 His first race bike was a Yamaha TZ250, a purpose-built, two stroke racing machine.Winning his first novice 250GP race at Willow Springs Raceway in California, Sands enjoyed a nine-year professional racing career at the top of the AMA 250GP ranks, including a national championship in 1998.In 2000, after winning a few races stateside, Sands did a stint in the British Super Cup series on a factory Honda.