Mark Tanner (22) and Dave Schmidt (46) do battle in a WERA Regional race at Gateway International Raceway just across the Mississippi River from downtown St. Louis in June of 1986. Tanner and Schmidt were two of the leading WERA North Central Region racers during the mid-1980s. Mark Tanner led major portions of the very first Suzuki GSXR Cup race in Talladega earlier in the season – a race Doug Polen eventually won. The idea of having a racetrack so close to downtown was great in theory; unfortunately they built the track next to a former landfill. In those days the place smelled very interesting to say the least.

Mark Tanner (22) and Dave Schmidt (46) do battle in a WERA Regional race at Gateway International Raceway just across the Mississippi River from downtown St. Louis in June of 1986. (Larry Lawrence photo)