Daytona Flat Track

[Boneman]

I made my first trip to the Daytona Flat Track last night for the AMA speedway bikes. If you are not familiar with them, this is dirt short trackin' on motorcycles, so they never really hook up and tend to run in tight traffic. It was a good show!

Many of these AMA teams are in the place where we were 30 years ago. They are smaller and have much less overhead than most racecar teams. A lot of the motorcycle racers are self-contained in a van, or at most tow a small trailer. It was striking how many of the teams come from CA, WA, MI etc. I understand that a lot of them also ran the Super cross events last week, and raced at Marion County Speedway a few days ago. It looks like one heck of a fine adventure!

I have to say that I am not a Bike Week fan, but it was clear that they have the same problem we do: all the fans are getting damn old. That whole Daytona scene is not attracting new, young bike fans. There was an article in the Daytona New Journal about it too, and they wonder if Bike Week will survive much longer. We need to pay attention to that, because our sport could go the same way.

The AMA was certainly fan friendly! They had an "in the pits" autograph session before the races. It was a neat variation on the racecar version where we do it on the track. The bike races had tables set up at their trailers to give out hero cards and sell T-shirts. All the fans were invited back in the pits after the races too.

The bikes have something that we never will: the fans can see the rider. Two guys that were banging elbows and trading paint in the last lap, usually rode up next to each other afterwards for a knuckle bump or a high 5. Its was pretty cool!

They are in action on Friday, 3-15 also.

[andre]

Always a very good show those Speedway Motorcycle. I have seen them in the early '60's to last year, from time to time, and it is always entertaining to watch. I remember my father use to bring me at those shows. At that time M Duhamel, who was probably the grandfather of the last Duhamel that raced, was the King of them all.

It's just too bad they are not in action more often up this way.

In England, it's a very popular sport.

[Boneman]

Interesting you mention England...I went with my buddy who grew up there, so I heard all about it. It is a different approach to racing than we do here, and it sounded like a lot of fun.

Briefly, the season is 26 races long, but there was racing several nights a week across the country. Each track was the "home field" for the town's race team. Every week, a visiting race team would show up for a one night race series, then the home team would also travel on another night to a different team's home track.

They had it all: nicknames, heros, villians, rivalries, and most importantly, an electric atmosphere. The home races for his track, the "Boston Barracudas" drew around 3,000 fan each night. Sounds great!

[Bobby Diehl]

Is that the old Shae Stadium (not sure of the spelling)?

It was a High School Track. In 1970 we had 127 250cc Pro Novice bikes in my class. We finish in the top 20, but what a sight it was. I never ran so many races. You had to finish in the top two to move to the next round. We didn't Win, but what an experience for a 17 year old kid in my first year in the division. Life's been GREAT!!!! Thanks for bring up a fond memory.

[Frasson118]

I'm going tonight, and re-connecting with an old friend that I raced Flat Track bikes with back in the 70's. Haven't seen each other in 32 years.

[petermmg]

Interesting you mention England...I went with my buddy who grew up there, so I heard all about it. It is a different approach to racing than we do here, and it sounded like a lot of fun.

Briefly, the season is 26 races long, but there was racing several nights a week across the country. Each track was the "home field" for the town's race team. Every week, a visiting race team would show up for a one night race series, then the home team would also travel on another night to a different team's home track.

They had it all: nicknames, heros, villians, rivalries, and most importantly, an electric atmosphere. The home races for his track, the "Boston Barracudas" drew around 3,000 fan each night. Sounds great!

Hey guys. I think you are confusing AMA Class C Flat Track racing with AMA Class A Speedway Racing. Both are run on oval dirt tracks but use totally different motorcycles. I believe the pictures of the bikes show that this was a Class C event and not Speedway. In any event its a great show. The Class C Flat Track bikes use a variety of engines such as Harley Davidson, Yamaha, Honda, etc in special frames. The Class A motorcycles are typically 500cc European manufactured engines in super light frames with NO brakes! They run on nitro fuel and have a total loss oil system. That means that the oil tank is actually the frame of the motorcycle. This oil gets pumped into the engine and then is released onto the track! (maybe its different these days because of the environmentalists). Wembley Stadium in England was (or might still be) a very popular venue for Speedway racing. Class A Speedway motorcylce racing was very popular here in the states primarily in California and upstate New York. The legendary stock car racing promoter Ed Otto staged Speedway Motorcycle racing at the old Yankee Stadium in new york! We here in the states do have a multi time World Speedway Motorcycle racing champion. His name is Bruce Penhall. You might remember Bruce from being one of the actors on the television show "Chips". P.S. did you notice the "steel shoe" that the riders wear on their left foot? WILD.

[BVS40FL]

Sometimes

I used to wish I had that steel shoe in the pits after a race .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ecFPc1nVUQ

[Jimmy McKinley]

It was a High School Track. In 1970 we had 127 250cc Pro Novice bikes in my class. We finish in the top 20, but what a sight it was. I never ran so many races. You had to finish in the top two to move to the next round. We didn't Win, but what an experience for a 17 year old kid in my first year in the division. Life's been GREAT!!!! Thanks for bring up a fond memory.

Bobby, that pic is of the "new" dirt short track just outside of turn two (I believe) of the big Daytona International Speedway. They used to run at Daytona Municipal Stadium, which was just west of I-95, I think.

[Darrell 76]

class A

You are correct petermmg , a lot of the class A bikes have Rotex engines , also they have less rake in the frame and no rear suspension