[56827]

First

 

[48659]

Good for HD!!!!!!!!!!!!!



I love nothing more than hearing about a US made bike winning races!



If any of you out there have never watched flat track, it's tons of fun. The bikes go just as fast sideways sliding around the corners and they do forward in the straights.



Way cool!

 

[svo68]

looks like there were 2 suzukis in the field, everyone else on h-d. The suz riders are #8 in points with no wins and the other isn't in the top twenty. Is 1-2-3 really impressive?

 

[Buzglyd]

And the runoff area consists of a steel pole with a hay bale in front of it.



These guys have huge stones.

 

[51629]

They would have had trouble if there had been any Triumphs or BSAs entered. I personally rode a Harley K-Model in 53.

 

[seruzawa]

Did you ever race at Ascot? My Dad used to take us to the Flat track races there around 56-60. BSA Gold Stars were ruling at that time as I recall.

 

[48659]

I KNOW!!!!!!



Most of the dirt tracks I've been to use piles of old tires and put a fresh row of hay bales down for every race day. Absolutly NUTS!!!!!



Why this doesn't qualify as an "Xtreme" sport I just don't understand.

 

[51629]

Ascot

I raced at Carrell speedway half mile, the predecessor to Ascot in 51 & 52 when I was 17 & 18. Ascot was built when the 110 freeway went through the middle of Carrell speedway - I heard that Ascot used the hard clay surface from Carrell. Now Ascot is apparently a storage lot. It went the way of Lincoln Park and Culver City 1/4 mile tracks, as well as Box Springs (Riverside) TT and Anza park. Did I miss any? I rode a BSA Gold Star (completely stock) my first year, then switched to Harley. I was lousy and too careful. I think I was not strong enough at 5'9" and 124 pounds. I always wished I was able to try a Triumph, which was about 100 pounds lighter than the K-Model. Looks like I'll never know.

By the way, my best lap my first year was 25.65 on my stock BSA. Chuck Basney did 23.14 the same night. This was about 10 mph faster than me. I was not timed on the K-Model the next year due to too many entrants (about 100 every Friday night), so I don't know if I improved.

 

[seruzawa]

Re: Ascot

Watching was fun but a lot of people got hurt doing it. I saw more than one guy get off and slide along the rail for a couple hundred feet. Definitely not for the fainthearted.

BTW we also used to watch the guys racing XLCHs, TriumphTTs, etc at the scrambles down by the marshes where the Artesia Freeway is now. My Uncle had a Mustang bike and was a big racing nut so he took us a lot.

What they call Xtreme sports are kind of mild in comparison IMHO.

 

[pplassm]

There's also an Aprilia and a Yamaha (Vision based!) competing. If you go to the races, you can see them in the pits.

 

[55548]

what bikes are the suzukis yams and aprillias based on ..or are they of the shelf stuff?

 

[longride]

Santa Fe, Springfield, Peoria, DuQuoin, Indy, and Columbus. Aldana, Mann, Parker, Graham, Scott, Nicky Hayden, Kenny Roberts and many more. Been there, met em all, and seen em all. Can't beat Midwest oval dirt racing.

 

[Buzglyd]

I was bummed that they're not doing the Del mar mile anymore.



It's gritty and hoity toity at the same time!

 

[21684]

Watched them race there in 1974. A bunch of us guys road our bikes down there right after graduating high school in Iowa City. That was a long ride in those days on those late 60's and early 70's bikes.

 

[longride]

We just did Peoria bud. You woulda dug it.

 

[Neal]

I was gonna come out for the vintage flat track/TT at Galesburg/Peoria Sept 30/oct 1;however, Ive got an MX race that same weekend,my flat track bike is broke and the bike I was gonna borrow for theTT may not be available. If i make it out there next year,maybe we can hook up. I wanna see if your as big an Ahole as KP thinks (LOL)

 

[33129]

Nothing could be finer than puttin' you behinder

Slidin' sideways..

Nothing could be sweeter....



Is there anything as pretty as an XR hooked up, throwin' roost while the rider saws at the bars?



And JonnyB, I'm goin' down to negotiate the purchase of a CityX. I'm no longer a hater. Not that I ever really was.

 

[Buzglyd]

As long as you keep feeding him and handing him beers, George is as charming as a person can get.

 

[51629]

Re: Ascot

It was dangerous. One or two deaths per year on average. Maybe that was why I didn't try too hard on flat track but went all out in scrambles and other off-road stuff. My wife used to enjoy races, but finally refused to go. She said that every time she saw a race, she thought of the people we knew that had been killed.

 

[longride]

Wise guy eh? You still need to get out this way. We gave Gabe the nickel tour.