Trip to the USA.

[Curly3]

Thanks for a different perspective Colleen, we were all glad he made it home in one piece as well.
He did good the old fella, made the rest of us jealous for a while.
Grasy said he missed his dad.
Steve

[VMX247]

Peter is away on harvest work,

Now thats a way slower pace than the DuQuion event showed    Heart stopper,though he did Australia very proud.
Something special to remember   
cheers westside of oz

[farmpro]

The only regret I have is that I only got to see him race the first one.I'm glad my bike held together for him too.
Nancy & I are looking forward to a return visit for both of them.Maybe we can find a real Flat Track bike for him to ride next time.
Also maybe Grasy can come along too.

Take care !!!!

Bill Davis             Texas Vintage Racing Club

[Slider29]

Thanks for that Colleen,
               It sure must have been a great adventure. I,ve always wanted to do a road trip across the U.S .  One day .....maybe
      regards   Mark

[jimg1au]

just to let every one know an other forum member has just returned from his racing trip to the usa and in his last race meet got 2 seconds at classic daytona on the banked tar oval.
again its not me

[VMX247]

just to let every one know an other forum member has just returned from his racing trip to the usa and in his last race meet got 2 seconds at classic daytona on the banked tar oval.
again its not me

Geez..Grand news..we'll have to send some more VMX riders over to whoop ass,try to keep up with you flat out dirt trackers 

[52]

Flat Tracker vs Dirt Tracker, got a break from harvest, engine failure on my truck (25G) it will be ready this week. The tracks are the big difference, that clay is real grippy (sprintcar style) and the banking fairly steep and they are big! (half miles). The loose pea gravel tracks would suit a Hagon Jap for example but it would have to run petrol under the US rules so its horses for courses.The half miles are very intimidating, they are serious fast and only a rear brake on a heavy bike it feels like a runaway train, impossible to stop it in a resonable distance.
Alan is going to post some pic's for me,still haven't given up on getting there next year, be great to see people we meet again,the people were really the highlight of our trip. We have heaps of stories about Americans generous nature, even before we opened our mouths.The area we visited is often described as the heartland of America (inland regions), for good reason.

[JAP 454]

Here's some more pix from Pete and Colleen



Racing with a bloke named Gary Hite, thought I had him beat but he got me on the last lap, you have to get your head around the length (10/12 laps) of race and not cruize.




Jim Monegan 31 leads Dave Aldana and Paul Covert in the 600 pro at Stockton, Jim (67yrs) really impressed me, a racers racer. Note the first 3 bikes XL 350 powered, Pat Orman prepared, leaving TT's and XR engined things for dead.




Chris Carr,7 time AMA 1 plate, worth the price of the trip just to see the man ride, awsome. Colleen meet his wife and they watched the races together, she still couldn't look when Chris went around the outside of riders. Chris is 44 and any kid on a DTX type(450 MX with limited modifications, the most competitive class) bike can ride against him, doesn't do them any good, he still wins.

[JAP 454]

And a couple of the lads






First picture is Mike Anderson, second is Dave Atherton (he was in the Springsteen tour back then, he still rides very fast)

Foss

[Curly3]

Thanks for passing the photo's on Foss and of course Colleen & Pete.
Dave Aldana would have to be close to 67 as well, there's still time for you mate and even more for me.
No wonder Chris Carr wins if he rode against #22 in that shot.
Once we pull the helmet on we all look 21 again.

[52]

Colleen and I have decided to return to the States and have another go, we have done our research and costed it out. Our plans are to buy a motorhome and a pre-75 flat tracker (probably a twin) and do the job properly. As many of the vintage community already know, I have been working fairly hard at luring US riders to come over here and compete.
Its seems a waste if we didn't return and cement the connections we have made there.
I plan to ride the AMA Ameteur Nationals (decided in one week of racing/ short track/ TT/ half mile and mile) at DuQuoin, this meeting will include two rounds of the AMA vintage GNC. Also plan on competing in the CycleZone Kanzas Fair Series (4 days at 3 different half miles within 5 days).
Will be there in July/August, is there anyone interested in coming with us to help with sharing costs?
It would not be all about racing, although at that time there is several GNC flat track meetings close by where we could see the big boys go at it (you will see 'em in the Fair series).
We had the trip of a lifetime the first time,and as i may have mentioned would have been impossible without Bill's help, anyone interested send me a message.Peter Lee. 

[Curly3]

Definitely interested but at this stage it's out of my reach financialy.
Sounds like the trip of a lifetime and it'd be great to see some of them venture out here but we'd have to get some sort of series up & running first, programmed in for say a 4 - 6 week period, something to think about.
If I win Lotto between now & then Pete, I'm in.

[52]

Did a fair bit of homework on the series thing a while back, be easy as Nepean and ACT or griffith would work, and the selection (competing riders) of teams of equal ability is the way to go speaking to riders over there and here. The system in the US is easily set up with the promotors, they have crowds paying to see flat track over there and they love it (and us).

[Curly3]

I reckon it could & should be a goer.
Pretty much the spectators we get are made up of relo's and the real diehards, same again is there going to be enough people with an interest / knowledge of the US scene, so sponsorship dollars will be have to play a big part.
Would we have to open those tracks you mentioned up to the longtrack format or make them deal with  right handers?
What time of year would fit in with their own season, running something like that here in the middle of summer would be uncomfortable.
All things that can be overcome but need to be sorted.
A few years away but you & Colleen are our pioneers.
The pressure's on you Pete, open up a whole can of oz whoop ass on them and they'll take notice.

[Tornado]

Well they do have some right handers like Peoria so its not that much of an ask is it?

Just read the whole Thread,freakin amazing! 

Rock on .