American Association of Motorcycle Road Racers
1965 October AAMRR Race Report (from NC Region SCCA Bulletin)
YOU MEET THE NICEST PEOPLE ON A HONDA by Roger Blanchard
On October 9th and 10th the boonies surrounding asphalt
of VIR were greeted with a new, wild type of sound. Strange vehicles with such names as Bultaco, Yamaha, Honda, Vincent, Norton,
Ducati, Triumph and other Marque made their debut in the wild, wooly hills
of Virginia.
Wondering just exactly what the AAMRR was, we journeyed up
to the track bright and early Saturday morning to find a varied assortment
of two wheeled modes of transportation uttering staccato blasts somewhat
unusual to our sporty car tuned ears.
Eventually through a unmistakable New Jersey accent on the
PA system we discovered that the American Association of Motorcycle Road
Racers (AAMRR) would like to start practice only they didn't have any of
the flagging personnel that they said they were promised.
So ... being kind of soul we headed for the Pagoda to
offer our services to Lou Otto, Steward of the event. It seemed that flagging
and communications wasn't the only problem. The CAP had an ambulance there,
but they had left and nobody even had the slightest idea which way the hospital
was if anything was to happen. "Oh, well just take it easy fellas."
After rounding up our complete flagging personnel (3 people)
and figuring where the worst spots might be, we put our one man flag stations
on 5, 9, and 12, figuring Marti Otto, who was at control could watch the
downhills. Thus started practice.
By far hottest "bikes" there, Ghost-Racing Team with their silver
Honda's with blue fairings were quite impressive in the 250 cc and under
the the 500 cc and under classes.
Expecting to find a bunch of rough "chain swinging" group of
individuals who never washed we were quite surprised to find one of the nicest
groups of people we've met in a good while, even a few former SCCA competition
drivers. Hospitality was most prevalent at all times.
Man, you think things get a little hairy on the first few laps
of a sports car race with 2 or 3 cars coming through a corner at the same
time. That's just nothing! Try about 10 "bikes", and by God, they really
come on strong!
By Sunday we had recruited enough wives, children, dogs, conducted a brief
flagging school sufficient enough to cover all but a major catastrophe.
I'm telling you fella, you couldn't about get me on one of
those bikes at the speeds those guys corner, and I bet a few of those guys
wish they hadn't rode either. When you lose it on a bike, you really lose
it.
Stations 5 and 6 had most of the action Sunday. It's OK when you go off the
bank at 5, but it's that ditch out in the middle of that clearing that really
throws you - like unto a bullet with the bike sailing right along behind
you.
All in all most of the riders were very enthusiastic about the course, saying
it was one of the best they had seen or ridden on.
Hats off to the AAMRR and a bunch of guys with an abundant
amount of innards who provided us with quite an exciting weekend.