Back From The Brink: An Interview With Peter Lenz4

Not many 12 year olds can say that they have truly cheated death. Even fewer can say that they had to have their heads extracted from a fence after a near 100mph collision with a tire barrier. Peter Lenz is one of the few and certainly one of the brave kids to have endured such a traumatic experience yet to recover and come back with a greater love and a deeper appreciation for the sport that nearly ended his life.

Last year at the beginning of the 2009 season, Peter had planned to make his mark in the 125 scene, racing selected events across the country. His plans came to an abrupt end when a brake failure in the first corner sent Peter careening towards a tire barrier at around 100mph. Once he impacted the barrier, his tiny body flipped across the rows of tires and impacted head first into a metal fence. Peter had to literally be extracted from the fence.  If it weren’t for his Impact Armor chest protector and his Arai helmet, it is likely that Peter would not be here today. His list of injuries seemed endless. Peter had badly broken his fibula, tibia, humerus, his femur, and severed a nerve in his arm. He spent five days in the ICU and over five months with an external fixator protruding from his leg. Thankfully, doctors were able to re-attach the nerve in his arm and he has regained the use of his hand suffering only from numbness on the top of his hand.

When Peter sat wedged into the fence with blood dripping down his face, he had a conversation with God. Whatever conversation took place, it was without a doubt inspirational because Peter is back and in his words, he is “stronger and more determined than ever.” After taking a 5th place finish in the CMRA Lightweight Twins class up against superior SV650′s and a 2nd place finish in the 125 class following a race long battle for the lead with Connor Blevins, it is clear that Peter is back with a vengeance.

We got the chance to catch up with Peter after his first race since his accident, to talk about his return to the track and his undying love for the sport of motorcycle racing.

After your accident you had a severed nerve in your arm that could have put your career in jeopardy. Fortunately doctors were able to reconnect your nerve how is that healing coming along?

When the doctors reconnected my nerve, they said that I should come back 100%. It’s coming along good. I don’t have a lot of feeling in the top of my hand but I can move my hand and everything. Right now the strength is basically the same as my other hand.

What kind of training did you do to get yourself prepared for racing again?

After the accidents, I had to do physical therapy for about 2 months. Now I’ve been lifting weights and working out on the elliptical and the bicycle. I exercise every day and motocross in my front  yard.

Your list of injuries were extensive and in some cases life threatening, did you ever contemplate quitting racing?

I did, I thought about it for a while. But what really kept me going was my adrenaline for racing, wanting to pass everyone again, getting my knee back down, putting my elbow down. That’s basically what kept me going. You’ll have something happen where you think, ‘Oh man I never want to do that again,’ but then you think about all the good things, the things that you love and that’s what kept me going.

After the accident did you guys lose any sponsors?

Yeah we did lose a couple of sponsors. They said it was too high of a risk.

You are a pretty big name in the amateur scene and a lot of people followed your recovery after your accident. There is a saying amongst riders that, the true test of a racer comes when they’ve have experienced a horrific accident. It is said that if they truly love the sport, they will come back even stronger, but if it’s not in their heart, they will give it up. Do you feel like there’s added pressure on you since you’re coming back from your accident?

No I don’t feel like I have anything to prove. I’m coming back from a really bad crash and there’s really nothing expected of me since it’s more about being able to regain my strength and just getting back up to speed. Nobody will be expecting me to come back and win. It’s more about my recovery. So really, if I have a lot of pressure, I don’t think it’s going to be this season because even if I come back and get first place, that just means that I proved that this is what I wanted to do. I came back and I won this championship or I came back and I was faster and stronger than I was before. So no I really don’t think I have a lot more pressure than I did before.

You recently had your first race with CMRA after your accident. To have been away from riding for as long as you had been, you came back and really made a statement. You took fifth in the Lightweight Twins class, running against mainly 650’s, and a second place after a race long, back and forth battle with Connor Blevins in the 125 class finishing second with only .104 seconds between the two of you at the line. Not to mention you laid down the fastest lap of the race! Did you feel any of the effects from your accident?

No, not at all, I felt strong. I felt stronger and faster than ever. I seriously think I was faster than I was before. I had the fastest lap in the 125 race that was 5/10ths faster than the next fastest lap time.

Do you think that the reason you felt so much stronger had anything to do with what you had to overcome after the accident? Having to go through such an ordeal and be able be both physically and mentally prepared to get back into the sport that nearly took your life takes a lot of inner strength.

I have motivation on my side. If you remember the good things, you can always go back and if you’re determined to go back, you can come back stronger than you were before.

So what are your goals for this season? Are you planning on going for a championship?

I’m not planning on winning the USGPRU championship. Basically right now our goal is to race against the fastest people we can find and improve my riding and speed.

What route are you guys planning on taking in order to get you onto the world stage?

I’m trying to stay with 125’s and go over to Europe.

Through the Red Bull Rookies cup?

Not necessarily through the Red Bull Rookies cup. I think I have a wildcard ride for a British team when I get old enough. Basically, I just want to get over to Europe and start riding and competing over there.

With your intentions of one day making it onto the world stage, Colin Edwards seems like a pretty good mentor to have on your side. You and your dad seem to have a pretty good relationship with Colin. What kind of stuff does he help you guys out with?

Colin helps us out a lot with GP tickets, we get to go in, sit on the bikes, and watch what they are doing. He’s been out to one of the CMRA rounds where he came out to watch me and some of the other kids race.

Does Colin ever give you any riding tips?

Mainly he told me not to worry about what other people say or who is my friend or not my friend off of the track. He said that when I’m on the track it’s all about me. You’ve got to go out there and just kick their butts.

Are there any riders who’s style you try and emulate?

I don’t really try and emulate anyone’s style, I pretty much have my own style and I would say it’s similar to Colin and Colin is definitely my favorite rider.

What are your guys’ plans for next season?

We don’t really know what we’re gonna do next season. It really depends on the money, support, sponsors, and how well I do this season. Really it’s a wide open category about what I’m gonna do next year. Anything can happen.

There’s a difference between kids your age who race motorcycles and the kids who are your typical 12 year-olds. Racers are very intense, very focused. What goes through your mind when you’re out there flying around the track at 140mph?

At first it was don’t crash here, don’t crash there. But once I got warmed up I wanted to win, I wanted to get the best lap time. I’m having more fun now and enjoying riding more now than I ever did before. Basically what goes through my head is how to beat the guy who’s in front of me.

Why do you think you enjoy racing now more than before the accident?

After my crash I literally could not race. Whereas before the crash I could race if I wanted to and I didn’t have to race if I didn’t want to. After the crash, no matter how much I wanted to race I couldn’t. I realized how much I missed the good things about racing and I realized how much I loved racing. If I’m not riding I feel like part of me is missing.

Where do you want to be in 5 years?

Either the Spanish Championship or MotoGP 125’s.

So when can we expect to see you as the next World Champion?

If I could, I would be it right now.

To learn more about Peter and how to help support his 2010 season, please visit www.PeterLenz.com. Also, check out the latest copy of Roadracing World to hear about Peter’s first test run aboard the Roadracing World Moriwaki 250.

Dragging Elbow photo credit: etechphoto@usa.net taken at streets of Willow Springs turn 3