IMS North vs South August 21

I returned to IMS tonight after missing last week races because: Nobody would help me load my bike, I was invited to the Playboy Mansion as a replacement stud (my grand daughter said I was "A Stud" in a FaceBook comment), I was attending a White House Meeting in hopes of solving the current financial problems or I forgot there was a Friday. What ever answer for you works is okay.

It was the North vs South and several rider took the trip down but the North Team included Buck Blair (North side of the Hunington Pier).

Several of the young whippersnappers were attending some convention up north at Auburn in hopes they would be future stars in the speedway world and of course several riders from the north rode here that have never been on this track. Yarrow was a little unsure for a few laps then he started to ride really well. Yarrow used to ride here when this fixture was Charlie's Arrowhead track and he was quick then as a whippersnapper. Bobby Hedden was also a quick learner and the track was blue groove inside and heavy and soft outside with some ruts and holes.

Shaun Harmatiuk was fast on the outside. Shaun started going to a gym a couple of weeks ago and if he getting faster you will probably see him on cable doing a weight strengthening video.

Buck Blair was up, down and everywhere. Fishback was leading when he pulled the kill switch lanyard. I was looking the other way when that happen so I am not sure why. When TrickVideo finishes editing the nights races I will find out.

As I approached the parking lot I thought I was in the wrong place as where I normally park my Nissan and trailer the lot was full of a zillion little cars, little race cars, not too different from what the Shiners drive in parades but probably with a lot more horsepower, some were using Jawa 500s and I quickly decided that they were more welcome than a fleet of Harleys at Harley night. Those who love Harleys please understand that I can say what I may about them as I was once a proud owner of a nice sporty. Nice is a relative word and I will leave it at that.

Someone tried to sell me a little sprint car powered my a Jawa motor tonight and I declined as my vice is of a two wheel variety. When I was in Junior High School I got a job at a bicycle shop and the head mechanic who was a senior in Samohi had a 32 3 window coupe. This got me into hot rods and I had my first deuce before I had a driver's license. Actually I had a five window and a roadster before I could legally drive. I would be rich today If they were in my garage now.

But the riders that came into the Cycle and Sport bicycle shop in Santa Monica were not only hard core bicycle racers but also hot rodders and bikers. One lad that was going to USC had a three window couple, was an excellent climber on his bicycle and he had a Matchless 650 Twin. As I was a mere fifteen year old weighting maybe a 120 pounds with my pockets full of wet sand he let me ride the 650. If you can imagine switching from an Italian ten speed to a bike faster than almost any legal street car, it was unbelieveable.

The war between the North and South went to the North by one point in the final hard fought race. Aside from the furious action between the two teams there was the Third Division Main which is the real reason the stands are filled with screaming fans each week. After seeing a night filled with Blair and McConnell banging each other and the wall, Bobby Schwartz riding like a kid after the ice cream truck, two very fast Heddens, the real test of skill is to get around "Beach Ball Brown" when you start ten yards behind him as he takes up several lanes and to avoid Chris Thomas when he falls down. Ed Lynch went around me at the start and everybody else to win (no photos of Ed as he doen't need any additional encouragement). Chris Jones didn't flip his bike once during the night and Mr. X was icing his body after two crashes earlier and was a non-starter. I should have started a database of Thomas vs Mr. X in the number of falls as that would be very interesting number. My database of falling and injuries are not currently available but I keep trying.

Ken Maely Hot Shoe Championship

Friday night at Inland Motorsport Speedway or as I often type Inland Motorcycle Speedway was honoring Ken Maely. Just as I leave the house to go to the races my son wishes me good luck.

This afternoon he was on his computer as I went out the door and before I got to the truck I turned around and asked where is my good luck goodbye and his reply was "Win one for Ken", you see Maely was one of my son's two big heroes, the other is Don Vesco. Both of these men always went out of their way to help young riders.

I was looking through my large roll around tool chest the other day and I found a green repair tag from Maely which said, "For the Mayor of Santa Monica" on it. I grew up there and Ken did also and he taught welding once at Santa Monica City College when it was across the street from Samohi (Santa Monica High School) . For those who never had the pleasure to ride at Maely's track you have missed something. My son stopped riding speedway after Ken passed away but if Ken asked him to ride again I know he would.

Shaun (Snowball) Harmatiuk was in very good form tonight as he seems to excel when the track is not smooth. Jason Ramirez should have been in the main but a crazy last second drive to go into first place set in too wide and Neal Facchini got by him. I not sure how many people Rick Valdez brings to cheer for him but it must have helped him tonight. Butch Waymire continues to follow my riding tips I gave him earlier in the week (dam it).

June 26 at Inland Motorsport Speedway

Friday night and the second race night for the new track at an old location. Another grand stand was added to accommodate those who were turned away last week. More speakers were added to the sound system plus more porta johns.















My drive to San Bernardino yesterday wasn't bad considering what it used to be around Riverside where additional lanes have been added. I had been warned earlier that there was going to be used car tent sale in the adjacent parking lot at the track so I took time before leaving to convert a dolly I use to move my sabots around to a kit and tool hauler to cut down the trips between the lot and the pits.

















The red shirt gang had the entrance to the parking lot completely under control for unloading bikes and gear but an additional hike was required to the northern parking lot for parking. At 6:30 there was a line of spectators lined up to get in the track. Speedway here has no corporate sponsors, no colorful expensive eighteen wheelers, a few riders have mechanics to unload their equipment and set up the bikes but budgets here barely exist.

















When I was in high school we drove to the drag races and stripped out the back seat and spare tire, removed the air cleaner and cooling fan and went racing with a shoe polish number written on the side window. I guess I could say things must be getting better now as I can leave the back seat in when I go racing.






The majority of riders have only one speedway motorcycle and one body so if one hits a wall and bends a frame or destroys a wheel (or body) there is no magical tooth fairy that will leave a new shiny replacement under the pillow or a pain free night of sleep so sometimes riders don't show up where they have previously signed up to race.

















The printed program is made up several day earlier and is time consuming as Microsoft has not come up with a cut and paste program for speedway racing (at least I don't know of one).








In the past I have signed up riders, put together a program, printed them and at race night the changes from rider no-shows makes for a unnecessary rewrite at the last minute and what the folks in the stands see is not what the riders see which makes for great confusion. Last night Ryan Evans had to make more changes to the program that Michael Jackson had previously done to his face.










The racing format included both scratch and handicap racing with qualifying for each in progression towards the main event. Jason Ramirez #66 won the scratch main (I believe his first as a first division ride) and was on his way to winning the handicap main for a double when a restart put him back after he had been in the front when the red flag came out. After he won the main Buck Blair led a crew out to throw Jason high in the air in celebration (the picture is blurry as Jason was too fast all night for my camera's shutter). Jason's dad, Sam, didn't get to see Jason's fine performance last night as he has to run his lawn mower shop in Orange and can't always get to the track. As I said speedway lacks corporate sponsorship.

















Sorry I am unable to post all the results here but they are available elsewhere on the net as that content will not cut and paste without losing the margins. Of course if I won something I would take the time to do that. Tonight is the last race at Costa Mesa as they are dark during all of July and I have not rode there for several years but maybe in August I will try again but for today my speedway bike can sit in the garage neglected.