Rainbow Falls
Woodland Park, Colorado

Season Opener
February 1, 1998 - Rainbow Falls
From: Scott Ormiston

It was a beautiful day at Rainbow Falls, sunshine, 45 degrees and not a cloud in sight. Unfortunately, there were reports of 17 inches of snow falling in the nearest town, Woodland Park, the previous day and few speedway racers showed up for the race.

Those who did show put on a spectacular show, with the two biggest rivals in current Colorado speedway in attendance. Pat "The Ratt" Litt and Bucky Blair, (though related in a round about way) are mortal enemies on the race track, each trying to be the fastest man in the family, or in the state of Colorado for that matter. Others in today's lineup include Don "The Target " Foster, Cal "Calvinator" Harrington, Bouncin' Bob Richards and the "Kamakazi Kid", Tom Kern.

The first heat was run to determine starting positions on the Main Event, since with only six riders in attendance for the speedway portion of the show, all would transfer.

In the heat, it was Blair with the gate, followed by Litt, Richards, Foster, Kerns and Harrington in that order. Going into turn one, Litt powers past Blair for the lead which he will keep until the checker is thrown. Blair never lays down and tries the Rat coming off turn two on each lap but is unable to make it stick taking second. Foster takes third followed closely by Richards with Harrington napping on the ice and Kerns suffering a swamp fungus inside the point cover of his Weslake (no doubt contracted in Possum Cove in October).

After a gate infraction relegates Kerns to a second row restart, Blair pulls Litt off the gate once again. This is short lived as the Ratt passes Blair going into turn one as if it were a replay of the heat race with Richards running third followed by Foster, Kerns and Harrington. On the second lap going into turn three, Kamikazi Kerns looses his front end blasting Foster and himself into the snow bales causing a cloud of snow and malediction which shall surely settle on the east coast in the coming days. Blair pursues Litt, never more than a bike length behind, for the entire race and tries him on the outside coming off turn four, but misses the win by the length of a couple of ice screws.

1st  Pat (The Rat) Litt (GM)
2nd  Bucky Blair (GM)
3rd  Bouncin' Bob Richards (JAWA)
4th  Don (The Target) Foster (GM)
5th  Cal Harrington (JAWA)
6th  Tom Kerns (WESLAKE)