An Incomplete Guide To Special Events
AN INCOMPLETE GUIDE TO SPECIAL EVENTS
You Too Can Ride the Wild Salt
In our series of Insider’s Race Track Guides (June, July and September, 1977), we tried to eliminate the logistical pains of attending some of the major events in the summer’s annual potpourri of racing. Judging by the mailbags, you found the info useful, so when we began planning this summer’s issues (monsoons and mudslides made an unlikely backdrop for this activity) we wanted to offer a corollary service. Last year it was guides for spectators. This year it’s a guide for competitors. The following pages contain information that will help you enter and run certain select events.
When we began compiling our info, we had it in mind to pass along tips on how to enter the big drag racing meet, the big hillclimb, the enduro, the pavement endurance race. But we found our aim to be a trifle ambitious in places. Not all the special events we had in mind are readily open to amateurs, and we assume most seasoned professionals know the ropes. An example of how this problem plagued us is the hillclimb question. There are some big events, for sure, but amateur entries are encouraged only in AMA district qualifiers, with the idea of newcomers working up to the big national meets. That took care of Muskegon, Michigan and York, Pennsylvania. Our first choice, the famous Widowmaker Hillclimb, held each year about 20 miles south of Salt Lake City, Utah, was unfortunately incompatible with our publishing schedules—it was held last April 22. However, if you’re looking forward to 1979, we recommend the Widow'maker. All comers are welcome.
We also considered the possibility of including the big speedway event. However. this again is the province of the guys who have been soldiering through the entire season, a situation that makes more sense in this case.
However, there are still some big events that don’t require much more than enthusiasm and reasonable proficiency to get into. For example, have you ever dreamed about joining the parade of missile riders that annually descends on the Bonneville Salt Flats? It sounds like a realm for the steely-eyed few, but the fact is anyone can run. And as the Bonneville Production class records indicate, you don’t have to be an ex-spaceship captain to have a go.
The same goes for the semi-legendary Sandy Lane Enduro. Sure, the heavies dominate it. but plenty of tenderfoot riders show' up every year. And finish.
Feel like you’ve been getting hooked up really well lately at the local strip? It’s possible you may be able to turn quarter miles just as good as some of the guys w'ho do it for a living—but there’s only one way to find out, and the Bowling Green meet, one of the premier dragbike showcases of the year, is the best place to do it.
And if you’re a serious club racer wúth a yen to try something different in pavement racing, the 24 hours of Nelson Ledges is as different as they come in this country. Here’s an event where preparation, organization and mechanical know-how count for just as much as hot lap times.
The point is, you don’t have to be Superman to have a good time running in some of these events you’ve been hearing about ever since you picked up your first copy of CYCLE WORLD.
When it comes time to fill in the entry blank, don’t say w hy. Say, why not?— Ton y Swan
24 HOURS OF NELSON LEDGES
Round-the-clock racing is fairly common in Europe, where squads of big bucks teams contend in the prestigious Coupe dEndurance series. But in this country when you’re talking about 24-hour races you’re talking about a single event—the 24 Hours of Nelson Ledges. Heading for its tenth annual renewal this summer (July 15-16), this demanding test of man and machine > differs from its European counterparts in that there are no factory bikes, no factory riders and no prize money. But that doesn’t seem to damage its steadily growing popularity, which has already reached the point where late entries have to be turned away. Only 50 machines are allowed to start on the 13-turn, 2-mile course, which puts a premium on early entry.
The track, which serpentines over gently rolling Ohio pastureland, is a favorite with many riders, offering everything from a 140-mph straight to a 30-mph 180-deg. hairpin. Although Superbikes prevail— John Hoagland’s 900cc Ducati SS won 1977’s overall title, and the much-traveled Lester Wheels Kawasaki was the hot setup before that—the track is tight enough to keep the pocket rockets in the thick of things. Besides being challenging, the circuit also rates as safe. It’s famous for its “tire wall,” stacks of discarded tires shipped in from nearby Akron and employed as a resilient Armco substitute. This setup earned Nelson Ledges the rarelyawarded Seasongood Trophy for contribution to motoring safety. About the biggest danger for the riders, besides each other, is the occasional suicidal frog who finds his way onto the track during the night hours.
Although the world’s 24hour races are famous for their carnival atmosphere, don’t expect this event to be the focal point for a lot of all-out partying. The track is about 10 miles northwest of Warren and pretty much in the middle of now here. There’s usually some friendly interchange between the crews and fans who camp in the infield area, but it’s low key all the way and that’s the way the track officials want to keep it. If you want night life, you'll have to look for it in Warren. The nearby hamlet of Nelson, a couple miles west, isn’t much more than a wide place in the road (although it numbers a tiny harpsichord factory among its few enterprises) and Southington, a few miles east, is even smaller.
But the race is the thing, right? And in 24 hours, this unique event will give you all the racing you want.
THE NITTY-GRITTY
Dates: July 15-16 Track: Nelson Ledges Road Course
Track phone: (216) 5488551
Sanctioning body: AMA Contact: Don Bartram 1609 E. 44th St.
Ashtabula, Ohio 44004 (216) 993-7361 Entry fee: $75 Deadline: June 25 License requirements: AMA Membership ($12); proof of racing experience.
Notes: Entry fee includes admission for up to four riders and up to nine crew members. Registration and tech open Friday (July 14) at 6 p.m., close at noon Saturday. Open practice from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday. Race begins at 4 p.m., rain or shine.
CLASSES, RULES & REGS
There are four classes, broken down strictly on a displacement basis: 125 to 250cc, 251 to 350cc, 351 to 500cc and 501 and over. All classes are productionbased.
Engines: The only restriction on modifications is that the basic engine configuration remain unchanged. Drain plugs and filter bolts must be safety wired. Crankcase and/or oil breather lines must be routed into frame-mounted catch cans (8 oz. minimum) before venting. Liquid-cooled bikes must have overflow container. Exhaust systems must meet sound test— 115dBA at half-throttle 24 in. from outlet—to be acceptable.
Running gear: Bikes must have minimum of street-legal lighting, with additional lighting allowed (extra headlamps to be mounted above axle height). Center and side stands must be removed. Fairings and/or streamlining not allowed. Minimum rim diameter is 16 in. Slick tires not allowed.
Riders: No riders under 18 years old. Minimum team is three, max four, and no switches from team to team are allowed. All riders must circulate for at least a half-hour before dark. Riders must wear full leathers, boots, gloves, and helmet with face protection. Tear-off face shields are not allowed.
HOW TO GET THERE
Nelson Ledges is located in northeast Ohio, about 10 miles northwest of Warren and about 30 miles southeast of Cleveland. From Warren, take U.S.422 northwest, then follow Ohio-305 west. 1-80 (the Ohio Turnpike) is the nearest Interstate route, passing just south of the track—take exit 14; access information will be available at the toll booth.
LODGING
The infield of the track offers very pleasant camping. There’s water and there are plenty of toilets. Cost is $3 per camping unit per night.
However, if you don’t want to rough it you’ll have to plan to stay in or near Warren (pop. 63,000-plus), which has the closest hotel/motel facilities.
BONNEVILLE
Bonneville. There’s definitely a ring of legend about that name. An arena for the giants of speed, four-wheeled or two. Gabelich. Breedlove. Vesco. Hardly a playground for mortals, right?
Not necessarily. True, when riders like Don Vesco are out shooting for world records there isn’t much room for everyday machinery. But during Speed Week, you don’t need a big name or a bike capable of escape velocities. All you need is a copy of the rules, a ride and the desire to participate in a uniquely American go-fast tradition.
Production racing is the place to start. Although extensive modification is allowed even in this competition category, the machinery is still well short of exotic and the records have a ring of attainability that is absent from Vesco’s 302-mph run with the Silver Bird.
There’s no money, but there’s plenty of opportunity to run and plenty of interesting machinery to see. If you’re lucky, you could come home with a trophy or two. If you’re extra lucky, you could even come home with a national record. In fact, one record, for 50cc Production class bikes, is yet to be established since no one has quite managed to crack the 50mph minimum.
And even if you don’t bag a record or a trophy, you’ll always have the fun of telling the other hotshoes back home what it’s like to run on the Salt.
THE NITTY-GRITTY
Dates: September 24-30 Track: Bonneville Race Track Contact: Gordon Hoyt
Bonneville Nationals, Inc. >
P.O. Box 2729 Fullerton, Calif. 92633 (714) 525-4567
Entry fees: $60 per bike; plus one Bonneville Nationals membership ($15) and AMA membership ($15).
Deadline: August 1. Add $10 for late entries. Entries accepted at the course.
License requirements: AMA card only for sub-150 mph bikes. Riders expecting to exceed this speed will be subject to approval by the stewards of the meeting. Notes: Bonneville speeds represent the two-way average of two flying miles, one down the course and one back. Riders are allowed a two-mile in-run and one hour between legs. Opening day is devoted to practice runs, and bikes hitting record speeds on one leg are eligible for record attempts. These are conducted in the mornings, when salt conditions are more favorable.
CLASSES, RULES & REGS
Bonneville Speed Week motorcycle competition is organized into four general categories: Production, Modified Production, Unlimited and Streamliners. They all share one common rule: Motive power must be supplied by engines manufactured specifically as motorcycle engines.
For our purposes, we’ll hit the high points of the Production category.
Engine: Must employ stock cases and gearbox, with stock number of transmission speeds. Engines may be over-bored up to 40 thousandths to reach a displacement category’s upper limit, but may not be sleeved down to a lower category. Example: The 903cc Kawasaki Z-l can be taken to lOOOcc, but the KZ650 (652cc) can’t go down to 650cc. Displacement categories are 50, 100, 125, 175, 250, 350, 500, 650, 750, 1000 and 1300cc for Production class bikes.
Valves must remain the same in number as stock, carburetors must retain their stock bore size and exhausts must retain stock exterior appearance. Beyond that, anything—cams, timing, porting—goes.
Chassis: Must be original, topped by original saddle and tank. No lowering or frame stretching is allowed. Substitute handlebars may be employed, but only in stock clamps.
Running gear: Wheels must be same diameter as stock, although narrower tires may be used. For bikes running between 125 and 150 mph, tires must be less than one year old. Tires on 100to 125-mph bikes
must be less than two years old. Chain guard required. Original lights and instruments must be present and in working order.
Rider gear: Full leathers, helmet, boots and gloves are required.
LODGING
The track is located on the salt fiats just north of 1-80 near the Utah-Nevada border, where the little town of Wendover straddles the state line. Wendover fills up early, so early motel reservations are in order. Salt Lake City is 120 miles east . . . Because entry fees are nonrefundable, some racers prefer to pay the $ 10 penalty for a late entry to be sure of weather . . . Weather is usually moderate (day-time mid-’80s) by desert standards, although veterans advise bringing a little portable shade along (beach umbrella, shelter half, etc.) . . . Although there’s no camping on the salt, you can leave your machine and heavier gear at the track. Veteran salt runners say the incidence of theft is extremely low.
SANDY LANE ENDURO
Ask almost any veteran motorcycle drag racer ^ the meet he’d pick to attend if he could run only one, and chances are high he’ll say Bowling Green. Sanctioned by the National Hot Rod Association, this meeting is a must on the schedules of bikers who list drag racing as a source of income and figures to be the opening event in a new threedate drag bike series under development by the NHRA. (Columbus, Ohio, in July, and Ateo, New Jersey, in October, are the others.)
To facilitate this series, NHRA is setting up a separate drag bike division which will be headed up by Jim Harris.
The purse for professional competitors this year is set at $14,000. Harris estimates contingency awards will add at least another $10,000 to that figure. Structural changes this year include a revamping of the stock classes, with a new A Stock category set up to encompass this year’s wave of superduperbikes. Overall, Harris expects to see some 60 to 70 sub-divisions of the four main classes, with plenty of competitors in every bracket, which is one of the factors that makes this event as popular as it is.
The other factor is diversion. If you like dynamite partying with first rate racing, Bowling Green is the place to get it. Plans for this year’s show include a rock concert beginning 4 p.m. Saturday (June 17) and winding up at 4 the following morning—this in addition to the other pastimes offered at Beach Bend Park: an amusement park, horseback riding, a zoo, swimming, roller skating and golf. There are plenty of campsites available inside the park, and these are included in the ticket prices. The ticket deal normally includes a welcome package as well, with discount coupons good at various local outlets.
There’s plenty to do away from the track, too. Bowling Green is home for two colleges—Bowling Green University and the University of Western Kentucky—which means lots of interesting taverns and hangouts around town. Mammoth Caves National Park is about 20 miles to the northeast and Nashville is only 50 miles to the south.
If there’s one guiding premise for planning your trip to the Bowling Green meet, it’s get your reservations as soon as possible. Bowling Green is a college town, with plentiful motel/hotel accommodations, but this meet traditionally fills up every room.
THE NITTY-GRITTY
Dates: June 16-18 Track: Beach Bend International Raceway Track phone: (502) 8428101
Contact: Jim Harris Harper Valley # 8 Columbia, Ky. 42728 (502) 384-5116
Entry fee: $30 pro division; $20 sportsman ($45, $36 late entries)
Deadline: June 1 License requirements: NHRA competition license for pro racers ($20, requires physical); no license required for sportsmen
CLASSES, RULES & REGS
Classes are Pro Stock, Stock Eliminator, Competition Eliminator and Modified Eliminator. Sub categories of the four major divisions will number upwards of 60.
Entry fees include admission for one rider and two crew members. Tech opens Friday (June 16) at 9 a.m., with the track open for qualifying until 5 p.m. Track opens Saturday at 9, with tech scheduled to close at noon to all but E.T. bikes. Stock class eliminations begin at 1 p.m. and run to conclusion. Sunday’s action begins at 9 a.m. with time trials. Final eliminations begin at 2 p.m.
LODGING
The Town Towers, about two miles from the track, is unofficial race headquarters, and the motel management plans to keep track of vacancies at other Bowling Green hostelries. If you get to town without a reservation (which we don’t advise), check with the Town Towers before you launch into any motel-shopping programs.
If you’re camping, you won’t have to look much further than the track. Beach Bend Park has 6500 campsites on or near the banks of the Barren River. There are washrooms and showers and the campsite is included in your admission fee.
TICKETS
This year’s event is being marketed as a package, and the entertainment and other extras are built into the prices. The three-day price is $15, Saturday and Sunday cost $12, and Sunday only is $7. Kids under 12 get in free. As noted, these prices include camping privileges, whether you intend to camp or not.
HOW TO GET THERE
The city of Bowling Green (pop. 39,000-plus) is located in south-central Kentucky, about 20 miles north of the Tennessee line. It is accessible by 1-65, the Nashville-Louisville route, and via the Green River Parkway (which parallels U.S.-231) from the north. There is regularly scheduled air (Allegheny), and bus (Greyhound) service. However, if you’re planning to fly and drive, Nashville is the best bet; car rentals are scarce in Bowling Green.
Beach Bend Park is about four miles west of Bowling Green on Beach Bend Road, just off U.S.-31W Bypasswatch for signs directing you to the track.
BOWLING GREEN
The thing that makes this historic event particularly interesting this year, in its 41st renewal, is that it’s not an AMA national enduro. Which means no factory-supported competition. Which means more chances for carrying off some commemorative hardware—as well as participating in one of the best known events of its kind.
The organization behind the Sandy Lane Enduro is New Jersey’s Meteor Motorcycle Club, one of the country’s oldest clubs. The Meteors have put together 40 straight Sandy Lanes, breaking only during the World War II years, a record that makes this event unique: No other enduro has been continuously organized by a single club for such a length of time, and only a couple pre-date it overall.
The course—100 miles this year—is laid out over the wild Pine Barrens of south central New Jersey. Although civilization is aggressively encroaching on much of the eastern seaboard, this region—where stands of pine and swamp alternate with cranberry and blue-
berry farms—is resisting and remains much as it was when the Meteors first began running its cross-hatch of trails.
The course is sometimes tight in woodsy sections and frequently tough, but far from impossible. Beginning level enduro riders frequently show up to run and are welcome—once they’ve successfully completed a common sense written test covering rules of the trail and knowledge of course markings. Although it can be damp, most of the area is sandy and welldrained (although the Meteors won’t let you off without at least a couple of muddy sections), and non-finishers are relatively few.
Says Meteor’s president Mike Borrelli, “It’s a challenge, but it’s also a fun ride.”
THE NITTY GRITTY
Date: September 24 Enduro HQ: Chatsworth, N.J. Contact: Mike Borrelli Meteor Motorcycle Club P.O. Box 6
Grenloch, N.J. 08032 (609) 227-4573
Entry fee: $10 per bike plus AMA card ($15).
Deadline: September 15. Add $2 for late entry. Entries accepted at enduro HQ. License requirements: AMA
card. Competitors with AMA regional enduro points may qualify for Class B or Class A competition. Newcomers will run in Class C. Notes: Sandy Lane starts at 8 a.m. September 15 from Chatsworth fire barn with Class A riders off first, B next and C last . . . Most of the event will be run at 24 mph average, with some slow sections (18 mph) and some faster (30 mph) . . . There will be one gas stop, and organizers estimate normal completion time at roughly five hours . . . Last year’s Sandy Lane drew over 360 entries, but the organizers expect the total to be down somewhat this year owing to the absence of the national contenders.
CLASSES, RULES & REGS
The Sandy Lane class breakdown will be familiar to most Eastern enduro riders, consisting of three alphabetical groupings with sub-categories. A, B, and C classes have displacement sub-categories. There are three of these (0 to 200cc, 201 to 250cc, 251 and up) in Class A, four (0 to 125, 126 to 200, etc.) in Classes B and C. There are also Senior (40 to 49 years old), Super Senior (50 and over) and Powder Puff classes. The Senior class is further sub-divided into A, B and C categories.
Equipment: Bikes must be street legal, with appropriate license and registration because the course will cross public roads. Lights aren’t required, but are recommended. Bikes should be equipped with good mufliers and spark arresters, and the organizers request that they be “reasonably quiet.” A dBA meter was employed last year, using a 90dB upper limit.
LODGING
Chatsworth is short on amenities; most Sandy Lane entrants arrive in campers, and there’s usually no problem finding a place to park one of these over night. The nearest motels are at intersection of State 70 and 72 and State 70 and U.S. 206. IS
