Posts
1606
Joined
8/15/2006
Location
Corona, CA
US
Edited Date/Time
1/27/2012 2:43pm
It doesn't matter what class you were in, if you won it, you definitely get my respect.
I raced that race every year from 1974 to 1981 and couldn't pull it off. I raced the 125 class for a few years, then 250s starting in 1977. Had some great battles and led a couple of motos, but something always seemed to bite me in the ass...usually in the form of me crashing. The place just frustrated the shit out of me. I'm sure it didn't help that I stayed on 125s way too long. No matter how fast my bike was there was no way I was gonna pull guys like Dave Taylor and Gary Denton up that start hill when I was spotting them around 40 lb. Those skinny fuckers!
The best I did was in 1975, when I got second in the 125 (pro) class. I'm not sure why I don't look back on that and at least feel sorta good about it, because it's not easy to get second there in any class, not back then and not now. I guess it didn't feel that great because:
A) Second place is not the same as winning...doh
The guy that won was my long-time rival and teammate.
There were three of us from the "I.E." that had a shot that day, and we went 1-2-3 in the first moto. Tim Hoover spanked Davey Williams and me by 45 seconds in the first moto, then broke his neck in the fast left hand uphill sweeper at the start of the second moto. It was dominos from the inside-out and I barely missed the pile-up. If Tim hadn't gotten hurt that day, ending his career just as it was starting, he would have been as fast as Hannah. The fucker was that good. Anyway, Dave Williams won the overall and he was my arch-nemesis, since we were both from Riverside and battled every Friday night at Corona Raceway. Plus he was my teammate at DG, so I had to listen to Gary Harlow (the 'G' in DG) give me shit for letting "Crybaby Williams" beat me.
In fact, Harlow taunted me every year about "when are you gonna win Mammoth, Bauer?" It was a standing joke between us. My 21st birthday was the same day as the '79 USGP, and my mechanic, Tim Buck, had all everybody sign a piece of white contact paper birthday card and he stuck it on my tank just before the start of the second moto. If you look in the bottom right you can see where Harlow wrote, "Win Mammoth, Turkey!" Hahahaha! Good times, for sure!
Anyway, I never did win it, but I sure loved racing there. One of the most impressive things I've ever seen was watching Warren Reid win all three classes one year. He was so fast that day...just sick. I also remember reading that Darren Durham won all three classes up there a few years ago and I give him mad respect for that.
That's all, didn't intend to get all long-winded and shit, just wondered if anyone in here had won up there, or had any decent Mammoth stories to tell. If not, I have plenty more, and a good one about Kenny Zhart up there, but my lips are sealed.
I raced that race every year from 1974 to 1981 and couldn't pull it off. I raced the 125 class for a few years, then 250s starting in 1977. Had some great battles and led a couple of motos, but something always seemed to bite me in the ass...usually in the form of me crashing. The place just frustrated the shit out of me. I'm sure it didn't help that I stayed on 125s way too long. No matter how fast my bike was there was no way I was gonna pull guys like Dave Taylor and Gary Denton up that start hill when I was spotting them around 40 lb. Those skinny fuckers!
The best I did was in 1975, when I got second in the 125 (pro) class. I'm not sure why I don't look back on that and at least feel sorta good about it, because it's not easy to get second there in any class, not back then and not now. I guess it didn't feel that great because:
A) Second place is not the same as winning...doh
The guy that won was my long-time rival and teammate.
There were three of us from the "I.E." that had a shot that day, and we went 1-2-3 in the first moto. Tim Hoover spanked Davey Williams and me by 45 seconds in the first moto, then broke his neck in the fast left hand uphill sweeper at the start of the second moto. It was dominos from the inside-out and I barely missed the pile-up. If Tim hadn't gotten hurt that day, ending his career just as it was starting, he would have been as fast as Hannah. The fucker was that good. Anyway, Dave Williams won the overall and he was my arch-nemesis, since we were both from Riverside and battled every Friday night at Corona Raceway. Plus he was my teammate at DG, so I had to listen to Gary Harlow (the 'G' in DG) give me shit for letting "Crybaby Williams" beat me.
In fact, Harlow taunted me every year about "when are you gonna win Mammoth, Bauer?" It was a standing joke between us. My 21st birthday was the same day as the '79 USGP, and my mechanic, Tim Buck, had all everybody sign a piece of white contact paper birthday card and he stuck it on my tank just before the start of the second moto. If you look in the bottom right you can see where Harlow wrote, "Win Mammoth, Turkey!" Hahahaha! Good times, for sure!
Anyway, I never did win it, but I sure loved racing there. One of the most impressive things I've ever seen was watching Warren Reid win all three classes one year. He was so fast that day...just sick. I also remember reading that Darren Durham won all three classes up there a few years ago and I give him mad respect for that.
That's all, didn't intend to get all long-winded and shit, just wondered if anyone in here had won up there, or had any decent Mammoth stories to tell. If not, I have plenty more, and a good one about Kenny Zhart up there, but my lips are sealed.
I also won my heat in 125cc int in 1995.
The Shop
tedesco got 2nd
2007 Mammoth I won every class I entered again. 125 Intermediate,250 Intermediate,Open when I rode for Yamaha.
That was back when I was fast and good at starts. hahahaha
Great track though.
The Bottomline?
I'd rather go race Mammoth than Watch ANY Pro-Event.
It's THAT GOOD!
...go wide and exit along the wall...stay outta those ass-beating ruts, bumps and rocks...
Ther REAL ass saving lines are out back on your way to the Sand-Pit.
Shit, you beat Wharton, Paluzzi, Evans.....why aren't you winning anything or getting top 5s now???
S
S
Love that race.
Pit Row
This year im feeling really good and ready for whatever, but looks like ill be privateer again which is going to suck and probably limit the races I do cause I cant afford it.
Wish ya the best next year!
Post a reply to: Anybody in here ever won at Mammoth?