packed tight with antique, classic and
custom motorcycle parts, providing
trading stock and the proverbial "diamond in the rough" for those who
arrived early enough to score a deal.
In addition, several ideshows captured spectator interest and. PJovided
changes of pace throughout the course
of the day. Returnees to Del Mar included wild man Monte Perlin, who piloted
his Yamahas in the "Sphere of Fear"
motorcycle globe. Bob Correll thrilled
fans with a leap of several hundred feet
aboard his Kitecycle and then returned
for a static-fire burnout show with his
Jetbike dragster. Top Fuel pilots wowed
the crowd wi th tire-smoking passes on
their nitro-burning Harley-Davidsons.
The Victor McLaglen Drill Team, Vans
Bicycle Stunt Team and San Diego Trials
Riders all showed off their talents with
amazing feats of balance and timing.
But as amazing as all of these things
were, together they only made up the
fabric of the show. The thread that tied
all of these important aspects together
was the presentation of the legends of
the sport which took place on the main
stage throughout the course of the day.
The San Diego Antique Motorcycle Gub
went to great effort and expense to seek
out these heroes and bring them all
together at Del Mar. One by one, the
who's who of motorcycling's past and
present took their turn on the stage to
recount old tales and let the fans and
their fellow competitors catch up on the
happenings in their lives. For the racers
themselves, motorcycling's elite pioneer
fraternity, Del Mar marks an important
reunion with each other and those who
adore them. Motorcycling has always
been a "real" sport with "real" heroes
and the effort that the San Diego
Antique Motorcyle Club expends to
bring them together in one place is not
lost on the throng who make the trek to
swap tales, seek autographs and remember those who shaped the sport into
what it is today.
It is unfortunate that with each passing year, some of these heroes may transcend to the inevitable immortality that
prevents their admirers from seeing,
touching and talking to them. But while
they are living legends, they will have a
home at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, once
a year. And that is what sets the Del
Mar Concours D'Elegance International
apart from the rest.
0
(Left) Dick Mann waa back again.
The two-tIme Daytona 200 winner
and AMA Grand NatIonal Champion
continues to compete In vintage
motocross and trials events today.
