Riding instructor Jeff James explains the debris flag to a class of students at a WERA Riding School at Indianapolis Raceway Park in April of 1986. This was not too long after WERA implemented riding schools for its new riders and it was one of the best things they could have done for safety. When I first road raced in 1980 there was no rider instruction. You simply came to the race, paid your entry fees, and if your bike passed tech inspection you went out onto the track with nothing more than some friendly advice from your friends who raced. Not ideal to say the least.
Riding instructor Jeff James explains the debris flag to a class of students at a WERA Riding School at Indianapolis Raceway Park in April of 1986. (Larry Lawrence photo)
Rider Files 
Check out the phone booth in the background.
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What’s a “phone booth”…?
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In ’79/’80 WERA used to require rookie riders to put a big “X” in duct tape on the back of your leathers. At least they did at Summit Point.
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AAMRR had an orientation class for first day Novices by the time I started racing in 1979. And, you could always pay for the Penguin Road Racing school as well which started a number of years before that.
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I see my late brother, Dave, sitting right up front. He was also one of the rider school instructors there. I don’t seem to recognize anybody else in that picture.
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HOLY COW! My rider school at IRP. I’m 4th in from the right, orange tee over my spanky new Dainese leathers. Still racin but the RZ is gone, Along with my hair. My girl that was in diapers that day had a riders school at Nelson Ledges this fall. Thanks for the eagle eye Tgold!!!!
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Look at the number of students!!! Did WERA have that many RACERS at the last B’Run round???
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Your brother Dave was a great guy, Ken. I still remember the disbelief when we heard of the accident. A loss to all, and way too soon.
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My riders school at Summit Point in ’76 was new riders following Ed Bargy for about three laps. Then you wore the “X” for I think your first three races.
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