K.C. Loyd. Photos by C.S. Brown.

It’s 5:30 a.m. on a Saturday morning. In a few hours, the roar of superbikes will fill the air as riders take to the track at Road Atlanta for Cycle Jam. Murfreesboro’s K.C. Loyd will be among them, but first, he must address a problem with his brakes which arose in practice the day before.

While the majority of today’s racers are still asleep, K.C. is diligently working to get the issue fixed. In a motorsport where speeds average 150 miles per hour and corners are taken while touching knee to ground, confidence in braking is an absolute must. In fact confidence, as a whole, is everything. In Loyd’s case, that confidence comes from three generations of experience in motorcycle racing.

“My grandfather, on my mom’s side, raced long before I was even thought of,” K.C. explains. “He raced dirt bikes in motocross and trail riding and eventually came over to WERA [Western Eastern Roadracing Association]. My dad raced superbikes and he and my mom started Team Firestorm back in the mid-’80s.”

Riders take a turn in Atlanta; Superbike race speeds can top 180 miles per hour.

Loyd’s father, a former Murfreesboro firefighter, passed away unexpectedly last year, though K.C. continues racing under the Team Firestorm moniker, something he began at an early age; “I started racing dirt bikes when I was four years old,” he says.

After a few years away from racing dirt bikes, he switched to superbikes in his teens.

“Once I turned 18 I had some money to buy my own bike. I rode on the street for about, maybe, six months with my 2005 Suzuki GSX 600.” However, street riding was a bit too chaotic for an experienced racer such as K.C.

K.C. holding third place in the first race.

“[I had] too many close encounters with drivers on the street. I decided ‘I’m tearing the bike down and making a race bike out of it,’” Loyd says. “End of 2016 I went to racing school and fell in love with it from there.”

Now in his third full year of racing in WERA, Loyd has upgraded his bike to a GSX 750 and as of presstime is second in two regions of B Superstock Novice.

On this particular Saturday in Atlanta, Loyd is entered in two races of six laps each. Being in the middle of Georgia in late spring, he’s not only battling the other riders but also the humidity and heat, which is setting in as the sun rises.

As dawn turns to morning, the other riders are emerging from their trailers and preparing for the day’s events. It doesn’t take long for some of the competitors to notice K.C. struggling with his bike’s brake line. Unlike in some sports, however, they are more than happy to assist.

“It’s all one big family out here,” Loyd enthusiastically states. “We look out for each other. Sure, it gets competitive out on the track—you know, handlebars bump, bodies bump, but once we come back in it’s clean and clear.”

K.C. Loyd awakes before dawn to repair his bike’s brake line.

As the day progresses, the issue with the brake line is solved and it’s on to the morning practice laps. After that, the racing begins. There is no question that as the riders come onto Pit Road from the paddock, their demeanor changes. It can be felt as well as seen. The men and women riding go from casual to race-ready the moment they pass through the gate to the track.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t take long for everyone to be reminded of the dangers of superbike racing. During the first race, featuring expert-class riders, the worst single bike wreck of the day occurs. A rider loses his grip on turn five and the race is paused under red-flag conditions (all racing stops completely until the track is clear of emergency personnel and debris). Later, it was announced that the rider would undergo surgery the next day for a broken leg and a broken shoulder. The previous year, a track assistant was killed at this event when she was struck by a bike while assisting a downed rider while under caution. For anyone on the track, multiple dangers are constantly present.

That being said, loss of life is very rare. Even major injuries are not terribly common, thanks to the suits and safety equipment the riders wear. The bulk of their leather suits are made from thick cowhide or more expensive kangaroo hide, with Kevlar stitching and reinforcements. The elbows and knees feature thick, replaceable composite plastic discs that are two inches thick.

A rider takes a spill on turn ten at Cycle Jam.

In the event of a fall, K.C. says “Sure, you’ll be hot from sliding but you get right back up, laugh it off, hope the bike didn’t break and get right back on.”

Of course, this equipment does come at a substantial cost. Those who ride in WERA are not making major money and are typically putting a lot more into it than they get out of it. Sponsorships are a must.

“I run Vo2 Leathers and Arai helmets, who have been great sponsors for Team Firestorm,” Loyd says. However, the biggest sponsor for K.C. is Murfreesboro’s Sloan’s Motorcycle & ATV; “Kelly from Sloan’s has outdone herself helping me out with parts. Everyone from the parts counter is just absolutely awesome!”

After the first seven races, it’s time for Loyd to put those sponsor’s names on the track as his division comes up for the first time today. It’s past noon and the track is getting hot, and grip is good. Even with a starting position of seventh, K.C. finishes the race in a respectable fourth place. It becomes readily apparent that being in the front of the pack like this is no easy feat. By the second lap of any race, the field separates greatly between the front, middle and those who cannot keep pace at all. Hanging in the top three for most of the race, Loyd is definitely sure of his bike’s capabilities, regardless of the earlier brake problems.

K.C. with his Mother; Deede Bryson.

By early evening, he’s ready for his second race of the day. A much better starting position up front in the two slot should have been a boost. Unfortunately, he hits the throttle a little too hard off the line, causing his front wheel to rise in a near wheelie. As they head into turn one, the other racers take advantage of this minor mistake and overtake him. Regardless, far from being even near the back of the field, Loyd finishes in seventh place. This is an example of the amount of skill needed in every aspect of superbike racing. Beyond the potential for danger, the abilities needed simply to control the bike are immense.

For K.C. Loyd, and all who race in this sport, this is a true passion. Even greater for K.C. is the fact that it’s a family tradition and a family event. Traveling with him to all of his races are his mother, Deede Bryson; his step-father: Nathan Bryson; and, whenever possible, his grandmother. All of them take on the duties of driving, assisting in bike maintenance and even cooking in the camper they all stay in at the tracks they visit. It’s easy to tell that all involved truly love the sport and love seeing K.C. on the track. When asked about his goals moving forward, Loyd keeps it all in perspective with one simple phrase: “going fast and having fun!”