In the world of grassroots and amateur racing, most competitors have day jobs in order to fund their racing addictions. For Mike Raniowski, his day job is running a company that specialises in granite countertops. 

Coming to Shannonville on his days off, Raniowski has been a mainstay in the Super Series for many years. Despite both the track and Series changing hands in 2019, Raniowski still has a blast on what he considers his relaxing vacation days. 

“I had a street bike and I was tired of getting run off the road all the time,” Raniowski said. “ A friend of mine said we should go to a track night and people said I was fast, so I bought a track bike and I raced the very next weekend.” 

The one thing that will always keep Raniowski coming back is the people. The Super Series is a great community of like-minded people, where everyone comes to have fun and push themselves. 

For Raniowski, who goes by his nickname “The Flash”, being able to come and race for a weekend is the one thing that helps change up the otherwise monotonous work weeks. Taking the time to socialize and see all of his friends, the Super Series family is one like no other. 

“A lot of it actually is the people,” Raniowski said. “It’s a ton of fun, the marshals, the people who help out and the competitors are all a lot of fun. This is my holiday, I relax at 200kph as I go off into turn one thinking about my breakfast.” 

While a championship is fun and all, that’s not the reason why Raniowski puts on his leathers in 25 degree weather. It’s all about having fun and racing with his buddies. It’s nice to stand on the podium, but it’s a very low priority for Raniowski.

“I come here to have fun,” Raniowski said. “First or last it doesn’t matter, because all I want is a good race. If there is five guys and we are all fighting for P22, that’s fine with me as it’s still just as exciting as fighting for first. It’s great to stand on podium, but I more so love being around everyone.”

Shannonville is Raniowski’s home track, as a veteran of the track it’s always a fun time. The Series has changed a lot since Raniowski’s first race, but the magic is still there. The races are still extremely fun and there is no sign of Raniowski slowing down anytime soon. 

“I’m only 20 minutes away,” Raniowski said. “ I’ve probably got over 10 thousand laps around the track. I’ve met 1500 different people, everyone has a bad day but 95% of the people are fun to be around. Everyone is here for the same reason, it’s not work it’s fun. The new owners have made some changes, and a lot that needed to be done. People always complain saying that they would do it differently, but they didn’t buy the track. The Bondars are off to a great start and I think they are doing a great job.” 

Raniowski will look to keep the fun alive from 2022 and beyond!