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Team Chicago is a National Team racing the WERA National Endurance Series | Team Chicago Challenge is a weekly motorcycle racing television show. |
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Memories
of Santa Fe Speedway By Dan
Schmitt I was twenty years old and
really knew nothing about motorcycle racing. Yes, I read a few articles in
magazines about motorcycle racing, but to me, it seemed like it took place
somewhere else. But the gang at Ace Cycle World on Western Avenue in Chicago
went to motorcycle races. In fact, they went every Wednesday night. I was
invited to go along on my 1968 Triumph Bonneville on one Wednesday night to
Santa Fe Speedway. This race track with large grandstands was only forty minutes
southwest of Chicago off I-55. I still remember walking
in, through the gates, fifty feet of concrete and there was the racetrack,
behind the chain link fence, the track of clay. Practice was going on and it was
just unbelievable. It was the coolest thing I ever saw. I said to myself right
then and there, man, I want to do this!
The gang from Ace;
Hud, VanSkike, VonEsser, Jimmy, Dwayne, Boles, etc, etc, all sat at
the top of the grandstands on the far right side, right above the concession
stand. The heat races were so fast, so quick, I have never witnessed anything so
exciting. Sliding, on the gas, fourteen-second lap times, two-strokes,
four-strokes, leg out, steel shoes, fast bikes, brave men, this was motorcycle
racing and it was in Chicagoland. After the heat races,
I went up to the announcers booth and talked to the announcer, Jan Gabriel.
He told me that in order to race at Santa Fe Speedway, you had to get a
professional license. To get a professional license you had to race amateur for
two seasons. He also informed me that there were amateur races held at Sycamore
Speedway on Friday nights. Luckily, my friend
and fellow coffee truck driver, Joe Scarlata, was also interested in going
motorcycle racing. Joe picked up an Ossa Scrambler, a set of used leathers and a
Bell helmet. We went to Sycamore Speedway together, Joe racing, I went as his
mechanic. The fastest guy out there, on his silver Triumph, was Al Blum. I
wanted to race, but only had my Triumph. Joe bet me $10.00 that I would not race
during the 1970 season. Well, I won that bet, I stripped down my Triumph and
raced at the last race of the season at Sycamore Speedway, I fell down in my
heat, rode cautiously in the Open B final and won that ten dollars. The
following weekend, I traveled to Milburg Speedway in Michigan and completed my
first season of amateur racing.
The following year, I
bought a 1970 Triumph Bonneville for the street and converted my 68 for
racing. That included a fiberglass BSA gas tank, Dunlop K-70 tires, TT pipes,
Ceriani forks and a roadracing style seat.
In 1971, I raced at Sycamore Speedway, Milburg Speedway and I even
traveled to Delta, Ohio to race their TT track. This completed my two years of
amateur racing. I applied for my professional license with the AMA and received
my Novice license with number 115p. I ran my first race at Santa Fe Speedway in
1972 on a brand-new Ossa TT Scrambler bought from Ace Cycle World for $475.00. I
had a new bike but I was not ready for the competition at Santa Fe.
Whereas the majority of the
racers at Santa Fe were from the immediate area, Santa Fe was the center of the
universe for flat-track racing in America. There were riders coming every
Wednesday night to earn a living. Win enough money in the middle of the week to
travel to the half-miles or Nationals on the weekends. This was pro racing. Motorcycle racing came to
Santa Fe in 1953. The Maywood Mustangs, a local AMA motorcycle club, began to
promote races after the big war at Cole Linzes baseball diamond.
This stadium was located off U.S. 66 (Ogden Avenue) only a few miles from
Santa Fe, southwest of Chicago. It was a weekly program with twenty to thirty
racers battling for a few hundred dollars per night. The Mustangs got together
with Howard Teidt, owner of Santa Fe, and the racing began that June. Three of
the racers in the early days were George Mack, Al Berquist and Pat McHenry. George Macks dad
owned a Henderson Motorcycle shop in Chicago, so George was around motorcycles
all his life. After leaving the Navy, he raced jalopies and then tried bikes. He
related, When we raced at Santa Fe, we all rode big bikes, 750 side valves.
Around thirty to forty riders raced, we all made the program. It was a $300.00
One-Star Short-track. You could not ride within ten feet of the pole, because
the cars tore it up on the weekends. It was a lot of fun and you could make a
few dollars racing. I raced a salvaged surplus Indiana Scout and then got
sponsored by Gale Johnson and raced a Harley. George won the track
championship in 1955 and 1956. Al Berquist was there the first night. He tells how the
program was run, There were a lot of riders. So they ran two complete
programs, one was standard start. One was a staggered or handicap start. They
had two finals. 50-60 riders, they
all ran together. This was Class A racing.
Only 6 riders made the finals. Four heat in each and two semis. I never
got a first place on my Harley but
I rode an Indiana Scout for Bob Hansen out of Racine on the half-miles. It was
so much fun riding, everyone was so good. After the racing everyone got along.
Everyone was equal, you didnt make much money. If I won everything
I could make $65.00. Ralph Farmer was the starter, George Elliot was
Referee. Pat McHenry was only a
spectator in 53. He was a young drag racer, but after seeing the action at
Santa Fe, he traded in his 48 Panhead and picked up a 26 Indian Scout. He
remembers, We didnt pay any entry fee, just bought the pro license. When I
started beating the experts, during my second year, I bought a 37 Sport Scout
for $200.00. In 55, I set a few track records and finally won the track
championship in 58 and 59. In 1959 they changed the rule to 250s, so I
put a NSU MAX engine in the Indian frame. I had a cam made, removed 8 pounds
from the flywheel and changed the valve springs. I finished 3rd in
two nationals. They started the TT races in the early sixties and I rode them
also. I quit in 1964 and I went out as a winner.
With
the change to 250cc machine, a new era began at Santa Fe. The AMA gave Howard
Tiedt his first National in 1961. Carol Resweber, the four-time national
champion, won the first two Nationals on his Harley Sprint. Gary Nixon grabbed
the win in 63 on a Triumph Cub. Then it was back-and-forth between Nixon and
the Harley Wreckin Crew. Roger
Reiman took the win in 64, Bart Markel in 66 and Freddie Nix in 68.
Nixon took the other two. Nix and Reiman shared the track championship during
those years. Nixon moved from
Oklahoma to Chicago to further his career.
He won his second career National at Santa Fe in 1963. The week before he
won his first national at a roadrace in Pennsylvania. Gary stayed in Chicago
during the summer, living at Logan Square Triumph. On hot summer evenings, he
would sleep on the roof of this dealership and listen to the el train at
the end of the line just across Milwaukee Avenue.
He used to borrow the $2.00 for the entry fee. Gary said he depended on
that $125.00 he could win, if he won everything on Wednesday night at Santa Fe,
heat race, semi, trophy dash and the final. The Triumph Cub he raced was the one
bike he did all of the maintenance himself.
Many racers in that era stayed in the Midwest to race. Most of the flat-track racing at that time was in the Midwest, with fairgrounds in Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin. In fact, Gary said he raced 32 races during the month of August in 1967. One of the races he won during his quest for the national title was Santa Fe in 67. Gary stated, Santa Fe is where I learned to race. It may have been downplayed because of the 250s, but all of the hot dudes were there. Winning the first one unlocked the door. I was pretty proud to beat the Harley factory guys three out of five times. I built that Cub 100 percent, Cliff help me out, but I took care of it. It was like a fine watch inside there.
The
era changed again in 1969. The two-strokes were not competitive because they had
no engine braking and the bikes were not allowed to have brakes. But a little
payola from a well-known Japanese factory to the AMA changed that. This cash was
transferred by a well-know racer to a high AMA official in an airport parking
lot. The following year, 1969, compression releases were allowed on the
two-strokes, and it worked wonders. Dick Mann, one of the greatest racers ever,
worked with Ossa, to build a stunning performer. Although swingarms were not
illegal for flat-tracking, most everyone used rigid rear ends. Mann discovered a
few years earlier, when he had to race his roadrace frame on the dirt, that a
swingarm frame could be made to work on the dirt. With his own design for the
frame and the Ossa 250cc two-stroke engine, he captured the National Short-track
win at Santa Fe. The Dick Mann Replica was created and Robert E. Lee took
the National win in 1971. Just to show that the Harley Sprints were not dead,
Markel won the National in 1970. One personality that
should not be overlooked is Neal Keen. This Santa Fe regular was guru of
short-tracking racing. He had a van full of racing products and a good word of
advice for all the young upstarts. With his partner, Charlie Chapple, they
dominated the regular Wednesday night action. Bringing in local hero, Bill
OBrian, they ran their own little match race using the Roadrunner and
Coyote symbols. The first TT National
was held in 1969. Triumph mounted, Ed Wirth, won that first one. Another rule
changed also changed the look of TT racing. Gone was the double program with
Heavyweights and Lightweights. In the early days it was side-valve 750s
against overhead valve 500s in the Lightweight class, and big motors, up to
80 cubic inches in the Heavyweight class. The dirt track rules were changed to
allow overhead valve 750s and Harley-Davidson was in a bind. The only bright
spot was this, in the TTs, the rules allowed the 900cc Sportsters engines to
run in the Nationals. Again in
1970, Eddie Mulder took the victory on a 750 Triumph.
Coming to Santa Fe in
1972 was a learning curve for me. The Wednesday night program was a combined
program, novices, juniors and experts all ran together. The fastest thirty-two
made the A program, the next sixty made the B program. All of the money was in
the A program, the winner of the B program made $25.00. You had to qualify with
one lap, and I never qualified for the A program and only qualified for the B
program once or twice. But, they did run four to six Friday night TTs and
there I did shine. I believe I made the Novice final at every TT. During my
second year of racing pro, I collected the last five and one-half points at
Santa Fe just racing the TTs to advance to Junior. In the early 70s,
the I-55 corridor was busy with motorcycle racers coming north to race. They
came from Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and other points south. This became the era
of the Ragin Cagun. Mike Gerald with a personality a mile wide and a quick
right hand on the throttle became a regular fixture at Santa Fe. He won the
72 National with a two-stroke and the 73 National with a Honda 350cc
four-stroke. He was getting some very soft, unattainable tires from Carlyle and
winning on a regular basis. Darryl Hurst and Randy Cleek were there every week
to keep him honest. The rules were changed to allow 360cc two-strokes in 1973. One of the stars from
Ohio, Steve Morehead, remembers the racing in the early 70s, Back then,
you could run Granite City near St. Louis on Tuesday, Santa Fe on Wednesday and
Motor City in Flint on Friday, three short track races and then go to the state
of Ohio and run at a fairground track and race every weekend. I probably did
more racing back in the early seventies. I
used to run 60 or 70 times a year. There were a lot of good short-tracker back
then, people that made their money on the little bikes, because some of those
guys struggled on the big bikes. Back in the day of Darryl Hurst and Mike
Gerald, on a big bike they got in their own way, but they were darn good
short-track racers because that what the did. It was always cool to go to Santa
Fe, if you could win at that racetrack, you basically ran against the best
short-trackers in the world. With the combined program,
one of the races that stands out during the early seventies was the Wednesday
night when this young novice from Michigan wooped everyone. It was Steve Elo. He
won his heat, semi and the final. Another great rider
of that era was Terry Poovey. It
meant a whole lot to me. My brother raced there when he was a professional.
He always talked about Santa Fe. All of the factory riders raced at Santa
Fe. Everyone that was a good racer went there on Wednesday night. I always
wanted to go there when I was a kid. The first time I went there was in June of
75, and the first three nights I ever laid a wheel on the track, I won the
feature, the first three nights. I beat Randy Cleek those first three races. He
finished second. Randy was someone I always looked up to when I was growing up.
He was a great racer and I wanted to be a great racer like him. I admired him a
lot. Boy, if you could win at Santa Fe, you could win anywhere. It was a tough
place and that first year I was there, I was the track Champion in 1975.
I was also the champion in 79. Then in 1978, Steve Eklund came to SF
and he made it real hard on me. He
was real good at SF. If I had to
say it, he was the best guy ever at SF. Yes, Santa Fe was
invaded by the California boy in the mid-70s. First it was Kenny Roberts
taking the National win in 1974, Hank Scott took it in 75 and Steve Eklund
grabbed the wins in 76, 77 and 78. The TT track at Santa
Fe was a kidney shaped track using the turn one and two, turn into the infield,
a right, over the tall jump, a short straight, another right and then left onto
the back straightaway and then turn 3 and 4. Watching Mark Belsford on the 900cc
Harley taught me how to negotiate 1 and 2. He would lock both the front and rear
brakes and slide thru and set up for the infield, then get on the gas and shoot
to the right and hit the jump in one easy motion. I picked up a good number of
points and some cash at the TTs at Santa Fe with my 750 Trackmaster Triumph.
Short-tracking was still a struggle with the new 360cc rule. During the summer
of 74 and 75 I went through over 20 pistons just trying to make the
program at Santa Fe.
The TT National
returned in 1977 and young Michigan rider, Jay Springsteen, took the National
win on his way to his first National Championship title. This was the beginning
of the end for the big twins as half of the field was mounted on 500cc singles.
Steve Eklund took the victory in 78 and 79. Things began to
change in the 80s. The combined program was ended, going to a Novice only
and Junior-Expert combined program. The 500 were first ran at Santa Fe on the
short-track, but the National short-track was not held every year. They tried to
run quads, and the real fans did not like it. Amateur motocross was introduced
and again the fans did not come out.
Chris Carr was there
to witness the final years at Santa Fe. This is his story, It was a great way
to make a few extra dollars in the middle of the week between national races. I
first went to SF in 1983, as a pro novice, and hung out there in the Chicago
area so I could make a little money and stay on the road another week. It was a
neat stop for us to go to during the years. Unfortunately I caught the tail end
of it. I wish it was still there.
Hopefully someone will get the idea in their head and build another Santa
Fe. The Wednesday night races were almost like a National because a lot of the
Pro experts were doing the same thing. They
would hang out and make a few hundred bucks during the week. They always had a
nice crowd on Wednesday nights, and it was always a part of the historic aspect
of flat-track racing, it played a big part of that. It was a big part of growing
up. You had to race SF, and it got
you ready to run the Nationals.
I started TEAM CHICAGO at
Santa Fe in 1977, but thats another story.
(click here for the official Team Chicago History) I went roadracing in 1981, but still raced
a few short tracks at Santa Fe. I
never made the program. In fact,
Im probably a better short-tracker now than I was back then, at least on the
ice short-tracks. I never felt that the AMA ever treated Howard Tiedt fairly. He
pioneered the 500s in the eighties, and the AMA refused to give him a
short-track National the following year. I dont pretend to know everything,
but he was never given a fair shake by the AMA. Santa Fe and Ascot Park were the
two centers of flat-track racing in this country, and without them, the sport
has suffered. I am just happy I had a chance to be part of this great era. But the memories live on at www.up-front.net. Chuck Weber and Bill Sparks have begun to bring pictures from that wonderful era of Santa Fe Speedway at that website. The three-part Gary Nixon story, with rare film footage and pictures of his quest for the national and world titles, is now available on DVD. Priced at $20.00 each or $50.00 for the set, They are available at www.garynixon.com or e-mail Dan Schmitt at realteamchicago@sbcglobal.net The Sixties Short Track
& TT Results & Early Track Champions Early Track Champions-1953-Bill
Tuman,1954-John Swanson,1955-George Mack,Buzz Simmons{tie}1956-George
Mack,1957-Pat McHenry,1958-Pat McHenry,1959-Jim Koplinski,1960-Tom Cates 1961 1st Santa Fe National Short
Track Winner - Carol Resweber Current #1 Plate Holder
Carol Resweber Track Champion-
Ed Clifford 1962 Short Track National Winner
Carol Resweber Current #1 Plate Holder
Carol Resweber Track Champion-Carrol
Resweber 1963 Short Track National Winner
Gary Nixon Current #1 Plate Holder
Bart Markel Track Champion-Roger Reiman 1964 Short Track National Winner
Roger Reiman Current #1 Plate Holder
Dick Mann Track Champion-Roger Reiman 1965 Short Track National Winner
Gary Nixon Current #1 Plate Holder
Roger Reiman Track Champion-Fred Nix 1966 Short Track National Winner
Bart Markel Current #1 Plate Holder
Bart Markel Track Champion-Fred Nix 1967 Short Track National Winner
Gary Nixon Current #1 Plate Holder
Bart Markel Track Champion-Fred Nix 1968 Short Track National Winner
Fred Nix Current #1 Plate Holder
Gary Nixon 1st Houston Short Track
National Event Winner Gary Nixon Track Champion-Fred Nix 1969 Short Track National Winner
Dick Mann Current #1 Plate Holder
Gary Nixon 1st National TT held at
Santa Fe won by Ed Wirth Houston Short Track
National Winner Ronnie Rall Houston TT National Winner
Skip Van Leeuwen Track Champion-Neil Keen The Seventies Short Track
and TT Results 1970 Short Track National Winner
Bart Markel National TT Winner
Eddie Mulder Current #1 Plate Holder
Mert Lawwill Houston Short Track
National Winner Mert Lawwill Houston TT National Winner
Jim Rice Track Champion-Neil Keen 1971 Short Track National Winner
Robert E. Lee No National TT Race was
held. Current #1 Plate Holder
Gene Romero Houston Short Track
National Winner Jim Odom Houston TT National Winner
Dick Mann Track Champion-Charlie
Chapple 1972 Short Track National Winner
Mike Gerald No National TT Race was
held. Current #1 Plate Holder
Dick Mann Houston Short Track
National Winner Kenny Roberts Houston TT National Winner
John Hateley Track Champion-Robt.E. Lee 1973 Short Track National Winner
Mike Gerald No National TT Race was
held. Current #1 Plate Holder
Mike Brelsford Houston Short Track
National Winner Kenny Roberts Houston TT National Winner
Mike Haney Track Champion-Corky Keener 1974 Short Track National Winner
Kenny Roberts No National TT Race was
held. Current #1 Plate Holder
Kenny Roberts Houston Short Track
National Winner Mike Gerald Houston TT National Winner
Dave Hansen Track Champion-Mike Gerald 1975 Short Track National Winner
Hank Scott No National TT Race was
held. Current #1 Plate Holder
Kenny Roberts Houston Short Track
National Winner Darryl Hurst Houston TT NationalWinner
Kenny Roberts Track Champion-Terry Poovey 1976 Short Track National Winner
Steve Eklund No National TT Race was
held. Current #1 Plate Holder
Gary Scott Houston Short Track
National Winner Bubba Rush Houston TT National Winner
Rick Hocking Terry Poovey won the
Talladega Alabama Short Track National. Track Champion-Steve Elo 1977
{return of T.T. National} Short Track National Winner
Steve Eklund National TT Race Winner
Jay Springsteen Current #1 Plate Holder
Jay Springsteen Houston Short Track
National Winner Jay Springsteen Houston TT National Winner
John Hateley Track Champion-Rob Beary 1978 Short Track National Winner
Steve Eklund National TT Race Winner
Steve Eklund Current #1 Plate Holder
Jay Springsteen Houston Short Track
National Winner Steve Eklund Houston TT National Winner
Steve Eklund Track Champion-Rob Beary 1979 Short Track National Winner
Rick Hocking National TT Race Winner
Steve Eklund Current #1 Plate Holder
Jay Springsteen Houston Short Track
National Winner Ted Boody Houston TT National Winner
Mickey Fay Track Champion-Terry Poovey The Eighties Short Track
& TT Results 1980 Short Track National Winner
Scott Parker National TT Race Winner
Ronnie Jones Current #1 Plate Holder
Steve Eklund Houston Short Track
National Winner Ronnie Jones Houston TT National Winner
Kenny Roberts Track Champion-Steve Elo 1981 Short Track National Winner
Alex Jorgensen National TT Race Winner
Mickey Fay Current #1 Plate Holder
Randy Goss Houston Short Track
National Winner Jay Springsteen Houston TT National Winner
Steve Eklund Track Champion-Tim Mertens 1982 Short Track National Winner
Alex Jorgensen National TT Race Winner
Ricky Graham Current #1 Plate Holder
Mike Kidd Houston Short Track
National Winner Jay Springsteen Houston TT National Winner
Ricky Graham Track Champion-Steve Eklund 1983 Short Track National Winner
Doug Chandler National TT Race Winner
Mickey Fay Current #1 Plate Holder
Ricky Graham Houston Short Track
National Winner Terry Poovey Houston TT National Winner
Steve Eklund Alex Jorgensen won Short
Track National in San Jose, California. Track Champions-T.T.-Steve
Eklund Short Track-Alex
Jorgenson 1984 No Short Track National
held at Santa Fe this year. National TT Race Winner
Randy Goss Current #1 Plate Holder
Randy Goss Houston Short Track
National Winner Randy Goss Houston TT National Winner
Ricky Graham Bubba Shobert won Short
Track National in San Jose, California Randy Goss won Short Track
National in St. Louis, Missouri. No noted Track Champion
1985No
Short Track National held at Santa Fe this year. National TT Race Winner
Doug Chandler Current #1 Plate Holder
Ricky Graham Houston Short Track
National Winner Randy Goss Houston TT National Winner
Scott Parker Jay Springsteen won Short
Track National in San Jose, California. No noted Track Champion 1986 No Short Track National
held at Santa Fe this year. National TT Race Winner
Doug Chandler Current #1 Plate Holder
Bubba Shobert No noted Track Champion 1987
no Short Track National held this year National TT Race
Winner-Steve Eklund Current #! Plate
Holder-Bubba Shobert No noted Track Champion 1988 Santa Fe held its last
Short Track National on June 24, 1988. Short Track National Winner
Ronnie Jones {race was not
Grand National Series, It was part of 600 National Championship Series} |
Visitors as of 02/10/2011
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