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MILLER: A Reminder of Why We Love Racing
Written by: Robin Miller   
09/16/2008
Indianapolis, IN
 
(Photo: Dave Hoenig / flattrakfotos.com) ยป More Photos

Every now and then we get reminded of why racing got into our DNA and last Saturday night at the Indiana State Fairgrounds was Exhibit A.

The best kept secret in motorsports, on two or four wheels, returned to Indy and the American Motorcycle Association's flat trackers delivered what they always have: a superlative showcase of testosterone, talent, and trust.

When I saw my first AMA Mile at the Fairgrounds 40-some years ago, guys like Gene Romero, David Aldana, Chuck Palmgren, Bart Markel, Mert Lawwill, and Frank Gillespie took my breath away as they threw their motorcycles into the first turn at 130 mph, planted their steel boot for balance and fought for control as they broadslid inches away from each other.

It was the wildest, most insane and exciting thing any of the USAC boys in attendance had ever seen. After watching Romero beat four other riders to the checkered flag by a few inches in 1974, Indy-car driver Jimmy Caruthers remarked: "If the general public ever sees this, they'll never watch another Indy-car race."

Well, of course, the only sanctioning body more incompetent than USAC over the past 50 years has been the AMA so naturally
the flat trackers remained mired in obscurity, never got proper promotion or exposure, and became an afterthought to road racing and motocross.

There are only a handful of AMA miles left so it's somewhat of lost art, if not a hard sell for a promoter. Indianapolis, which used to pack the house for a Saturday night/Sunday afternoon doubleheader, had been off the schedule since 1999.

Bruce Hubley, a longtime local promoter of concerts, the circus, and even monster trucks, had never seen an AMA flat track race but decided to take a flyer when Moto GP was confirmed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

At 4 o'clock last Saturday afternoon, Hubley was standing in the infield pondering his fate. Weather reports said rain might be moving in by 8 p.m., there were a couple hundred people in the massive grandstand, and his race had been totally ignored by the Indianapolis media.

But, three hours later, the five lines to the ticket windows were several hundred people deep and growing. Traffic on West 38th Street was backed up for SEVEN miles with all the MotoGP fans who wanted to see these crazy Americans going around in circles on the dirt.


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