Lands End Hill Climb 1941

Now known as the 3rd oldest continuing race in the USA behind Pikes Peak and the Indy 500, The Lands End Hill Climb was a big deal. And it still is; to people like me it is the highlight of my year. Not just because of all the Motorcycle class wins or the champaign spray podium celebrations alongside legends like Zwart and Dallenbach. It is in the decomposing volcanic gravel, the dust, and the twisting turning road itself. It is the best race course I have ever known. Unlike Pikes Peak and the Indy 500, there is very little material about the race. I have found zero info at the local Grand Junction Museum of the West. Despite being won by Louis Unser, there is little to be found on Google. The race was a huge race but WWII put it on hold and the Colorado Hill Climb Association didn't bring it back until the 1980's. My good buddy Peter told me he had a friend who had some old photos and programs. I asked and was so very fortunate enough to have them lent to me. Today peter dropped off a manila envelop with these photographs inside, along with the 1940,1941 programs and other interesting bits. I will scan them and share them here with all as I hope to not only preserve such outstanding history but hopefully inspire a younger generation to build some race shit and keep this awesome past time alive.

The owner of the photograph's grandmother posing next to the 2nd place finisher car. Check the penmanship written on the back of the photo below. Amazing. These building's concrete foundation's still stand at the start line. No more big cottonwood trees though.

 

Age cage, caged rage

 This weekend was the one year anniversary of bringing this Wells Coyote serial number 13 home. If you remember I traded a bike from my boneyard for it about the time my homebrew race car was completed. I have managed to keep it under tarp and out of mind (for the most part), but unlike a catholic altar boy; its been untouched. Though the car has a vast history of being fondled, flogged, and unfortunately even molested; I rescued it from a trailer park in arizona from some wheeling dealing cousins, where it was being sold for dune buggy sand rail scrap. before that the O'Maley brothers Rodney and Earl bought it for cheap only to rob it of all of it's good bits for their own Coyote cars. The Johnson brothers raced it in CHCA before that but they never did well and are no longer on talking terms with one another. Ownership before that is not clear but it was raced at Pikes Peak in brilliant shape by the one and only Martini Racing Steven. And more that several others before that.  I will have to post some pictures because it was a beautiful car. Anyhoo, It is just another refugee project in my yard among many but worthy as all hell and get up and go. Especially after taking my homebrew out to my back roads yesterday and having a proper go at driving the Homebrew Hayabusa car. I saw 165 mph on the highly inaccurate speedometer, I floated connecting corners like a drifter's dream, and probably lived more in 15 minutes than the I have in the past few months. The chase of thrill and ability to harness a machine is something that fails to dwindle in my increasing age. The excitement of driving a vehicle of construction more or less of my own is beyond words. It is my life's manifest from an early age. A dream chassed many an entry fee over. Many miles and broken down vans, sponsor paid air fair, bride's maid to a championship, and dreary daunt of task completed no matter the danger at hand. I live the life best liven given my place in this universe. Best I know to anyhow. I often wonder what for and I don't know any answers but I know it sure is fun seeing my little one wonder what she will do...

WWBHD

What would Bob Hannah do?

He has a way of telling it straight. He probably does not have a colorful group of friends, though I could be wrong. Opinionated people are engaging to be around when they share the same opinions as our self. Different opinions are like different periodic elements. Some do interesting things when mixed. Without all the elements we wouldn't exist. And isn't it truly interesting to learn. To leave your comfort zone. To expand your understandings and grow as a human. It is but I will probably just stick with fixing up pieces of junk and racing them.
 

It is a good thing this picture is blurry because my welding can hurt your eyes with or without an arc flash. I stay true to my nature: It is better to be more go than show.

After 25 plus years of welding and preaching about learning and growing I still have not learned how to weld as good as I want. Mostly because I lack patience in the preparation phase. But I can fill gaps with the best of them!

Life is full of rot. Rotten sumbitches are everywhere. Hell, most of our great green planet is rot of one kind or another. Maybe the most important thing I have learned is to pay little attention to the negative rotten crap and instead invest your energy and attention to what is positive. Cut out the rot and find the good. Have a little faith in the universe providing whatever it is you need. You might have to look far or work hard but if you focus your energy and hold the cigarette lighter just right, you can light farts like a flame thrower.

Pic of a cool photo I saw hanging in a barn full of motorbike engines I found.

2024 Colorado hill climb racing. 3rd in Super Spring with the Homebrew car and another Motorcycle class championship.

Peace be with you all.

Roosevelt Sykes Kickin' Motor Scooter (1963)

Captain's log. Steamy hot peanut log.

 Whenever I get bored and find myself a project it seems like multiple geysers erupt like a drunken game of Whack-a -Mole at the bowling alley arcade. The 1976 YZ125 was an unnecessary task to take on with all the race cars and motorbikes I have kicking around like a heard of hungry cats scratching at the door of the crazy ol cat lady, never mind the customer's proper bikes that pay my bills. Fuck I'll be damned if I ever give in to the conformity that is modern capitalism. My punk rock has become my bastard shop projects and the old wreck of a YZ125 is as good of protest as anything else I can conjure up. Frank showed up and built me a stairway. That re-instilled my faith in fellow man. John showed up to sort out his Champion XS650 that he lovingly lay in my deadbeat hands for a five year plan some couple years ago without any progress. The only expectations are for it to be an operating race bike again and today I did manage put some head wind in between the fork tubes. It will be spinning laps in no time now. Thanks John. He also set me straight on getting the SonicWeld framer back to semblance with a air cooled 250cc form my bone yard in lue of the XS650 I comically envisioned shoehorning into the little frame. And yes the fuckedalltohell YZ125 engine is back together. But will it run....

Frank Lambick; He has built more stairs than anyone I've ever known. ...That I know of. Thanks amigo. Sidenote: I have the Xr650R performing hideously well. I am dreaming of an off road race near you...

I tried out a SKF Speedi Sleeve to repair the pitted crank shaft surface but it caused excessive drag on the seal. Might be a good fix for a bigger displacement bike but I need this lil' bitch to scream like a mad banshee so I found a seal with a 1mm smaller ID and turned the crank down.

The Head was wicked pitted and squish was .060" so carved a bunch off and eyeballed my own ideal dome.

The 1mm smaller diameter crank shaft seal surface, nice and smooth.

John opted to not run one of my 750cc built engines since he allready had a nice 700cc engine. He wanted to go electric ignition so we fitted up this sleek setup. Did a rattle can job on the gas tank and all of a sudded we got a race bike in the shop that I am giddy to spin some laps on. It ran pretty darn not bad up and down the old highway in front of the shop today :)

The next itch to scratch...

Dumb and Dumber

 Well, It is project season. Not unlike any other season around here but project season for sure non the less. A very nice customer donated me a cool old Sonic Weld that he saved form the scrap. It belonged to a fellow who bought it new and lived it's whole life in the same little north west colorado valley I grew up in which is cool since there is no such thing as flattrack up there. Nor here for that matter. nearest track is 5hrs away. And that is just the short track at IMI. Kansas. some 10 hrs away... or Californa.... To be honest I don't know how much flattrack racing I am going to be doing in the for seen future. Who knows? God knows? Greg T Nelson knows! Ride With The Wind mother fuckers! Maybe it is movie night.... Anyhoo, digressing, degreasing, as always... What the fuck to do with this peice of proper flattrack machiner? I have some air cooled 250cc lumps out in my bone yard. Or even a liquid cooled on to continue on my treck of sacrilege. Fucking hell! Why not see if an XS650 would fit in it... Ah... what am I doing? Not what so much as why. WHY?

Maybe I'll drag something else out of my bone yard. I'd like to save the ol 1976 YZ125 from another cold season out in the elements. I think it has only been sitting out side with out a spark plug in it for maybe 30 years...

I do enjoy a challange and I must admit a little pain with my pleasure goes a long way. Lets break out the nipple clamps and bend over for a flog. How bad could it be...

HA! I've sledge hammered out pistons way worse! Lets start with some melting wax and a bit of blow torch! 

Ok, a lot of blow torch and maybe it is time for a re-hydration beverage. I think I can only take about an hour on the tower of power before I need a little golden shower.  Jeesus dick. It will run again. It is just a little old dirt bike engine. It will run again...

OOOO, this is fun. Somebody welded the kick starter onto the shaft. More whips and chains, please don't stop!

This is getting out of hand. I forgot to make a safe word. Knuckle down. Buckle down....

When the going get tough- the tough get going...

At this point I walked away. I just left the shop. It was time to go pick up the little one from day care and meet mom for pizza. return to the real world and forget all about the filthy little hobby of mine.   Tomorrow morning I am going to come into the shop to make some money doing honest work but first I am going to have to face up to my affliction to pain, mop up the mess, and throw a towel over it until I feel ready for more...

But in less questionable news I have made some pregress with the dyno so there is some hope for wholesome things to come about. In the mean time: Happy holidays, hail satan, watch out for santa and krampus, they are all probably one and the same. As the old Cosmic Cowboy, 5 years gone now, would always say: FAST AND CARELESS!!!!

 

World Vet MX at Glen Helen

 Get off the couch and ride. The long spell since the last time I raced motocross has been a long one. Some vintage mx once or twice in the previous few years but the gate drops at Glen Helen were full and intense. I saw bodies slammed, hurled and ground into the decomposed granite like dog shit on the sole of a commando boot. And one of those bodies was mine. Two classes in three days of three moto format was tough but not as tough as the off camber square edge bumps. The random mogul whoops. The ledges in the landings and worst of all the holes right before the lips. I loved it in morning practice but by noon the 1200 entries had the pristine moist loam turned into a mine field of wrist popping back breaking neck whipping agony. It was great and I had a lot of fun. I had originally signed up for 40+ and the 125cc class but I was not able to come up with a 125 bike so I thought about switching to the 40 pro class but then in practice Mike Brown made me his bitch and honestly the track scared the shit out of me so I opted to race 35+ Expert and 40+ Expert. In the first 35+ moto I did good with a 7th out of a full gate but I was completely pumped up, wrung out, and broken. The track required someone of my physical condition some restraint. I settled into a more subdued rhythm in the first 40+ moto with a 10th. Then next 35+ moto found me in the first lap a bit too hard on the front brake while blitzing down the steep Mount St Glen Helen hill while the rear wheel hit a kicker of a breaker bump. I went over the bars quick and hit the ground hard with no time to prepare. I think my 2006 CRF450 landed on my elbow and knocked the wind out of me. I cruised around for a lap and went back to the van to knock the sand out of my helmet and straighten my bike up. Before the blood and sweat dried from my face and nostrils I lined back up for the 40+ and took another 10th from a full gate. I slept like a lamb with a bag of ice on my swell-bow that night. I awoke Sunday morning, I wolfed down cold mexican leftovers from a Styrofoam, had two cups of motel room coffee and strapped on my cold wet dog smelling helmet. I ended up 12th in 35+Expert with 7,20,11 motos and 8th in 40+Expert with 10,10,8 motos. Not bad for a 19 year old bike I plucked out of the trash bins and an old fart who remembers getting holeshots and having a head of hair to pomade up. The best part was riding in a van with Mick. Something we haven't done together in many moons. Our friend Jason aka: Pussy Feet, who talked us into this race blew up his KX500 in his first moto but he shook it off and had fun anyway keeping us in good cheer. The Lambrick Bros who helped me at the flattrack AM Nats last year kicked us some gas money and tagged along in spirit so I reckon the older I get the more I enjoy some comradery despite being the lone desperado I have played for so many years. No trophies were won at this race but a lot of heart was felt.

Pikes Peak Hill Climb 2001 - Gary Lee Kanawyer / 1981 Wells Coyote Overa...

I love watching these and going back in my head to every corner. Around 9:10 is where the first corners I ever learned how to slide a motorcycle are. In practice I would think I was pushing hard near the edge and Joe Prusiano would come around me on the outside in a full bar lock slide looking over at me. I ended up finishing 2nd to him 3 times. I just love closing my eyes and going back, replaying this the most perfect race course ever in my mind. What a treat it was to have raced there.

Keeping busy

 Life is a song. I try to understand it, Sometimes it takes a few decades of it before it soaks in. Sometimes I write it, dance it. Dig it.  I just follow along best I can.

I really to try to get the most out of everything.

Plenty to work on these days. Some customer bikes too.

Slowly getting the home feeling in this shop. 

So many adventures out there waiting. Border Collie- Tennis balls; Chase them all

This race car is creeping towards my front burner.

This race car should be....

Shredding the gnar!

The 2006 450 is ready for Glen Helen. However it's rider...?

The Dyno is up and running. Needs a few things but mostly just time from me.

The real reason I am busy. Trying my best to keep the beat and just hum along, appreciating every damn bit of it.

風を抜け！ / Kaze wo Nuke! (1988) / MADHOUSE / Laserdisc / MJL-1032 / Domesda...

I Don't have to understand the words to get it.

From Ok to LA

Peekaboo

Simone should have used the kill switch long before this 

JB weld?

 How the hell did I get signed up to race the Vet MX World Champioships at Glen Helen?!  How did the Beverly Hill Billies end up in LA also? It’s been more than a couple years since I made it out to the Oklahoma Gold Rush Grand Prix. The last time I overalled, thank you thank you, enough about me let’s talk about me some more. I asked Pussy Feet if he was going this year and somehow me and Lord Mick got talked into racing some serious motocross instead which is great because I haven’t raced a modern motocross in ummm 7 years. Then I looked around my stable at all my stead’s…. I sold the Lil Goose factory Honda Team CR125 a few years back…. My 95 CR250 has been completely transformed into a pumpkin smashing trail bike, A few XR650Rs- nope, not doing that again, a couple CRF450X that would do the job just fine to my abilities but what is a challenge without some stupid hard challenges! Let’s build a CRF450R from bits I have laying around! An 06 frame, 07 cases, some 250R forks, about 116 trips out to my dark 40’ conex storage container for a bracket, vent hose, correct bolt, and a whole bunch of warm fuzzy red Honda love and here I am… 

I started putting the chassis together last weekend and it sure is nice being a Honda bolt horder. The engine was a bit more challenging and I started building it a few months ago after being talked into this whole brilliant idea of racing the fastest motocrosser with grey whiskers in California. What I thought was a good bottom end with just a stuck crank turned out to be an exploded connecting rod that managed to torpedo through the transmission and all. So I found some 07 cases for cheap and pieced together the rest from my milk crates, coffee cans, and rubber made tubs. 

I have a couple weeks left before Mick and I go pillage the west coast like the crazed coloradian hill Billy scary van punks we are!