Rabbie drives underneath the competition aboard the ACS Specialites Racing Triumph Long Rod 750, exiting turn 4 at the 2008 AHRMA VMC Racing Frames National Dirt Track Series Larry Weiss Memorial, in Harpursville New York.
Perhaps one of the most exciting forms of motorcycle racing, both to watch and to participate in, is dirt track racing. From a spectators perspective, you can see the entire race from a single vantage point, enjoying high paced, action packed handle bar to handle bar competition as the riders hurdle down the dirt oval race tracks, tossing their machines sideways, sliding into the left hand turn, exiting hard on the gas, machine and rider working as one keeping the rear tyre from breaking traction and sliding wildly out of control as it spins and claws at the dirt surface catapulting the bike hard out of the corner, and down the back chute, only to do it all over again in the next turn.
From a racers perspective, its equally intense. You keep close company on the oval dirt racing surface -- close enough that you are making contact with one another more often than not. You work the bike hard, constantly adjusting for the surface conditions, which change with each lap, squeezing every last ounce of performance out of yourself, and your machine, pushing that little bit extra to position yourself in front of the rider next to you, who is working just as hard to overtake you.
Team 3D Racing’s Rabbie and Rich have grown up watching dirt track racing. Both Rich and Rabbie have always thought about “that day” when they would try their hand at it. This past March while Rabbie and ACS Specialties Racing team owner Art Stapleton were campaigning the ACS Specialites Racing road race program at Daytona, Rabbie and Art talked about the possibilities of Rabbie swinging a leg over Art’s Dirt Track Triumph. “That day” became reality at the Square Deal Riders, cushion short track circuit in Harpersville New York.
Rabbie’s newest racing number, #60D adorns the ACS Specialties Racing Triumph 750 long rod B bike, while the A bike, behind, is fitted with the newest rider to join the ACS Specialties Racing Team, # 4D Warren Deim. One of the unique characteristics of dirt track bikes is the absense of a front brake. The only brake is the rear brake, which is used to manage the rear wheel spin and orientation of the bike through the corners. Applying slight pressure on the brake while accelerating through a turn pulls the wheels into alignment, helping to steer the bike out of the slide for the critical launch out of the corners.
The event was kicked off with Rabbie attending the Jay Springsteen, Woody Kyle Dirt Track Rider School, which took place at the track on Thursday. Jay Springsteen is a legend in American motorcycle racing, winning 3 AMA Grand National Championships in the 70’s as the factory rider for Harley Davidson. Woody Kyle has been instrumental in Jay’s success along with countless other professional racing teams as crew chief, building fast motors, and managing suspension set-up. Both Kyle and Springsteen gave hands on teaching and instruction for the class, helping them understand suspension set-up for their bikes, as well as coaching and teaching them on improving their dirt track abilities.
Legendary tuner Woody Kyle, left, and American Super Hero, #9 Jay Springsteen, right offered a day of hands on schooling on all the aspects of dirt track racing, from riding techniques to engine and suspension set-up.
“Springer” sits on the #60D ACS Specialties Racing Triumph and assesses the suspension set-up with tuner, Woody Kyle, with ACS Specialties Racing team owner Art Stapleton, left, at the Springsteen/Kyle Dirt Track School in Harpursville New York.
Jay reviews individual notes for each students practice sessions, offering specific instruction and insight to each rider.
While #60D Rabbie and the rest of the students digest the words of wisdom, and apply them to their individual experiences, all adding up to improving lap times, and dirt track strategies.
The day started out rainy, and the cinder dirt track got muddy. Very muddy. The conditions taught Rabbie one of his first lessons on why dirt track racers use “tear-offs” on their face shields. One lap in the wet, and the mud rooster tails from the other bikes effectively spray paint your face shield in mud, rendereing your visability to zero. Rabbie had to pull off the track, to let Arty use a towel to wipe the layer of mud off Rabbies face shield so he could see again for another lap, when he would have to repeat the process, until the practice session was over.
Rabbie gets the hang of sliding the big bad Triumph 750 through the muddy slick turns of the 1/3 mile oval cushion track in the opening sessions of the Springsteen/Kyle Dirt Track School in Harpursville New York.
#23C, AMA ProAm rider Jason Griffin follows #60D Rabbie into turn one in the opening, muddy, wet practice sessions. Jason pulled Rabbie aside, and offered some advice on how to set up and back into a turn…which turned out to be a huge help! Thanks again Jason for all your help!
Note the mud beginning to gather on the leading edge surfaces of the ACS Specialties Racing #60D machine in only one lap on the circuit. Dirt track racing is a dirty business. Sometimes downright filthy!
As the weather conditions improved, and the track dried out, Rabbie continued to pick up the pace and technique at the Springsteen/Kyle Dirt Track School in Harpursville New York.
By the final sessions of the day, the track conditions were looking sweet, and Rabbie’s slides backing into the corners were starting to look pretty good too.
The school was capped of with an impressive demonstration by the legend #9 Jay Springsteen showing everyone how to “back it in” sliding the #25 250cc Kawasaki big horn of Don Miller into turn one at Harpersville. Interestingly, this machine was originally built and set up, in the day, by Woody Kyle!
With the school completed, it was time to focus on the two day race event that was held on the following two days. Rabbie would be joined by #4D Warren Deim to campaign the ACS Specialties Racing A bike. Warren is a former Speedway champion, which is similar to dirt track racing in many ways, but Warren had never dirt track raced, although you would never have guessed that watching him.
Warren took his first practice session wide open, from lap one, flicking the big fire breathing Triumph long rod completely sideways into the corners with ease and rocketing out of the corners like a bullet. He was a complete natural. So much so, that Springsteen and Kyle came up to the ACS Specialties pits after his practice rotation to see who he was, and where he came from. Woody would go on to say that somewhere, somehow a terrible mistake had happened 20 years ago, in Warren not getting onto a dirt track bike. He would have been a national champion.
Rabbie worked hard through the practice rotations on race day, prepping for the heats that would define the grid order for the main events that would take place later that evening. Everything was looking good, and each time out, Rabbie got better and better.
Rabbie drives hard into turn one, spewing a heavy rooster tail preparing to under steer the front to initiate the slide sequence, known as backing it in to the corner, in practice rotations at the Larry Weiss Memorial.
The heat races went well through the early evening, and as darkness replaced dusk, the final grids for the main events were sorted out. Warren rode spectacularly through his heats, dicing it out with Craig Estelle, Robert McLendon III and George Richtmeyer, all the fastest of the fast in dirt track racing today.
In the Sportsman 750 Feature, Warren was gridded on the front row, along with Estelle, McLendon and Richtmeyer. Rabbie was two rows back in row three. The race official was satisfied with the grid, signaled the riders to watch the staring light, and walked off the track. Two seconds later the starter light went green and the air erupted with noise as 4 rows of machines launched, everyone pushing, bumping, and jockeying as the mass of bikes worked their way through turn one.
The top 4 quickly broke free from the pack, and made for an incredible action packed dice. Deim took the early lead and was holding McLendon, Estelle and Richtmeyer at bay. The pace was blinding, and Deim, McLendon and Estelle began to move out away from Richtmeyer, was riding at the very bring of crashing.
Rabbie was working the #60D ACS Specialties Triumph well, holding his own, running in 11th. As the race progressed, Rabbie continued to move the ACS Specialties Triumph forward. Three laps to go, Rabbie tried to drive under another rider entering turn 3, and lost the front end, tucking it under, crashing out. The crash would be right in the lane of the on coming lead trio. Warren had to chop the throttle and drift wide entering turn three to avoid colliding with Rabbie’s downed bike. This adjustment allowed both Estelle and McLendon to slip past Warren, dropping him from first to third in an instant.
There would not be enough laps left for Deim to reclaim the lead. Warren would finish in third, an impressive finish by anyone’s standards!
Luck? Coincidence? Higher calling? You be the judge. Rabbie’s number plate bears the brunt of the low side crash in the Sportsman 750 race, changing his number 60D to perhaps, the gentleman above who was watching over him for the event.
And so the two day event would come to a close, with ACS Specialties and Warren Diem netting two third place finishes in the Sportsman 750 feature and winning the 70’s Twins class. Rabbie would add to the trophy count, posting two 4th place finishes in the 70’s twins event.
Next up on the dirt track schedule, August, Lebanon New York. Be there or be square!
WFO
