Springfield Races

Spring 2007

For those who follow professional dirt track motorcycle racing, the name Springfield can only mean one thing, motorcycle racing at the Springfield, IL short track, TT, or mile. During the 50’s, the Springfield mile race was the entire National Dirt Track racing series, with the winner of the annual race crowned as the national champion. Billed as the “fastest mile”, racing is currently held every Memorial Day and Labor Day weekend. The spring race hosts a TT on Saturday and the mile on Sunday while the fall race host a short track on Saturday and the mile on Sunday. We have generally attended for approx the last 10 or 12 years the fall race. The spring race is typically held under the threat of rain and at one point we quit going due to the frequent rain outs. Don’t get me wrong, they always get the race in, sometimes having to wait until Monday or Tuesday to get a long enough break in the rain to make it happen, it’s just that like most people I have a lawn to mow, house to maintenance, etc.. and cannot hang out for an extra day or so to see the race. Due to this, we quit going for a few years. Back on 2002 I felt that I needed a break and decided to ride a bike up to combine recreation with the race. Upon riding up, I learned that an entire different perspective exists within the community when riding a bike, vs. driving a car. From the people at the motel, to the spectators at the track, the motorcycle opens conversation. From these conversations, I have learned that Springfield may not be the typical motorcycling event. Most of the bikes in the parking lot are ridden a fair distance to attend. Most have rain gear packed as a standard deal. So now, I ride up for the ride and the camaraderie of fellow riders. If I get to see a race, so much the better, if not, I still got to go for a ride.  

A typical example of this would be our ride this year. Olivia (daughter) and I hit the highway around 2:00pm headed for Springfield, IL under intermittent threats of rain. The pavement was wet enough near Ft Leonard Wood that we received some spray from the cars, but we never did suit up in rain suits. We rolled into Springfield, IL  approx 5:30pm and checked into the motel, then quickly departed for the race track. Sun was mostly shining when we pulled in and parked at the TT. While we were storing helmets, gloves, etc.., a fellow on a Harley touring bike pulled in next to us. He opened conversation by asking how I liked the KLR. Turned out that he had owned one, but couldn’t get his friends to buy them, so he sold it and bought a Buell Ulysses. Now that he doesn’t have a KLR, all of his friends have them and love them. He is from Eastern Tennessee near the famed “Dragon“. After watching the Weather Channel for several days, he had decided that he would take the chance and ride the 560 miles from Tennessee today on a chance to see the races. While this conversation is taking place, the clouds turn black and the wind picks up, we can see the dust blowing off the TT track even though we are still approx 300 yards from the stadium, and the rain begins to pour. We run across the street to get under an overhang on a building to keep from getting soaked. A couple of Harleys were sitting under the overhang and a group of approx 8 or 9 people were gathered waiting the end of the storm.  

The Tennessee guy had been on the other end of the crowd from us, but eventually came over and visited with us until the rain stopped. While waiting, we noticed that the traffic flow that had started as mostly incoming had turned into mostly outgoing. We walked across the street and to a traffic officer to verify that the race had been called off, which he confirmed. We said our goodbye’s, put on rain suits (it wasn’t raining, but road spray and water puddles were common) and headed into town to eat dinner.  

We ate at a little restaurant that we had discovered a year ago. There was one other motorcycle mounted pair there eating. They left just a couple of minutes ahead of us and were getting ready to leave when we came out. Chris Carr came around the corner in his hauler and laid on the horn waiving at them. I thought this was pretty neat, both since Chris, a 7 time National Champion was driving his own rig, and the PR value with the Harley guy (Chris races a Harley). Try to get near a NASCAR driver sometime. The dirt track riders are “real” people.  

We pulled out heading for the motel. Pulled into the parking lot and saw Mrs. Adams from Springfield, MO. Her and her husband Tom plan their entire years vacation around the AMA dirt track schedule. We see them frequently at races. She was heading inside, but Tom was in a group talking, along with Pat Crane and his friend (also from Springfield, MO). I am into the MZ motorcycles and one of the guys in the group was riding one, so we talked. Maybe 1 ½ hours later we headed in for bed.  

Sunday morning was somewhat overcast and it was apparent that it had rained overnight, so the Mile might not happen. Ran into Pat and his group in the lobby, said hello, then headed next door to the Hen House Restaurant for breakfast. While eating near the front door, a fellow from Dallas, TX  opened conversation while he was waiting for a table. He was wearing a Terry Poovey T-Shirt and stated that he knew Terry. Since Terry had suffered a major head injury while racing at Springfield a year and a half ago or so, I asked how he was doing. Apparently better, as this fellow knew Terry and his brother and had spoke with Terry’s brother just that week.  

Back to the motel to check out and load the bike and a fellow stops by who had came out from Vancouver, WA. He stated that when he had come over a mountain pass in Colorado that it had been snowing and that there was some ice on the road. Kind of makes the piddly 300 miles that we had rode seem small.  

At the Mile the racers truck are still lined up outside the track and it is 10:30 and practice should have been underway at 10:00. We park and see our Tennessee “friend” walking by who tells us that the pits would be closed for another hour, due to the mud. Math suggests that when they are let in that another hour may be required to set up the pits. We walk to the fence and cannot tell that anything is happening to help dry out the track (vehicles are generally used to iron it out when it is this wet). Tennessee guy continues to state that if the race happens, it will be late. I have experienced the AMA waiting until 8:00 to call a race before, even though the track had water 2” deep running across it by 12:00 noon, and didn’t want to do that again. My guess was that they were stalling to see of the bank of rain just west of town was going to dump on them or not, then make a decision. I really don’t care to get home at midnight or later, so we decide to head for home via the “long way”.

The KLR had never been in Iowa, so maybe it should point that way. The GPS did not have the back roads loaded for this region, so we simply used two lane blacktop roads and aimed for small town that showed in between the major highways. Nothing but corn for the longest time. We ended up dropping south of I-72 onto Hwy 106. We crossed the Illinois River over a drawbridge while I explained to Olivia how they work. This required going over and back once more to show her. Not being wonderful at geography, I thought that we were now in Iowa and headed due south on River Road. River Road started as a narrow paved road, then went to gravel, then went to two track through farm fields and through a creek before coming out on better maintained roads. River Road had a number of “stilt” houses that appear to be used for weekend getaways and a few similar built into the hillside along the road. We saw a barge pushed up onto shore and crossed a couple of old iron bridges, one of which was on the two track in the field.  

As we passed houses here and there, I began to realize that the cars all still had Illinois tags on them, and that we probably were not in Iowa (I now realize after checking a map that I-72 was not far enough north to have crossed into Iowa either). By now, we had dropped far enough south that I had no desire to head back north to hit Iowa, so headed west to the Mississippi River, then south, hoping to find a bridge across. Ran across a snake in the road that turned and came back under us, scared Olivia nearly to death and didn’t do a lot for me. I am always concerned about getting bit by one. Intermittently the river houses started getting much larger and much more lavish, so I assumed that we were nearing St Louis, as it would take a noteworthy economic center to support this type of home. We dropped south through the river towns of Hamburg and Batchtown. Watching the GPS, I can now see that we are nearing the end of the peninsula where the Illinois and Mississppi Rivers converge. That if we don’t find a bridge we may be forced to ride north up the west shore of the Illinois River until we find one when I see a sign that states “Winfield Ferry 3 miles”. This will be more fun anyway. As we reach the ferry dock, it is coming to land, quickly unloads and we go on. This ferry crosses just south of a water lock dam and gives a good look at one, for people like me who don’t know what one is. We dock at the other side and ride into Winfield, have lunch and fill with fuel.  

We chose Hwy 47 out of Winfield, but didn’t get far before the road had been closed, I am guessing, due to a car accident. With no sign of things getting going quickly, we u-turned and started heading south down dirt roads. The first one dead ended and we had to go back to 47 and try another one. It would have been nice to have had the local roads on the GPS! The second road went through to a cross road which we took east until we hit pavement, then headed back north to Troy to rejoin Hwy 47, having bypassed the blockage. Rain loomed ahead and we hit some drizzle, but dropped south headed for Washington still on Hwy 47 and got out of it with no need to suit up. Approx 5 miles south of I-70 the rain broke in a major way. Suited up and continued to ride, though visibility was difficult. We worked our way south west from on Hwy N to Hwy 94, ran north of the Missouri River to Hwy 19 at Herman and crossed over the old Iron Through Truss bridge. The new concrete bridge is nearly done and it appears that the Herman bridge is scheduled to be torn down in 2008, so this is probably my last time across the old one.

The rain had let up on Hwy 94 and steam was rising from the valley floor. There is an old rail to trails system that follows Hwy 94 and several bicycles were on it. Very Peaceful and solitude’s  

Stopped at a little store/gas station at Hwy 19 and Hwy 28 southwest of Redbud. Followed Hwy 28 in and out of rain down to Ft Leonard Wood, then hit the Interstae home. Great roads. The return trip was 9 hours long and only 70 miles longer than the trip up was. Had a great ride and Olivia is a great passenger as always.  

About the race. Checked the AMA website and they were able to get the track dried out. The “local” classes were cancelled so that the National program could be completed. Kenney Coolbeth (reigning Champion) won, with Chris Carr second. Reports made it seem that the race wasn’t over until around 6:30 or 7:00. Glad that we didn’t stay.  

For the record, I cannot remember the Labor Day weekend race being cancelled in all the years that I have attended, so for those not willing to take a chance on a rain out, that may be a better weekend to watch the “130mph then throw it sideways” crowd.