Went to Albuquerque for the Spring Nationals a couple weeks back. Knowing that the old PAL track was still partially there, I took some pics to share. I watched the last race held at this track in 1982 just prior to starting racing myself. I tried to remember the layout as best I could, but if anybody else has any pics or a better description of how this track was, don't hesitate to jump in here. Also, if anybody has any pics of the old Blue Sky BMX, Alameda BMX, or Route 66 BMX in Albuq, please postthem. For that matter pics of any of the old NM tracks would be awesome.
Enjoy!



http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s154/sm...ls/100_1132.jpg
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SAD

These threads are always interesting but SAD to see.

Looks like an awesome location to have another one built there.

*plays taps with the fist trumpet*

I have a bunch of great memories from that track. PAL was the first out-of-town track I raced at in the fall of '79. It had a long first straight into a big left hand berm. I was running a blue IRC snakebelly tire on the back, and in my first moto, I slid out going into that first turn. The IRC made a screeching sound, kinda like a car tire does on pavement. I remember laughing my a** off after hearing that. That race was the first time I ever saw a cruiser. It looked like an old road bike with BMX bars mounted on it. I also remember Leo Rantanen running a toe clip cage w/out a strap on his right pedal. Those were the days of one pedal starts, so he didn’t have one on his other pedal (his left foot was on the ground at the start).

The only photo I have with me is of Kit Fances in the parking lot with his trophy, fall 1981.


Here's a photo taken at the fist track in White Rock, just north of Santa Fe. My second race, fall 1979. I'm on the Mongoose w/Motomags, with my Dad as the starter in the light blue jacket. 4 man gate .


White Rock track again, early 1980. First turn, well only turn , with an upgrade to Araya's, and the screeching IRC moved to the front .


David Nieto at the Alameda track, spring 1981.

Wow look at that starting pad, looks good after 25 years of neglect. I have to give kudos to the City Parks planning department that must have required 90% compaction ratios on the starting hill, along with permits and engineering reports.


*sigh*

Keeping in tune with Rick's monkey/hack thread.....

Hold on a sec, I got something for ya! I'll be right back....

PAL BMX 1978
Albuquerque, NM

My first race, my first gate (#4), on my first (BMX style) bike. My Dad found these photos just the other day and surprised me at lunch. Up till now, the only BMX photo(s) I had was the one I use for my avatar (taken at Alameda by the way).

Better view of the gate.

Getting smoked in the first turn on my Huffy.

Second turn - August 1979

On a brand new Roger Decoster and starting to get a hang of this racing thing.

My buddy Mike Rossen #95 (The Bicycle Company; El Paso, TX) taking the inside line in the first turn.

Last table before the finish.

Blue Sky BMX 1979
Alb, NM

Just took out my comp in the second turn.

Blue Sky 1979

The first turn was a huge (at least to me) berm that guys would jump before the race.

Where abouts was this track? Was it by the airport?

Alameda BMX 1981
Alb, NM

On my JMC 3.1 XL leading the way.

I think this was the main, I took 2nd.



My buddy Matt Padilla (Northwest Schwinn; Alb, NM).



The only time I've ever worn a cowboy hat.

PAL was by the airport off I-25, Blue Sky was on the north side as I remember.

Man those pics rock henry. I wish I had some from when i was racing. Those were the good ol days before work worries or wimmin!

I also remember that track. Mom and Dad took us over there a few times, the fast guy in my class at the time was Brian Martinez. If memory serves the track was just south of I-40 on the east side of I-10. Tried to show wife and daughter but could not locate(did not look real hard). Also raced west of I-25 and north of I-40 but cant remember name of track.

No doubt a simply groovey thread. Its got everything!
1 a gate less than 8 man
2 a jmc
3 a bear racing product
4 a cowboy hat
5 white wall tires
6 station wagons
7 a lightning bolt #plate

Iconic to say the least. Thanks for sharing guys.

Mx Mug

SimplyGroovy,

I visit Alb often and always look to the east when I leave the airport, point it out to my wife as we're listening to 94 Rock, and say...........that's where it all started. Good times!

Thanks for sharing all the great pics guys. I didn't get to race all these great tracks, but I did get to ride most of them while the remains still existed. After leaving Albuquerque in '98, then visiting for the first time 10 years later. While the rest of the town has grown nearly unrecognizable, a small chunk of dirt and goatheads still exists almost 30 years later.

Steve,

Here is the layout for PAL in all it's grand detail (JK )

Brian,

those photos are awesome! I am actually in two of them rider 116 on the Redline. I don't have photos but I do have lots of video from those days, your in many of the videos too. Man, I can remember those days, first time I showed up at a track (Blue SKY) I wore a batting helmet to race! By the way, this is Anthony Fernandez. I just started racing again less than a year ago. I couldn't stand just watching the kids so I had to ride again.

Someone mentioned Brian Martinez, after that redline in those photos my next bike was a powerlite that my Dad bought from the Martinez family. Wish I still had that bike.

You still race?

PS... I think I've seen you in the hat more than once This post made my evening...good stuff!

WOW, it's been a long time bro, glad to see you found the site! You've got a PM.

Don't let Anthony fool ya about casually riding again, he is getting it back on the 20" these days!

Peace.

This particular location is about 1.5 miles from the new track...Duke City BMX. You take the same exit off the freeway to get it Aveneda Cesar Chavez & the freeway. IF you look close you can see the Motel 8 in the backround on one of the photos. People show up at the new track and say " I use to race at the old track down by the freeway"

the other tracks in NM around these times were the Boogie Downs in Farmington and Black Hat BMX outside of Gallup. The first track with lights and automatic gate that I remember was Black Hat.

Totally forgot about Boogie Downs. Another track we used to hit was Desert Downs in El Paso. My Dad built the electric gate for that track when they opened.

Anthony,

Did you go to the Winter Nationals in Chandler? I think I have a good picture of you, but this guy has a yellow Premier helmet???

Black Hat was awesome! One of the OG downhill tracks and it had the Bicycle Harbor shop right next to it. What was the name of the track in Grants?

Onza, I would love to get a copy of the video you have!

How many of you guys raced the USBA Nationals in Albuquerque? They were at the Rt. 66 track.
I was there. Someone once posted the results from that race in these forums.

HH ... I did used to race Chandler, but I don't think I had yellow premier helmet. I did have a white one...maybe your photo faded I'll try to put those videos together sometime soon. Can you upload betamax video to youtube????? Racer, the 66 track was after my time, I never even saw that track.

I raced just about every race held at Rt. 66 including the national. That track had almost everything. Built inside an old drive in movie theater, so it already had a pre-built concession stand and lots of parking. A big starting hill, a cross-over leading up to a giant triple step, and the pro-section had a water jump. If that isn't enough for you, it even has it's own urban legend, that is actually true. Check out the following link for some pics and a great story: http://www.squidoo.com/The-Legend-Of-Bmx

I think the track in Grants was called Close Encounters BMX.

Man i remember that the track was in the drive in.
I remember they had to remove all the white painted tires around the track before the race.
I dont remember Larsons race without a wheel.
Not saying its not true though lol
I also dont remember the crossover, triple step up or water jump.
So it coulda of happened and I just forgot.

Funny thing I only made 2 races in all of 1985 and they were both USBA Nationals. I mean I didnt race a single local all year as I was in the Navy. I loved the Ogden UT track, Thunder Hill. They held the next USBA National that year.

I just found a file folder with tons of my old stuff, including this letter regarding the closure of the track at Green Bay (one of my favorites). Kinda sad. I was there the day the bulldozers came in to level it. On a positive note, Oshkosh is still racing after all these years.

John, I think you meant to put this in a Wisconsin thread and not a New Mexico thread.

Yup, my bad. Saw "tracks" in the title and figured in was a general thread.

Mr Simply, A BMX track inside an old drive in is almost too good to be true, not sure if I believe that or the urban legend, gotta sleep on it, this is what I found on Squidoo:

"Manuelito Wins National BMX Race With No Front Wheel

Even though I witnessed these events with my own eyes, it has been nearly twenty-five years since it happened, and I find myself questioning the very fabric of reality. The legend is so incredible as to be almost unbelievable (no one believes me). There is only one other person I personally know who claims to have seen these events as well (He seems drunk every time I see him). There were thousands of people in attendance at the event in question, but I have not seen most of them for years, and never actually discussed it with most of them before.

The Day The Earth Stood Still
1985 USBA Route 66 Nationals
If you raced BMX in 1985, you might remember Larson Manuelito. He won the #1 amatuer title in the USBA for that year, riding for Bicycle Harbor out of AZ. Manuelito was from the Four Corners region of New Mexico, and he was one of the best BMX racers ever. That year, in '85, the 66 nationals were held in Albuquerque, NM. It was the weekend of the Fourth of July, and it was hot, - over 100*.

The gate dropped on a rack of 15X's, and Manuelito had the Holeshot. Coming up on the first jump, which was a Drop-off type jump, Manuelito pulled up the front end, to pedal down the backside, then his front wheel just kept on rolling without him! Amazingly, he did not crash. Incredibly, he kept on pedaling around the first 90 degree turn, in the lead still, headed for a set of knarly offset moonwalkers. Unbelievably, with skill I have not seen displayed before, or since, he completed the entire track, including jumping the moonwalkers, and a HUGE step-up that was there. He negotiated 3 turns and several smaller jumps too, all while leading a national race.

Manuelito looped-out on the last roller near the finish line, but ran easily the few feet for the win. Clearly this story is hard to believe, over the years I have found it hard to believe myself. I know only one other racer from Albuquerque who can corroborate this tale, there are others out there! Famous Racers in attendance that day include: Jaydee Finney, John Purse, Toby Henderson, Many others.
I would say the term "manual", meaning to ride on the back tire, is short for MANUELITO! Yeah!!
Anyone out there remember this?
Building The Case...
It would seem that some people don't even believe Manuelito was real. Below I present evidence of his BMX Super-Badness.
After salting "The Legend" around the Internet for a few days, it came to my attention that many people "In The Know" claim to have never even heard of our hero Mr. Manuelito. They go so far as to say that I "made him up", that I should "lay off the LSD", even doubting his very existence. When first researching for supporting evidence, looking on the search engines yielded nothing. But recently I have found a few tidbits proving my claim that he was USBA #1 amatuer in 1985, he even got the cruiser title too! I found a wikipedia entry here, a forum thread here. He can be found on PeeWee Lee's site in the ABA's 20,000 points club in 1984 (9th position with 26,837 points) and I dug deep into my own archives to produce some photos (The photo above right is the giant starting hill at the 1985 USBA 66 Nationals). The photo below is Manuelito, in his Raleigh colors, going head to head with one of the best racers ever, none other than Steve Veltman. Take that, doubters! Also, I know that the "Manual" is not named after Larson Manuelito, but it should be.
This is Manuelito battling Steve Veltman. 1984 ABA Lone Star Nats. (Bicycles & Dirt Sept. 84)
Manuelito Is King!
No one else could have done this, not even Matt Hoffman. (Or Evel Knievel)"