El Mirage

It was about 38 degrees when I made it to El Mirage for the 6:45AM patrol meeting. It rained a little overnight which means dust was low, the track was hard and the air was dense. There was even a little tail wind for an extra push down the 1.3 mile course. It was a fast day and records fell.

Ready for duty!

Just after patrol meeting and a breakfast burrito.

I joined Gear Grinders about seven years ago with the intention of racing a Buell Blast. By the time I found a bike I figured out I was too lazy to mess with it but I stayed in the club just in case. As a member of an SCTA racing club you do "patrol" duty every year or so. Patrol is sort of like being a flag person at a regular race but since the course is so long and nobody would see the flags, you alert the "tower" on a CB radio if anything happens.

My Patrol Station. Officially known as "Tower 8." The RVs in the background are "Return 7 or 8." the course is wide.

Here's a truck going about 140. (zoomed all the way in and most of the photo cropped off) You need a great big lens and a steady hand to shoot here. I can't even follow the cars with binoculars! 

There's always plenty of cool stuff on at an El Mirage event.

This Honda 600 is powered by a GSXR 1000 motor. It sounds wild revving to 14,000 RPM before shifting!

He's the driver. It's a very small car.

Here's a rat that was cruising around.

A guy with an Aermacchi Harley and a nice Chevy to carry it around.

This stood out in the line up.

A blown Triumph 250. This bike was beautiful and I tried hard but these pictures don't do it justice.

Root Beer Brown with Gold Leaf...

...and a Supercharger

...on a 250cc race bike that could inspire a thousand Cafe Racers and Choppers!

Time to go home, but not without a dinner stop on Route 66 at the world famous La Poloma Restaurant  in La Verne. (Two blocks west of Garey)

La Paloma in Laverne is a Route 66 landmark that lives up to it's reputation for quality Mexican Food. It's really good!