Sorry Damon that the picture didn't come up. I grew up with Craig and I still think it's funny the Coke Bottle Glasses he wore.

hey bob doesnt craig have a sweet gig with the nhra drag bikes or did he go to top fuel

Sorry, I don't mean to switch gears here but I just remembered someone at the track that drilled his P.K. Ripper completely full of holes... his holes had holes drilled in them, this thing must have had 1000 holes drilled in it. I used to talk to him alot about his bike and when he planned on stopping the madness. One day, at the indoor track, I saw him rolling his bike off the track with a broken frame. Right where he had drilled some 1/2 size holes in the down tube. Anyone remember this guy or the P.K. swiss cheese model? I will never forget this thing... it was crazy!

no dont remember that peticular bike but i do remember my dad drilled some small holes in my cranks arms bitd

the guy on the red/chrome sting is mike poe from valpo.

the other guy has to be from valpo also


bob,do you remember chad hayes,lil dougie?

wasn't "trouble" trebel from south haven?
the drilled ripper could have been ron schnick

hey Damon,
Craig Lived three streets away from me growing up. as for Chad Hayes and Dougie Nelson, yes I know them. I know Chad very well.

I know Mike and Brian Poe very well also. to bad I can't see the other person in the picture with Mike. I might know who that is too.

Jason, Craig is on a short schedule this year with the Pro Stock Bikes. doesn't have any sponsors, so money will be tight.

make sure all you guys make it to the get together in May at Freedom BMX. Mike is coming up from Bloomington and I will see if Craig might be available too......

That's a great pic of Poe. I'm pretty sure the drilled Ripper wasn't Ron Schnick. Ron worked for my family for years and ended up going to work for Bose. He took me under his wing and taught me everything about racing. He's a great guy. Holla back if your out there Schnick! I'm trying to find some great pics I have from the Hutch BMX Camp in August 1983. Anyone out there attend that shin dig?

hey nascar was that the hutch summer camp in indiana at i think buds bmx i remember i was actualy supposed to get a full factory sponsor from hutch that weekend but few days before i fell of bike (training) and got 136 stitches in my face needless to say i was at the event but to miserable to ride or race so nope no sponsor for me although i do have the hutch paper work they sent me

Hey Bird, the Hutch BMX Camp was actually held in Michigan City during August 1983. It was a 7 day camp with 6 days of racing. I learned alot from those guys. I remember Toby Henderson almost clearing the last 3 jumps at South Shore, but not quite making it. I have a great pic of it somewhere if I can find it. I rode with Monte Gray alot during that week. He was very fast. I just recently found my plaque from that week. I ended up getting a 4th place on day 1, 3rd place on day 2, 2nd place on day 3, and 1st place on days 4, 5 & 6. That was the coolest camp that I've ever been to. I'm sorry to here about you not getting the sponsorship. They didn't give me a sponsorship either.

Hey there. I see Pat and Carolyn Goodall, Jennifer Pliemling, Molly Moody, Duanne Maddox and I'm not sure who else is in there, but they all look pretty fast.

yeah for some reason i think i remember another hutch summer camp but like i said i couldve swore it was at buds bmx elkhart

hey, if anyone finds Ron Schnick, LMK. Brian Poe has been hounding me to find him.

I can't believe there aren't more pics of the outdoor track!
Somebody just has to have a few more.
Was it as long of a track as I remember?

it was long....longer than bud's bmx,and that track was long.

It seems like it was at least a 1/4 mile.

found these pics surfing the web
is that james lacky riding for MS?

Radical Ron live's by Kansas City Kansas..

We had a pretty good team, with a nice mix of good racers and freestylers.

Not all at once, but at certain points in time, the BMX Underwriters posse included:

Mike Carruth
Jeff Venekamp
Jerry Dunphy
Craig Treble
Brian Dunphy
Rob Tellone
Randy Tischmann
Brooks Smith
Rob Kelley
Tony Falbo
Rich Barone
Lenny Ayala
John Freewalt
Tristan Cavato
Bill Schneider
Brad Powell


Ran a jersey a time or two between affiliations with other teams, but were, what could be called "connected guys":
Scott Towne
Solon Foster (briefly in 1983)


Apologies to anyone I left off. Please add to the list if you knew of anyone else.


Best,

M

Also, the outdoor track is where I did myself in. No very many people, if I remeber right, jumped the triple there. I was someone that could and did jump it alot. I showed up on the day after my 16th birthday. Stayed up late helping at the county fair, then went to the track. I was getting some track time in before the race when Mike Haverstock came over and asked me to jump it for some of his relatives to see. I said sure, then hit it half [please review the site FAQs] and got a little side ways in the air and stuck my leg out and landed foot first and destroyed my knee. I have never been the same since, but never had it fixed either. It's somethig I always think about. I was having my best year points wise, didn't race from Aug to Dec and finished the year 13th. 13th, hmmmm......

Man, I had the exact same kind of landing at Itasca in the second straight (along the pits), and as you said, have never been the same. In fact, you may have read elsewhere on the board here that I went down to Louisville yesterday with a friend to get some tracktime in, and did a dozen gates or so. That knee is SO stiff today, I cannot straighten it.

Gentlemen...we can rebuild him. I need the Oscar Goldman treatment.


M

sounds like what jeffv just discribed
mike haverstock what happened to him?
george's bike shop had alot of cool stuff BITD
1 of these days i'll have dvd races(1983?) indoor and out..
everybody on here is on them
yes, even you mikeC

Oh man, don't lay that one on us Damon...One of these days?????? I would buy a copy of those for sure.

Hey! Eric Hanke here. My parents co-owned South Shore BMX. Mark Nasser contacted me today to let me know about the South Shore BMX thread here. I have alot of photos and even a few copies of the South Shore BMX flyer. I will get them out and scan stuff in over the next few weeks.

Looking forward to catch up with those of us who pioneered BMX!!!

Look me up on Myspace and Facebook under my name (Eric Hanke).

Mark Tkachik here. Hi all!!! Great site How is everyone? I'm great and living in Florida. Great too see all of these old names. Michigan City Indoor was one of my Favorite tracks

WOW!!! you guys are all old!!!! brings back old memories

Redbud at Bud's BMX was the longest track i've been on, and I started with an old monoshock bike 44 lbs.

Red bud was Buchanan Michigan remember? All downhill and very fast twisty turns were they have the AMA track still, but not the same track by no means. I remember taking Damon there once with me and he got hurt the first moto going over the first turn burm. He laid in the van drinking Coke and looking up the hill at the races. I almost missed my main goofing around laughing about escape from New York but ended up winning that night. That was by far the best track ever in my opinion, but was not open long.
Buds BMX was long and fast in Elkhart Indiana, cool place well taken care of I remember. Wildmans voice is embeded in my head from that track for sure. Thats were my gold CW was stolen from also and I still loose sleep over that.

Guys, I am not good at replying to vintage mail. If you would like to contact me, My Email is:
jkiernan1@hotmail.com The midwest national video is a problem. I cant seem to get copies made easily. I will keep trying if you are interested, let me know(by Email) I have fond memories of all of you, even if I don't remember you personally. John Wildman Kiernan

I finally got on this site. yea it brings back alot of memory.I use to race Eric Thompson Jeff starbuck john hodapp, haverstock antwon barns, rick king and others.
look me up on face book (stosh klevickas) I always race with my legal name Stan klevickas back in those days.

I remember the first time I met Mike Carruth, he was carrying in a lazy boy to sit in instead of the usual lawn chain.
what style and originality.

royfest ruled last night

Venekamp, Treble, Towne, Mockler ,Iliff ,Big Bob, Majka, Hopkins, Klevickas...pre party was at the Steel Wheels outdoor practice night. What a good night!

it was a blast! lets line em up tueday if it dose not rain.

Hello John,
Its Jeff Starbuck or as you called me "STARWARSTARBUCK" my dad is Hack Starbuck how have you been I just found this site and wow what memories

WOW!, I haven't been to this site in a long time. These pics of South Shore bring back some great memories. I raced the indoor and outdoor from 83 - til they shut down. I remember when the old cruiser classes were bascially a sit down race, my dad got knocked out cold at the indoor, racing his Schwinn Preditor, going over one of the tables. I remeber those wooden ramps well, we used to build replicas at home. I may have some photos laying around I'll try to locate them.

Who ever mentioned the drilled out PK, I do remember that guy.

welcome to the site jason parratt here

my dad still tells me about the track there an dall where he raced

I think everyone is well advised to listen to "(Let's Go Out) In a Blaze of Glory" by Kenny Rogers now. Pretty much any time an announcer anywhere announces "Mains...coming up!" It plays in my head.

Funny, scary and cool, all at once.


Best,

M

Hey Jeff Starbuck, I think we have hooked up somewhere, maybe on face book, or maybe even here. I am honored that you are using my nickname for you as your login name here. Funny thing, I remember playing Hank Jr's "Jonnie be good" before the races started at the Indoor, but I had forgotten "Blaze of Glory" It went along with my "For the gold and the glory, watch the lights" Thank you Mike C. for reminding me. I was in MC a month or so, stopped at the Bike Shop on the main N-S Street.(I forgot the name again already) Jeff, your Dad did Quite a bit of announcing, You should get him on here.

i have plans(one of these days)...to take some recent photos of the building that housed the indoor track...yes...it's still there and really hasn't changed at all.

Hey everyone!

I was only like 8 or 9 years old in this era. My sister dated jeff in high school for a bit, and that turned my brother and myself onto bmx. I wanted to share some photos with you guys. Here are some, ans will add more as they get scanned. These take place at bud's, South shore, and the 1983, and 1985 aba grands I think.

I looked up to you guys major, and in return have used a bicycle life long in many formats. Tom, Jeff, Scott, Mike, Randy, Mark, Damon, Craig. You guys were visionaries, and was grateful to be a fly on the wall as a kid, and take it all in.

Don't want to de-rail this South Shore thread. This is the only thread of this region / era, but realize you guys are still tight, and it must exist in more forums / threads.

Mike Martin


Photo: 10 year old fan (me) Richie? at the grands


Team Patterson at the ABA Grands





At Bud's

Randy T at the grands. He broke his rear wheel, and would do front wheel hops for the rest of he weekend.


My back yard. Was bummed I missed this session.

Scott, Jeff, Craig

randy t in bmx plus

Jeff V

Me borrowing someone's bike at Bud's before owning a proper bike.

awesome pics MMartin..got anymore?
thats curt hedges sister,christine,sitting with richie anderson.

hey guys, come on out to hire park bmx in warsaw we will get you out on the track.
we will be racing saturday sign ups 12 until 2 racing asap.
check out some of the pics on www.bmxindiana.com or got to www.hireparkbmx.com

steve beam

Wow cool photo's. I remember racing at that indoor track in 82. I wish I had the pics to prove it, but still have some of the trophies. I was not too fond of racing indoors though. Those wooden ramps were brutal. thanks for sharing.

Holy Crap Mike, that is some funny pics of Venekamp, Treble, Trusky, Mockler, and the rest of the gang. I think Craig's high school I.D is really hilarious.

#79 is my brother, Derek Baron from Bourbonnais, IL

o.k. who remembers the guy that had a table by staging at the indoor track selling that powder mix muscle power?i must of had a year supply of that stuff..it was red colored and i drank it all

why can't I see the pics?

All I get is the box with a red X....

if your signed in,you should see them.did you try refresh?log out and see if your able to click the link?

Just tried and still the same thing.
let me clarify....
I can see some of the pics in some of the posts.
But for example the ones posted on Sept 18 by MMartin is just X's