Saddleback Park

dr516
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dr516 11/20/2009 10:02am
11/20/2009 10:02am
Who was the kid (I believe to be the first team Tamm rider) I raced there every Saturday from 83 until it closed. Lived for the 45min motos
Webcokid
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Webcokid 11/20/2009 11:32am
11/20/2009 11:32am Edited Date/Time 4/17/2016 7:03pm

Who can name this former mini star. Here is at Saddle back before a moto. His nickname began with a "D"
Sondy132001
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Sondy132001 11/20/2009 12:09pm
11/20/2009 12:09pm
Webcokid wrote:
Who can name this former mini star. Here is at Saddle back before a moto. His nickname began with a "D"

Who can name this former mini star. Here is at Saddle back before a moto. His nickname began with a "D"
Oh Please Ronnie Lechien and he just got married I heard too !!

S
Webcokid
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Webcokid 11/20/2009 1:46pm
11/20/2009 1:46pm Edited Date/Time 11/20/2009 1:47pm
Webcokid wrote:
Who can name this former mini star. Here is at Saddle back before a moto. His nickname began with a "D"

Who can name this former mini star. Here is at Saddle back before a moto. His nickname began with a "D"
Sondy132001 wrote:
Oh Please Ronnie Lechien and he just got married I heard too !!

S
Ya, it was too easy for you. It's the Dogger.

The Shop

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wownd out
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wownd out 11/20/2009 1:58pm
11/20/2009 1:58pm
Bout time Lechien settled down, man that guy was crazy, high on coke when he was racing, he always looked like he was riding over his head but maybe that's what happens when you do coke and try to race!?
project racer 11/20/2009 2:15pm
11/20/2009 2:15pm
wownd out wrote:
Bout time Lechien settled down, man that guy was crazy, high on coke when he was racing, he always looked like he was riding over his...
Bout time Lechien settled down, man that guy was crazy, high on coke when he was racing, he always looked like he was riding over his head but maybe that's what happens when you do coke and try to race!?
Thank you so much for that important bit of information. You just shit all over a good thread with comments best kept to yourself. Good work, shit stain.
wownd out
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wownd out 11/21/2009 3:14pm
11/21/2009 3:14pm
Too bad for you if you can't handle the truth, bonehead!.
project racer 11/21/2009 3:32pm
11/21/2009 3:32pm
wownd out wrote:
Too bad for you if you can't handle the truth, bonehead!.
Thanks for the history lesson ,Einstein. Don't know what we would do without you.
BobbyM
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BobbyM 11/21/2009 4:36pm
11/21/2009 4:36pm
scotty gillman was a bad mofo at that place too, great place to remember
1
BobbyM
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BobbyM 11/21/2009 4:37pm
11/21/2009 4:37pm
lechien looking out of control?...you are the one that appears to be high my friend
wownd out
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wownd out 11/21/2009 6:19pm
11/21/2009 6:19pm
Bobby M, what the hell is your problem? are you following me on the boards? jesus get a life dude!. did you race with Lechien? i did! and just i just gave thought of my first hand experiences with him on many occasion.
xnationalwrench 11/21/2009 7:38pm
11/21/2009 7:38pm
BobbyM wrote:
scotty gillman was a bad mofo at that place too, great place to remember
I believe thats Scott in 4th place going down banazi.
Webcokid
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Webcokid 11/23/2009 3:29pm
11/23/2009 3:29pm Edited Date/Time 4/17/2016 7:06pm


Ok, I brought this banner home from the 1978 Trans Am at Saddleback, and I think Hannah beat Decoster this day. Can anyone remember, or touch on how it went down and what happen to the Trans Am Series. I was about 9 years old and can vaugly remember the race. I bet Sondy can shed light!
Webcokid
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Webcokid 11/23/2009 3:32pm
11/23/2009 3:32pm
Ok, we all know it's a free country, but let's try to keep the derogatory comments to a minimum. We all know Ronny had some fun, but that was a long time ago. Let's move on and realize he is agreat guy, and was an awesome racer.
anniebertmojo
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anniebertmojo 11/23/2009 7:10pm
11/23/2009 7:10pm
Saddleback Park has a FaceBook page now, along with CMC Motocross. Thank S, your dad in his OP shorts is way old school.

Great way to see the past and present. Old Saddleback photo's and meet up with old racing buddies.
Webcokid
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Webcokid 11/25/2009 1:16pm
11/25/2009 1:16pm

Check out those JT Racing overalls! Keith is a cool cat.
Webcokid
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Webcokid 12/2/2009 4:29pm
12/2/2009 4:29pm

Check out Danny Magoo heading into Webco after the holeshot. You can clearly see Banzai to the far left. It was closed off during this race.
Webcokid
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Webcokid 12/30/2009 8:42pm
12/30/2009 8:42pm
anniebertmojo wrote:
Saddleback Park has a FaceBook page now, along with CMC Motocross. Thank S, your dad in his OP shorts is way old school. Great way to...
Saddleback Park has a FaceBook page now, along with CMC Motocross. Thank S, your dad in his OP shorts is way old school.

Great way to see the past and present. Old Saddleback photo's and meet up with old racing buddies.
Saddleback was more than just a race stop for the AMA and the rest. For a no name like me, I think most missed the true essence of the park and how radical it really was. How about this Robby Gordon guy? Does any remember the off road race thy held for cars and trucks? They made this knarly track in the park and let em rip! Parnelli Jones, Dan Gerney, Garly Harlow. The park was more than just another Nma stop. For locals, we spent days riding after Christmas and new years. My dad would drop us off t the oak tree by Irvine park, give 2 bucks fir lunch and day see ya at 4. I would ride to the rental shack and buy a can of chilli from the vending machine. I use to marvel at those cool gloves Steve mcqueen and Malcol wore in on amy Sunday. 10$, wholly shoooooo. That was alot of dough back then. Anyway, I saw the first bike post and thought about my 75 GT 80. My dad picked us up one time and was amazed at what I had done to it. Those XR 75's were hot then and I wanted one bad. Dad was pretty crafty, as he showed me the new yz 80. Enough said. Saddleback was more than just another stop on the pro circuit, it the dump! Yes, when I was 4, we went to the dump to get rid of all out crap, and low and behold, I saw this huge procession of motocross people. Over the years, my dad dreaded the dump, because he knew I would ask when he would take me riding at saddleback. Can of chilli and some great personal tracks, what else could you ask for at the age of 10

Pit Row

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toby lawes
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toby lawes 12/30/2009 9:15pm
12/30/2009 9:15pm Edited Date/Time 4/17/2016 7:42pm
your so right!! i was an indian dunes guy . but my dad started taking me ther in 1981 and it was a love & hate at the same time. i was racing 80cc int and was used t kicking ass at the dunes all the time. but saddell bask was a diffrent animal!!! lots of hard pack and blue line and wen you went down you fn knew it!!!! saddel back made me a faster and tougher rider thats for sure!!! i would KILL FOR ONE MORE LAP AT THAT TRACK!!!! I MISS IT ALOT!!!!!!!
JustPuttinAround 12/31/2009 12:10pm
12/31/2009 12:10pm
I raced most every Saturday at Saddleback from 79-81, and then the Sundays when CRC was there....My late friend Pete Snorteland was a force there for a while...so was Radical Ron Turner--I remember him winning the 125, 250, AND Open pro races on the same day numerous times...How about some of the first practice sessions after they disked the track up--some of those clay clumps were as big as bowling balls! Metzler tires were golden on the blue groove later in the day...Maico Breako Big Mistakeo...lol Good Times!
anniebertmojo
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anniebertmojo 1/1/2010 8:13pm
1/1/2010 8:13pm Edited Date/Time 1/1/2010 8:59pm
Out driving today and stopped by Saddleback for old times sake-New Years Day 2010









Saddleback Today.... mother nature has taken here back.

But she's still there and you can still smell the premix. Wink Felt good to go see the track again.







Road into the pits. Webco on right







Pits and Suicide Mountain in background. If you look close you can see the telephone pole on top of S.M. and the ledges







View from the bottom of the start hill. Since part of the start hill is now gone, I would think this part of the start is approx 30 yards up the hill?



Highsider
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Highsider 1/2/2010 6:11am
1/2/2010 6:11am
Thanks, anniebert. We'll be cruising that area in our rental car, next week.
david631
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david631 1/2/2010 4:24pm
1/2/2010 4:24pm
I just found this site. it's great. anyway, I raced at saddleback a lot. saw some great races there too. I remember rich eirstedt in the 250 support class (73 I think) on a fire breathing works low pipe honda decimate the field. also was there when tragedy struck. that was the day jim west was killed. there were so many good races there. I don't think any track world wide has had the no. of great caliber racers grace them as saddleback did. what ashame it's gone. as you can tell the memories are not.
david631
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david631 1/3/2010 11:26am
1/3/2010 11:26am
I remember that day at saddleback. I also remember todd peterson. I 1st met him when he was sponsered on a bill bell prepared L.B. honda xr 75. a good friend of mine, steve moore was also L.B. honda rider. moore won the high school class one yr. at the L.A. coliseum superbowl. moore had a lot of natural talent. natural ability to the max!!! back to saddleback. was tripes on a yam or honda? tripes is at the top of my fav. riders list. he was the U.S. copy of joel robert. natural ability and a party mentality. this goes way back but, I remember tripes on a red montesa powered rickman metisse at osteen's cycle park. that place was off camber city. tripes was standing feet up just motoring. so smooth he made it look easy. I know I drifted off the subject but, that happens when I start reminiscing. good times for sure.
david631
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david631 1/3/2010 11:37am
1/3/2010 11:37am Edited Date/Time 4/17/2016 7:45pm
Webcokid wrote:
Ok, we all know it's a free country, but let's try to keep the derogatory comments to a minimum. We all know Ronny had some fun...
Ok, we all know it's a free country, but let's try to keep the derogatory comments to a minimum. We all know Ronny had some fun, but that was a long time ago. Let's move on and realize he is agreat guy, and was an awesome racer.
I agree Webco. we've all had our problems. god know's I've had mine. were here talking about the good old day's of mx. we really had something special here in so-cal. I knew it then & know it now. look at how guy's from other states comment on how they had disire's to come race at saddleback. that was the promised land for sure. let's remember it that way and not what we know or don't know about rider's personal lives.
Webcokid
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Webcokid 1/6/2010 1:37pm
1/6/2010 1:37pm
anniebertmojo wrote:
Out driving today and stopped by Saddleback for old times sake-New Years Day 2010Saddleback Today.... mother nature has taken here back. But she's still there and...
Out driving today and stopped by Saddleback for old times sake-New Years Day 2010









Saddleback Today.... mother nature has taken here back.

But she's still there and you can still smell the premix. Wink Felt good to go see the track again.







Road into the pits. Webco on right







Pits and Suicide Mountain in background. If you look close you can see the telephone pole on top of S.M. and the ledges







View from the bottom of the start hill. Since part of the start hill is now gone, I would think this part of the start is approx 30 yards up the hill?



Killer pictures. Too bad we can't Decoster amd Robert to come back and lay out a new course for us.
anniebertmojo
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anniebertmojo 1/6/2010 8:31pm
1/6/2010 8:31pm
Webcokid wrote:
Killer pictures. Too bad we can't Decoster amd Robert to come back and lay out a new course for us.
Thanks... I felt like a 17 year old walking around the place all over again.

You have too look a little, but it's still there. Planning on going back early Feb to go check out Webco, top of the start hill-Banzi, the tree turn, etc... but it's amazing how much mother nature has really taken over. The start hill used to be like concrete but now it's soft dirt. Same goes with the pits. Had a blast the short time I was there that day.

tunedlength
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tunedlength 1/6/2010 9:26pm
1/6/2010 9:26pm

BRC should show before and after pictures to the sierra club.
Dropbear
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Dropbear 1/7/2010 3:06am
1/7/2010 3:06am
tunedlength wrote:

BRC should show before and after pictures to the sierra club.
That's what I dont understand about the greenies attitude to MX tracks.

Tracks are built on, in most cases, land that has already been cleared years ago. Track near to me that was used for almost 20 years, closed about 10 years ago and you cant tell a track was there apart from a few grassy mounds (old jumps and berms). Joe Public would never know. I did find an old tear off though. lol
Webcokid
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Webcokid 1/7/2010 8:58am
1/7/2010 8:58am
tunedlength wrote:

BRC should show before and after pictures to the sierra club.
Dropbear wrote:
That's what I dont understand about the greenies attitude to MX tracks. Tracks are built on, in most cases, land that has already been cleared years...
That's what I dont understand about the greenies attitude to MX tracks.

Tracks are built on, in most cases, land that has already been cleared years ago. Track near to me that was used for almost 20 years, closed about 10 years ago and you cant tell a track was there apart from a few grassy mounds (old jumps and berms). Joe Public would never know. I did find an old tear off though. lol
That's a great point. Even if the track was here today, it would still be fairly secluded. It is well known that insurance issues and the water truck roll over accident was the ultimate demise of Saddleback. But, other pressures and complaints mostly from Peters Canyon fishing lake, and the Cemetary near VP dam added to the problems. I have two friends in that bone yard that loved saddleback, and their parents wanted them to be able to hear the bikes. Also, Peters Canyon was a private lake and only alowed one boat per day.

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