Riders’ School – Talladega (1986)

• Larry Lawrence

One of the biggest advancements in club racing was the introduction of riders’ schools. In the days prior to these schools riders would just show up and race, often with disastrous results. The schools helped bring riders into racing more gradually, with slower laps behind instructors before going progressively faster. Also classroom instruction and direction was a key to making it a safer and better experience for first-time racers. This photo is from an Ed Bargy directed WERA school at Talladega Gran Prix Raceway in February of 1986. The coolest thing about this photo is I think that is Scott Russell taking his test with the Gatorade bottle in front of him.

This is a rare find! I believe that is Scott Russell taking his riders school test (with the Gatorade bottle in front of him), during his first road race weekend at Talladega Gran Prix Raceway in February of 1986. (Larry Lawrence photo)

This is a rare find! I believe that is Scott Russell taking his riders school test (with the Gatorade bottle in front of him), during his first road race weekend at Talladega Gran Prix Raceway in February of 1986. (Larry Lawrence photo)

10 thoughts on “Riders’ School – Talladega (1986)”

  1. I raced in WERA and AMA in ’85 and WERA in ’86 and i am pretty sure that i met Scott Russell at Road Atlanta in ’85 while we both waiting in line to sign up for an endurance race. He teamed with Paul Bray that day on Bray’s 650 Ninja. I think they won their class. Seems like he would have already been through the Ed Bargy school before the spring of ’86. Your website is great.

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  2. Ha! Took my test with WERA, 1981, @ Grattan. On track session was 3 laps in a total freakin’ downpour behind Buzz Pritz. . If you didn’t fall down, you got your license. :))

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    1. I wish they would have had them when I first raced. Scared the shiite out of me first time I was on the track with 80-100 other riders at IRP. I thought I was the king of the street crazies, but the track humbled me real quick.

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  3. Actually… That’s Gordon Deltenre at rider’s school (Devastatingly handsome chap in front of SR)… I think that Scott was actually cheating off of me that day… I got a 98.. he got a 97… HA! ….. that was the last time I ever beat him. Fast guys in that school… Bill St.John, M Dee Hamilton, (maybe Paul Bray??? S.A.W.B. Team mate of Scott Russell) That was the weekend of the opening of Talladega GPR and the kick-off for the Suzuki GSXR Cup series.

    Lotta History that weekend!!!

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    1. Wow Gordon, Thanks for giving us more of the story. That’s a good score! An amazing weekend. I remember well Polen coming from no where on the last couple of laps to win the Suzuki Gup race against all those FZ750s.

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  5. Tommy, I looked and found no results for Scott in ’85, so I’m guessing this ’86 race at Talladega was in fact his first road race.

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  6. Wow. Cool old pic!
    Gatorade bottles use to be GLASS ?! Wow, no one got cut and sued?
    And what’s a “rider school” ? A “Test” ?

    When I started at the ripe age of 15 in 1978, on a bone stock ’75 CB400F, with 3 year old tires, I got a duct taped “X” on my back (on the borrowed leathers from Nick Phillips, our/PVR Leader) and a “follow me around Davey” from Doc Price (WERA 1979 655cc Prod, National Number 1), soon to be team mate and lifelong dear friend, like Nick, from the PVR
    (Pickering Valley Roadracers).
    I think I kept Doc in sight for about 2 turns on the outlap and saw him again as he went by every 3 laps!
    (never mind what I felt like when Jimmy Adamo went by on a TZ-250 at Mach 3 in the F2 race I somehow landed in.., Holy S***!)

    A forged “permission” note from my Mom, and my dear friends from PVR, were all it took to go roadracing, and were my rider school. Just how it was for everyone, I think, back then…
    Simpler times, I know, but a better time couldn’t have been had. Unreal fun!

    Cool old picture Larry of the start of Mr Russel’s amazing career. Great stuff, keep it coming as no other site has this stuff!

    DH

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  7. Trial by fire when I got offered a ride on an RD350 in the 1970s at Riverside,CA. I’d been racing dirt track since 1964 and was an expert racing Ascot every Friday night. Guys came up to me and complained after practice LOL! Finally got going and went from 10th to 4th on the last lap of the main event. Turn 9 at Riverside was a hand full. The good ol’ days.

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