Most of the riders in the MotoAmerica series compete because of their abiding love of the sport of motorcycle road racing. There are only a select few whose passion and skill are compensated with a salary, although the MotoAmerica purses pay the riders based on finishing position, and contingency support is offered by the factories as an incentive to the riders who choose to race those factories’ motorcycles.
And so, the saying “don’t give up your day job” definitely applies for the majority of the paddock, whether it’s working during the week in a motorcycle dealership, holding a position with one of the many parts and equipment manufacturers who service and support MotoAmerica, or working for a team owner who has a business that supports the team’s racing efforts.
For Stock 1000 rider Miles Thornton, his day job is completely unrelated to motorcycle road racing, and he is the owner of a business that is growing by leaps and bounds. Thornton, who competed aboard the #72 Team Hammer-prepped Altus Motorsports Suzuki GSX-R1000 in last year’s MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Championship, is the owner of Thornton Tile and Design, LLC. Actually, the owner’s name is “Richard Miles Thornton,” but we know him as “Miles” since Thornton goes by his middle name and only uses “Richard” for legal reasons like owning a business, for example.
And business is good for Thornton Tile and Design. Very good, in fact. During the race season, when he wasn’t competing for Altus Motorsports on a race weekend, he was installing custom floors for his clients in and around the West Point, Georgia, area, where Thornton lives. “I’ve been so busy that I haven’t had a chance to ride and train as much as I’d like,” Thornton said. “And with the baby coming, when I get home from work, I’m busy working on the nursery.” Thornton and his girlfriend Kennedy are expecting a girl in April.
Despite his schedule, though, Thornton’s passion for MotoAmerica still burns strong. “Unfortunately, I won’t be racing for Altus Motorsports this year, and I’m really going to miss being with (team owners) George and Janette, along with the rest of the team. I still want to race, though, and I’m hoping to find something for this year because I made a lot of progress in the Stock 1000 class last year. We got the bike working really well by the end of the season, and I finished fifth in the final standings, just one point out of fourth place. I’d really love to continue racing in MotoAmerica somehow.”
If you’ve got something in mind for Miles Thornton, and it involves racing, give him a call at (706) 505-9769. He’ll probably greet you with “Hello, Thornton Tile and Design, this is Miles” and he’ll probably be in the middle of mixing a batch of grout, but he’d love to talk to you about racing. Or perhaps a new floor in the den or a bathroom remodel, if you need that, too.
Either way—twisting a throttle or installing a backsplash—Miles Thornton does quality work.
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