Posts
1133
Joined
12/20/2012
Location
Wolf Creek, OR
US
Edited Date/Time
2/10/2016 8:41pm
I currently live in Sunny Valley, and was wondering if any of you old geezers ever raced at the track that used to be here across the freeway from the covered bridge. I can remember going to it once when I was very young, probably around 1970.
Sunny Valley later resurrected the facility as a MX track for one or two seasons around '85. It was close to me and a fun time. But I dont think either of these period events held the numbers of the 60's and 70's, (we also had big numbers 5 hours south in WC and would pull many of the same steel shoes).
Lance and Dana are still bouncing off some of heaven's own cushion retaining fences given it a taste of moto. I miss those days and really miss both of my friends. God Speed Popeye and Big D.
The Shop
Btw...Randy? I remember you man...think we met again a few years back at Hangtown...my son and I were visiting with Danny V. and think you were there with some of the guys from up North. Here's a real trivia to this pic...those were Lances old Full Bore boots he gave me...still have them up in my garage...Tom Murphy
Those boots were already broke in for riding Popeye loose, elbows up and knees out!
I was always envious of you, Burgess, Sample, Duggan, Coleman and the many others on those 70s &80s. It was always close and and fun races to watch. I started a little late after years of trying to convince the folks racing wouldn't kill me. That was my second year of racing, 16 & hanging off the back of a CZ400. Obviously I never died, nor broke anything...but I was most always a walking scab Lol. Let's catch up again at Hangtown.
That was the race with Gary Denton that I was remembering. IIRC, the track shut down not that long after.
Pit Row
Fast forward to 1983 at Powroll MX in Bend when some norcal hotshot named Hooper destroyed our pro class. Had to be Larry. I have pics somewhere.
Sixes was too much fun, it had killer flow with a firm base to manage that Sand...Brookings was a bit weird with all the roots coming up in the track, you had to keep your feet off the ground or risk getting sucked off the back. But both were a great relief to the summer heat inland. Clarks Branch did it right and you can see how the Huffmans became so successful with stepping into Washougal, Ralph and Carolyn were/are hard workers!
I raced once in Medford on the Kirkland Track the year I got my Pro License and had a great race with Larry. I enjoyed the area and people so much that it was on my map for a future transfer. Hard to believe I've been an Oregonian for 34 years now, love the Rogue Valley. Just 3 hours from you and Bend, 2 hours to the beach and 5 hours to Hangtown or Washougal, great trails, rivers and lakes and only 40 minutes away from stepping into my ski bindings.
Mitch Kirkpatrick thought he could double that gully in the middle of the track. I wasn't fast enough to even think about shit like that then. The double out of the pumice pit was fun too. The whole track was amazing for Central Oregon, seeing as how I could poach it whenever I wanted. And what's this dirty air cleaner talk, after living in the high dez for a while, I thought every track was like that?
This is one of those Oregon tracks. Us kids didn't always get much love back then. We would be lined up with 3 wheelers and quads.
James, I remember that old fart Reimer, dude must have been as old as I am now Lol. He was a big part of the races at Sixes (Port Orford), I believe he owned the property or leased it? That Old guy class was him, Gary Highland, Carl Bowling, Walt Smith (mentioned in that article I posted), many others...now it's some of us!
Speaking of Reimer, his boy railed that sixes track! I remember thinking WTF! when he blew me out of a berm in 82 on a 78CR...
Here's a shot of Popeye (Lance Burgess) pop'n through this new phenom they called "whoops" at Sixes...and me working out the proceedure
Great memories.
Glad I'm not the only one who couldnt dial those whoops...Lol...I so remember hitting the eject button off that last one.
Landed square in the middle of the next right hander...
Didnt know what the hell to do with those things at the time...jump each one? jump two? ride through them and get bucked to death? cut the track?
Somebody mentioned the indoor track up there...pretty sure that was in Gold Beach...it was a short track in a rodeo area if I remember right...raced there a couple times on minis
I was mistaken about Sixes location earlier...thought that was in Gold Beach..it was Port Orford.whoops still getting the best of me so memory not quite as good as it once was...haha
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