for Lee Racing for about a
month or so somewhere in there too)   Once bmxweb.net stopped I just
rode Fly Racing Gear.  I basically rode for myself for about 3-4 years.
In 07 I got picked up by London at Bizarro Racing.  Once again a
great group of people that had a blast at races.  It was about a month
after that I got picked up by Factory Formula Monster Fly.  I called up
Bizarro to let them know and they were totally cool with it.  I have known
Will at Formula for a while and I was reunited with Lee the Flea once
again.  It has been great being on Formula.  I love the bike and in all
honesty it has been one of the few bikes that I put togetherand could
ride it without adjusting anything.


Q. What are your racing strengths?
A. I have never had a good first straight, but I think that I can pass
people pretty well and I have decent track speed.

Q. What are your racing weaknesses (what do you feel you have to
practice on the most)?
A. Gates and first straights. I have been making strides on improving
these and I look forward to getting some holeshots his year.

Q. How many hours a week do you put into training? What type of
training do you do other than riding on the track?
A. Hours I would estimate about 15 a week.  I go to the gym about 3-4
days a week, sprints about 2-3 days a week, track about 2 days a week,
and trails whenever I get a chance.  You have to build up the strength
and at the same time improve your skills.

Q. Do you have another job outside of BMX racing? If so, what is it?
A. I work for a marketing firm and I basically throw parties for a living.  I book talent, secure location, execute and do all the promotions as well.  I am looking to try out something new here soon as I want a new challenge.

Q. What’s an interesting fact about you that not many people know?
A. I am pretty good at playing ping-pong, I bunny hop things on my road
bike, I like driving fast cars, & I danced with Jennifer Anniston once
at a club in Chicago.

Q. What do you like most about BMX racing?
A. When I am riding my bike there is nothing else in the world on my
mind.  It is stress relief for me.  Plus it’s a rush that you can’t get
anywhere else.  Plus I like being around all my friends at the races.

Q. What do you like least about BMX racing?
A. Waiting around all day to race.  And listening to parents yell at
their kids because they didn’t win.  C’mon let the kid have some fun.

Q. What are your feelings about being a Pro?  (positive, negative)
A.  I love being a pro.  It's an amazing thing to know that you are working at something so hard.  I think that there are a lot of young kids who turn pro and are not ready for it.  In the pro class the racing is much closer.  In AM you can dive under someone, hold them up and take the lead.  In pro you dive under someone and you both get passed by 2 other guys. (you just went from 2nd to 4th) The biggest difference in pro is that you have to think more and know where other riders are.  Yea they are faster, but the whole class is faster so you can't ride and think like you did in AM.  What I see that really gets on my nerves is when I see someone run someone else off the track.  Do you ever see AA Pro do that?  Never...  There is a level of mutual respect and etiquette that AA Pro has.  in A Pro you have rookie kids that have to win every lap for pride and that's not the way it works.  You can get top 3 all day and make the mains.  Overall I love being pro.  It is an amazing feeling when someone asks you for your autograph.
 
Q. What do you think about the Hornet’s Nest BMX facilities and it’s
Track Operator?
A. Well I have only been in NC for about 8 years or so.  Keep in mind
my local track was Rockford and that place is amazing.  We had 60-70
motos at a local race every week.  When I first came to NC for school I
looked at the track at the time and I didn’t think anyone rode it.  There
was about a 2 ft of ridable area and the rest was grass.  The track has changed so much since I have moved here.  Mark has done an amazing
job of building the track up.  The track is in great shape and everything
runs smooth.  To be honest with everyone, I take my hat off to what Mark, Ron and everyone has done.  It is a great track that I am proud to call my home track.

Q. Who do you have the most fun racing against?
A. That list can go on forever.  Currently it has been anyone in the
elite masters class.  Carnes, Whipperman, Romero, Holmes, Madden, Rupe, etc… the list goes on and on.   Locally we have a good crew with Meaker, Willy, and Sherrill.

Q. Who’s the toughest competition to beat?
A. In my class it would have to be Romero, Carnes, Whipperman, Street,
TP, Rupe, Dale Holmes, Silva, Opincar, Gul,  heck  who am I kiddin they
are all tough to beat.

Q. What are your goals in BMX racing and when do you plan to reach
them?
A. Goal as always is to have as much fun as I can and work to win as
many races as possible.  Also to stay injury free so I can do what I
love.

Q. Do you have any goals in life outside of BMX racing? If so, what
are they?
A. Eventually I want to start and own various businesses.  That would
an amazing dream for me.

Q. Which current rider do you admire most?
A. There are so many.  KB sticks out in my mind.  He works his butt off
and has the skills to back it up.  DR as well who has more determination than anyone I have seen. Jason Carnes for doing what he does and still on top. I could write a book on the people I admire the most, but it would take me forever.

Q. Did you have any racing (or other) heroes growing up?
A. I always looked up to Craig Reynolds.  He was a AA Pro that rode at
some trails nearby.  I remember when I saw him at the trails I was star
struck and was afraid to talk to him.  I was also afraid to crash in front of him.  Ha ha  A few years later we are good friends and I am at his wedding.  I am still friends with him today and he has taught me a
lot over the years both in racing and in life.

Q. What’s your best racing tip for amateur riders?
A. Have fun, ride your bike, and do your sprints.  Oh yea and don’t be
afraid to pick up a shovel and start building some trails.

Q. Any other parting words for the young riders out there?
A. If you ever have a ? or need help, just ask.  BMX is built around
other people.  Keep your head up and have fun at it.

Q. Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?
A. Thanks to everyone who has ever helped me along the way. Thanks go
to Mom & Dad, Jack McDaniel, Ray at Fly, Will & Bruce at Formula, Jeff
Fred and Chris at Industry Nine, Malcolm at Cane Creek, George at Rennen, Chad at Shimano, and everyone at Hornets Nest bmx.  If you ever have a ? Just e-mail me.  Thanks  BMXer44@aol.com