Costa Mesa Speedway

Words and Photos By Keith May
(Originally appeared in Cycle World magazine)  


“Two hundred pounds! Eighty horsepower! No suspension and noooooo brakes!” Announcer Terry Clayton growls over P.A. “Lindsay Lohan, please report to the Announcer’s booth!” As the sun falls behind marine layer, anorexic Speedway bikes roar to life for final adjustments as fans swarm bleachers juggling cold brews, kettle corn and cotton candy. Welcome to Round One of the 2007 AMA Speedway National Championship Series at the cradle of Speedway racing in North America.

At 7:15, riders greet audience in two-hundred yard parade along the inside wall, slapping high-fives to wide-eyed children and parents alike. Local favorites and National Champs sharing the spotlight before all hell breaks loose at 7:30. Greg Hancock, Billy Hamill, Tommy Hedden, Mike Faria, Eddie Castro, Bryan Yarrow and Bobby “Boogaloo” Schwartz. All on the wrong side of Thirty but enjoying long, if not lucrative careers on the Speedway circuit. Defending their status each weekend against upstarts like fifteen-year old Junior phenom Ricky Wells who’s here to earn a spot on tonight’s roster.

Like clockwork, four eliminators lead to twenty races and four dramatic finals. Thirty races in two hours of cursing, crashing, bar-banging action. A determined Wells impresses, but BMOC Greg Hancock takes home the bling and by only ten-o’clock lights are out and fans are headed home with new stories to tell.

Speedway racing’s biggest fan and most vocal advocate is loud-talker and straight-shooter “Rad” Brad Oxley of International Speedway, Inc. A youthful 49, Brad was National Speedway Champion in 1987 and 1999, raced Flat-Track as a grom, instructs newbies and still finds time and energy to race Motorcross, too. His parents founded International Speedway, Inc. in 1969 and according to Brad, “Their hard work established the blueprint that has kept it going so long.” Costa Mesa Speedway has been Brad’s second home since its Genesis and his heroes are all “Speedway Dudes.” His enthusiasm is infectious.

“In the Seventies, Flat-Track racing in Southern California was enjoying its heyday,” Brad explains. “Ascot, Elsinore, Paris, Corona, El Toro, Trojan, Costa Mesa and dozens more, drawing hundreds of competitors and thousands of fans almost every night of the week. It was the AMA’s baby until Supercross, Motocross and Road Racing exploded in popularity. Since then, the attraction of Flat-Track racing in Southern California has waned and Speedway has done everything possible to pick up the slack. It’s the next, best and last thing left.” Accepting this torch, it’s been blessing and burden for Brad to keep things going and it’s not easy. Thanks to development, lawsuits, noise complaints and insurance costs, only a smattering of tracks survive in North America and Speedway is no longer the AMA’s darling. “Back in the day, it might have cost five thousand to stage an event, but now, with one hundred paid employees, insurance, fees, purse, etc. it can cost thirty-thousand plus.”

A mix of tradition and variety keep the shows fresh–Kid Nights, Harley-Nights, Legend-Nights, Freestyle displays–Brad and his crew doing everything possible to reach new fans while fostering loyalty of old ones. They couldn’t take Speedway more seriously and you have to walk away impressed if not surprised by the organization and professionalism. Only determination of promoters like Brad and loyalty of fans have kept Speedway alive in lean times.

A spectator-sport, Speedway is a bizarro world where the smell of methanol and BBQ is sweet ambrosia and the cacophony of high-revving 4-Stroke Singles is music to the ears. The bikes? 500cc, 450hp Jawas and Weslakes with super hi-compression engines that rev to 15,000. Bump-start only, no suspension, no brakes, one giant gear and the weight of a CR80. This all amounts to a dangerously sick power-to-weight ratio.

“Fans are fooled into thinking that riding a Speedway bike is easy, but it’s a real handful. The first time you back off the throttle, it’s right into the wall. No real steering with that thin front wheel, no brakes to set up corner and no changing direction once you’ve entered it. Like a ballet with throttle while fighting intuitions of normal riding techniques. You can actually back it through a corner and that’s when it becomes an art. You gotta push your bodyweight towards the front from the right footpeg to make that rear wheel light enough to do the steering. Meanwhile, your left leg is skimming along as an outrigger. But you don’t want to plant that bad boy or you’ll kick yourself in the back of the head. It’s a balancing-act between left, right, front, rear and throttle, but you got to break it loose. Stay on the edge of control. It’s the most natural and graceful thing ever once you get it. If you’re not small and light, you better be strong. A race may last only 48 seconds, but it’s the most hang on for dear life 48 seconds you’ll ever experience.”

So how do you stop? “Sideways, scrubbing speed down to Twenty, then it’s a Flintstone thing. If someone crashes in front of you the only option is to lay it down which is an art in itself. A controlled falling down.”

The rub for thrillseekers actually wanting to ride one of these bikes is that you can’t just pick one up at a local dealer and ride off into the wilderness. These are very specialized machine and very hard to ride safely. And where do you ride one? Only on a Speedway track, which makes the folks that ride them a rare and passionate breed, indeed. The age for these fans-turned-riders and kids inheriting the gene ranges from 7 to 75, with divisions for all levels of experience. A retired Los Angeles Fire Captain, 75 year old Hugh Randolph competed in scrambles and desert racing in the Sixties and became a fan of Speedway in the Seventies. In 1973, he took lessons from Stu Morley at El Mirage. Thirty years later, he debuted at Costa Mesa Speedway as a 72-year-old rookie. Regardless of his actual performance, fans wait in line for hours in the pits at the post-event celebration for his autograph.

Costa Mesa Speedway’s first announcer, Larry Huffman is the man credited with giving these “Speedway Dudes” bigger-than-life personalities that fans could cheer for. Much like WWF stars, riders quickly learn to play up biographical or inflated anecdotes for attention and sponsorships. Like legendary racer “Tumbleweed” Walton, who fans would offer $400 cash to just finish a race. Everyone loves an underdog and you don’t have to be a winner to be a star at Speedway, just colorful leathers, beaming personality and an ability to play well with others. Win, lose or crash, the Speedway community is nothing if not forgiving.

2008 will be a special season as Costa Mesa Speedway celebrates its 40th anniversary of continuous racing. Like other things we take for granted, you might want to enjoy a night at Speedway before it disappears.