Risky 20's—from New York City Filmmaking student to Claifornia Motorcycle Racer

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When I was 23 and 24 I had two high speed chases fleeing from the police. One on each of the bikes shown here. Both times I had to go 100 mph on San Francisco city streets. Once at night (Triumph) once during the day (Yamaha). I wasn't caught. My racing skills went to Sears Point Raceway and the Sunday Morning Ride - now that race landed me in Marin County jail for 5 days. Frank Lloyd Wright Designed that building with the jail on top. Nice place. Mean Judge.

The fastest guys like Ed Coolie and Bill Judkins died on the street. They rode powerful, sleek road-racing bikes as if they were wild animals. I admired them and they died. Coolie's race partner, Mike Donovan, crashed into an Armco barrier exiting turn 10 at Sears. He'll limp for the rest of his life on the twisted remains of his foot.

I gave up road racing after that. Later I worked the track safety crew at Sears until a racer bled to death at my feet one Sunday. Now I only watch the races on ESPN.

But those memories live in my head. The sheer thrill of a full throttle run through the s-turns (8, 9 and down hill into 10) at Sears with both tires "drifting" - at the limits of the adhesion of rubber. I once won a position from a man who had won the Dayton 350 Production race the year before. My friend, Bob Tigert, finished 50 feet ahead of me. The following year HE won the 350 production at Daytona. I was in good company, else I would be dead today.

Sears Point AFM road racing on my 350cc Yamaha RD6

Copyright© 1999 by Rusty Robinson. All rights reserved