IMS Friday Night Sept 25, 2009

Last week I missed the Friday night slip and slide as we were in Salt Lake City for the Mountain Dew and Gatorade Free Flow. My son Dylan rode the BMX Park Nationals in the Flow and did some extreme tricks but rode with a sore wrist from the previous weeks win and didn't finish on the podium but he did ride well. The great part about it was that Gatorade paid for everything.

Tuesday night there was a practice session at IMS and the track was really in good shape. Between then and tonight the track fairies worked overtime. The track was really wet at the start and the first few races had several riders down in turn one.

On Tuesday night my daughter Frances rode my JAWA for her first time on a speedway track. She has been on bikes before and with a borrowed helmet and boots she did great. Now she needs her own shoe as doubling up on socks just doesn't cut it.

The track usually stays flat but after a while turn three started to look like the TT jump at old Ascot and then there was the grand canyon right after that. I hit the canyon once and it hurt. The gang in red shirts were busy all night rebuilding the crash wall, ouch...

There are some before and after pictures of Kyle Hicks here, that is before and after the wall. My usual procedure is to take pictures before the races start, during the rider parade, and then try to get some shots of the first division main.

There wasn't any riders parade as no one thought to bring their waders and I turned my camera over to my daughter for her to try and figure out what all those knobs on it are for. To get to the track I have to use the infamous toll road. It is supposed to save time and money as it eliminates the 5 and 55 parking lots. Yesterday afternoon the Riverside Freeway stopped moving and this forces the drivers on the toll road to sit an extra twenty minutes coasting down the grade to the mess below.

My son headed to Las Vegas for the giant bike show there and I gave him my transponder for the toll road. The charges are debited from my bank account automatically and after having to pay with cash at each toll booth and seeing the actual cost on the booth display meter I was more than steamed to have sit and wait on the toll road.

There were several riders new to the track in attendance: Tuff McBride, Steve Lewotsky, Nate Perkins and maybe more. McBride prevented Buck Blair was winning both mains as Tuff took the handicap with Buck second. Buck won the scratch main after winning the last chance to get the last slot. Buck just started surfing last week and you should see what happens to you when you don't wear a rash guard. The picture was too ugly to print.

Several note worthy riders surf, Fast Eddy, Shawn McConnell and myself to mention a few. I am not sure if Beach Ball Brown can surf but I know I couldn't lift his board if he did. Beach Ball and I faced off in the consolation and I thought I was running away with it, then I hit the canyon and that hurt so I backed off before I hit the jump again then I heard Brown engine right behind me so I turned the gas back on.

I didn't make the main as I still am recovering from the last time Beach Ball ran over me and I am not ready to fight for the first corner against a kid yet. Steve Murray who helps me in the pits and pushes me off knows the race is won in the first corner the majority of the time as that is how he got so many wins.

Barr Lumber Company of San Bernardino is a sponsor and I hope IMS get a good discount on plywood and posts (I hope Kyle Hicks get a hell of discount on his next wheel).

In second division there were Philip Harmatiuk #149 and his dad Phil #100 while Shawn helped both of them. If my daughter Frances tried racing, my sons overcomes his aversion to speedway (he used to race) we could field three Starks one night.

But since we only have one speedway bike in the garage (we had four once) we would have to double team like that famous team of Fishback and Huspek that thrilled the crowd on last Tuesday night.

IMS September 11

Typical Friday night afternoon traffic special so I left a few minutes early and somehow missed most of the delays on the toll road.










There was no shortage of CHP on the side ticketing trucks and autos in the middle of rush hour. The temperature sign at the 10 in San Berdoo read 98 degrees but with the high cloud cover it didn't seem that warm.













There is lots of equipment that needs to keep running to put on a show. Putting on a race program is a lot of hard work that requires a lot of cooperation that may not be appreciated.


























Tonight was September 11Th and the Denny Pyeatt Memorial Race.

























The track surface tonight lacked the heavy outside dirt and was fast. Tyson Burmeister didn't ride as he was still recovering from Wednesday night get off. Buck Blair touched the tape in the semi and had to start from the ten and I think he came in third which put him in the Last Chance with Jason Ramirez. Jason won the Last Chance but if you look at slot four in the picture above Jason is missing as he touched the tape at the start of the main and was sent behind the fence.












Faria got the gate and Fishback was never able to get around him. I made the main and started outside against the fence (that is not an excuse) and was never able to catch Chris Jones.


























There isn't any racing next Wednesday night at Industry as they will be dark until November. Next week here at IMS I will be in Salt Lake City watching my son ride at the Gatorade Flow Contest. He won an entry from their video competition and we are flying up and staying at a hotel and Gatorade is picking up the tab not papa.

Industry Speedway Sept 9 Buck's Night Out

Oh well, the usual fire trucks and tow trucks on both side of the freeways making the trip to the track an adventure.

Tonight was the track championship for Industry Speedway as the season was shorten by three nights and replaced for later Saturday Nights in the winter. The show at Industry is never lacking with lots of high caliber performers willing to lay down or bounce off the wall as the night goes on. Tonight the sidecars came flying down towards the finish line and there was not enought space for everyone. This really has to be seen in person because the replays (that Mark Willams does are excellent) need to be seen in person with a glass of beer being tossed in your face by a excited fan.

Gino Manzares was one of two riders that looped their bikes when starting in gate one.

Mr. Microphone Flanders suggested that they have make a calendar of women sidecar passengers but currently there would be only two months. My suggestion is more women on sidecars. Maybe a few women up front would help keep the inner track pipe staying put.

I can almost raise my right arm up completely after high siding and getting ran over last month but I didn't win the main. I did win my first race starting back on the ten and came in second in the next one which put me in the main but in the final if you have to figure out who and where someone is going you are not on the gas and you don't win. Buck Blair was on the gas all night.

I believe he won ever heat, then the main which does make for a good night in anybodys book.