Anyone Race Central PA early 80's Options

[WILD ZEBRA]

Just trying to test the small world factor. I grew up in Cressona, PA and Pottsville. Close to Reading, Allentown etc. When my brother raced he was friends with a guy named Jay Madesto, Midesto, Modesto, something like that. If I recall he was pretty quick, had a pretty high number on the plate. He ran a pink Hollywood, and freestyled a Green Master. I found some pics when i was visiting my ma. I'll have to get em scanned in sometime soon. Just wondering.

[Alan McCorkle]

Did YOU ever race in the Columbus area? I grew up in Chillicothe and raced at all of the Columbus, Springfield, and Dayton area tracks from 81-86.

Welcome!

Alan McCorkle

[kmart]

The name is familiar. I only raced Woodward at the nats. Raced against a guy from that area Joe Swords. Not a big help but thought I would give a what up to another east coast transplant in Central Ohio...

Kmart

[WILD ZEBRA]

No never raced Ohio, didn't move here til 90`. Well I never raced anyway officially. My brother did. I was more of a track rat, cruiser, bust a few freestyle tricks. You can't have two racers in one fam., right? Specially when yo mom's don't have a lotta ends. Raising two hell yun sons. lol

What up, back at you. I miss them Blue Mountains from time to time!

[trickstar]

Wild Zebra, Check out an old post from december 18, 2005 titled new guy, old bike. This may be the Jay Madesto you are looking for. There is a pic of him and his pink hollywood.

[WILD ZEBRA]

Nope, not him, but thanks for the heads up. I may have to pm him. Seems like he probably ran the same circuit the kid I'm talking about did.

[LeadSled1]

kmart, I remember Joe Swords. Ran a lot of ABA stuff and I have a video of him at the ABA Grands around 88 in the future pro race. He used to race for Peddlers in the purple and black uniforms. I have a ton of pics from the Woodward nats from 88 and 89 also. I used to race at Valley Forge and Bensalem.

[Racer]

In the early days central PA had just the one track I think in State College. I raced that in 81 for the national.
In 78-81 I also raced a few
SE PA tracks.
-Phoenixville Supertrack
-Lakeside Amusment Park (Home of the SOMA team)
-Bensalem if I remember right just opened and the TO also published a newspaper for BMX. I got a picture in it (from Howell) but cant rember the name of the paper.
NE PA tracks
-Saylorsburg Blacktrack 78 Unsanctioned, 79 NBL, 80 ABA dont remember if it was open in 81.

Where there other Central PA tracks back in those years? Reading have one back then? Or did that open early 80s?

I know Western PA had a few tracks but that was like 8 hours from my house on the Delaware river.

[ February 03, 2006, 01:49 AM: Message edited by: Racer ]

[Mark Eaton]

There was an ABA track (still is) in York, PA where I raced for a few years 83-84 and Joe Swords raced there too. I transitioned into freestyle in 84 but Joe stuck with it & continued to rip at least til the late 80's maybe early 90's.

[raybeard]

Joe's still around York. I've run into him a few times in the past few years. We had a little BMX museum (with a couple of the locals from the early days in York) at the national back in 03. Joe came out with a plethera of his old stuff. I think he still has every race bike, number plate, and trophy from his early days. He told me he tried a comeback in the late 90s but got injured and hung it up again. I beleive York had the gold cup finals that year and he was hoping to win another number 1. Hes got a little girl that should be old enough to ride. I'm sure Joe will have her out at the track before long, its in his blood.

I spoke with my buddy Spang as the Madesto name rang a bell. He recalls racing a Jason Modesto at the Sweet Arrow track back around 84. He thinks he was from northern PA. Spang would have been 15 in 84.