Day 14 - Day 16 ---- LAGUNA !!!!
Day 14 to Day 16
United States Motorcycle Grand Prix
Laguna Seca Raceway
Monterey, CA
Ron and I have been attending the motorcycle races at Laguna Seca since 1978. Since I moved to Arkansas, my attendance has been spotty, and I miss more races than I make.
I died a thousand deaths as I sat at home last year watching the Laguna GP live on Speed Channel, Ron was kind enough to call me and remind me how great things were and that I was "really missing it". I knew that I had to find a way to get to Laguna this year. If you are a dyed-in-the-wool motorcycle nut, there is no other place to be. This is our Mecca, our Holy Land and thousands make the annual pilgrimage. Are you getting the impression that this is an important event?
In a nutshell - it occurred in the midst of a huge heatwave in California. Temperatures at the track, which can normally range from cold and foggy to quite warm, easily topped the 100 degree mark on both Saturday and Sunday. The heat caused all kinds of problems for the riders and spectators alike - many were hospitalized with heat-related problems. Nicky Hayden, a factory Honda rider from Owensboro, Kentucky, won the MotoGP race convincingly for the second year in a row. There were many other support races, including national-level Superbike races, which would normally stand on their own as a "headline" act. The inclusion of AMA Superbikes in the USGP weekend makes this even more a "must see" event.
Ron and I have traditionally ridden from Santa Cruz the 40 miles or so over to Laguna every morning, and since we were staying with his mother in Scotts Valley, CA, just north of Santa Cruz, (thanks, Mom!) we made the traditional journey three times this year. Sunday after the race, Ron headed home to Tehachapi and family, and I went back to Santa Cruz to spend a couple of days with another lifelong buddy, Jim Hodge (the man who makes Turbo Suzukis cower in fear!)
A few photos to get the flavor of the event .....
United States Motorcycle Grand Prix
Laguna Seca Raceway
Monterey, CA
Ron and I have been attending the motorcycle races at Laguna Seca since 1978. Since I moved to Arkansas, my attendance has been spotty, and I miss more races than I make.
I died a thousand deaths as I sat at home last year watching the Laguna GP live on Speed Channel, Ron was kind enough to call me and remind me how great things were and that I was "really missing it". I knew that I had to find a way to get to Laguna this year. If you are a dyed-in-the-wool motorcycle nut, there is no other place to be. This is our Mecca, our Holy Land and thousands make the annual pilgrimage. Are you getting the impression that this is an important event?In a nutshell - it occurred in the midst of a huge heatwave in California. Temperatures at the track, which can normally range from cold and foggy to quite warm, easily topped the 100 degree mark on both Saturday and Sunday. The heat caused all kinds of problems for the riders and spectators alike - many were hospitalized with heat-related problems. Nicky Hayden, a factory Honda rider from Owensboro, Kentucky, won the MotoGP race convincingly for the second year in a row. There were many other support races, including national-level Superbike races, which would normally stand on their own as a "headline" act. The inclusion of AMA Superbikes in the USGP weekend makes this even more a "must see" event.
Ron and I have traditionally ridden from Santa Cruz the 40 miles or so over to Laguna every morning, and since we were staying with his mother in Scotts Valley, CA, just north of Santa Cruz, (thanks, Mom!) we made the traditional journey three times this year. Sunday after the race, Ron headed home to Tehachapi and family, and I went back to Santa Cruz to spend a couple of days with another lifelong buddy, Jim Hodge (the man who makes Turbo Suzukis cower in fear!)
A few photos to get the flavor of the event .....
posted by Matt Lewis at 11:25 PM
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