Posts
2089
Joined
8/13/2007
Location
Houston, TX
US
Edited Date/Time
10/7/2013 7:07pm
Sitting here just watched USGP '80 now watching '82. The place has always been mythical to me, just like Ebbets Field is to baseball. Few of us had meant to go about 10+ years ago but never did follow through, really wished we had now. I've heard guys say it was a complete turd and trashed out but heard the same about Rio Bravo, which was in a sorry sad state before Danny got it. Even though done 1000's of laps there I never get tired of it.
https://youtu.be/qdTviR5TAHo
The Shop
https://youtu.be/nxUfbbMGLFQ
The mx track, the drag strip and the skatepark sucked compared to others, but everyone knew it was a special place.
The mx track was gnarly because the dirt sucked. There'd be bluegroove and mud right next to each other. Carlsbad wasn't Saddleback or Glen Helen gnarly, but it was definitely up there. I attribute really learning how to ride motocross to Carlsbad. It was a tough track with some really really fast people always riding there. I got to see so many icons of our sport race there. Just too many to mention.
I miss Carlsbad being right there off the 5.
If you went out, you were a new guy. LOL.
Carlsbad taught you how to ride a bike. It was technical. Not because of jumps. Because of the terrain. Blue groove. Nasty, slimy mud in the morning. Chunky, hard packed dirt chunks hanging just outside the main line. Roost that hurt for weeks. Crazy rough uphills, bike gripping downhills. Cold foggy mornings and then hot blistering afternoons. Then in the afternoon the track would be dusty "moon dust". It was a mans track.
I am pumped to have been around and got to race one of the last "Commotion by the Oceans". As a kid I loved watching my heroes at that race and watching some of the locals giving my heroes fits!!! THee was always fast local pros at Carlsbad and heated tempers because of them.
We need a hardback track like this on the schedule. Too much loam and wood chips these days. This is one of the things I like about the Gp's over our series. The diverse soils and terrain in different countries.
Exactly! This should go into the discussion about the tracks.
Don't get it twisted! Jumps are another technical element to MX. The sport has evolved. The bikes are way different. Carlsbad, with the bikes these days would be greatly outdated. They would be going SO FAST!!!! Yeah I know, they raced 500cc at carlsbad but they were nowhere near what the bikes are today. You need jumps to slow these guys up.
This is why I thought MMP was great (from the comfort of my couch)
I mean, why do we need to know about Brad lackey and his inability to race the first 6 Gp's? We race MX and we KNOW HOW THE RIDERS CHOOSE GATES! we don't need to know this crap! and Jesus, riders aren't wearing leathers? they are wearing Nylon? THIS IS STUPID, we all know real MX'ers wear Leathers! Stupid announcer should know what they are talking about!! And WHO doesn't know WE are the FITTEST ATHLETES on earth, why on earth would the announcers have to babble such non sense. In the first 10 minutes the first 5 was talking and shit we already know, They went to a track map, and a rider interview with Haken Carlquist!!! SO STUPID. WE WERE MISSING A RACE FOR 5th!! Where the F were the cameras? WHY WOUDL THEY CUT OUT OF THAT! MAGOO just went down, they SHOULD be showing him come back to the front! stupid telecast. and then Commercial. A FREAKING COMMERCIAL.
and the track, It was such shit. it had water holes, slick spots and looked to be muddy in spots.
I don't even know how I can watch this. I mean my son took off to play playstation after 3 minutes of this crap and HE NEVER DOES that. It was so boring!!!! GET TO THE RACING. The fans looked like they were hot, there were no trees, and the stands were made of WOOD! ugghhh.
And also, Brad Lackey needs to put some clothes on, he was damn near wearing speedos. If my daughter, (IF I HAD A DAUGHTER) was watchign this, she could be scared for LIFE.
IT IS FREAKING DEVILS DROP not ANGELS DROP YOU MORONS!!!!!!
THIS IS ALL MXSPORTS FAULT.... DAMN YOU DC, DAMN YOU!!!!!!!!
Pit Row
It's was always fun for me, trying to learn how to read the good lines as it could change from lap to lap!
The only time I've seen the track layout changed was on a rainy day, CMC took out the freeway & ran us up & down just out side the snow fence on the grassy hill.
The guy's are right about mud in the morning & blue grove in the afternoon. I got lucky some time & CMC would run the 500 class's first, I could use my good starts & the torque of the Maico's that I raced.
Carlsbad taught you throttle control, if you didn't use it you went down hard, it was like getting slammed down on a paved road most of the time!
I now live in Texas & one of the guy's here asked me if I knew what the dirt was really like at Carlsbad, I told to hang on & I could pull some of out of my backside. God knows I spent a good amount of time bouncing off of it
PS:
Rhett,
Do you remember when Al owned RIO & never prepped it, Carlsbad was like that in the afternoon/ 2nd motos.
1988 Golden State Nationals at Carlsbad.
All 6 videos
85 USGP Carlsbad (Part 1) - More Motocross Videos
'85 USGP at Carlsbad (part 2) - More Motocross Videos
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