We'll always have Perris. Part 2

In Part 1 of this post, I wrote about my Friday, May 10th SCFTA race at Perris Raceway. I raced in the Open Beginner and Vet 35+ Novice classes. The very next night, American Flat Track was going to be in town at the Perris Motor Speedway 1/2 mile. Many of the pro riders came out to the Raceway track to mix it up with the locals for their share of a couple of nice purses that sponsors had put up for grabs. The next night they got themselves fired up for the full pro race on the banked clay oval located down the road aways. I got the ok from the Mrs. to head out solo and watch my first AFT race. It was a blast!

Perris Motor Speedway is located in Perris California a mile or so off of the I-15 freeway. It is a banked, 1/2 mile clay oval that usually hosts dirt track car races. This is the second time AFT came out to this track. I watched the last race on TV and was determined to get out to this race. I drove in plenty early so I could see all the action both on the track and in the pits. The night didn't disappoint. It felt just like those times I went to Ventura Speedway back before I started racing. The sights and smells of a dirt track on a Saturday night are so awesome and exciting. I was hoping to get a good seat and see some great racing action.

Lots of people rode in to see the races. Bikes of all descriptions were parked right by the front gate. I had to park almost a 1/2 mile away. Right when I entered the gate there were displays for all manner of motorcycle related paraphernalia. Both Harley and Indian had display booths. Vendors selling T-Shirts were also very much in attendance. I picked up an officially sanctioned AFT Perris 1/2 Mile shirt for my ever growing collection. The smell of track food made me really hungry. Take a state fair and throw race gas fumes into mix and you'll have a good approximation of the scents that surrounded me. I found a good seat next to the creator and main host of the Creative Riding Motorcycle Podcast, the one and only Junky Turdman. We talked about anything and everything while we watched the track action. We sat just in front of the loudspeaker and had to shout the whole night. I was enjoying myself greatly.

Before the action got into full swing, I took a tour of the venue and even got to go to the rider's pits. Here is the two-stroke triple Suzuki that Travis Pastrana rode in the AFT 2019 season opener at Daytona in the Roland Sands Super Hooligan series. It was a proper looking race bike. Travis didn't have much luck with the bike at the tiny track the Hooligans raced on. A machine like this needs a bigger track to the advantage of the crazy wide open speeds the triple has to offer. A good mile track like Sacramento would really showcase what this beauty could do. One of the things that strikes me is how many ways there are to go fast around a dirt oval. Every bike imaginable has been thrown around a flat track to some degree of success. I love it!

The pit area was hopping. They open the pits to the fans for a pit walk and riders meeting every race. Fans get a chance to get some autographs and meet their favorite riders. This is something pretty unique in the world of motorsports. The difference between some of the race teams was pretty staggering. The Extension Racing Team looks like a full factory effort. The bikes, truck and the crew presented themselves like any big budget OEM team does. On the other hand, there were top name pro flat track racers out in the pits with a van, a pop-up canopy and a camping chair. They and maybe a single mechanic would wrench on the bike between races. Just like the variety of bikes that race, the racers also represent a wide spectrum of American racing at its finest.

I took a little time to fan-boy and get some autographs while I was taking in all of the fun. I got JD Beach, Shayna Texter, Dan Bromely and Sammy Halbert. The riders of AFT are just regular folks that took a different path through life than I did. What they do on a motorcycle is amazing, but they put on their racing leathers one leg at a time just like I do. They were so accommodating to all of the fans. Lots of hands were shaken and selfies taken. If I was in their position, I'd be focused on the racing. Every one of the riders I saw was happy to chat. JD beach thanked me for saying I was rooting for him this year. Oliver Brindley and I chatted about his crash the night before at Perris Raceway. Sammy and I talked about how the track was developing as the night wore on. I can't wait to go back to a race and maybe take the family to experience all that I was able to experience.

After the break it was time for some racing. First up was the Hooligan race main. The other co-host of the Creative Riding Podcast was the Hooligan #09, Chris Wiggins. He made the main for this race and was starting on the back row. It was cool to see someone I had been on the track and shared a paddock with out under the bright lights of a big time race. Chris was breaking in an upgrade to his race Sportster, Trusty Rusty. He said it had better power, but he was having some issues with the track surface. During the races I noticed that a few good bumps had formed on the track surface. Some of the riders had a better time dealing with them than others. Chris came in close to the back of the pack and later joined Junky and I in the stands for the AFT Twins race. So much fun. The pro races didn't disappoint. The sound of the pack of twins coming across the start/finish line at full speed on that first lap was amazing! A bigger track like this had average speeds close to 100 mph. The riders were elbow to elbow going into that first turn. Everyone was fighting for position. Having had a couple of very similar, yet extremely slower experiences just made me feel more connected to the action. I really couldn't stop smiling if I wanted to. Before I knew it the races were over and I had to drive home. Time flies when you are having fun.

Well there you have it. Between these two recent posts that gets my blog timeline caught up until I jumped on the plane in San Diego to head West to our new home in Japan. Two exciting days of racing followed by two months of packing, flying, unpacking, moving, working and settling into life across the Pacific. I still don't have a bike yet. I am on the lookout. That doesn't mean I haven't done Motorbike related things. I will slam out a post to cover some of the cool things that I've seen since getting here. Japan's Motorbike culture is different, yet has the same spirit as the American scene. I can't wait to take you through it all with me. Take care friends, ride safe.

Blue