Inland Motorcycle Speedway
National Orange Show
San Bernardino, California

Denny Pyeatt Memorial – IMS Friday Night
August 20, 2010 - Inland Motorcycle Speedway
An Opinion Piece by: Dorcey Wingo

IMS has been drawing some pretty impressive crowds for this time of the summer, especially considering last minute vacations and the large pool of talented 21-and-under riders who were competing in Auburn, CA the same hot evening. Friday night’s attendance was no exception.

As it turned out, the spectators were in a giving mood, and I think Denny Pyeatt would like that.

Former two-time World’s Best Pairs Champion Bobby Schwartz brought along Denny Pyeatt’s framed photo from his garage Friday afternoon, and placed it on a high perch for everyone in the pits to see.

Bobby and Denny were close. Schwartz was there the night his friend and teammate left us. Having never met Denny in person, I feel unworthy to summarize the man’s stellar racing career, except to repeat that he was loved by everyone, and his violent accidental death was a very dark event in this dangerous sport. [Please “Google” Denny Pyeatt for the bigger picture.]

Instead of being in San Bernardino Friday evening, Fast Friday’s Speedway was where our dependable scorekeeper Ryan Evans was working, leaving who-knows-who to try and get the IMS race results out on a Saturday morning.

[Although I didn’t actually “keep score,” I know who won the final races. And I thought I’d step in with the bare results, comments and photos to chronicle the evening’s activities.]

There seemed to be a Team Spirit about it being Denny’s night as the fans were reminded [by IMS announcer Larry “The Mouth that Roared” Huffman] about Support Division’s Jim Gardner, #134.

Jim is in a coma following a motorcycle/truck collision several days ago. He was a regular on the schedule at IMS and a crowd favorite, partly because he hauled his Speedway bike to races on a custom-built trailer, behind a full dress Harley-Davidson Road King.

After Event 19, several leather-clad IMS riders left their alcohol burning drag bikes smoking in the pits while they collected cash from the spectators. In the grand old Speedway tradition, they held out their racing helmets and the fans gathered ‘round. Rumors circulated that many in the stands donated $20 bills! This was very impressive, even to a hard core Speedway addict like me.

The money collected will go toward paying Mr. Gardner’s medical bills, which are mounting as his days in Intensive Care grow in number.

As for racing on the fast oval dirt surface, the Pee Wees were lead by David Holder, #11, took the checkered flag with “Lightning Luke” Whitcomb in hot pursuit. These two competitors had some fun out there, believe me.

The Support Division came down to (how many laps?) several nerve-wrecking laps and no mayhem, thank God. These guys have gained some experience over the summer and are starting to discover the throttle, which means they scare us - and themselves, too!

That said, Mike Fuson gave Chris Jones all he could handle and easily took the checkered. Jones took second, which is much like kissing your sister, I’m told. [Hey, Mike – you’re too fast for Support Division, pal!]

This leaves Sidecars and First Division, and then we’re done.

There was no denying the Jones/Olsen #1 machine last night in the Sidecar Final, going out front and staying there. Brown and Davis’s souped-up four-banger sounded absolutely furious about coming around the track in second place. Did the crowd like this dirt-spraying spectacle? That would be a big “affirmative!”

Nobody in First Division had a perfect night going when the tapes went up on the Scratch Main event. Blair, Burmeister, Castro, Faria, Fishback, and McConnell had each had a taste of victory along the way. Drawing for gate positions, Castro surprised the heck out of me by drawing the pole. He makes the Main often and usually pulls out the highest number golf ball in the bucket.

Not this night: “Fast Eddie” Castro on the pole, “Battling Buck” Blair in two, Tyson “no nickname” Burmeister in three, Shawn “Mad Dog” McConnell in four, and Jimmy “the Little Animal” Fishback along the wall.

No drama here: When the tapes rose, Buck’s front tire rose the way it does when you’re getting serious traction back yonder. Launching him into turn one, it was Blair all the way.

Oh yes, Jimmy Fishback and company made it an interesting race, but the guy with the primary belt [versus chain] had his timing, his gearing, and his clutch/throttle coordination together Friday night when it counted. The rest was a matter of not pulling his arms out of their sockets while hanging on to the blistering beast banging away between his boots.

[Who took second, you ask? I fergit. “If you’re not first, you’re last,” right?]

I sure got my $10 bucks worth, thanks to some talented and courageous men, women, and kids! [See you at the starting gate!]

Wingo

	A photo of Denny Pyeatt's framed likeness, borrowed from Bobby Schwartz's collection.
	Scratch Main gate. [I listen for the sliding mechanism and then I punch the little round button.] [The reflexes of a gazelle!]
	Blair catapults down the back straight, advertising his Counter Tops to Burmeister, who isn't buying!
	Sidecar pilot Kevin Brown and Swinger Matt Davis [left] play second fiddle to Joe Jones and Jimmy Olsen, right.
	Support Division winner Mike Fuson, in an earlier heat. [Too fast for Support Division!]
	David Holder with the checkered. [The crowd goes crazy.]