He smiles as he walks away from Radiator Springs Racers at Disney California Adventure.

“Am I crazy?” he asks with a laugh.

In the three-plus years since the ride opened, Jon Hale has ridden Radiator Springs Racers 5,096 times. By the time you read this, he will have ridden more. In his pocket, he keeps a little notebook with date, time, color of car and result of his race. He once rode that same ride 47 times in a single day.

I rode with Hale on a recent Monday in the yellow No. 2 car. He turns his ball cap backward when he rides so it doesn’t blow off in the dips. Hale has ridden in all 36 cars (31 are in use at a time) at Radiator Springs. Our yellow car won the race, meaning Hale has won 18 more times (the cars finish randomly, so “winning” is merely a notation in his notebook) than he has lost this year in 2,324 rides. In 2014, he rode an even 2,400 times, riding 30 times on the last day of the year to hit that lofty number.

He’s not the most prolific rider in the history of the Disney resort. Legend has it that a Diamond Bar woman named Gwen Reimann rode Indiana Jones Adventure more than 10,000 times.

But that doesn’t bother Hale.

Twice a week – sometimes more if he uses vacation time – Hale drags himself out of bed at his Brea home around 5:45 a.m. and makes sure he’s waiting in front of the Disney entrance in hopes he will be let in a few minutes early. He wants to maximize his time in Disney California Adventure.

Obviously, the question is why?

When I met him, I quickly found that Hale rides for something greater than just a number in a notebook.

“There’s a story behind it,” Hale says.

• • •

In 2010, Hale weighed 405 pounds.

And his life was defined by pain. He worked, and still works, in the video department of TVG (Television Games), where he downloads horse race footage from tracks around the world. At his heaviest, movement became very difficult.

On his days off – Mondays and Tuesdays – he loved to go to Disneyland, but that was getting to be too much.

He couldn’t stand for more than an hour. If he wanted to enjoy a day at Disneyland, he had to rent a scooter. He tried to get replacement surgery on both of his knees, but the doctor said he wouldn’t operate until Hale lost weight.

So he set a goal.

He got gastric bypass surgery, started a liquid diet and lost 150 pounds.

On Sept. 1, 2011, he had both his knees replaced.

Nine months later, Cars Land opened at Disney California Adventure, and Hale rode Radiator Springs Racers for the first time.

“I was worried I wouldn’t be able to bend my knees to get in the cars,” he said.

• • •

On his first day, he rode Radiator Springs Racers seven times. In six months of 2012, he rode 56 times.

His parents were both accountants, so Hale thinks they passed on a record-keeping gene to him. He keeps track of movies in his notebook too. He’s seen 27 movies this year.

He wasn’t really trying to put together a Radiator Springs Racers riding streak in those early days. But then something happened.

He let one of the cast members – the employees at the resort – know that he was about to complete his 300th ride. When his car got back to the station, the cast members cheered for him.

And that was the most glorious sound he had ever heard.

“They started becoming my friends,” Hale said. “I can see the looks on their faces when I show up. They’re happy to see me.”

As he began to accomplish milestones, the cast members would jump in the cars and ride with him. They were in his photos when he rode his 1,000th, 2,000th, 3,000th, 4,000th and 5,000th race.

He brought them cookies and pumpkin bread. When he makes pumpkin bread, he makes loaves for the morning and evening crews of cast members. He goes to the Disney company softball games to cheer on his friends.

“His friendship has meant so much to me,” said Katie Scarlett Hendrickson, a cast member. “He’s been like a big brother. He went out of his way to talk to cast members and make them feel good about themselves.”

Hale says guests aren’t always nice to the people who work at the Disney resort, so he treats them with respect.

Hale went to Hendrickson’s wedding (and the wedding of another cast member, too).

“He thrives on encouragement,” Hendrickson said. “Then he likes spreading that encouragement to other people.”

• • •

His goal now is 10,000 rides. He said it will take him about two more years.

“But I won’t stop there,” he said.

The bigger goal is to make more friends.

On Dec. 17, Hale and several cast members will be going to see “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in Orange. Then, since some of the cast members won’t be able to make it that day, Hale is going again the next night with another batch of friends.

“I don’t think I’m crazy,” Hale said. “I love this ride, and I love the cast members.”

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