Some 1989 drag racing vids.......

[cbxchris]

Filmed at Piedmont Dragway. Southern Cycle Racing Association. (SCRA) Some long gone people there. Notice the crowds in the stands. That place drew better than a IDBA or a PROSTAR race. At the time I was running a Kosman big tire FJ Yamaha in the 5.20 class. Think we won that day. I miss it.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1RbBxZCzVY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTAzj6PhgGM

 

[cbxchris]

Here is another......Elmer didn't have long to live.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6_uROkA83o

 

[blowerbike]

damnit man!
pictures!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Guest]

really enjoyed those, thanks for posting. 850 HP!!!! I would need new underwear........

 

[storm 64]

Very cool Chris, thanks for sharing. The Elmer Trett interview was great.

 

[cbxchris]

damnit man!
pictures!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah....got to get them scanned. I still have a bunch of VHS tapes that were took that need to be transferred to. I have a lot of stuff like that I intend to get done when I retire.

I sold that FJ a year or two later. Guy that ended up riding for me raced it for years for another owner. I need to run him down. Last time it was ever rode it broke a crank and locked up the rear wheel in about 3rd gear. He went down hard. Broke arm, hand and foot. Some guy was there just videoing and sent him a copy. You can see the crank coming out the bottom of the engine cases. I had warned him just a few weeks before hand that he needed to retire that engine to a back up. He had a new engine just sitting there. I had built it and was included in the sell.

 

[BadBillyB]

That track was a death trap back in 1987. It took the lives of 2 IDBA racers on back to back runs, right in front of my eyes. The very talented Marty Blades and Jim Schumacher. The crown of the track was very aggressive, I guess, to help rain water to run off. The edge of the track was somewhat down hill and if you got off the side of the track, you would slide into the guard rail. The guard rail didn't go all the way to the ground and after going off the side of the track, Jim caught his front tire with the post. (RIP Jim)....Marty in the same left lane, scraped his header pipe on the right side trying to keep from going off the track. He fought it (scraped it) all the way through the lights, never letting off. When he let off, the bike went left and he tried to put it through a gap in the guardrail (at the first turn off). He caught the front edge of the rail at over 130mph and it took his life. They say, the track personnel named the right lane "Elmer", (posthumously), as this was his home track and he always picked the right lane (wonder why?). I hear they completely re-paved the whole length of the track the next year, but I see in these videos, the piece of shi* guard rails are the same....After this, IDBA strictly enforced the 2 inch ground rule with a 2'X4" you had to roll over before you did your burn out. The next day (Sunday eliminations) only about 2/3"s of the racers returned. They had lined the guard rails with hay bails. It was very somber. I took runner up in Super Comp and will never forget that day........Real "Buzz Kill" huh........Billy

 

[cbxchris]

That track was a death trap back in 1987. It took the lives of 2 IDBA racers on back to back runs, right in front of my eyes. The very talented Marty Blades and Jim Schumacher. The crown of the track was very aggressive, I guess, to help rain water to run off. The edge of the track was somewhat down hill and if you got off the side of the track, you would slide into the guard rail. The guard rail didn't go all the way to the ground and after going off the side of the track, Jim caught his front tire with the post. (RIP Jim)....Marty in the same left lane, scraped his header pipe on the right side trying to keep from going off the track. He fought it (scraped it) all the way through the lights, never letting off. When he let off, the bike went left and he tried to put it through a gap in the guardrail (at the first turn off). He caught the front edge of the rail at over 130mph and it took his life. They say, the track personnel named the right lane "Elmer", (posthumously), as this was his home track and he always picked the right lane (wonder why?). I hear they completely re-paved the whole length of the track the next year, but I see in these videos, the piece of shi* guard rails are the same....After this, IDBA strictly enforced the 2 inch ground rule with a 2'X4" you had to roll over before you did your burn out. The next day (Sunday eliminations) only about 2/3"s of the racers returned. They had lined the guard rails with hay bails. It was very somber. I took runner up in Super Comp and will never forget that day........Real "Buzz Kill" huh........Billy

I was there too. The track was to small at the time for the speed that the bikes were approaching. Don't forget Shultz fell on his kaw triple too. The IDBA was sued over that incident. I am told they settled. For one thing they did not provide proper tech inspection. FWIW I saw Marty. He was sawed in half as his body rode the top of the guard rail down the track. I was down at the end of the track when it happened. All accidents if you can call them that were in the left lane.

Yes the track was repaved. Guard rails eventually replaced and track extended. Probably right after these vids were made. Before it was extended we always ran right before top fuel. They called it Top Eliminator. Ran on a 4.90 index. (I also ran the FJ in the 5:20 class) I once watched Elmer go down through the cut out in the woods. I figured he was dead. He just came walking out smiling. Never hit a thing and made next round.

Along the same lines of thought. Remember the IDBA was based out of Alabama. At a small sh*tty little track on top of a damn mountain if my memory serves me right. It in my opinion was worse.

As I watched the vids again and noticed Larry's bike idling someone had to see the inside of that engine to appreciate it. It had steel combustion chambers made for him in the UK. Kim at Carolina Cycle had a serdi and touched them up often. I was delivery boy when going to races, bringing spares. Ya know Larry went away for a while...lets just say he got caught funding his racing in a most illegal way.

 

[cbxchris]

While we at it. Here is a vid of Elmer's twin engine Harley that he sold to Frank Spittle. A lot of this video was filmed at Farmington Dragway in NC. Notice the one official with a CRA shirt. This must have been filmed around 1976 or so. When I found it some time ago I busted out laughing. When Frank is trying to get his leathers on you will see a middle age man talking his head off. Its my 1st cousins dad. We had to eventually quit taking him. He was a alcoholic. You can't tell it but he is drunk off his a$$ there. When he ran off with the Hell's Angel's there once was when we drew the line......:lol:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRLqonmIjV4

 

[bonanzadave]

Its my 1st cousins dad.

Very official looking... with dual pocket protectors .

 

[cbxchris]

Very official looking... with dual pocket protectors .

Oh we had a hell of a laugh over a beer. I went over to my cousins house and told him to get on the net first time he saw it. His dad is still alive. He is close to 80 now. Living proof alcohol won't kill you.....

 

[BadBillyB]

Along the same lines of thought. Remember the IDBA was based out of Alabama. At a small sh*tty little track on top of a damn mountain if my memory serves me right. It in my opinion was worse.

That would have been Lassiter Mountain in Birmingham, I raced there too. I built an 1175cc motor for some guys from Tennessee and they started talking about "how are we gonna know if we got our moneys worth" (about the motor).....I told them to meet me in Birmingham and I would run their motor in my bike at the IDBA race. When the race was over, I would load it in their truck. After they saw the numbers I was running, they were scared to run it for years......I have some good pics of me racing at that track, but I don't have a scanner anymore....Heres a pic of Marty Blades.......Billy

 

[cbxchris]

That would have been Lassiter Mountain in Birmingham, I raced there too. I built an 1175cc motor for some guys from Tennessee and they started talking about "how are we gonna know if we got our moneys worth" (about the motor).....I told them to meet me in Birmingham and I would run their motor in my bike at the IDBA race. When the race was over, I would load it in their truck. After they saw the numbers I was running, they were scared to run it for years......I have some good pics of me racing at that track, but I don't have a scanner anymore....Heres a pic of Marty Blades.......Billy
View attachment 38299

Great old school pic........

Here ya go. I was there at the first race. Dragged half of Bakers and Tracy's crap down there for them. At the time I had a dually with large trailer before I went with a big cube truck. Rusty had a damn fast bike. He couldn't ride. Just to old. Bobby was on the Star racing bike. Strange was that most of the engine stuff came from Kim....

That is a POS track. I ran a small tire FJ at that race. 8.60 class. I sucked....bike sucked.

Notice Kim Barringer from Carolina Cycle in a LOT of pics. After Tracy quit and Bobby cut back he helped me far more than I deserved. I didn't have the money to run and tear stuff up like the other guys. As is easily 15-20K a year. Those tranny's is what killed me. Damn junk.

I have to admit I have enjoyed looking back and even got a just a touch of fever again. I think I could build a competitive bike now. Both in knowledge and I could afford it. Know who I would put on it. But.....I'm done.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HO2rHwICiKA

 

[steve murdoch]

These videos have been great to watch although one leads to another to another and easily there goes an hour.
So many Suzukis.
This last one, posted by Reggie Showers reminded me of talking to him at Atco in '92? Great guy.

 

[storm 64]

Yeah, what a blast down memory lane. I remember all them guys. I still have a Orient Express/Terry Kizer poster on my living room wall. Next to my autographed Kenny Youngblood/Elmer Trett lithograph.

 

[blowerbike]

the picture of Marty scanned very good...nice job.

 

[cbxchris]

These videos have been great to watch although one leads to another to another and easily there goes an hour.
So many Suzukis.
This last one, posted by Reggie Showers reminded me of talking to him at Atco in '92? Great guy.

Last 2 nights have found me doing exactly the same. One leads to another.

 

[BadBillyB]

Found an old time slip from Piedmont Dragway, I could have qualified for Pro Stock back then, but I wanted a win not an also ran......I was ranked #3 in Super Comp back then......Billy

 

[cbxchris]

Found an old time slip from Piedmont Dragway, I could have qualified for Pro Stock back then, but I wanted a win not an also ran......I was ranked #3 in Super Comp back then......Billy
View attachment 38320

Sure wish I had saved a bunch of those. I do remember the quickest and the fastest runs we ever made. (different runs). I knew Hahn and TJ through Kim. Last year we run I ran a fuel system of sorts designed by them and perfected by the smartest man I have ever known. He ran sprint cars. We stopped breaking parts except for tranny's. I walked away because of Piedmont Dragway. We had won that top eliminator class several years in a row and to just plainly say it they started jerking us around. At the time they were having 30 bikes show up to try and qualify for 16 spots. I liked Jim and Nora Turner. But he was a business man and smart enough to know he needed different winners. His son rode top fuel Harley for a while. Nora passed on a few years ago.

Ya know the most fun races we ever went to were at Rockingham. Put on by a outlaw bunch. They drew BIG crowds because they paid big money. Their top class was set on pro tree at 7.60.

I have been to Piedmont 2 times since quitting. One to sell a truck load of parts I had. The other to help my old friend Tim one weekend when he needed me. I miss drag racing. I don't miss Piedmont.

 

[BadBillyB]

Heres the pic from Birmingham of me running the motor I built (1175cc) for Denny Lowes cousin. I put the motor in their trunk when the race was over. This motor had a very nice set of R.C. Engineering road race pistons in it. It had aluminum wrist pin buttons that fit tightly into the end of the wrist pins. A little different than the floating Teflon buttons that I preferred.....I ran it in Pro Gas (he was shocked) and I promptly clicked off a 5.67 pass with it. nthego: You can see him in the pic watching very attentively........Billy