[Jeff Higgins]

I have been a fan of traditional AMA motorcycle flat track since I first saw Mert Lawhill in On Any Sunday. I have been to half mile races (Sturgis, SD), TT races (Castle Rock, WA) and countless indoor short track races. I had never been to a mile track. Endeavoring to correct that rather serious gap in my motorcycle racing fandom, my younger son and I attended the Legendary (the announcer fit that in every time) Sacramento Mile.

It was a five day road trip for us, leaving the Seattle area on Thursday and arriving back home on Monday. A lot (1,700 miles) of driving for just one Saturday evening of racing, but I would do it again in a heartbeat. We both approached it as more of a father/son road trip punctuated by a motorcycle race than anything else, and we both thoroughly enjoyed one another's company.

We initially considered making it a drive in our R Gruppe hot-rods (his '68 and my '72), which would have been a real hoot in and of itself. Then we decided we really wanted to ride together, so we figured on using my '72. Then we saw how hot is was going to be - 103 degrees down most of the Central Valley - and settled on his 2018 Mustang GT. And what a fantastic GT car it turned out to be, its most appreciated feature being real, modern A/C. Beyond that, it was actually quiet enough inside to carry on a real conversation, above and beyond yelling simple things at one another like "I have to pee"...

But, yeah, back to the Legendary Sacramento Mile. Having seen it on TV, in film, and on YouTube, I was still ill prepared for what I saw. Sir Jackie Stewart's quote about "it takes a certain lack of imagination to be a racing car driver" comes to mind. These had to be the "least imaginative" young men I had run across in an awfully long time. 140 mph top speeds, rounding the corners at 80-ish with their left foot in the dirt. On a horse racing track. What could possibly go wrong?

It turns out, not much. The skill and finesse with which these young men and ladies handle these machines is something to behold. They are good. Really good. And committed (or maybe they should be). Unfettered aggression, no holds barred, locking handlebars racing. Very, very entertaining. I would highly recommend going is you can.

Oh, and I met Mert Lawhill. Yes, he is still alive, and looking pretty darn chipper. I also met Scott Parker, nine time winner of the Legendary Sacramento Mile. And I got reacquainted with Jay Springsteen, who I met years ago at my local track, Pacific Raceways. He had pulled in driving a rental pickup truck with a Triumph Trident and a BSA Rocket III in the back after one of our PCA track days. He was going to familiarize himself with the track, being scheduled for a vintage bike race the coming weekend. I helped him unload the bikes, and spent some time b.s.'ing with him. He actually remembered that day, and wasn't just being nice about that.

Anyhoo, what a great way to spend a few days. The highlight of it all, of course, was spending some quality time with my younger son. Priceless.