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/128076
Del Mar Preview t sta rted out as a motorcycle show, then som eone .got the bright idea of th rowing a mot or cycle race or tw o into the mix. Tod ay, the Del Mar Motorcycl e Week end a t th e Del Mar Fai rgro u nds near San Diego, California, has gro w n to abo u t as close to a Dayt ona Wes t as you are likely to find . A1ready celebrating its sixth yea r in conjunction with the fina l round of the AMA Grand Na tional Dirt Track Series , th e. w eekend itself see ms to bring motorcyclin g full circle, somehow creating a ge ne ra tio n a l m ix th a t in clu d es throwbacks to the barnstorming period of motorcycling's early d ays, along with th e new es t and la tes t in the motorcycling world. For instance, the fabled Del Mar Concou rs D'Elegance vintage and antique motorcycle show and swap meet will be tied in with th e Del Mar Motorcycle Expo on Oc tober 9-lD. Promoter Chris Agajania n has p ro mised tha t the coincid ing even t will be bigger and better tha n ever befor e. . "In the pas t, we have held this show o n the infield, " Agajania n .said . "Th is year, to accom modate the immense growth, we have moved the Concou rs to the gra ndiose foyer area (in fro nt of the main grandstand), utili zing the surroun di ng gardens and fou nta ins as the ba ckground for di splay. Del Ma r is a beautiful facility , and 'using thi s a re a will ad d even more p restige to the magnificent ma chin es that are presented in th e Concours. It will d efinitely be the . 'Pebble Beach' of motorcyclin g. Plus, we have expand ed the Expo to two da ys." Legendary dared evil Evel Kn ievel will be honored as the weekend's Grand Marshall, and BSA has bee n selected as this year' s honored motorcycle marque at the Concours. Sho w classes will once again be divided into several categories, includin g C us to m , Earl y American , British, German, Itali an , Japanese, etc. There are 25 categories in all, with a Best of Show trophy to shoot for . Last year's Best of Show went to Barry Sulkin and his 1936 Rud ge Ulster. This year's Motorcycle Expo should a lso provide bot h th e ca sual and th e mor e en thus ias tic motorcycle fan with several interestin g thin gs to see and d o. Most all of the mod ern motor cycle manu fact u re rs w ill have full product displays at the eve nt, allowing spectators to catch a glimpse of several of the hot new 2000 mode l-year machines. In addition, several aftermarket companies will be on hand to show off their wares. Whether it is new rid ing gear or the latest trick bolton part, reputed firm s - suc h as K&N, White Broth er s, Drag Specia lties a nd Co rbin, to nam e a few - are expected to have full d isplays, with tech nical staff to answer any ques tions about their latest and grea test products or services. The wee kend itself is actually set to kick off on Friday, October 8, with the Deu tsche Fina ncial Del Mar Golf Tournam en t to benefit the Clayton Fou nda tion for injur ed motorcyclists to be held a t the Oceansid e Golf Course in Oceanside, Ca lifornia. Registr at ion 'begins at 11 a .m. w it h p lay b eginn in g at 12:30 p. m . Several mo torcycling celebrities from past an d p rese nt , including Scott Parker, Chris Carr, Will Davis, Ronnie Jones, Dick Ha mme r , Elliott Sch u ltz, Everett Brash ea r, Da ve Al dana, Brad lackey, Jason Pridmor e and more are sched u led to attend . The cost to parti ci- Feature O (Above) What started out as a great antique motorcycle show has turned into a great motorcycling weekend at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, which host s the Concours D'Eleganc e, Del Mar Motorcycle Expo and th e fi nal round of the AMA Grand Nat ional Championship Series , (Left ) Whe re it all began: The Concours D'Elegance is st ill a main sta ple of the Del Mar weekend. The show always features an eclectic display of custom, ant ique, an d vintage machinery from all eras of the sport. pa te is $100, a nd a limited nu mb er of spaces are still ava ilable. For more information , call 714/751-7433. The partying starts at 7 p.m. on Friday evening, as Del Mar is scheduled to host a Showcase Bike N igh t at the Del Mar Padd ock l ounge in front of th e ma in gra nd s tan d . Race fa ns will be a ble to meet and greet several motorcycling legends, including "On Any Sunday" filmmaker Bruce Brown, starring riders Dave A ldana , Keith Mashburn , TT grea ts Ed die Mu ld er and Ski p Vanleeuwen, Everett Brash ear, Dick Hammer and several others. Many of today' s top Gran d Na tio nal d irt track sta rs will also be in attendance, including 1999 AMA Grand National Champion Chris Carr. Special rides to this kick-off party are being organized by various Ducati motorcycl e dealers and by Cycle World Magazine. Additiona lly, th ere will be-several do nated m ot orcyclin g it ems raffl ed off at the party with all proceeds benefiting injured Grand National dirt track racer Toby Jorge nsen . Admission is free. Fo r m or e information on the Showcase Bike Night, contact FS Promotions at 714/585-2930. The Del Mar Concourse D'Elegance and Del Mar Motorcycle Expo kick off on Saturday, October 9, at 10 a.m., and will include what is regard ed by ma ny fans as the finest d isplay of ant iqu e, vintage and cus to m mot orcycles in th e wo rld. Expect to also see the lastest mod els from all of the top motorcycle manufacturers, including H o n d a, Ya ma ha, Su zuki, Kawasaki, Harley-Davidson, Buell, BMW, Victory, Excelsior-Henderson and more. The shows will also include th e Sales Corral, w here several pre-owned motorcycles are placed on consignmen t, and the Parts Exchange and Swa p Meet (Right) Race fans will get the chan ce to see nine-time AMAGrand Nationa l Champion take his fi nal ride (and maybe his final win ) with the number-one plate during the K&N Filters Del Mar Mile, for motorcycle fans in sea rc h o f tha t hard-to-find or d iscontinu ed motorcycle part or bit of memorabilia. A variety of enterta iment is scheduled for Satu rday's show as well. Exhibitions by "Whee lie King" Doug Domokos and the San Diego Trials Riders Club ha ve been big hits in t h e past. T he MD Extreme Promotions Freestyle Motocross Jum p Show and Contest is a new ad di- ' tion to this year's events, pitting several of the top freestyle mo tocrossers i}1 the country against one another in an un usual display of motorcycle aerial acrobatics. The thunder of dirt track racing is also 'sched uled to begin at noon on Saturday, as the Harley-Davidson Sportster Performance Seri es a nd SuperT rapp Su perTracker Series machines take to the Del Mar Mile for preliminary qualifying. The qualifiers are expected to be conclude d by 2 p .m ., giving race fans p len ty of opportunity to retu rn to the Concourse and Expo. Tickets for the Concours and Expo are $13. For information, call Agajanian Presents at 310/547-9898. Just as the thunder sto ps on the mile, it will be replaced by the sound of dista nt th u n d e r from t h e Sk ip Va n inore Leeuwen Vin tage Sho rt Track Classic in th e ro deo a re n a at th e Del Ma r Fairgrounds. The AHRMA-sanctioned, San Diego Flat Tra ck Asso ciation-promoted event will feature riders battling it ou t elbow to elbow in vari ous vintage an d modem classes. Racing is sched uled to begin at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10, and are ava ilable at the gate only. With the Motorcycle Expo still in fullswing, th e main focus w ill turn to the K&N Filters Del Ma r Mile on Su nday, Oc tober 10, where the fastest 18 Gra nd ational dirt track racers in the country will square off one final time for bragg ing righ ts that will carry into a new millennium. The Del Mar Mile will mark the final time in his storied career that nine-time and de fen di ng AMA Grand Na tional Cham pion Scott Parker w ill carry the AMA Grand National numberone plate into battle. Parker has wo n Del Mar four of the last five years. If all goes well, the winner of 90- p lu s Gra n d National events will add his final victory as champi on to his illustrious race resume. Gates ope n an oa.m. Tickets are $25 and up . For mor e information, call Agajanian Presents at 310/547-9898 . .8 M ~ o t; o 31