On the Sunday after the Saturday GNC Sac Mile race at Cal Expo....is the Amateur and Vintage Mile.
This is put on by the California Flat Track Association.
I have been wanting to attend one of these since they started doing them (someday hoping to participate in an amateur race myself) This year I got to see Gary Inman and Dimitri Coste participate. Here they are the night before in the open paddock after the Sac Mile main had just concluded. Gary is editor of Sideburn Magazine out of the UK. Dimitri is a French photographer and amateur racer , who keeps a bike in the states for races here, and has a bike in Europe for racing there.
The pic at the top is a screen shot I borrowed from Dimitri's Instagram...that is the bike known as 'OSFA' or 'One size fits all". It is a stock motored 1967 Triumph TR-6. The lower pic is a Yamaha 500 single cylinder loaner that Gary raced.
Got nostalgic when I saw the old Econoline Van. I've owned several of these and really regret selling the last one I had, which was the deluxe 'all window' version. This one was owned by 'One down, Four up', a clothing vendor. Entry to the races was only a tenner...same as parking. When I found out entry to the paddock and infield was only $20.00, I sprung for that as well. Have always wanted to view the racing from 'inside'. So for $40.00, I was way below what I paid just for general admittance the day before.
Even on the 'outside' you can get pretty close to the track at this vantage point. The day before at the GNC races there was a barrier to prevent access at this point.
Nice sign painting on the Econoline van
Gary with fellow racer and host.
The editors paddock...or pit...
Gary wrenching on his borrowed racer...
Dimitri's Triumph...he shared space with the Deus Ex Machina guys out of Los Angelos...
My finger is pointing that out...
'OSFA'
Dimitri and another Southern Cal racer with Deus, unfortunately I've misplaced his name...
The Triumph 500 tracker belonging to Julian of Deus....he also raced at the 'Mile' in Sac...
A trackside montage...nice to have a pass to the inside this race...
Rear view of 'OSFA'
Some competitors lining up for a heat race...
Julian posing for pics with his Triumph after the races were done.
It's looking like this is going to be a two part post....so this is a good place to end for now...and in the second part, lots of pics of the various machinery that took part...and if I persevere, possibly some videos....so check back.
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