Indy Mile photos

Coolbeth (#2), back on the big bike after breaking his leg earlier in the season. This is practice, in the main he came 5th. 59 is Mile specialist Willie McCoy, he made the main but came in 13th.

Halbert and Coolbeth.

I remember these leathers from a long time ago. Dan Ingram, Steve Bonsey, Jeffrey Carver Jr, Brad Baker.

Bryan Smith led till a restart of the main, then came in 14th.

Matt Weidman, 8th in the main.

Pro singles racers on it. Zakk Palmer (81c) came third in his final.

Dash from Cash for the six fastest qualifiers- Jake Johnson, Bryan Smith, Steve Bonsey, Sammy Halbert, JD Beach, Shawn Baer. It finished Smith, Johnson, Beach.

Briar Baumann on a Kawasaki and...

...so was Bonsey. Out of the 18 bikes in the main, only nine were XR750s. Seven Kawasakis, Henry Wiles' Ducati and Mikey Martin's Bonneville Performance Triumph (featured in SB11).

Crowd!

Reigning champ Johnson had an uncharacteristic crash causing a restart in the final.

How close? Brandon Robinson on the Werner Springsteen Kawasaki led onto the final lap, but Sammy mugged him. Brandon had an horrific crash at Indy a couple of years ago and he so nearly won this one, see below. We interviewed Brandon for issue 1 when he was still an amateur.

Sammy's third national win of the year, but looks who is to his side, Jared Mees bags more big points.

Photos courtesy of AMA Pro Racing

Sammy wins the Indy Mile!

There isn't a dirt track racer we don't like, but there are some we love - Sammy's one of them. More news when I get back from racing at Scunthorpe.

Read about Sammy's technique in SB6. GI

Kansas Half-Mile

Garrett B got in touch from the US. He has a special place in Sideburn world as his Aermacchi was the first ever blog post. Now he's bought an ex-Davey Durelle Honda CRF450 to race. He travelled from Colorado to Kansas with his boy to race. These are his photos and captions

Only one racing pic so far, me (#302) passing for 3rd at Colby.

Garrett and his lad, Joe, #17. Check out the front mudguard.

Chris was testing new tires.

Chris Carr rode both of these over the weekend. Nothing beats the sound and feeling of the twins barreling into turn 3!

Met a countryman of yours in Kansas! Alan Birtwhistle. He was FAST!!! This is Alan Birtwhistle’s Kansas ride. Alan was for sure very quiet! He made quite a splash over here though. Won the 250-450 AM class pretty easily. He even got some personal attention from Chris Carr during practice, and ran a 450 Pro race.

NOTE: Alan should be racing at Scunthorpe tomorrow.

Dennis Hoffman’s Astro 250. He could run with the 400s on the ½ mile. Impressive.

Tons of beautiful Triumphs!

Lined-up for rider intros Monday night. That’s me in the SB Dick Mann T, Birtwhistle to my right, my son Joe to the left.

That 44x Honda 250 was super-trick. #90 is Jim Henry. This was his 50th year racing in Stockton. He loaned me a set of leathers!
 
Here's a video where I get a lucky last corner pass on Travis Newbold (Pikes Peak Winner!!!! So cool) for 2nd in the final Vet 30+ race. [That is NOT lucky. You kept focussed and he made a mistake. Great pass. Big post coming on Travis soon]
Travis is fast becoming one of my racing heroes. That guy races whenever, however, and wherever he can! I'm unbelievably impressed with how he won Pikes Peak (with time to spare no less). I'm back at the old short track Saturday night. I got a nasty cold in Kansas, so I'm hoping to feel a bit better by then. Great weekend. I came home with a few trophies.

Co-Built x Adi Gilbert

One of Co-Built's customers, Dael P (who made this Co-Built video below), commissioned Adi '99 Seconds' Gilbert to create artwork as a thank you for all their efforts building his Bonneville. This poster is the result. Coolio.

The big cat in the background is because Adi and Anthony Co-Built both believe some horseshit about black panthers roaming Co-Built's home county, Oxfordshire. Apparently, Anthony's dad saw it drinking out of a pond. I reckon it was a fit Labrador, perhaps the Jessica Ennis of Labradors.

REMEMBER, you can see the Co-Built guys racing at Scunthorpe this Sunday from 12. G

Co-Built Anthony on his way to work. 

Monkee Trip #3

MONKEETRIP 2012 EPISODE # 3 from simon weyhe on Vimeo.

Wiles wins again

Henry Wiles won the Peoria TT matching Chris Carr's eight consecutive wins at the Illinois TT track. He must turn up feeling invincible.

 Jake Johnson, came second in the Main.

 Pro Singles rider Dan Bromley racing in cool Metro Racing kit.

 Jared Mees.

Sammy Halbert won the Dash for Cash, but his exhaust header snapped in the Main and he held on for fifth.

Jeffrey Carver Jr in the lead.

The Dash for Cash. JD Beach (95); Sammy (7); Jake (1); Mees (9); Wiles (17); Baumann (10Z). Result of the Dash was Halbert, Johnson, Wiles.

 Above and below, Pro Singles winner, Dominic Colindres.

What Peoria is famous for.

Wiles, Johnson, Mees. What were we saying about Mees and Johnson. They're on it at every round.
Next, the Indy Mile this Saturday. G
Photos: AMA Pro Racing

The Man Behind The Bubble

For SB#11 we interview the man behind the intergalactic Bubble Visor blog, illustrator Lennard Schuurmans. BP

Austin Vince Adventure Travel Film Festival

Friday 5pm 17th August – Monday 3pm 20th August.
10 Epic adventure travel films hosted by Austin Vince, made between 1920s to present day. Sherborne Girls School, Bradford Road, Sherborne, Dorset DT93QN. More info on the Davida website HERE. BP

Spirit Open Day

Our friends at Spirit of the Seventies are having a BBQ and open day at their place in Kent, September 16. G

The Day After the Indy Mile: Scunthorpe

If you can't make it to Indy this weekend, you might be able to make it to Scunthorpe on Sunday to watch the Short Track UK championship. If you do you might see...

Rock hard Northerners puffing their chests out before being beaten to a bloody pulp by their own vintage flat track bikes...

Some gorgeous framers...

Some stunning street bikes in the car park...

 Men burning their fingers on hot motorbikes...

Women who are so overcome by the action they inflict Guantanamo-style sensory depravation on themselves to lower their excitement levels.

 Men eating fruit and staring into space while other men, in the background, get undressed...

Happy couples...
AND a ton of wild racing.

So, it starts at 12 at Scunthorpe speedway track, on Sunday. It might even be free to get in. I'm not sure.
We are always desperate for marshals, so if you want to help out, get there for 11 and ask anyone where Marshals should sign on. Marshals get in for free. The Rusty Nail guys marshalled at the last round and loved it. G