Monday, February 23, 2009

Elsinore Memories





The other day I was visiting my Dirt Bike Bud Ron and he was looking for something in a back room and glinting out of the dim light I see a nice collection of Motorcycle Trophies stashed on top of an old filing cabinet. I climb over some boxes and get a closer look. Elsinore T.T. Scrambles, 1968. Ron's Dad had instilled a keen sense of motorcycle mania in his kid by taking him to Ascot, Corona and Hopetown and as soon as he could, Ron wanted to fulfill his dream of being a motorcycle racer. At 16 he had an old truck and he and a friend both bought Bultaco Lobitos and went T.T.'n every Friday night at Lake Elsinore's Scrambles track.
He did pretty good too, judging by his collection of fancy Trophies. He came up with these two photos from that time which are classic. The first one is Ron flying over the only jump on the course. Due to my lousy cell phone photo of his photo, you cannot see his left hand with fingers wrapped around the compression release. I had forgotten how much we relied on those to slow us down. Ron commented on his racing attire, which apparently was the epitome of cool, Chippewa Wedge sole boots, Levis and Sweat Shirt and his pride and joy Bell Magnum. This particular race was the prestigious Winners Race where they took the winners of the five classes 100,125,250,360 and 650 and had a handicap 5 lapper at the end of the evening. Ron won the 100 class so he was on a tear upfront, determined to show'em his Lobito aint slow, it's a Bul-ta-co. First lap he was smokin', second lap still out front, he way overcooked the jump and ended up on his ass. Fortunately recorded forever, in grainy Black and White.
This is Ron today, after a lifetime of enthusiastic motorcycling.