Comments on: Shayna Texter and The Sacramento Mile (News)

By: goose

goose — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 15:02:56 +0000

D. Hill,

Second what you said. “Pure-Americana”, that is the best description I’ve seen. Pure, simple and direct and an incredible heritage. “Black” Bark Markel, Dick “Bugsy” Mann, Gary Nixon, Bubba Shobert, “Tiger” Gene Romero, Joe Lenard, Carroll Resweber, Jay Springsteen, Scotty Parker, etc. Harley Vs. Indian Vs. Triumph, Vs. BSA Vs. Yamaha, Vs. Honda and now Kawasaki.

I’m riding a few hundred miles next weekend to catch the Santa Rosa Mile. I’m pretty sure it will be worth the trip.

If you want contrast, I’m going to Austin for the F1 race in November. I think that will make even Supercross look down to earth.

Sorry for the slow response, haven’t been here for a while.

Goose

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By: Scotty

Scotty — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 11:20:33 +0000

I find speedway to be tribal and raw, a demonstration of simple courage and guts. Much like I imagine flat track racing to be. We used to own a speedway “training” bike powered by a 250 Maico (Ansell it was) and it was a thing of stark form….

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By: D. Hill

D. Hill — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 07:46:41 +0000

goose, you’re spot-on in your comments on the nature of flat track racing, except I might have offered Supercross as *the* contrast; my opinion anyway. There remains something pure-Americana about it, and still retains a county fair type feel. I follow all disciplines of m/c racing, but I find no other as earthy, as pure. Virtually no hype, no flash, all guts and the glory that goes with; it gets no better.

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By: Scotty

Scotty — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 03:17:48 +0000

I admit Goose my views are based on the superb book “American Racing Motorcycles” by Mick Walker that was written 30+ years ago! Thanks for the update. I did hear there was a Ducati doing OK, but a 650 Kawasaki takes it back to the days of the 500 Matchless vs the 750 sidevalves…

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By: goose

goose — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 01:40:37 +0000

Since I was at the Sacramento Mile I’ve been planing to post on this thread. While it is a little flowery for my taste this Ms. Olive got the feel of the event fairly well.

If you’ve never seen one of these races you should make an effort to do so. The AMA has had 100 years to work out the program, they are pretty good at it today. The atmosphere is great, not pretentious like road racing or Motocross can be. Unlike more forms of racing multiple lead changes per lap is the norm, right up up to the finish line.

Goose

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By: goose

goose — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 01:29:29 +0000

Scott,

You are a few decades out from reality. There hasn’t been anybody really trying to run with the XR’s since the eighties. Harley hasn’t needed any help, in fact the AMA has been actively trying to bring other brands into flat track racing for quite a while.

Harley hasn’t built whole XR750s for about thirty years, they just build a few engines now and then and spare parts when they feel like it. The XR750 is an incredible bike on a flat track but it is brutally expensive to run one. If this type of racing is going to survive they need new, cheaper bikes like the little Kawasaki that won the Sacramento Main event.

Goose

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By: Beaufort

Beaufort — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 15:48:11 +0000

By: Rooster

Rooster — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 15:31:23 +0000

*** “glorification of the Apache war/death machine” ***

Some of us illiterate, inbred, hillbilly, redneck, knuckledragging, mouthbreather’s get a kick out of occasional live displays of military equipment. Different strokes and all……

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By: D. Hill

D. Hill — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 22:25:25 +0000

And Shayna won the Knoxville HM this past Saturday night. What a gal, and cute to boot!

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By: Scott in the UK

Scott in the UK — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 19:13:37 +0000

Well done to her and I would love to see some of that racing! I big shock for me is that other brands besides Harley are allowed to win in the main event! What gives? Certainly for about 40 years the rules were rigged in favour of HD (and before that Indian as well).

Looks like a great new era is upon flat track.

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