COSTA MESA speedway

dennisjonon
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451
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5/14/2008
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santa clarita, CA US
2/5/2014 4:39pm Edited Date/Time 2/7/2014 6:53am
who all attends these kick ass events? I'm looking into selling my kx 250f and getting a speedway bike now that i live out here…

if you can ride moto can you ride a speedway bike or should i get Penhall's expertise? he's offered, so why not!
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GuyB
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Aliso Viejo, CA US
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1274th
2/5/2014 4:41pm
who all attends these kick ass events? I'm looking into selling my kx 250f and getting a speedway bike now that i live out here… if...
who all attends these kick ass events? I'm looking into selling my kx 250f and getting a speedway bike now that i live out here…

if you can ride moto can you ride a speedway bike or should i get Penhall's expertise? he's offered, so why not!
If you've got the opportunity, go for the lessons. Get ready to relearn a lot of what you know about riding.
dennisjonon
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451
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santa clarita, CA US
2/5/2014 4:44pm
ya i know i would like to spend some time with bruce and have him show me just the basics, i don't expect to become great at it, just something on two wheels that seems like a lot of fun….
uk125250
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Gnome AQ
2/5/2014 4:46pm
ya i know i would like to spend some time with bruce and have him show me just the basics, i don't expect to become great...
ya i know i would like to spend some time with bruce and have him show me just the basics, i don't expect to become great at it, just something on two wheels that seems like a lot of fun….
Someday I hope to ride one of those, even just flat track.
RandyS
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Grass Valley, CA US
2/5/2014 5:15pm
Leave your "I know how to ride a motorcycle at the door". I've ridden and had several opportunities to race with the backing of the bike owner. Passed both times due to lack of time, I regret it. Don't hesitate, but be ready to be a dork for a while.

The Shop

bauman117
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354
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5/27/2008
Location
Riverside, CA US
2/6/2014 3:18am
michael raines who was a pro mx racer made a really good transition to speedway ,he moved thro the ranks really fast seemed like he turned pro right away,i think ive heard people say tyson burmiester was a accomplished mx racer also ,you may know already but there is also a track in city of industry (is in a huge roofed horse arena type thing )i think they race wednesday and also IMS in san bernardino ca..so much respect for the sport. seems like its huge in europe and wish it was more popular here ,check those vids if you havent seen them.Oh and i know just behind perris mx there is a speedway track also not sure if its still going or having races or practice
500guy
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12478
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8/15/2006
Location
AZ US
2/6/2014 7:31am
There is a track in City of Industry too.

I went and saw these races last Summer, after seeing two guy's lock bars on the start and drive each other into the Fence all I could think is "Fuck that"
abn166
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517
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Rancho Cucamonga, CA US
2/6/2014 8:24am
I went from pro MX to speedway back in 1981. My best finish was 7th overall in the national champioship. Prior to racing, I attended Mike bast's and Bruce Penhall's speedway schools. If you have the chance to have someone who knows what they are doing on the track and how to set up a speedway bike before you ride, take it.

GuyB
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Aliso Viejo, CA US
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2/6/2014 9:02am
I tried one for about 15 minutes. That was enough to cure me. Wink

On the other hand, I love spectating the races. Watching guys that actually know what they're doing is highly entertaining.

When I was just out of high school, I worked for Malcolm Smith, and would occasionally borrow his annual pass to hit the Orange Show Speedway on Wednesday nights. Smile
seth505
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SD, CA US
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1048th
2/6/2014 9:57am
I went to the finale last year, there were some crazy wrecks and even a fight. It was sick!
dennisjonon
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451
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santa clarita, CA US
2/6/2014 10:26am
cool thanks for the input. I'm very interested, like i said not to be super competitive and serious, but just for a hobby.
i will definitely look into some schooling before i just go out and give it a whirl!

crazy thing about all you older folks is you probably know bobby boogaloo shwartz!! i saw he's still racing in CM.
RMT
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1234
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8/16/2006
Location
Lake Forest, CA US
2/6/2014 10:53am
That place is killer. I'm sure you will feel awkward at first, but I'm from Missouri and have seen your skills so you will be fine. Noting beats the smell of methanol. Go on YouTube and look up grass track racing and long track speedway that is popular in Europe. That's even cooler.

You need to grow a mullet to really be into speedway in Costa Mesa! Mike Faria style.
bauman117
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354
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5/27/2008
Location
Riverside, CA US
2/6/2014 12:23pm Edited Date/Time 2/6/2014 12:28pm
cool thanks for the input. I'm very interested, like i said not to be super competitive and serious, but just for a hobby. i will definitely...
cool thanks for the input. I'm very interested, like i said not to be super competitive and serious, but just for a hobby.
i will definitely look into some schooling before i just go out and give it a whirl!

crazy thing about all you older folks is you probably know bobby boogaloo shwartz!! i saw he's still racing in CM.
some of the older guys are still so badd ass..eddie castro is my hero.that guy is one of the only guys i seen pull off outside passes regularly in speedway ..dude is rad https://youtu.be/pMH5ZN982XE
stvh
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107
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9/9/2008
Location
Irvine, CA US
2/6/2014 2:12pm
We try to go to as many as we can every year. Like others said Industry is good, but the bull ring in Costa Mesa is hard to beat. The new kids like the Ruml's and Burmiester are amazing. Steve
PressPassP
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3326
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3/3/2010
Location
Ipswich GB
2/6/2014 2:15pm Edited Date/Time 2/6/2014 2:17pm
Unfortunately I had my accident racing Speedway that left me in a chair,although it just racing they are so unique,coming from MX would be a great help I thought but hardly,you can throw a lot of it out of the window

I was fortunate to earn my living racing in Europe,it's pretty big over here,(huge in Poland),the tracks are a lot different too,Industry is around 200m whereas the tracks here are 300-400m

I managed to get to Costa Mesa and Auburn in recent years and caught up with some of the guys I raced with over here who amazingly all still race,man some of them are gettig on a bit,Faria,Venegas,Janniro,Hicks,Hancock,Hamill etc!,I stayed with Billy,who's doing a great job getting kids onboard riding 250's backed by Hagon Shocks so it's going in the right direction.Those tracks are cool,I couldn't believe how small Costa Mesa was

There's a young American kid coming to race for my home track Ipswich,called Gino Manzares and he looks like a huge prospectSmile
radialone
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254
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10/12/2010
Location
Yorba Linda, CA US
2/6/2014 2:53pm
Grew up going down to the fairgrounds on a regular basis for speedway. LIke others have said, you can pretty much throw a lot of what you know about riding out the window. My dad was an expert trials rider, but after being around speedway a little bit he decided to give it a go. I think he looked at it and figured "how hard could it be?". Yeah.... don't think it could have been more foreign for him.
Sondy132001
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4045
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8/16/2006
Location
Mission Viejo, CA US
2/6/2014 3:19pm
We went with a group of 15 or more moto heads each Saturday night, good times and Terry Clanton is the announcer does a great job and it's cheap to go and have a good time.

S
wwoberg
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740
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11/19/2010
Location
Soddy Daisy, TN US
2/6/2014 6:47pm
Use to go all the time in the 80's. That Gene guy in the first turn "More Beer!". Anyone remember that? There was a time where you could attend Costa Mesa, Glen Helen, Ascot, and Orange Fairgrounds all in the same week. Like 4 times a week. Then they would throw in a bigger race at Long Beach Arena every now and then.

A group of 3 of us always wanted to get a bike and take turns riding. Never got around to it.
Rizzo
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1019
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2/2/2010
Location
US
2/6/2014 7:27pm
cool thanks for the input. I'm very interested, like i said not to be super competitive and serious, but just for a hobby. i will definitely...
cool thanks for the input. I'm very interested, like i said not to be super competitive and serious, but just for a hobby.
i will definitely look into some schooling before i just go out and give it a whirl!

crazy thing about all you older folks is you probably know bobby boogaloo shwartz!! i saw he's still racing in CM.
Boogaloo, Flyin Mike Faria, Jim the Animal Fishback, Bad Brad Oxley, Bruce the fox Penhall, Sam Ermalenko and more. I had plenty of days spent at IMS as a kid watching all these guys, my cousin was head over heels for Penhall, had posters on the wall of him. Some great racing between these guys and other locals at the OC fairgrounds and IMS(orange show). This was back when Chaparral was in a beat up old train staion type building, painted yellow and white in the HOOD of SB.
sumdood
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5450
Joined
3/11/2013
Location
San Clemente, CA US
Fantasy
1333rd
2/6/2014 9:58pm Edited Date/Time 2/6/2014 10:03pm
MORE RED SNAPPER !! Used to never miss a Friday night, when they switched to Saturday nights it was harder to go to every one cause there was always something else going on. Both my kids raced pw50's there, my daughter rode at the nationals one year. Hope it stays around for years to come because once it's gone it will never come back
sumdood
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San Clemente, CA US
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1333rd
2/6/2014 10:08pm
abn166 wrote:
I went from pro MX to speedway back in 1981. My best finish was 7th overall in the national champioship. Prior to racing, I attended Mike...
I went from pro MX to speedway back in 1981. My best finish was 7th overall in the national champioship. Prior to racing, I attended Mike bast's and Bruce Penhall's speedway schools. If you have the chance to have someone who knows what they are doing on the track and how to set up a speedway bike before you ride, take it.

Alan Christian in the back ?
JRMX59
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153
Joined
4/4/2008
Location
Colfax, CA US
2/6/2014 10:24pm
Do it. We used to sit in the stands drinking beer saying "Oh yeah we got this, no problem" Found two old Weslakes and it was on. Every other friday night (cuz friday night motocross at Sac Raceway was every OTHER friday night) all summer for 7 seasons. Turned out to be alot harder than it looked, but so cool. No real suspension and the bike would leave like a dragster! So fun, very little bike prep/maintenance and chain and sprockets and even tires last all summer. At least they did for us in Division 3. No cheaper motorcycle racing esp in Div 3. Raced at Cal Expo and Auburn with goals of tranferring to the A mains, winning a little money for next weeks entry fee and NOT getting hurt. Did pretty good at all three. I won exactly 1 main event in all those years haha epic!! Good racing, nice people and at times, entertaining drama in the pits. I highly reccomend it.
abn166
Posts
517
Joined
11/26/2006
Location
Rancho Cucamonga, CA US
2/7/2014 5:54am
Alan Christian in the back ?


That is me in the front and Alan "Crazy" Christian behind me. That picture is from around 1987.
Highsider
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Way Toasty, IA US
2/7/2014 6:53am
abn166 wrote:
Alan Christian in the back ?


That is me in the front and Alan "Crazy" Christian behind me. That picture is from around 1987.
Cool stuff, guys!

Come on, Dennis! We want full reports.

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