Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126655
. . . . .dco-COI yew, • ~ ·DaIl B "OIdala 'r dco-CoI y ... CeDlral PipeliDe .. (Above) M.rIe Andrews. winn.r in the 126cc GP cl.... loon for. berm. (Top right) V.mon D.vi. leed••nother rid.r in the F-1 cl.... (Right) A r.pt .pect8tor .nd •.•hede-Heklng ICOre girl rell.h the .mbi.nce. (Below) A 1C00ter event we. one of the .... Hriou. eventl of the d.y. . .Schvvantz su·rvives Austin Aqua Fest street' racing By J.oe Milien . Photos by Pet McClure AUSTIN, TX, AUG. 7 .The Austin Aqua Festival road race is not just another motorc;ycle race. Now in its 13th year, this oddly eclectic affair can truly be categorized as a social phenomenon. 40 For many of the riders and. f an even greater number of or . . spectators•. the race IS a O1~<:e a year event, the only compeutIon in which they will par.ticipate. !his casual approach ~~nds Itself lOa r~n what you brung atmosphere with everyone getting into the act. More than a few entrants actually ride their docile street machines to the track, then spend a leisurely couple of hours converting them into "race" bikes. All for the opportunity to indulge their Kenny Roberts fantasies for a few laps with the big boys. The motocrossers are another story. Yankee ingenuity, Southern engineering, call it what you will. Nowhere is it more evident than in the transformation from dirt to pavement. Disc brakes are applied to the motorcycles more so than actually being incorporated as an integral part of overall performance. Sprockets are shaved to fit and ingenious lowering methods come into play, with no one appearing upset about resorting to "plan B" to achieve some semblance of credibility. The nine day Aqua Festival is one of the largest of its kind in the United States, with paid attendance to its various attractions topping 200,000. The road race is one of the more popular events and one is unlikely to run across a more diverse assemblage anywhere. Much of the racing goes unheeded as individuals meet and greet others whom they like as not will not see again until next year at this time. And while a carnival atmosphere prevails, and large quantities of beverage and other substances are consumed, it is as well behaved a gathering as can be had in the land of the armadillo. There is something for everyone, even for those who might actually entertain some serious thoughts about f1at-out'racing. High dollar equ~p ment is much in evidence. The competition, especially in the Formula classes, is quite good and the true aficionados get their money's worth. The course itself is laid out in the multi-acre Austin Municiple Auditorium complex and serves the purpose quite well. The main straight is run down a portion of Riverside Drive, hard by the banks of the Colorado River. The 35 mph speed.limit signs go unheeded for one day each year. No citations are issued for doing 100 mph over the limit. The casual ambiance can create some interesting situations. such as the one that occurred in the B SuPerbike clash. Heading for turn one at well over 125 mph, and with Richard Prescott and Vernon Davis only a few bikelengths behind, leader Wayne Even suddenly sat straight up and shook his fist angrily at a scootertype vehicle with six young ladies. perched in the' small trailer it was towing. This contraption crossed the track just scan t seconds ahead of the trio. Track officials are all volunteers, and sometimes crowd containment does get a little lax. Fortunately no injuries were recorded and the absence of strong-armed "security" types helps to preserve the peaceful demeanor of the throng. Midland's joe Patton could certainly be classified as one of the serious performers at today's affair as the Honda campaigner won the A Production match over Patrick Gill and Gary Gates and then captured runner-up honors in B Production. Oscar Castellanos paced Patton to the checkered flag with joe Koury taking third. The C Superbikers were treated to a superb show by Aqua Fest perennial Mike McAdams. McAdams barely made it to the grid, not even attempting to seek out his assigned spot. It's not the first time this has happened in motor racing - dead last to first -but it's always exciting to watch.• McAdams passed 14 bikes in the first two laps and sped past leader john Sealy on the fifth circuit. No problem. A fine display of determination by a popular rider. Sealy and Ottis Lance were forced' to settle for second and third ·respectively. Another unusual aspect of this meeting was that almost no crashes took place during the actual racing. The strays all got weeded out during practice it seems, with more than one contestant getting all the road race excitement he could stand during the lengthy session. There was a great deal of shrapnel in the pits after things got sorted out, and in more than a few instances pride dictated that the evidence be quickly loaded up and hauled away.