Red Devil

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=un...005203&t=h&om=1

yeah I found the area but if you don't know wear the track is you will not know where to look... sheep is just on of the places to ride in OC. Most of the places I use to ride are gone now but a few remain.

there was Troll trails, Thunder dome, Slater, wetlands, hoover street tracks N, and Hoover St S. Then there was my buddies back yard... We use to have some of the guys from the POW's over there. Man those where the days....

I found some:

Hellyer Park BMX

the velodrome is still there at Hellyer

Watson Park BMX

Watson Park is now a Dog Park.. you can still see the tree that was known as the 'Tree Turn'.

Thunderbird BMX

Probably no one remembers this one, but there was a track at the 'Thunderbird Golf Course' It was right on HWY 101, and cars would literally stop on the side of the freeway to watch the BMX races. It was in a terrible neighborhood and you kind of had to drive through a junkyard to get there, probably closed in '79

I went up to Merritt awhile back and there really isn't anything there to really tell that there was a track there, nothing really looks the same after 30yrs. Oh well, I had fun there.

I live right by Watson park on 16th st. It was recently shut down along with the community veggie gardens and the soccer fields when it was discovered to be grossly contaminated. They discovered it when doing some ground studies in order to build a skatepark. The place is super toxic and probably has been for ages. They are planning a major clean up but it's still in the finger pointing stage and not much is happening. The dogs are bummed! I didn't realize it had been a bmx track.

Here's Watson Park in it's hayday -

coming into the 'tree turn'

Wow, lots of memories at all the track posted. Im surprized that the tree is still there after all these years in Watson Park.

Fremont BMX ( Fremont Raceway, aka Baylands ) is now all shopping stores ( circuit city, lowes, Costco, etc.... ) right before you go towards Christy st.

Sunol BMX: ( The continuation of Fremont BMX ) was owned by Lucky Henderson and Sal Degura. I pass through there about once a month and I always have to look over to see the track when im going down the highway. Chris is right, its just a bunch of 10 foot weeds, but you can still see the towers.

Red Devil in Union City: This place is historic for BMX racers. Everybody use to go there just to hang out and get rad. Brent and Brian patterson had a photo shoot with BMX action back in the day. I went there afew months ago just to check it out and its like x-game jumps everywhere. There are still some jumps there that im familiar with if you go towards the backside of Red Devil. ( TRIVIA QUESTION: Anybody know why the kids called it RED DEVIL back in the day ???

Keep the photos coming. I'll try to take some shots of Red Devil next week on my day off and the current track condition of Sunol BMX.

yo thanks for all the links bro...... i hella miss Fremont it was my home track..

Lucky running the gate!!! 1977

I think I might have raced at Fremont, can't really remember, saw some MX races there, one night race I remember.

I know your talkin' Nor-Cal tracks here but I thought I would add these two from So-Cal.

First is a pic of what used to be the Dominguez track in Redondo Beach. It was at 190th and Flagler streets. The intersection sat at the top of a hill the entrance was right on the corner behind the start gate area and the track went down the hill from there. The Dominguez track was the track that the OZ helped to build with assistance from the OM. Also just east of there at the bottom of the hill on 190th street was where the big car jump climax scene in the original “Gone in 60 seconds.” was filmed back in the 70’s.


Next is just a pic of the old trials I used to ride as a kid. We called this spot “the Gully”. Because of the drainage ditch you can see along the bottom of this pic. We used to build jumps at the top of the gully and jump off into it. The spot is still there. I have taken bikes I have built there to take pictures of them. Next time I go I am going to ride!


[ August 12, 2006, 02:27 PM: Message edited by: sodbuster ]

Sod, when ya go to the gully again let me know, I wanna have some pics taken of me trying to be 16 again.

Great post. Too bad we couldn't overlay the track layout over the maps. I Think I raced the old Freemont track. Northern California National (80/81) Got to see Stu Thompson and the OM Race in real life! .Bob Haro was there making custom number plate's out of the back of his "jacked up Toyota" I rember him putting the numbers donwn on my plate! Also raced Auburn(broken Hand) Grass Valley also Ione and Red Bluff as well! All Nor-Cal!
I have posted photo's of the number plate Bob made for me and of today, Almost 41 rideing 31/35 cruiser and getting 3rd.
Still lovin it !!!
Cheers [img]http:// [url="http://img142.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=45719_P1010048_483lo.JPG"] [img]http://img142.imagevenue.com/loc483/th_45719_P1010048_483lo.JPG[/img][/url][/img] [img]http:// [url="http://img157.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=45724_IMG_0321_547lo.JPG"] [img]http://img157.imagevenue.com/loc547/th_45724_IMG_0321_547lo.JPG[/img][/url][/img]

Randy what does the old Grass Valley track look like now?
I raced Grass Valley and Auburn a couple times.

Hellyer park 1983


Watson Park 1983


Sunol 1983


[ August 13, 2006, 02:47 AM: Message edited by: Intense ]

What was the location/address for the Corona track? What's there now? Can you see anything on the google map?

Corona Raceway

http://www.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=cor...31,0.021458&t=k

It was between (actually next to ) the freeway and the still existing dirt area.

[ August 15, 2006, 07:01 PM: Message edited by: JokerW ]

Chris, was that the Wallis' (David Wallis' father) that did the tones ?

From my understanding, Fremont Raceway was the very first track to install a hydrolic gate. I still remember flipping over the gate right after Bob Bowser, Sal Deguire, Lucky Henderson, and others installed the gate. Once the gate was dialed in, it was one of the fastest dropping gates in California.

Nope, not David Wallis - anyone know how he is doing? We raced a lot together did some knarly road trips too...

Bob Coover's dad was an electrician (or at least did it as a hobby). He did the elecrical for that gate. I'm not sure but I would guess that was one of the first electronic starting gates used (certainly in NorCal).

Intense, cool pics. I was probably at all those races.

Set em up! Gentleman are you Ready? OK - Pedals ready GO!! 1977

Waterloo Rd,
The local track in my City is to small to see, so this is the closest to me. Waterloo Rd, Hornby, Christchurch

The only people I remember on the photo above are:

1) Lucky Henderson
2) #578 - Hershal Walker ( That's Lucky's nephew ).

Wow realy cool pics, I moved to Cali from Illinois in 1980 started racing in 81, many thanks to my friend Shannon Kahhanie who gave me directions to Hellyer park. In that first year I only got to tide two tracks Helyer and Watson, I remember the tree turn and how bumbed I was when watson was closed. I remember Aptos and Wattsonville, never got to race Fremont (Baylands) but raced Sunol many times and i know that gate was still working the last time i raced there in 91. I havnt heard anyone mention Morgan Hill. Did anyone race the UBR national at Great America? Orion Park was 20 minutes from home (Sunnyvale) and later on Santa Clara PAL (Agnews). Merced was always a personal fave of mine. I remember running mains at midnight in Stockton on friday nights. When I moved to cali the first thing i put up on the walls of my new bedroom where Hot Shots from BMXA Stu, Brent, Brian, Richie, Frank post, Bob Medrano, John Crews Little did I know that with in 2 years I would be watching them ride at locals and learn how to race and get to know a few personally. Im back in Illinois now and i still race every weekend and i know that a lot of the younger riders look up and respect me for being able to kick but at 40 man if they only knew my roots and those guys who showed me how to do it.

Herb Seals

[ August 20, 2006, 09:03 PM: Message edited by: fogrider ]

fogrider: Yo dude !! Shannon Kahahane was like my brother to me when we raced BMX back in the day. We were on the same teams and hung out most of the time when he stayed at my place with my family. Shannon Kahahane is now a PGA professional golf instructor at Moffit field golf course. As of today, he still holds the course record. Do you remember Jason Martinez ? He hung out with Shannon when he lived in Sunnyvale and also raced on our team for about a year.

Fogrider, I raced at most those tracks too.Shannon was very fast back then. Hellyer was OK. Watson Park I enjoyed riding(big first jump).Aptos long & fast.Never made it to Watsonville.Raced both Fremont's(Baylands & Sunol) won a GC at Sunol in 1996.Morgan Hill was a junk track-essentially 2 turns, typical crap Nor Cal Nat. track.Never raced Orion.Raced Santa Clara in 96'.Merced I remember got some big name Pro's in the mid 80's.Stockton, many late nights driving home from there.Bob Medrano went riding with him Sat., he's still killin' it.

R. Serafin you must have ridden for the newark scwhinn team. I remember Jason too. Shannon and I where big high school buds and then i lost track of him when he went into the Navy. It dosnt suprise mr that he's kickin but golfin, the guy was always good at what ever put his head too. Im gonna have to look up that golf course and get ahold of the dude. Thanks for the info.

Monrezee, I had a feeling Bob would still be a rider the dude was always ridin even if he wasnt racing.
Please tell him Herb Seals says hi. My pro moto was against Bob and Frank Post, that freakin Post only raced fast enough to beat me every time i got close to him he just hit another gear and pulled two bike lengths on me.

How about someone posting a freeze frame photo of Monrezee at the 96 GC Sunol Race? Or a link to the main event. He won by a straightaway wearing his Ronnie Zeronine Tribute all white uniform in the form of a dress shirt. Must have had some plans to go clubbing after his victory.

Fogrider: Yup, thats me. I raced for newark schwinn along with Shannon, Tony Harmon, Anthony and Ken Wadley, Rodney Cornist, Allen Porter, Lenny Roan, Christian Omaza, Crissy Prictard, Shana Cordora, and Greg Liggins (co-sponsor ). My father was the team manager for 3 years. You must of went to Fremont High in Sunnyvale with Shannon. Shannon was like the all time leader in Wrestling back in the day, but I can stil take him down (hehehhe).

I have a few pics of Monrezee battling with all of us back in the day. I think I sent him those pics along with pics of Bob Medrano sporting the skyway colors at the nationals in Morgan Hill track in Calif.

Fogrider, ya Medrano remembers you-he mentioned times hanging out in Lattimer's garage. Thanks again Rogelio, for the pics. not for beating me at most of those tracks.If you have any more pics. of the Pros I know everyone would love seeing them as thay are really nice shots.

Someone has Nor Cal photos that haven't been posted?
I'm sorry but that is not allowed.

I have about 40+ pics from my racing days, I just don't have a way to post them at this time. Most were shot at Merritt College, a few at Rheem Valley, a few at Yarnell, Saddleback and WSA. I put up a post last week or so looking for pics from NorCal from 75/77 but no one responded.

Mike,

Send them to me I'll post them. I'll try to get my scanner going and include some Merritt jumping contest ones.

Send them a few at a time, my email downloads every 5 minutes and too many at a time crash it sometimes.

randy@groupdmfg.com

Randy

[ August 22, 2006, 04:51 PM: Message edited by: RandyS ]

Here are afew more. Randy already posted the Sunol BMX track.

Sunol BMX
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geoc...2&t=k&z=18&om=1

PAL BMX Santa Clara, Calif.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geoc...=37.414998,-121.. 970153&spn=0.001206,0.002151&z=19&iwloc=addr

I have a bunch of pictures from Merritt College and McClaren park and other NorCal tracks but since I have to use a pic hosting site I can't post em. All 75-77 period.

one of the greatest things I ever saw as a kid, finish line straight ... Fremont raceway(never say Baylands)Stu jumping what seemed like a mile to pass for the win!!! I'm not sure but I think it was Mcneil???that got bit. I ran into Stu at the Sea Otter a while back ,told him about it , he knew exactly what I was talkin about. he said someone had it on tape somewhere!!I will also try to post some pics of "RED DEVIL" soon.Serafin, I dont know you, but I'm sure we've been at the same places at the same times...Also to all repinn NOR-CAL PRIDE can I get a moment of silence for the passin and re-joining of spirit of the N.C.B. Leader, Cecil Johns. July 7 2004.