Industry Speedway August 11, 2010

Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is one definition of insanity. So yesterday I tried another route of getting to Industry in the Wednesday afternoon traffic. Last week I tried the MAPS search for directions using my IPhone and hit a detour and bumper to bumper.

So I went to Google Earth and got directions there. The directions given there were a different route and I missed the detours I found last week and the traffic was a little lighter. The distance needed to travel from the driveway to the track is only nineteen miles and the time driving was 51 minutes. Tuesday I took a train from Union Station in downtown Los Angeles to Irvine and that trip took 51 minutes.

There is a freight train line running along the route I drove yesterday to the track but I not sure how to get the Jawa in an empty boxcar. You can take a bicycle on the Metro Gold trains when they are not too full but they might frown on a speedway bike and their trains do not go east of El Monte.

There were two very interesting old race cars set up for display and during beaks in the speedway racing they did some hot laps on the small track.

Again the drought of riders continue and even the crazy sidecars were less with only three showing when there were five last week. But those three put on another great show with lead changing and 5150 getting the main win.

The printed program listed 12 riders in the support races but that was of course changed and the first division was down to three heats instead of the usually four each round with five riders in each gate.My furry mechanic was useless as always and only
shows up to be petted.

In my first heat I thought I had won but was awarded second. Then I came in third, followed by a win, which put be in the main where I finished third.

Austin Novratil was in the main after having won all of his heats. Bobby Schwartz made the main by winning the last chance.

When the tapes go up on a short track like Industry a few inches can turn in too a big win.

After the races and the van was loaded up without any help from my mechanic and I headed west without the afternoon traffic to battle. Only one short stop was required and that wasn't for a refill or late night dinner but a visit to the police station. The city here doesn't allow for parking on the street late at night without a permit so I stuck my money in the pay slot and got my parking voucher for displaying in the window. They actually do have someone driving around in the dark writing tickets and the violation is $45.00:

 CITY CODE VIOLATIONS 19.58 City of South Pasadena.

June 30 Industry Speedway

Last day in June. Last night was the fifth Wednesday running speedway this month at Industry.

I leave at three in the afternoon and when I arrive an hour plus maybe 15 minutes later several riders are already setup. Kevin Johnson drives from a different direction and has farther distance to travel but gets there first as he is coming into town and doesn't hit the traffic.

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.