6 thoughts on “30 Years Trackside”

  1. Enjoyed your story about your first thirty,any chance getting other long time photog’s/reporters recalling their memories.

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  3. Larry
    Just read your CN piece
    Sample (besides our GTRacing times/years at Nelson’s)
    No particular order
    Freddie Spencer in the rain at Mid Ohio over riders like Jimmy Allen (250)
    Eddie Lawson running down Scott Russell at Daytona – just flying
    Daytona, at the kink, Malcolm Tunstall commenting that Fritz (Kling) wasn’t fast enough, race started and he turned to me “nevermind” Fritz was up a gear or more.
    Jimmy Adamo brake failure and hitting barrier at Daytona
    Meeting Mike the Bike (Daytona)
    Eating raw oysters with Udo and Todd, Jonny Long at some shack at the end of a two track : Daytona
    The Honda FWR’s at Daytona – using half the gears everybody else was.
    First time through the tunnel at Daytona – every year
    The PBR Truck in the pits at Road America after practice
    Pitting next to Freddie and Irv at Daytona
    Confronting Steve McLauglin at Daytona when I was totally trashed
    Some diner in Daytona, listening to the next booth where match races were being set up for the cabbage patch (something like $10K … about the purse at the 200 at the time)
    Getting drunk as a skunk with Bobby Strahlman (Champion Sparkplugs) – the man to know before computers
    Hillclimb – Mt. Garfield
    Northville Downs – first time seeing David Aldana, Jay Springsteen as a Jr. (and brother Ken)
    Indy Mile – several times
    Louisville
    Lima
    Pontiac Silverdome : Ted Boody’s first TT win
    Cook Neilson winning Daytona Superbike
    Todd Schuster
    Gary Nixon – sushi restaurant – Daytona (dropping trou)
    Rockingham
    Charlotte
    Pocono
    Grattan – opening it to bike racing
    West Palm 24hr – Gary Scott on the Lester Wheels Kawa
    Jimmy Kemp and Danny Chivington “freight training” through the night at Nelson’s
    Kevin Schwantz t-boning the College Bike Honda in the middle of the night – Nelson’s
    Fritz

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  5. Introducing my 3yr old daughter to Dale Singleton and “Elmer”
    Running West Palm 24hr, ’77 – all we needed to do to win championship was do a lap, later, motor problems – decision was beer or race – Malcolm Tunstall declared “we race” – we swapped motor and finished 2nd.
    Same race – front tire shredded, asked John Long (who tested for Michelin) what he thought, he jumped on and “we ride”

    Bugsy Mann, both at Indy, much later at Grattan Vintage MX with his Matchless
    Flint Flat Trackers (Michigan Mafia)

    Bobby Lill throwing his helmet into the van at Road Atlanta – bounces off the tool box and out the back window

    Riding back from Road Atlanta with Bobby

    Bobby Lill on my “925” cc Duck SS on the banks at Daytona, fall Battle of the Twins – pulling ton & a half (150) …bottom end ties up, he had been in lead pack. “Man that was the MOST FUN I’ve ever had” (whew)

    Dieter Gutner – failing to come in for pit stop, we needed to do rider change per rules

    Mike Baldwin gridding at the back – Daytona, and coming through the field scattering riders like leaves in the wind.

    Trick fuel rig – dumped gallon a second, it got banned
    Later – gravity fed dump can – gallon a second

    John Bettencourt in the showers at Pocono – with girlfriend
    First meeting with Erik Buell for the first time at Daytona

    Legend of the Motorcycle – Half Moon Bay !!!
    Too many times at Jon White’s place

    Cox & Davidson sidecar (traveled in converted bus) back when hacks raced with bikes
    Their GIANT Shepherd retrieving tires rolled down the hill

    Fred & Fritz with Harley

    Randy Mamola at about age 13

    Pierre DesRosche (sp?) workmanship

    Udo and the BMW’s

    got to get back to work

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  6. you can append these to prior
    again – no particular order

    Danny Chivington screaming into turn 1 at Grattan on a Honda 400 4
    Ducati days at Grattan and long chat with Phil Schilling – mostly about print business/Hachette etc.

    Jonathan White at Grattan – our kids playing in the blow up “Swimming Pool”
    Same Jonathan at Daytona – he spent hours in the bath-tub with wind up toys

    Ice racing before it went “indoors”
    Everything from 175 kitted Yamaha in a Champion Frame to full Honda 750 4’s with studded tires (the little Yamaha would loft the front while leaned over !!! – on Ice)
    Bart Markel “feeding” his ice racer coke and fries

    The Tunstall Family
    The Long Family

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