Flat Track Motorcycle Racing At It's Best.

"desertdog5051" (desertdog5051)
08/31/2014 at 19:06 • Filed to: None

Springfield Mile streamed this afternoon on Fanschoice.tv. What a series of races. Most were won on final straight passes and most were in a few hundredths of a second. The Springfield Mile is the oldest, currently running motorcycle race in the US. It is the Daytona 500, Indy 500 of the flat track series. These guys exceed 140 mph on dirt with no brakes.

Here is a race from earlier today. Just watch the first 2 laps and FF to the end.

Disclaimer: I know I should be posting this on Lanesplitter, but we have a fair amount of riders on this blog.

DISCUSSION (41)

camaroboy68ss > desertdog5051
08/31/2014 at 19:36

watching flat tracking is awesome, my grandpa used to race it when he was young.

LostPuppySyndrome > desertdog5051
08/31/2014 at 21:25

No *front* brakes. ftfy

desertdog5051 > LostPuppySyndrome
08/31/2014 at 21:39

No brakes, at all. Front or rear.

TheGodDamnPope > desertdog5051
08/31/2014 at 21:46

Why no brakes?

RacerX450 > desertdog5051
08/31/2014 at 22:00

AMA Flat track bikes have had rear brakes since the '70s.

El_Royo > desertdog5051
08/31/2014 at 22:05

da fuh?

Jephy > desertdog5051
08/31/2014 at 22:10

It's a wonder these guys can sit on motorcycles, you know, with the melon sized testicles.

Jake Schofield > desertdog5051
08/31/2014 at 22:13

A few quick things: 1) That was a great race! On the edge the whole time. 2) Mr. 67 had a great race, some good passes and held on for second. 3) What the hell was going on at the end? They let the kid drive the bike around the track so the winner can hold the checkered flag? Strange...

Highside > desertdog5051
08/31/2014 at 22:14

Great coverage! Love the old school flat track racing, grew up in the LA area, and attended many races at the old Ascot Park flat track... Come check out some of this same old riders, (and new) at the local Perris, CA flat track...: http://www.southerncaliforniaflattrack.com/index.htm

C-Rod > desertdog5051
08/31/2014 at 22:17

I didn't know this style of racing still existed. Thanks for this, my day has been made. Time to go re-watch On Any Sunday.

KTMStriker > desertdog5051
08/31/2014 at 22:31

I believe "flat track" which is what is raced at the Springfield mile is run on bikes that have rear brakes only. A similar variant of this called "speedway" is raced on bikes with no brakes at all. I suppose I could be wrong though.

bariki > desertdog5051
08/31/2014 at 22:32

Not true. Flat track bikes have rear brakes. You're thinking of speedway bikes.

blacktruck18 > desertdog5051
08/31/2014 at 23:41

I remember when this used to be on espn years ago. We had a family friend that used to race these when I was a kid we used to go watch him race at Springfield and Peoria.

The Peoria Jump:

emjayay > desertdog5051
09/01/2014 at 00:17

"It's I"s a contraction for "it is". "Flat Track Motorcycle Racing At It Is Best" obviously does not make sense. Because the contraction already used the apostrophe, the possessive "its" doesn't get to use it again.

In other news, their, there, and they're are not the same thing.

Maxximtl > desertdog5051
09/01/2014 at 00:55

For anyone who finds this even mildly interesting, I encourage you to watch "On Any Sunday." THAT was flat track racing at its best.

e3pres > blacktruck18
09/01/2014 at 02:47

Thanks for posting this! I'm not much of a bike fan, but I remember watching that on TV (Wide World of Sports maybe?) and I've been wondering for years what the deal was with that race but I couldn't remember the name of the venue. That sort of racing belongs to another time.

Spoon II > desertdog5051
09/01/2014 at 02:54

That flag guy is awesome. He should do all of the flag waving for everything

teamwhd > desertdog5051
09/01/2014 at 06:20

I am racing flat track and bought miata this summer - think this is my destiny webpage :-)

ratonbox > desertdog5051
09/01/2014 at 07:05

Europeans do it better. Speedway racing:

montego > Jake Schofield
09/01/2014 at 07:20

It is his son.

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09/01/2014 at 08:37

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Jake Schofield > montego
09/01/2014 at 08:58

Ah! Of course. That's what I get for watching the video without sound. Thanks!

heppleabp_gi > desertdog5051
09/01/2014 at 11:06

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Kathryn B. Good > desertdog5051
09/01/2014 at 11:45

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Dave C. > desertdog5051
09/01/2014 at 11:51

I haven't seen this since it was a staple on ESPN and the big-name racers were Jay Springsteen, Scott Parker, and Chris Carr. Thanks for posting this.

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09/01/2014 at 12:41

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squid-vicious > desertdog5051
09/01/2014 at 13:01

I rode XR's back in the 80's. I have raced boats, jumped out of aircraft and still ride Speedway, but the mile tracks were by far the biggest rush I've ever had.

Nick, Drives a Cobalt LT > desertdog5051
09/01/2014 at 13:11

You know whats even more awesoem?

Sneaking into one of these races and staqnding on the edge of the track as they zoom past.

I was standing infield too on the edge of a corner.

Ry-bones, FiST pilot > desertdog5051
09/01/2014 at 13:22

Kinja'd!!!

The things they do for aerodynamics!

onetuffbean > desertdog5051
09/01/2014 at 13:28

Great labor day post. This reminded me of summers at the track as a kid in upstate NY.

QetWzPJKV6IFGCe > desertdog5051
09/01/2014 at 13:56

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

ottodriver > desertdog5051
09/01/2014 at 19:26

Seriously... are ALL the contributors to this site so stupid that they don't know the difference between "its" and "it's"... or is it just this one?

DoctorNine > squid-vicious
09/01/2014 at 19:29

Yeah, I loved early '80s flat track. Too dangerous for me in the end, but I enjoyed the races I did. Love sliding a bike at that speed. Nothing else is like it, really.

gwpr > desertdog5051
09/01/2014 at 19:46

I grew up two houses down from Mert Lawwill in the 1970s, and could barely grasp what the eff he did for a living, what accounted for the plaster always encasing his limbs. I remember being fascinated with the iron overshoe that weighed about five pounds in my hands. He showed how it fit, and when I asked where the other one was, he said, "You only need the one on the left." That guy was, and still is, amazing.

Willis F. Santos > desertdog5051
09/01/2014 at 22:45

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SuzyEastdyu > desertdog5051
09/02/2014 at 05:47

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

phatplat > desertdog5051
09/02/2014 at 06:53

This is to the Harley Davidson Sportster as NASCAR is to the Toyota Camry. Sell this bike HD! (or similar).

croniserene > desertdog5051
09/02/2014 at 08:02

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

desertdog5051 > phatplat
09/03/2014 at 06:36

It used to be dominated by HD. Now, there are factory sponsored teams from Kawasaki, Triumph and Honda.

phatplat > desertdog5051
09/03/2014 at 06:59

That is good. I was just commenting on HD pushing the flat track bike like it is a production model like they did at the X-Games. If they MADE that bike they could reach that younger audience.

desertdog5051 > phatplat
09/04/2014 at 15:17

That would be a nice addition. I saw one on Bring A Trailer. New and still on the shipping crate/stand. Asking over $30K. Kinda puts it out of most folks reach.