One of the fun sideshows of big road races in the 1980s and early ‘90s was the California Superbike School Challenge. It pitted the top riders on equally matched Kawasakis. At one point it was GPz550s and then by 1990, when this photo was shot, they were using 600cc Ninjas. The races were a hoot. The entire group of riders would rarely separate and riders would often cut up, doing things like holding one another off from drafting on the straights by sticking their arm out and physically holding them back. I’m not certain the race winner was predetermined (maybe riders who competed in them will tell us), but I know for sure that at least they were told to keep it close. In this shot from Willow Springs in 1990, local hero Chuck Graves is leading Mike Harth and Kent  Kunitsugu. Hopefully someone can ID some of the other riders in this shot. Those races were so much fun, but I think racing contracts finally prevented so many riders from racing on a competing brands they eventually faded away.

Chuck Graves leads Mike Harth, Kent Kunitsugu and the rest of the pack in a California Superbike School Challenge race at Willow Springs in April of 1990. (Larry Lawrence photo)