Northern California has left the building.....

machine wrote:

That's when I was riding it, around 88-89. I used to do some of the night races at Fremont raceway, did you?

ocscottie wrote:

You got to remember, i got hurt in '85, but ran many a night races there, they had the Great America Series, Then they held a...

You got to remember, i got hurt in '85, but ran many a night races there, they had the Great America Series, Then they held a benefit race for me after i got hurt, i was let out of the hospital for the night to attend and they had a whole ceremony at hafltime inbetween 1st and 2nd motos. Nealer made a speech and we all broke out into tears, he was moto #1 and was pushing his bike to the line balling... he won the moto by like 30sec and was waving to me over the big double. It was some heavy shit man, Ron woudlnt let him come see me in the hospital because he didnt want it to affect Chris, he finally let him come one time.

btw: The promoter of that race took the $$ promised to me and ran. Fucker!

So you never ran the old orig PAL at the dump? This one:



That is another great friends motorhome in the background and his little brother Brain standing there, you all know him, Mikey Young, crazy that he and i ended up having the same fate. Mikey, Chris and I were inseparable back then at the races.

Here is Mikey, me in the center and Chris at Tulare, i crashed and busted my knee wide open.

ecavaliere wrote:

I do remember the Matson/Pascarella brawl! Funny I can't remember what I had for dinner last night but I remember a TON about the mini racing...

I do remember the Matson/Pascarella brawl! Funny I can't remember what I had for dinner last night but I remember a TON about the mini racing days. I remember Huron having a really cool starting gate that could mechanically raise back up. That was the first concrete starting pad I ever remember using. What I don't remember is whether or not is was a Trans Cal or Golden State race ... I also remember holeshotting my second moto and leading about a lap before Mike Healy, all the Team Green guys and R&D guys went blasting past! I ended up in the midpack which is about where usually ended up.

Sondy132001 wrote:

John Matalamaki emailed me today, speaking of Rick Ryan !~

S

Factoryphoto wrote:

Club Moto in Livermore and yes it still is open

Sondy132001 wrote:

Hey remember Fremont Raceway ??

S

ocscottie wrote:

Sondra, i have got to get my older brother to bring his photo albums up here next time he comes, he has entire albums dedicated to...

Sondra, i have got to get my older brother to bring his photo albums up here next time he comes, he has entire albums dedicated to each Golden State Series, my mom was the raddest MotoMoms! and one helluva photog!

This shot or Ricky Ryan and Sand Hill in 81 is one of my favs.


Ricky treated me so good at the races back then, took me everywhere with him. I really loved that guy! Later on it got a little ugly, ill have to tell ya the story that happened of the fight we got in and he knocked me out of my chair.

machine wrote:

Allan used to tell me about Ricky's dad. From the stories, he sounded like the original Tony Alessi.

ocscottie wrote:

Check out these LOL from the '85 Fox Catalog Deano [img]https://www.ocscottie.com/new/uploads/Dean_FoxCatalog_scan.jpg[/img] Nealer [img]https://www.ocscottie.com/new/uploads/Nealer_FoxCatalog_Scan.jpg[/img] The Bay Area Boys [img]https://www.ocscottie.com/new/uploads/Nealer_FoxCatalog_Scan2.jpg[/img]

Check out these LOL from the '85 Fox Catalog

Deano

Nealer

The Bay Area Boys

ecavaliere wrote:

I do remember the Matson/Pascarella brawl! Funny I can't remember what I had for dinner last night but I remember a TON about the mini racing...

I do remember the Matson/Pascarella brawl! Funny I can't remember what I had for dinner last night but I remember a TON about the mini racing days. I remember Huron having a really cool starting gate that could mechanically raise back up. That was the first concrete starting pad I ever remember using. What I don't remember is whether or not is was a Trans Cal or Golden State race ... I also remember holeshotting my second moto and leading about a lap before Mike Healy, all the Team Green guys and R&D guys went blasting past! I ended up in the midpack which is about where usually ended up.

ocscottie wrote:

Man, your name sounds real familiar (in the admin panel i can see full names B) What year and class was that? i think you raced...

Man, your name sounds real familiar (in the admin panel i can see full names
What year and class was that? i think you raced against my brother! Chris Stewart you name rings a bell.

Ricky's dad made him this piece of carpet with 2 big metal hooks at the front that would hook on the front of the concrete pad and he had a perfect carpet launch pad for the Huron concrete start. That didnt last long though lol

ocscottie wrote:

He wasnt half as bad as Mikey Youngs dad! I remember watching a Muhammad Allli fight in their motorhome at Baylands lol Mikey came in after...

He wasnt half as bad as Mikey Youngs dad! I remember watching a Muhammad Allli fight in their motorhome at Baylands lol

Mikey came in after having a bad moto, his dad at the side of the track yelling at him EVERY lap, threw his bike down and ran after his dad screaming, "i dont want to do this anymore!" he was about 12 years old at the time! Linda his mom was such a sweetheart.

Factoryphoto wrote:

There was Eddie hicks also right that rode the DG suzuki with the humminbird throttle LOL

ocscottie wrote:

Me and Dean, Check out Deano sitting there on his trick white YZ's in '82 that George flew in from AUS (he was a pilot) [img]https://www.ocscottie.com/new/uploads/Me_HH_82.jpg[/img]...

Me and Dean, Check out Deano sitting there on his trick white YZ's in '82 that George flew in from AUS (he was a pilot)

ecavaliere wrote:

My name is Eric Cavaliere, I raced 9-11 Intermediate in '81 & '82, 125 Intermediate in '84 (my last real year). We had a nice box...

My name is Eric Cavaliere, I raced 9-11 Intermediate in '81 & '82, 125 Intermediate in '84 (my last real year). We had a nice box van and a real nice setup with my dad being a Yamaha guy, the only thing missing was me having speed to run up front! I'm pretty sure you were still on a 60 when I was on 80's, then when you were on 80's I was on a 125. I moved up to 125's at 13 years old, I was almost 6ft tall by then. I remember battling with Mike Young quite a bit back then, I think I still have photos of us at Huron on a rainy day.

Sondy132001 wrote:

Hey Scottie do you see Todd Hicks ?? Next time you talk to him ask him about his 80's dance moves with Launi and I, it's...

Hey Scottie do you see Todd Hicks ?? Next time you talk to him ask him about his 80's dance moves with Launi and I, it's so fucking funny !! Kurt Pingle was quiet and dreamy Deans in Vegas, with his own clothing line Varni Clothing ??

S

machine wrote:

Allan told me one time he was doing this one jump and Ricky was afraid to do it and Ricky's dad told Ricky, "Allan's doing it...

Allan told me one time he was doing this one jump and Ricky was afraid to do it and Ricky's dad told Ricky, "Allan's doing it, what's the matter with you, you little wimp."

Not good parenting in my book.......

Sondy132001 wrote:

Hey Scottie do you see Todd Hicks ?? Next time you talk to him ask him about his 80's dance moves with Launi and I, it's...

Hey Scottie do you see Todd Hicks ?? Next time you talk to him ask him about his 80's dance moves with Launi and I, it's so fucking funny !! Kurt Pingle was quiet and dreamy Deans in Vegas, with his own clothing line Varni Clothing ??

S

ocscottie wrote:

Hey Silly, i gave you Deanos email addy awhile back and we had a good laugh over his website. I havent seen Todd in ages, been...

Hey Silly, i gave you Deanos email addy awhile back and we had a good laugh over his website. I havent seen Todd in ages, been meaning to email him for a long time and just havent, got a funny story for you about him too, when me, Nealer and our chicks lived together, do you recall me telling you what i did for a living back then?

machine wrote:

What's Dean doing these days?

Sondy132001 wrote:

Hey Scottie do you see Todd Hicks ?? Next time you talk to him ask him about his 80's dance moves with Launi and I, it's...

Hey Scottie do you see Todd Hicks ?? Next time you talk to him ask him about his 80's dance moves with Launi and I, it's so fucking funny !! Kurt Pingle was quiet and dreamy Deans in Vegas, with his own clothing line Varni Clothing ??

S

machine wrote:

What's Dean doing these days?

ocscottie wrote:

http://deanvarni.com/ :woohoo: (turn your sound down, music is loud on his site) His site hasnt been updated in YEARS! [img]http://deanvarni.com/images/press/vegas_2004_page.jpg[/img]

http://deanvarni.com/ (turn your sound down, music is loud on his site) His site hasnt been updated in YEARS!

machine wrote:

Allan told me one time he was doing this one jump and Ricky was afraid to do it and Ricky's dad told Ricky, "Allan's doing it...

Allan told me one time he was doing this one jump and Ricky was afraid to do it and Ricky's dad told Ricky, "Allan's doing it, what's the matter with you, you little wimp."

Not good parenting in my book.......

ocscottie wrote:

We need to get Scott Brown in on some of this bench racin! he is around here, but havent seen him in awhile, now [i]that[/i] was...

We need to get Scott Brown in on some of this bench racin! he is around here, but havent seen him in awhile, now that was a mini dad! The all time worst might be Kyle Lewis dad, imagine a clutch cable, instead of a belt.

ocscottie wrote:

The was the Santa Clara PAL when it moved over to Great America Prkwy [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/users/405/photos/25527/s780_130277500_1270527632.jpg[/img] ok i have GOT to get some work done!

The was the Santa Clara PAL when it moved over to Great America Prkwy




ok i have GOT to get some work done!

ecavaliere wrote:

I'm "from" Vacaville as well - my dad owned a Yamaha dealership there, VacaValley Yamaha, for a short time. I'm really enjoying this thread! Fun to...

I'm "from" Vacaville as well - my dad owned a Yamaha dealership there, VacaValley Yamaha, for a short time. I'm really enjoying this thread! Fun to hear all the old names, I grew racing moto with most if not all the names mentioned here. I will remind you that Mike Pascarella was also from Vacaville, he lived right up the street from me. His son, Joey, is the real deal as a road racer, and I believe they are still living in "V-town".

RandyS wrote:

I totally forgot about Pascarellas, I used to go to the BMX races with them. Mike and Robbie both live in VV again I think. I...

I totally forgot about Pascarellas, I used to go to the BMX races with them. Mike and Robbie both live in VV again I think. I believe one of them has their grandparents house on Midway now. Did you live by the house on Cantelow or in town? I lived in VV 1970-85, my last relative moved away 5 years ago. I remember your dads shop but that was after I was gone

ecavaliere wrote:

I lived about a mile down the road on the opposite side of Cantelow - 5 acre lot. My dad had the shop from '82 to...

I lived about a mile down the road on the opposite side of Cantelow - 5 acre lot. My dad had the shop from '82 to '84, rough time to open a business. My dad worked for Yamaha Corp. for 20 years prior to that. Pascarellas were just getting serious about moto about the time we were exiting. I remember their garage being FULL of Italjet minis, YZ 60's and then KX80's. The other place we used to practice was a place called the "Sewer Ponds" near Markham Elementary School - sand whoops for miles!

slipdog wrote:

Now that I'm finished in the shop I want to address the orignal topic a little. I think part of the reason that you don't see...

Now that I'm finished in the shop I want to address the orignal topic a little. I think part of the reason that you don't see many rider coming out of Nor-Cal in recent years is because the quality of the tracks we have don't support top level racers. The only places to practice are organized ride days at the local tracks and the problem with that is they never get rough. There was a time where everyone knew of a few riding spots to go to and the more they got ridden on the rougher and more technical they got. There were no tractors, no water trucks, you just unloaded and pounded laps or worked on technique. Thanks to urban sprawl those places dried up and now we're left with butter smooth tracks that anyone can go fast on if they just have the sack to twist the throttle.

I understand that the track promoters can't build super rough pro caliber tracks because their business is dictated by the customer base which is mostly the average joe, but I think you would have a hard time raising an olympic skier if all your training was done on the bunny slopes. It is not my intention to bash on any one racetrack or promoter it's just my take on part of the reason Nor-Cal dosen't produce talent like it use to.