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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127291
eOFF·ROAD Brad LackeyChristmas GranaPrix I The Christmas spirit invades Carlsbad By Nate R auba . Photos by Dave Burgess, Amy Harris and Ken Faught CARLSBAD, CA, DEC. 9 an ta Clau s made his ann ua l visit to Carl sbad Raceway to spread the holida y sp iri t as Bridgeston e presented the 3rd Annual Brad Lac key Christm as Grand Prix. And the man under the Santa suit was the 1982500cc World MX Ch ampion himself. T emperatures in the 80s p revented Lackey from wearing th e su it for lon g, but there were pl ent y of other things to get approximately 500 en tra n ts in the holiday sp iri t. Christmas trees were in the pits and at th e finish line, stockings.and garl and were hung over th e sign u p booth, red and white painted hay bales an d tires lined S l sections of the course, and there were pl enty of presents from the event 's man y spo nsors for the competitors and spec tators al ike. " I want to make this the event for Decem ber," said Coas t Racin g's J ohn T aylor, who organized the event. But the event came very close to not happenin g at all. Las t year Taylor, who only runs th is one event each year, enco unte red scor ing- probl ems when man y rid ers had dupl icate numbers. Man y were angry after that race, and Taylor wasn't sur e if he wanted to risk more of th e same th is year. A phone call from a rider interested in the event changed his mind, and after ge tting backing from Bridgestone the even t was a go. T aylor figures he lost some riders after last year's event, so th is year he made a number of changes to avoid any problems. " I rode here last year and had a great time ," said Vet Beginner class rider Dennis Holl aday. "T aylor runs th e . races himself, so I can sympathize with him. He said he would make this year better." . Everybody was assign ed a number, and riders would have to wait approximately 10 days for race results. Trophies and prizes would arrive by mail. John Altam irano was trying to keep' up a fam ily tra dition of bringing hom e a Brad Lackey Christm as GP .plaque whi ch is given to th e top rid ers in each~ class. " My two sons went off to race at anot her track, so it 's up to me thi s year," sa id Altami rano befo re h is Sen ior Beg inner class race. " It's becom e a Christm as tradition to hang' a Brad Lackey plaque up on th e wall." Not everybody would win a plaque, but some rid ers cam e just to ride partof th e Carlsbad MX course, which was the site of the 500cc U.S. MX GP fo many years. Section s of that track were > i (Left) Christmas trees, stockings and garland were abundant along manufacturers row to add to the holiday atmosphere. (Below) Approxi mately 500 entrants took on Carlsbad Raceway's five-mile course, which included parts of the U.S. MX GP track, drag strip and Superbikers course. Man y riders had competed in at least one of the two previous Brad Lackey Christmas GPs. 10