CRMC at Knockhill

The CRMC were at Knockhill race circuit on June 4th and 5th for their 5th round. I had heard from a few friends about how much they had enjoyed the meeting the year before, so I thought I'd go up for a few hours on the Saturday. I arrived just before 10am to a dry but overcast Knockhill, for those that don't know his place it has a weather system all of its own, the sun could be out a few miles down the the road, but when you get to the track it could be wet and windy (usually is!!!).
A not so quick look round the pit area, with so many interesting machines to view, people to talk to the time flew in.

I love the look of the Tri/ BSA triples

P&M Kawas :-)

Main reason to be there was to watch the racing so I headed down to the hairpin. No sooner than I got there I spotted two people in the distance jumping up and down, it was none other than Bill and Kat, whos tales of last year had lured me here today.
An hour or so of watching some great racing was followed by a bite to eat then a look at the pits again. Its good being able to have a close up look at the bikes and talk to the owners/ riders, so different from the "modern" race meetings.

Just doing a quick crankshaft change in a Suzuki 200T

The afternoons racing went well, with only a few "offs" and nothing serious.

Watching the sidecar nutters was one of the days highlights, these guys were putting 110% into it, the race at the front between the BMW and NRE was fantastic, I never knew an old BMW twin could go so quick.

No7 is the NRE Triumph and No8 the BMW

The plan to head home at five ended up streching out till eight... and the one day visit turned into two as I head up the next day for another Classic Racing fix.

Talking to few of my mates about the weekend I think there might be a few more of us up there next year... even plans of a few bikes going ouy on the parade laps... more of that later

Best pic of the weekend, get them started young, working on Dads Ducati !

click title to see a few more (lots) pics

Board Track 3

The Man himself



..when 100mph was fast!

A while back I posted a photo of a Board Track racer with a few words about the sport. Just came across this article in Smithsonian.com about one mans life long conection with the Board Track, interesting story I think.
Click title for link to the story

Catalina Grand Prix

History was made at Avalon, CA – December 5, 2010 – as the Red Bull Catalina Grand Prix, one of California’s most renowned motorcycles races, made a triumphant return after a 52-year hiatus. The famed race, which was held on the island between 1951 and 1958, was widely considered one of the most unique and prestigious races of the era. The weekend’s cloudy skies and chilly temperatures didn’t stop the more than 800 riders from tackling the newly minted 6-mile course, which featured a variety of terrain including a challenging motocross section and a fire road that took racers up winding turns and around steep bluffs high above the port city of Avalon.

The rebirth of the race brought some of the riders who had competed in Catalina in the 1950s back to ride the island track once more. This included Homer Knapp, who took to the course on Saturday on the same 1920s Harley Davidson he rode in the Catalina race in the 1950s. Bob Sandgren, who won the race in 1957 and 1958, also returned to serve as Grand Marshal. Other Catalina race veterans included Preston Petty and John Rice. The festivities kicked off with a parade lap of the racers through downtown Avalon, where hundreds lined the streets to cheer on their favorites from both yesteryear and today







Below is the bike ridden by the man with the camera in the above clip




A 1962 YDS2 turned into an Ascot Scrambler replica

Old Photos

Going for it on the old board track, great photo, don't have any details on this one. But heres a bit about the sport

Board track, or motordrome, racing was a type of motorsport, popular in the United States between the second and third decades of the 20th century, where competition was conducted on oval race courses with surfaces composed of wooden planks. Although the tracks most often used motorcycles, many different types of racing automobiles also competed, enough so as to see the majority of the 1920s American national championship races contested at such venues.By the early 1930s, board track racing had fallen out of favor, and into eventual obsolescence, due to both its perceived dangers and the high cost of maintenance of the wooden racing surfaces. However, several of its most notable aspects have continued to influence American motorsports philosophy to the present day, including: A technical emphasis on raw speed produced by the steep inclinations; ample track width to allow steady overtaking between competitors; and the development of extensive grandstands surrounding many of the courses.