1976 San Antonio 125 National

speedman
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speedman
Edited Date/Time 7/28/2022 6:36pm
YouTube suggested this at me and it didn't come up in a quick search on Vital, plus I doubt anyone of a certain age who's seen this before really minds watching it again. Possibly the apogee of hop-up shops in U. S. racing--Hannah said he almost never got a holeshot against the Elsinores from FMF and elsewhere, but he would reel them in when the air-cooled engines (and riders) faded during the 40+2 motos. Looks like it starts with a qualifier won by Don Kudalski. No sound so remember how it sounded. For an authentic viewing experience, you should set your home's heater to 105 F and run a humidifier next to yourself. There are parts of this where you see Smith and Hannah snap through S-turns and you can see how fast those guys really were.
https://youtu.be/h93qIs_cR-w?ecver=2" width="641" height="360
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cvm
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cvm 4/12/2017 7:56am
4/12/2017 7:56am
Nice! Thanks, never saw that one.
a22
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a22 4/12/2017 12:53pm
4/12/2017 12:53pm Edited Date/Time 4/12/2017 1:45pm
At 0.28 secs in (on the start line), thats not Kenny Roberts is it, doing some MX? Presume not but I know he did some dirt tracking as well as road racing obviously....Just saw 'Roberts' on the jersey and those famous Yamaha stripes on the sleeves....number '703'?
Hasletjoe
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Hasletjoe 4/12/2017 3:53pm
4/12/2017 3:53pm
Mini Elsinore wrote:
I see Billy Joyce in there....
Hey Mini, do you know Billy Joyce? Reason I ask is I have a frame that I believe was that bike. It is stamped CAH0001 or something like that. I had correspondence with Scott Heidbrink who wrote an article in one of the magazines back then. He had worked for Cliff and based off the photo, seemed to think it was at least one of the frames they used.

I checked on Billy Joyce's finishes and he went to a Suzuki some time in 77.

Cool link!

The Shop

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Hasletjoe
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Hasletjoe 4/12/2017 3:54pm
4/12/2017 3:54pm
a22 wrote:
At 0.28 secs in (on the start line), thats not Kenny Roberts is it, doing some MX? Presume not but I know he did some dirt...
At 0.28 secs in (on the start line), thats not Kenny Roberts is it, doing some MX? Presume not but I know he did some dirt tracking as well as road racing obviously....Just saw 'Roberts' on the jersey and those famous Yamaha stripes on the sleeves....number '703'?
A22, that would be Eddie Roberts. He hailed from Irving Texas and was a DFW local expert. Good guy as well
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a22
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a22 4/12/2017 4:03pm
4/12/2017 4:03pm
a22 wrote:
At 0.28 secs in (on the start line), thats not Kenny Roberts is it, doing some MX? Presume not but I know he did some dirt...
At 0.28 secs in (on the start line), thats not Kenny Roberts is it, doing some MX? Presume not but I know he did some dirt tracking as well as road racing obviously....Just saw 'Roberts' on the jersey and those famous Yamaha stripes on the sleeves....number '703'?
Hasletjoe wrote:
A22, that would be Eddie Roberts. He hailed from Irving Texas and was a DFW local expert. Good guy as well
Aah cheers Joe for that, you seem to know your Texan riders!
Yep- thought it prob wasn't 'King Kenny' (or whatever they call him) but the name on the shirt and the Yammy stripes kind of looked like him and the time period may have been nearly correct.
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Mini Elsinore
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Mini Elsinore 4/13/2017 8:27am
4/13/2017 8:27am
Mini Elsinore wrote:
I see Billy Joyce in there....
Hasletjoe wrote:
Hey Mini, do you know Billy Joyce? Reason I ask is I have a frame that I believe was that bike. It is stamped CAH0001 or...
Hey Mini, do you know Billy Joyce? Reason I ask is I have a frame that I believe was that bike. It is stamped CAH0001 or something like that. I had correspondence with Scott Heidbrink who wrote an article in one of the magazines back then. He had worked for Cliff and based off the photo, seemed to think it was at least one of the frames they used.

I checked on Billy Joyce's finishes and he went to a Suzuki some time in 77.

Cool link!
I don't know Billy, but I was standing somewhere along that fence and he caught my eye as a kid. Very cool if you have one of his frames!
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DavetheVintageGuy 4/13/2017 11:44am
4/13/2017 11:44am
The track is still out there. The guy that lives on site has a penchant for Honda Odyssey FL250's. He occasionaly takes them out and runs around the track.

Bought some vintage parts off him about 10 years ago.

Still smells like the sewage plant across the street too.Sick
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speedman
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speedman 4/13/2017 10:15pm
4/13/2017 10:15pm
DavetheVintageGuy wrote:
The track is still out there. The guy that lives on site has a penchant for Honda Odyssey FL250's. He occasionaly takes them out and runs...
The track is still out there. The guy that lives on site has a penchant for Honda Odyssey FL250's. He occasionaly takes them out and runs around the track.

Bought some vintage parts off him about 10 years ago.

Still smells like the sewage plant across the street too.Sick
We need to petition the county historical society to erect a marker like this outside the entrance:


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DavetheVintageGuy 4/13/2017 10:33pm
4/13/2017 10:33pm
DavetheVintageGuy wrote:
The track is still out there. The guy that lives on site has a penchant for Honda Odyssey FL250's. He occasionaly takes them out and runs...
The track is still out there. The guy that lives on site has a penchant for Honda Odyssey FL250's. He occasionaly takes them out and runs around the track.

Bought some vintage parts off him about 10 years ago.

Still smells like the sewage plant across the street too.Sick
speedman wrote:
We need to petition the county historical society to erect a marker like this outside the entrance: [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2017/04/13/187917/s1200_Let_Brock_Bye_TX.jpg[/img]
We need to petition the county historical society to erect a marker like this outside the entrance:


THAT.
IS.
FUCKING.
AWESOME.
LaughingLaughingLaughing

Especially the part about Jody. And I think Gianatsis probably would try to claim credit for it too at some point.Blink
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speedman
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speedman 4/14/2017 12:21am
4/14/2017 12:21am Edited Date/Time 4/14/2017 12:24am
Thanks--I probably got details wrong from doing it off the top of my head, but that spurs discussion. Wink I'm writing a book on Republic of Texas history and next year I'm going to be agitating for a couple of markers for legendary Texas Ranger episodes whose location I believe I've managed to pin down close enough to commemorate that way, so I looked into the marker process a little, and can't help thinking sometimes of other markers I'd like to see Laughing That's the thing about history, though--if that photo didn't exist, that incident would just be conflicting verbal accounts. . . .
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FTF MX
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FTF MX 5/19/2018 8:14am
5/19/2018 8:14am
speedman wrote:
Thanks--I probably got details wrong from doing it off the top of my head, but that spurs discussion. ;) I'm writing a book on Republic of...
Thanks--I probably got details wrong from doing it off the top of my head, but that spurs discussion. Wink I'm writing a book on Republic of Texas history and next year I'm going to be agitating for a couple of markers for legendary Texas Ranger episodes whose location I believe I've managed to pin down close enough to commemorate that way, so I looked into the marker process a little, and can't help thinking sometimes of other markers I'd like to see Laughing That's the thing about history, though--if that photo didn't exist, that incident would just be conflicting verbal accounts. . . .
When that race went down I lived in Houston and did the Rio Bravo and Rio Grande tracks. I went to race there at CycleRAMA in 1978, I think? Now that I live South of San Antonio I have occasion to go by Cycle Center Motorcycle Shop on Southton Road. There on Blue Wing Road is Dos Rios Treatment Plant. A strong waker upper!
Fred L. Hall JR. 5/21/2018 5:04pm
5/21/2018 5:04pm

I saw that race, at the time I did'nt know about the Brock thing. That was one hell of a track,I broke a collar bone there I think 1975 in the mini bike class. Also went to Gary Baily's Mx school and also went to, oh hell can't remember his name.His son was mini bike star from southern California,old age setting in I guess. I lived in San Antonio and raced there a lot ,great thread !
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jackhammer
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jackhammer 7/25/2022 6:27pm
7/25/2022 6:27pm
Hey guys finding this forum is freakin awesome.
I was a privateer back in 74 and 75 and rode at cyclerama many times. I would like to go back and visit the old track before my 67 year old ass totally forgets that one awesome part of my youth. I still ride, but not moto. I rode a Suzuki 125 and Yammy 250 back in the day. Can anyone tell me where the old track is? I've forgotten after all these years. I'm in San Antonio over by Ingram Park Mall. I'd love to go visit if it's possible.
Thanks
Jackhammer
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jackhammer
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jackhammer 7/26/2022 10:02am
7/26/2022 10:02am
Those were the days TM... We thought they'd never end...
Then... Life gets in the way and screws everything up... 🤨
Dave v3.0
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Dave v3.0 7/28/2022 3:22pm
7/28/2022 3:22pm
jackhammer wrote:
Those were the days TM... We thought they'd never end...
Then... Life gets in the way and screws everything up... 🤨
Hey, I've moved away from San Antonio and I'm back in my native Alabama to retire, had to change my username since posting on this thread 5 years ago.

The track is on the far Southside. Take IH410 to Southton Road, go south to Blue Wing Road and the track is across the street from the water treatment plant. You'll smell it before you see it...especially during the summer time.
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jackhammer
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jackhammer 7/28/2022 4:56pm
7/28/2022 4:56pm
Thanks much Dave. Do you remember the name of the guy you bought the parts from that lives there? I'd like to try and get permission to go there before just roaring up on my Harley...
jackhammer
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jackhammer 7/28/2022 5:15pm
7/28/2022 5:15pm
Ok. I understand. I appreciate your reply. It's crazy that something from youth has come back so strong for me to revisit. It's kind of like a "Bucket List" entry of things I absolutely have to do. It's kind of strange that the urgency is so strong to go back out to the track. Who knows what lays out there... I saw that Google maps satellite view you posted and focused down to street view and the address is 13515.
Interesting to say the least. Once you put the directions in there, it all came flooding back as to blue wing and southton. I met this girl who lived in a trailer park on southton while racing at the track. Boy... That's another story all together...
Thanks much Dave. If anything note happens from this "Stranger Things" category, I'll be sure to let you know.
Thanks again Dave
jackhammer
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jackhammer 7/28/2022 6:36pm
7/28/2022 6:36pm
Dave... Or anyone else for that matter... Does anyone happen to have a flyer or scanned image of a flyer from the Cyclerama days they'd care to share? If so I can send along my email as I'd really love to see one or have an image from those awesome days. I'm still going through tons of boxes in my garage in hopes of my leathers, jersey, boots and the like from those days. I found my Suzuki mirror with the big red Suzuki "S" on it that I used to use in getting ready. Like I need a mirror... 🤣

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