Industry Speedway July 14, 2010

Well I missed last week's speedway racing at Industry. My bike quit in the main and I thought the problem was with my carburetor. Some where in the past it had been modified and another fuel line was added to the air/fuel mixture and at various times the throttle will not shut off. So after screwing with it on the Friday after the last race I let it sit during the Fourth of July weekend. When it came to load up and go to the races after the long weekend I restarted it before loading up and the motor had lost compression. The needles in the bearing on exhaust valve rocker arm assembly  fell on the garage floor when I took off the valve cover.

I may have had time to load up and go chase parts before heading out to Industry but my bank account said nothing doing.

So that gave me another few days to soak by swollen leg in my ice chest in hopes I could get the swelling down enough to wear some much needed shin protectors. So this Monday after relaxing over the weekend on my boat I set off to Cody's shop to get the square bearing replace with a more efficient round one.

So the small bearing was pressed out after grinding off the swagged pin and I figured that I would get off easily and have enough money left over for lunch from my lonely twenty hidden in my wallet.

Well that wasn't the case as after the pin was removed a new bearing could not be reinstalled as the hole for the pin was damaged from the pounding and a new rocker arm assembly was needed.

One who is not familiar with cost of speedway racing and the burdens of a limited production motor such as the Jawa need not know what a rocker arm assembly costs. But you could buy a rebuilt small block Chevy for a pair of these small rocker arm assembles.

So after depleting my food budget for the next few months I went home and put the motor back together. Not knowing the valve lash setting isn't a problem if you know where Buck Blair's garage is and I do. So yesterday I left early before the races and headed over there to finish the motor. It didn't take long for Bucky to dial it in and we were off to the races.

I had the honor to haul Buck along to the races and leaving from his house was a new route with maybe less traffic and a shorter drive time if you did not include the time it takes to get from my place to his.

Again the curse of a lack of riders to fill second and third divisions to make the racing really scratch racing continues. With more riders you have to earn your place in the main event by winning or at least finishing second in the final heats. When six or seven riders are automatically placed in the main it becomes a handicap race and a form of demolition derby trying to get from the back line through the traffic.

In handicap racing here in California riders are placed at different ten yard line chalk marks starting at the tapes and going back to the forty yard line at ten yard line intervals. The fastest riders set farther back. Also the lap count is increased beyond the normal four laps. Back many moons ago at Costa Mesa this made for great racing as Rick Woods or Steve Bast tried to overtake those who started 40 yards in front.

So in my main event I got to start at the tapes, not in the back and stand on the podium with Eloy Medellin and Bobby Schwartz. The smiling Bruce Penhall shown in the midget was part of a demo using four wheels instead of two or three as the crazy side cars do.

Charlie Venegas missed the action after missing a flight back down south and this put Aaron Fox into his first first division ride. It also saw Austin Novratil in the main event too. And Buck Blair made the main event again the hard way my wining the last chance again.

Give Schwartz the pole

Then give him the checkered flag.