Written by Samantha Holschbach
Junior Jo Mosley prefers to live life in the fast lane — literally. As a competitive motorcycle racer, Mosley won his bike class at the Grand National Finals Oct. 10 to 11 in Atlanta, Ga.
“It was surreal,” Mosley said of winning the race. “I can’t really explain it, but it was one of the greatest feelings ever. I didn’t expect to win heading to Atlanta, but when I put my helmet on, I knew I had to win.”
Mosley won the Heavyweight Twins Superstock Expert race, which consists of 10 laps that take about 15 minutes to race. Mid-race, Mosley discovered he was in the lead.
“I looked back and didn’t see anyone behind me,” Mosley said. “It was a big relief, but I couldn’t really slow up because you never know who’s making their way through the pack.”
Mosley said most of his motorcycle races are concentrated in the South. He has competed at Road Atlanta, Barber Motorsports Park (Birmingham, Ala.), Talladega Grand Prix (Anniston, Ala.) and Nashville Superspeedway (Murfreesboro, Tenn.). He has won other races but claims that winning the Grand National Finals ranks as his greatest victory.
“I’ve won some big races against some fast guys, but this is by far the biggest [win] for me,” Mosley said. “My biggest races personally though are the really close ones, where I really have to fight myself, my bike and my competitors the hardest.”
When training for races, Mosley does more than simply ride his motorcycle. Just like any other athlete, he strives to stay fit.
“I’ve learned most of the tracks I race at now, so my main task in between races is to stay in shape,” Mosley said. “Being tired during a race can really affect lap times and even safety at those speeds. Being fit can really help keep your focus up where it needs to be at the end of a race, when it counts.”
Mosley has driven his truck more than 10,000 miles within the past few months to and from race locations. However, he said racing does not interfere too much with his time at Harding, as he leaves Friday afternoon and races Saturday morning on race weekends. His dad and fiancée often accompany him.
“I could not do this without the help of my dad in the pits,” Mosley said. “He changes my tires and helps make adjustments to the suspension or gearing if it’s needed.”
Mosley’s dad inspired him at an early age to pursue racing.
“He [Dad] stopped racing when I was about 4, so some of my earliest memories were watching him at the track,” Mosley said.
Mosley started racing BMX bicycles at age 8, moved on to motocross racing at age 10 and started motorcycle racing at age 14. In his years of racing, Mosley has contended with many crashes and nine or 10 concussions. His worst accident occurred when he was at Daytona at age 16, when he had to pass a motorcycle going 160 mph. Though he was going only 90 mph, a motorcycle in front of him had an issue, causing Mosley to slam on his brakes.
“It was too late — I hit him and went over the front of him,” Mosley said. “I was knocked out instantly and slid more than a football field. My left kneecap got ground down pretty far and is still pretty messed up. But other than that and a concussion, I was fine.”
Whether through injuries or victories, Mosley said that though he’s not part of a team, there’s no way he could race alone.
“None of it would be possible without my dad, Michelin tires, GMD Computrack’s support and the Big Guy Upstairs keeping me safe — most of the time,” Mosley said.
