What a race!!
 

Some of you know my passion for motorcycles and especially the AMA flat track bikes. Here is a video from this years Grand National race at Springfield, Ill. Turn the volume up and watch it full screen...doesn't get much better than this...nothing like going 4 wide into turn 3 on lap 5!! They run this year at Springfield on Sunday May 25th and also Labor Day weekend. Brandon Robinson on #44 was the winner. As info the #42 ridden by Bryan Smith is owned by former USAC Sprint car driver (and the son of Hoosier Hundred winner Jackie Howerton) Rick Howerton.


You Tube Video

Re: What a race!!
 

I bought my first Harley in the early 70s we never missed a flat track race and because of that Josh wanted to run the flat track miles, he rides now but I told him that was something he had to do on his own we would help if it had four wheels but I really kinda discouraged him from the flat track deal.

The riders are a truely talented group of people but Sarah and I wanted a little more around Josh. We still love watching them run and sometimes wonder what if but that was a decision we made.

Thanks for the clip, nice to sit back and watch on a cold November morning.

Jerry #66j

Re: What a race!!
 

One of these has been on my bucket list for a long time. There must be some time I can put one together with a sprint/midget weekend trip.

Re: What a race!!
 

Originally Posted by Dick Monahan:
One of these has been on my bucket list for a long time. There must be some time I can put one together with a sprint/midget weekend trip.

They only run about 15 AMA grand national point races a year. The schedule comes out about mid December...I'll post it on here when they have it out. I do know they are at the Lima, Ohio fairgrounds on June 28th. This year the HAR full time mechanic and I rode up their on Friday morning, caught the All Star Speed Week show at Limaland on Friday night, stayed over but unfortunately the bike race was rained out on Saturday night and the Sunday afternoon rain date was also rained out.

Some of you know Eric Church who lives in Westfield, Ind. and he always goes to the Springfield mile on Sunday afternoon of Labor Day weekend and then drives down to Duquion for the Silver Crown race.

Re: What a race!!
 

I go to the Indy Mile ,AFTER the Champ Dirt Cars at Springfield.It's a wicked trip and one day it may cost me a donation to the Indiana State Police, but it's worth it. I'd love to shoot the Springfield mile Labor Day weekend, but I can't miss a sprint car race. Here's Bryan Smith on his way to payday at the Indy Mile this year.

I must say this, it's an awesome show to see, and definitely worth the price of admission.

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2838/9...8c66863a_o.jpg
IMG_3963 copy by uncloose1, on Flickr

Re: What a race!!
 

Got to watch them run the Sacramento Mile several years ago. As an open wheel dirt fan I wasn't expecting much. Boy was I wrong that was some really cool stuff. Those guys get with the program, the speeds and close racing is awesome. I highly recommend attending one of the mile events if you get the chance it's well worth it. :6:

Re: What a race!!
 

They also put on a whale of a show on the half miles....the Lima Fairgrounds is always a great race

Re: What a race!!
 

They use to race them during the 60's at Lawrenceburg on the half mile. One guy crashed and his bike was hanging from the top of the fence. Them boys have some kahunas' now!

Re: What a race!!
 

Use to see these guys run every year at Louisville Downs on the half-mile harness track during the late '70's and 1980's and also at Du Quoin every year. I never understood why they dropped Du Qouin as the crowd was always huge and the racing just like on this video. Really wish somebody would get it together and promote that race again. Do you remember Haubstadt had these guys about 12 years or so ago? They are better on a bigger track but the crowd was good and so was the racing.

Re: What a race!!
 

They always put on a very entertaining show no matter where they run. We have caught them at Indy the past few years and were extremely disappointed that they dropped Greenville, OH. My former boss had great seats that you could almost high 5 them coming down the front straightaway.

I have always heard Springfield was an excellent show and I was also disappointed when they dropped DuQuoin from the schedule. Looking forward to seeing the 2014 schedule. Well worth the effort to see these guys & gals put on a show. The AMA make it an event not just another race.

Re: What a race!!
 

I've never been to any of the tracks that all of you have mentioned where the crowd wasn't HUGE...I too was disappointed when Greenville was dropped from the schedule. I don't know what the sanction fee is for The AMA but the purse at Greenville was $40,000.

Re: What a race!!
 

There are so many stories that apply to these guys that make this such a exciting sport and they are all probably true. In the first part of 1975 a flat tracker I owned was riden by Dave Aldana. Trust me, they all raced hard, partied hard and most lived together in the same motel room at different trackes. One story I remember was, who ever won the race then had to buy all the beer and ice and take back to the motel. The parking lot at the Ramadas had all the beer and ice in a pile. Everybody circled there vans in a circle around the beer. Turned there radios to the same station. Drank and danced till the sun came up. One guy had a room and every body used it for shower ect. Then drove to the next race. They lived life to the fullest. Not always the safest or smartest. Real nomads and racers. Thanks for the post cowboyhar69.

Lynn

Re: What a race!!
 

Another fact about the flat track bikes...they used to run with NO brakes!! The steel plate on the bottom left boot was the only thing used. I believe it was in 1982 that the rear brake was added...still no front brake on them.

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I remember the old "Stroh Mile Series"

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They raced at Eldora a couple of times in the 90's. When they were running down the front stretch they would be so close to the wall that the handlebars would scrape them. It was said that Earl would not watch the race because of how dangerous it was, now don't know how true that was but that was the word that night. If you never seen these bikes on the mile or even half mile you must put it on your bucket lists.

REH

Re: What a race!!
 

Ol' Jack Hewitt promoted some of those Eldora shows with Earl. We were shootin' the breeze with Jack at Springfield following the Bettenhausen Memorial one time during the years he and Earl were promoting those shows. Jack always ran a late model and/or a modified at the Illinois Fall Nationals back when they held that deal on The Springfield Mile but he said he wouldn't be racing that weekend 'cause it was the same weekend as the AMA show at Eldora. He asked me if I'd ever seen the flat trackers in action and I said no. He looked at me and said with all seriousness "those guys not only have big balls they're crazy, too". We laughed like hell. I figured if Hewitt seriously thought they were crazy then they have to be a great show.

We'd love to go to The Springfield Mile to see them but we're always at Indy over Memorial Day and Du Quoin over Labor Day. Gonna' have to break tradition one of these years and go see 'em on The Mile.

I was talking to a guy in the grandstands during the Horn Memorial at Du Quoin several years ago that rode in one of the novice classes there. He said Du Quoin, for whatever reason, was a place where several riders had been seriously injured or worse over the years. He said he didn't know why even after racing there a few times. Don't know if that had anything to do with them dropping Du Quoin off the schedule or not

Re: What a race!!
 

I never heard of anybody getting hurt at Du Quoin but I could be wrong. Guys seemed to get hurt at Louisville and it was usually in a support class. We always sat in a little stand there coming out of #4 and some drunk guy walked right out into the middle of the track during racing and a guy hit him and I think the rider died with the drunk seriously hurt or vice versa. It stripped the guy out of his clothes and his empty boots were still standing up on the track. That was bizarre and really felt for the rider. People really used to get tanked up there on the beer. We drank some, too, but would ride back to Evansville after the races so we had to behave a bit. I had a cousin in the club that used to put that show on and I think it was insurance that was a problem and got them to stop. I'll call him and check on that.
The AMA runs the Indy Mile every August on a Sat. night and is tied in with the Moto GP weekend at Indy, I believe. I really should go up for that next year.

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Tom, I'm quoting the guy I talked to at the Horn Memorial and he may not have known what he was talking about. If that's the case I humbly stand corrected.

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The Indy Mile is the same day as Springfield. If everything goes right at Springfield, you can drive your a$$ off and make the Indy Mile. I know you can make it, I have the last 2 years.It isn't everyday you go to 2 different state fairs to see racing on 2 different dirt miles. But is it ever worth it.

Re: What a race!!
 

Here is the 2014 AMA Flat track schedule....16 races this year.




http://amaproracing.com/ft/news/index.cfm?cid=58807

Re: What a race!!
 

What's a TT Race?

Re: What a race!!
 

TT Steeplechase: A race held on an irregularly shaped, dirt track course which usually features one right hand turn and one jump.[2] This event also favors lighter motorcycles but, larger motorcycles have also been successful. The initials TT stand for Tourist Trophy, taking its name from the days when street-legal motorcycles were known as touring motorcycles hence, a tourist trophy signified a class for street-legal motorcycles.

Re: What a race!!
 

Here is a video from Peoria...never been there but they have no bleachers...take a lawn chair or throw down a blanket and have a good time under a shade tree!!!



You Tube Video