Weekend at the Races

Last week a friend who lives near me in Oregon brought over his restored 1976 Bultaco Astro 360cc flat tracker for some photos in my garage. My friend Mike is pictured below, standing with the bike.

The way he tells it, a California homeowner discovered the bike abandoned in thick bushes when he was updating the landscaping in his yard. The bike had been there for twenty years or longer and it was a rusty mess. The engine and front fork were full of water. Another fellow bought the bike from the homeowner for very little money, and later gave it to my friend for free when his restoration plans stalled.

A lot of work and a few thousand dollars later, it looks like new. My friend did most of the work himself. He said that he had to buy another complete engine to get a good crankshaft and clutch, but he was able to retain the original, numbers-matching cases.

The restoration was done several years ago. My friend raced the bike a few times in 2016, and after that it sat unused until last February when former national champion Joe Kopp (3) raced it at The One Pro event at the Oregon state fairgrounds. Kopp is normally a good pick to win any race he enters, but this time a poor jetting choice left the bike underpowered and he finished mid-pack.









 
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On the weekends immediately before and after Christmas I was able to attend races in Salem, Ore., and Puyallup, Wash. The tracks are 200 miles apart. I get to Salem pretty often because it's only about 50 miles, or one hour, from my home. It's a 3 hour drive to Puyallup, which is near Tacoma, and I had not been there in a year.

Both oval tracks are in equestrian arenas at state fairgrounds, but they are very different. The track in Salem is longer and wider than the one at Puyallup. The turns in Salem are broad and have some banking, while in Washington the turns are very flat and have a much smaller radius. The dirt at both tracks is packed hard, but the surface of the Puyallup track is smoother and shinier than the one in Oregon. Both tracks have an infield TT section with right and left turns and a small jump. Puyallup also adds a whoop section, even though its infield is the smaller one.

These differences are nice, because within a pretty close area you can enjoy two very different racing experiences. Salem is faster and requires more finesse. Puyallup is like a big cage fight, with elbows flying and people grappling for position. I have only raced at Puyallup and it is full contact fun.

Both tracks have classes for big bikes, quads, trikes, and various mini classes for kids. Puyallup also runs a strider class and an e-bike class for the youngest warriors. The turnout in Washington is usually greater, but that area has a much larger population than in Oregon. Both tracks usually see a few national-level pro riders in attendance. Pit areas are outdoors at each site, and the buildings housing the tracks are open sided. Lots of people have propane heaters to keep their bodies warm, and use electric tire warmers to keep the rubber soft between races.

New this year at both tracks are classes for so-called mini framers. These little bikes look just like traditional custom-framed flat trackers, but in about 2/3 scale with 12" or 14" wheels and 150cc or 195cc Honda clone engines. Most common is the mass-produced Sunday Motors brand. Sunday is a French company, but their website is silent about where the bikes are actually manufactured. Savage Custom in Tacoma builds a similar bike but in much smaller volume. The Savage bike has construction that more accurately copies that of full size racers, and it is faster and more expensive than a Sunday.

The little mini framers rip! They were especially at home on the tight Puyllup track. A few of the pro riders even parked their big bikes early and just rode the little ones all evening. It is so much fun to watch them go around, and people who don't have one yet walk away saying "I want one!"

Here are some photos from Salem on Dec. 21, starting with the track overview and riders meeting, the #67 Savage mini, and the #730 Sunday mini. I'll share the Puyallup pics in another post.



















 
I am sorry that I have not been updating this thread recently, but the COVID-19 problem has brought all racing to a complete halt. I was prepared to follow the national flat track circuit again this year and had already purchased airline tickets to the early events when the organizers called the whole thing off. The first six or seven events have been postponed, with no makeup dates given.

The first race is now scheduled for June 13, in New Hampshire, but I am not going to rush to make travel arrangements. My wife and I are on edge about all of this. Even though she usually does not come with me, she knows that when I go to a race I am in the types of situations that have been recommended against. I am often in airports and planes, rental cars and public transportation, restaurants, hotels, and large crowds at the events. The 2020 season might be over for me before it even gets started.

For now, here's a random racing pic.

 
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