The pits are on one side of the Grand and the food and refreshments are located at the other end. There is a full service bar available for those who prefer firewater over beer. My cooler has Gatorade, a Starbucks iced coffee and bananas. My riding is shaky and can you imagine what it would be like after a few olives chilled with gin.
Each week there are various displays set up in the patio area for the fans to see. Tonight's treat was a blown Rambler from Prolong.
Besides the bar there are several other options for eating and a nice patio.
The staff at the Grand keeps the place spic and span.
And of course the roof keeps the hot sun off of you but when the sun starts to set bend three can be really blinding and as you head west.
If you arrive early you can unload your bike and kit without a lot of unnecessary carrying. Since I pull a trailer and there is room to turn around in the pits I really like this. You also have a choice of dirt or payment to setup on. Recently my choice has been under a nice shade tree that has benches under it.
The racing program is split with PEE WEE and Youth Heats followed by a couple of Division two and three races before the National Anthem. There are always no shows and last minute sign ups so the pre-printed program usually bears no resemblance with the final working program. Before the Anthem is played the riders have a parade.
AAron Fox was placed in second division and he was set back in a handicap version of racing yet managed to win.
My first race was in event 3A and in the back straightaway I was in second place when I was whacked from the side. In third division that happens a lot as this is third division. My handlebars got turned and the peg dug in then and I left the bike and it decided to punish me by hitting me for leaving. And I do know that my kill switch does work.
The line in the track picture shows my peg digging in, then a sharp turn to the right for the bike while I flew left. Now you don't want to lay in the track as there are riders behind you and a still target is easier to hit. So I got up went back to my bike picked it up and slowly rolled it to the wall forcing a restart with the red flag. At the restart and I am put back on the ten yard line and of course I complain, even Bucky who jumped over the wall when I first when down, complained to the starter.
After I parked my bike back in the pits I noticed that in falling I had ripped my right glove apart and most of the skin on one finger was gone. So a quick trip to the EMT on the track infield for a couple of band aids to stop the dam thing from bleeding. Good service and no cover charge.
No damage to the bike and after the rider's parade I was ready for event 7. Someone bumped me off and when I was riding up to the tapes I noticed that my left leg refused to lift high enough to rest my steel shoe on the peg. This is great, so after the race I went back and discovered my sock was soaked with blood half way up my shin and my calf looked a lot larger that it did earlier in the day. So another trip to the ER station for a sharp scissor to cut open the pant leg so I could apply ice directly to the injury. Again great service and no charge.
Applying ice to the injury wasn't any fun but it did help and in the next race I finished in second place which put me in the main. Not sure what happen in my main but after one and a half laps my trusty JAWA quit. Well I did make the main. Now Buck Blair did it the hard way and made the main by winning the LAST CHANCE.
In the first running of the Division Main two riders crashed between turns three and four which brought out the red flag and a complete restart. At the first start Charlie Venegas was leading when the red flag stopped the action. In the restart Bucky from the wall got the tapes up and lead for a well fought finish.
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