San Jose
SAN JOSE
Do you know the way to San Jose? If you don’t and follow the AMA Camel Pro Series, you ought to find out. Because not far from the city lies the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, home of some of the best dirt track racing on the national circuit. The San Jose facility plays host to three AMA Camel Pro Series events in 1977, including a nighttime half-mile race on July 2nd, and two ferocious mile events. May 15th and September 25th.
Though this issue may reach you slightly late for the May 15th event, the same information applies at each of the races, with the exception of ticket prices.
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets for any of the three events can be ordered directly from the promoter, Bob Barkhimer Associates, Inc., 14 Camp Evers Lane, Scotts Valley, Calif. 95066. They are also available from the Northern California Ticket Agency outlets of Bass. Ticket prices follow.
TRACK GUIDE
HOW TO GET THERE
The fairgrounds are located at 344 Tully Road. The way to reach Tully is easy. Highway 101 passes right by San Jose. Slightly south of the city begin looking for the Tully Road offramp. Take Tully west about three miles to the track. Special parking is available for motorcycles in a roped off area at the ticket entrance. Parking for automobiles is 50C. The track charges $3.00 per night for motorhomes and campers. Some spaces have electrical and sewer hookups. There is also a picnic area.
San Jose has two airports, San Jose Municipal being the one that commercial jet traffic serves. PSA, Air California, Hughes Airwest and others fly into the city. Rental cars are available from the major rental companies. The distance from the track to the airport is approximately 10 miles, and the airport is easily reached from Highway 101.
WHERE TO STAY
San Jose is a fairly major city and the list of hotels, motels and restaurants is extensive. A partial list of the major hotels follows, but for a complete list of tourist spots and the like, write to the San Jose Chamber of Commerce, 1 Paseo de San Antonio, San Jose, Calif. 95113, or call (408) 998-7000.
RAMADA INN
Rt 1012 Montague Santa Clara 95050 (408) 246-5200
SANDMAN MOTEL
2585 Seaboard Ave.
San Jose 95113 (408) 263-8800
MARRIOTT HOTEL
Great American Parkway Santa Clara 95050 (408) 998-1500
HOLIDAY INN AIRPORT
1355 N. 4th St.
San Jose 95112 (408) 287-5340
AMERICANA MOTOR INN
1310 N. 1st St.
San Jose 95113 (408) 297-9500
HOWARD JOHNSON’S MOTOR LODGE
two locations:
1755 N. First St.
San Jose 95113 (408) 287-7535 5405 Stevens Creek Blvd.
Santa Clara 95050 (408) 257-8600
EDGEWATER LODGE
2930 El Camino Real P.O. Box 2841 Santa Clara 95051 (408) 241-3010
Camping is available in the area also. For more information, call Santa Clara County Parks and Recreations Department at (408) 356-7151.
UVAS CANYON PARK
4 miles west of Uvas Rd. at end of Croy Rd.
10 miles east of Morgan Hill
COYOTE
7 miles north of Gilroy
KOA RV PARK
North First St. south of Hwy 237 San Jose Call first for reservations (408) 946-CAMP
WHERE TO EAT
Again, because San Jose is a pretty big place, there are many restaurants and fast-food estab lishments. We spoke with some of the folks that live in San Jose and here are the restaurants they like best:
THE OUTLOOK 750 The Prune Yard Campbell 95008 (408) 371-3801 Good food. Disco.
ZORBA'S 3050 Bascome Avenue San Jose (408) 293-7170 Greek food.
LOU'S VILLAGE 1465 W. San Carlos San Jose (408) 293-4570 Highly recommended for the food and plenty of room for dancing.
WHERE TO WATCH THE RACING
There isn’t too much choice here. Spectators are mostly limited to the grandstand area and obviously the best seats are the most expensive. There are plans however, to build a small set of bleachers down in the Turn One area, a spot on the outside of the track where spectators are now permitted. The new stands may not be completed in time for the May 15th event, but will be in place for the September 25th race. Turn One is a great place to watch the Mile, because that’s where one can see the riders sit up and throw the machines sideways for the corner, decelerating from about 125 to 95 mph quickly. There is also lots of position changing going into that turn—more than enough action for any purist. For the half-mile, the higher main grandstand seats are the best and the entire oval can be seen quite well.
