Not sure how freaking hot it was yesterday here but it was warm. I started the day on my boat where it is nice and cool in San Pedro then headed towards Los Angeles to switch cars so I could get the JAWA to the track. 
Each mile I drove away from the ocean the temperature went up. And just before reaching the parking lot where the van was parked the empty light on my Nissan came on. So I made a detour to the nearest gas station and started to put in ten gallons. 
If I only put in ten gallons every time I can pretty well gauge my mpg and how long before I need a refill. So while the pump is running I check my e-mail with my phone and forget about stopping the pump. That fill up was $54.00. So I now go and get the van that find it is reading on empty or swinging the needle back and forth so there goes another thirty towards a middle east oil man.
The nearby mountain were capped with giant white thunderheads that were maybe giving me a false illusion that it wasn't as hot as the 104 predicted. Most new cars have all sort of fancy instruments that tell you what the climate is like outside and how to make the inside pleasant for the driver and passengers. An 84 VW camper only has lots of windows and my furry pit crew uses one.
There were several no-show on the program and second division went from three heats to two heats each round with scratch racing with the highest five point riders getting into the main event. My starts were certainly not brilliant but I scored three third places in a row which got me into the main where I got another third place.
The above picture has Fast Eddie showing a broken hub.
View of the local mountains from the race track at the Grand
That picture is taking looking west towards downtown Los Angeles. Lots of people bitch about the pollution control devices placed on automobiles and trucks. That picture of the mountains was not obtainable a few years back because of all the smog. I have a good sailing buddy that got his master degree at Cal Tech in Pasadena and he came to the school by driving in over the local mountains at night and it was four days before he realized there were these large mountains so close to the school cause most days you couldn't see them.
Last night was billed has Harley night but there were several different types of bikes on parade laps and trying their hands at racing.
There are always kids racing and they race on different types of bikes. Most are fifties, either two or four stroke and a couple of different speedway classes running anywhere from 160 cc to 250 cc. The 250cc are on full size bikes just like the 500s.
Now that is the start of the sidecar main.
And that is what it looks like from the rear. Now I don't have two cameras but the first shot almost got me creamed as two of the crazy sidecars wound up in the infield where I had been standing. I have learned that you take the shot then run for cover. The second shot from the rear is much safer and is a restart and thanks to all they don't have a reverse.
Hedden was down from Auburn, California to check out the track for next week State Championship that will be held here.
While there is a shortage of speedway riders the sidecars are increasing and last night they had two heats of three each with the point leader moving into the main.
If you look close at the first division main lineup you will see that Buck Blair failed to make the main. Bruce Flanders announced that Bucky had made every main this year here until tonight.
Castro doesn't live very close to the track, in fact he lives quite a distance away. When I arrive at the track I have to cross a large dirt parking lot to get where I am going to unload. Every week his truck is sitting there and his pit is setup and he is working on his bike getting it ready for the night. It is hard to see him not smiling and last night he really was.
