XPLOR by BMW Motorrad USA

Riders > Ciampa > Ciampa's XPLOR Blog > GS Trophy - Tunisia

GS Trophy - Tunisia

When I got the email below I didn't expect to see my name on the short list. I know there are plenty of BMW riders with more racing experience. Good thing for me we are not being judged on our racing resume alone. The criteria they are using to choose Team USA is a good balance of skill, experience, teamwork, fitness and our ability to be good ambassadors for BMW, the USA, and the sport of rallying.

Here is a little clip I put together during the 08 Sandblast Rally. My exhaust fell off during the first stage, second stage and I think the third. Many of you probably ran over it at one point or another. I ended racing most of the rally with no exhaust, and I was deaf for about a week after the race. ----------------- From: Laurence.Kuykendall@bmwna.com Subject: GS Trophy Semi-Finalist Requirements - DEADLINE MONDAY AUGUST 11 5PM EST Date: August 08, 2008 01:26:06 PM EDT To: keithciampa@mac.com Dear International GS Trophy Applicants, This is the news you have been waiting for, and possibly dreading: the announcement of the 20 top riders to be considered for the inaugural International GS Trophy Team USA. In case some of you have already forgotten what you signed up for, this is the week-and-a-half ride in Tunisia on F 800 GS bikes with teams from Germany, Italy, Japan and Spain. First of all, thanks for your responses to our email mental test on Wednesday which was specifically designed by our crack BMW team of moto-psychologists to determine if you have a sense of humour under conditions of great stress. (Yes, that's right, all three rider spots are still open.) Secondly we would like to thank all of you for taking the trouble to send in your applications. We received 96 of them, in many cases from superlative off-road riders with great experience and skill. You have made our job extremely difficult! In choosing our 20 semi-finalists we have looked not just for riding excellence, but teamwork, character, physical fitness, the ability to spread the GS faith - and of course - a sense of humour under conditions of great stress. And finally, we thank you especially for being loyal BMW owners and riders. It is all of you who have made the GS the "best bike in the world" by challenging BMW's engineers to keep raising the bar with each GS model, and by showing the world just what this bike can do. Without further ado, these are the 20 riders who will be advancing to the next round. We will email all 20 separately to inform them of the further requirements. The 76 of you who didn't make the cut will shortly receive a gift from BMW Motorrad to say "thank you" for participating. And remember: there is always the International GS Trophy next year, when we will recruit three new and different riders to undertake the trek to Tunisia... or wherever the Trophy may be next year. The International GS Trophy semi-finalists are as follows, in alphabetical order: *1. Jason Adams 2. Mark Albertson 3. Marc Allen 4. Keith Ciampa 5. Bill Dragoo 6. Roger Eggers 7. Eric Eickorn 8. Tom Fitzgerald 9. Jeff Forster 10. Christian Giordano 11. Kevin Harder 12. Ray Helms 13. Gary Kepple 14. Jeremy LeBreton 15. Robert Magara 16. Andrew Phillips 17. Mike Rand 18. Jim Stoddard 19. Shawn Thomas 20. Brienne Thomson* Please join us in congratulating your fellow BMW riders in making this "first cut" - and don't envy them too much - we intend to make them sweat for the privilege. Best wishes to you all and ride safe, Laurence Kuykendall Community & Communications Manager BMW Motorrad USA 200 Chestnut Ridge Road Woodcliff Lake, NJ 07677

Posted 5:44 PM, Aug 10, 2008 by Ciampa

Comments

True Story: About a couple weeks ago, Keith, his daughter and myself were in the car on our way to the airport. It was a Sunday afternoon and the rain was pouring down. As we were driving, we witnessed a bad accident and Keith immediately pulled over. Inside was an elderly woman who had been the victim of a hit and run. Without hesitation, Keith carried her out of the pickup that was stuck in a deep ditch and wrapped a t-shirt around her badly bleeding and broken arm and comforted her as we waited for an ambulance to arrive. It was nothing short of heroic and just the most recent example of Keith's "cool under pressure" abilities, his patience and his goodwill toward people. If I were on a race across the desert, I most certainly would want Keith on my team. (And he's hot.)

7:19 PM, Aug 10, 2008 by Dizzy

I've been competing with Keith for over a year now on the rallymoto circuit and I'm continually subjected to his willing smile and friendly banter. Keith comes to every event wearing a smile and sharing his obvious zest for life with anyone he happens to be around. I can't think of a better choice for the USA GS trophy team!

9:55 PM, Aug 10, 2008 by crankshaft

I've known Keith Ciampa for over 10 years. Thick or thin, straight or flush, Keith has always been around to help out and support his friends. In my mind there's no other man that I would want as a member of my team. Words to describe Ciampa: loyal, dedicated, honorable, creative, willful, and true hearted. Understanding physics in riding is probably the most important tool in riding and he possesses this tool. In my 30+ years as a rider, Keith is a natural on 2 wheels.

2:14 AM, Aug 11, 2008 by kimikayak

The first thing or two I knew about Keith was that he rode and raced a GS. I don't know if it means anything but I ride across a country with him. He's got a good sensible head on his shoulders and great dedication. I say--Let The Man Ride!

2:03 PM, Aug 11, 2008 by jjhuth

Keith and I have spent many a hour getting his BMW G650 X Challenge just right for the race ahead. We wrench together, talk about the race, prepare...prepare..prepare. His focus, determination and calm towards his goals are an example of a well "oiled" and "tuned" racer. And this also applies to his overall character. He helps people and is always willing to lend a hand. He learns something about himself everytime he races his BMW and how to improve on what he is doing. He is an excellent person, loving dad to his daughter, excellent with pets and loves his rescue dog who comes with him to visit us when we are working on his bike in my BMW shop. (Barbara and I have three such great dogs). He has become a good friend to both of us.

2:42 PM, Aug 11, 2008 by bombarsbeemers

I've been competing in the Atlantic RallyMoto Series with Keith and having a blast! I was impressed with his performance on the F650GS Dakar, but once he picked up the XChallenge, so did his game. Keith's a contender.

5:21 PM, Aug 11, 2008 by Muddyboxer

i don't know Keith as a rider, I know him as a friend. But what I can add is that i am sure he tackles racing like he does anything else...with passion, smarts and excitement. he will look at things differently, because he can, loves learning new stuff and asking why something is a certain way and simply gets all he can out of life. a true inspiration. a cool cat among all cats.

9:04 PM, Aug 11, 2008 by baker1975

Keith's a good egg. You can count on him to do the right thing. He won't bitch or point fingers if things are going wrong and he won't brag or hog the credit when they go right. I'd want him on my team.

9:11 PM, Aug 11, 2008 by Tomas

I haven't witnessed anything like Dizzy, hopefully I never will. I hope that lady is OK now. Anyway, I can tell you that Keith is very cool under pressure though. I work with the guy in advertising - a business that can be extremely stressful and unforgiving. I've seen colleagues crack under pressure, completely implode or blame everyone/everthing else when they find themselves in the hot-seat. Not Keith - he's very level-headed and cool when it comes to crisis. I wouldn't have any reservations about racing with him.

9:16 PM, Aug 11, 2008 by rockyreed5000

You guys all all too kind. The lady in the car had a broken arm but she was fine. The never found the kid who hit her. The insurance company called me a couple weeks ago and I thought I was going to be sued, you just never know if you should move someone that has been injured. She was asking for help and she was bleeding badly and It just seemed like the right thing to do. It was surely something my daughter will never forget, seeing me carrying her out of the ditch.

9:47 PM, Aug 11, 2008 by Ciampa

Keith and I have worked together for about a year. In that time, I have witnessed his fearlessness, perseverance and kindness first hand. Keith is an exceptional team member whether on a bike race or managing the rat race. I can always count on him to follow through, and he has a great way of pulling the team out of rough times. Keith will be an instrumental asset to Team USA in Tunisia.

3:56 PM, Aug 12, 2008 by coalie724

I teach dual sport riding clinics, and as such am blessed with the opportunity to meet many dual sport riders. Keith stands out to me as a guy who has the disease bad, and honestly just loves to ride. I met Keith early in his riding career and the memory stands out because despite being in wretched conditions (downpouring rain and deep mud), and despite being a relative novice at the time (this was quite a while ago) he simply couldn't get enough, and nothing could wipe the giant grin off his face. To me, that's the essence of motorcycling, and why Keith would make a great choice for the Trophy!

3:59 PM, Aug 12, 2008 by Neduro

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A FIRST CLASS TEAM PLAYER, WHO HAS GUTS AND CAN BLAZE THE PATH YOU HAVE FOUND IT IN KEITH. HE DOES WHAT IT TAKES TO GET THE JOB DONE. NOT ONLY DONE BUT DONE FLAWLESSLY. IF YOU ARE SMART YOU WILL ADD HIM TO THE TEAM. CAUSE HE IS IN IT TO WIN IT.

4:13 PM, Aug 12, 2008 by ESYKES7

Keith- I can feel your exuberant personality from here :-) I feel like we began our racing careers together, and while I may have done better than you the first time, (not sure since my eyes were closed most of the time) your skills have shot WAY up and were it not for a broken shift lever and some sort of mechanical problem I'm sure you would have seriously kicked my butt! When is the Tunisia Training Video coming out :ear

5:41 PM, Aug 12, 2008 by R100GSPD

I work with Keith and would recommend putting him on any team that aspires to reach beyond mediocrity. If his everyday work is any indication of how he would ride in Tunisia - Team USA will have themselves one hell of a dedicated, ambitious and energetic personality added to their mix.

9:33 PM, Aug 12, 2008 by roleson

I can drink beers with the guy. 'nuff said.

1:46 AM, Aug 13, 2008 by murraydeluxxxe

Ciampa is a competitor that you appreciate because you notice him more on the track than off of it. Unassuming and friendly, Keith is a listener who takes everything in, knowing that there are lessons to be drawn from observation. Those lessons inform his thinking without necessarily influencing it. Keith was one of the first guys to enthusiastically sign up for RallyMoto as soon as it was announced. At Sandblast 2007, he, like many others, rode for the experience. But in each subsequent event, he has performed better and better, and become more competitive in spite of being hampered by nagging mechanical problems. Ciampa is the dark horse pick - he watches, he learns, he calculates, he trains and then he executes. Look out for him in Virginia, boys. He's a dark horse in the sense that his actions are deliberate and focused and he is constantly learning and improving.

11:09 PM, Aug 13, 2008 by squarespot

I've never seen Keith on a cycle, unless you count the YouTube clip above, which I think is pretty bad ass. But what do I know? I like to race my MINI but strictly on road, four wheels on the ground. Nonetheless, I can readily attest to the guy's dedication to doing the right thing, whether or not that right thing seems easy or, in fact, even readily attainable to the layman. People who are used to navigating to the path of least resistance may find Keith frustrating because he sets his sights high, but the trick is that he then backs this approach up with perseverance and an innate ability to think beyond the obstacles that loom ahead. I'd want him on my team, because I know I could count on him to push everyone on to achieve more than anyone could manage on their own. Plus I know we'd have fun doing it because the guy's got a wry sense of humor. Do yourself a favor and add him to the team.

12:40 AM, Aug 15, 2008 by merv545

Hey Keith, good luck today. I hope we're both in the '6' that are announced today. :~) I love your video! Very nice. It brings back great memories from the Sandblast Rally. ~ap

11:34 AM, Aug 15, 2008 by FreeTheBeast

Although we have never met, you are a famous fellow MAX BMW Groupie. Best of Luck to you. I honestly would hate to be one of the judges at BMW. Talented group of riders for sure. Grace

5:55 PM, Aug 15, 2008 by GSGIRL

Unfortunately I didn't make it to the semi-final 6 showdown in Spartanburg, SC. Good luck to those who did and a special shout-out to my fellow MAX BMW team mates. Make us proud.

8:07 PM, Aug 19, 2008 by Ciampa

BMW XPLOR

GS Trophy - Tunisia

Comments

gs tour & rental reviews