The Winter Nationals and the Tri-State races in
Arizona last month was a stepping stone for competitive B.M.X. racing in the area. As
recognized in the BMX News, Tucson does have a fine track named Indian Bowl, but a little
across town is yet another fine and fast BMX track called "Caliche Park".
Much like all other tracks across the country the
action takes place on Sundays afternoons, but there is one major exception at Caliche
Park. The riders must wear protective-clothing.
Caliche is a form of soil that takes an the
hardness of cement, the roughness of black-top, and the traction of hard packed clay. All
in all it is a rough track for both rider and machine as anyone who has fallen on caliche
will tell you.
The track owner and promoter mandates the wearing
of gloves, helmets, long sleeve shirts, heavy jeans, and ankle high boots. The bikes are
also checked during technical inspections for uniform handlebar widths, and good rubber
grips plus close cut axle nuts for added safety.
Every Sunday during the race season (15 weeks
each) more that 80 riders turn out to put on a great free show in Tucson. From 12 noon
until 4:30 pm these rugged races brave the Arizona-Sonora desert heat, the falls and endos
of competitive racing, the realness of caliche, and the agony of defeat, to race the three
motos per class.
Once the riders meeting is called and starting
positions assigned, it is high tension time at Caliche Park. The first heat is staged on
the starting line, and the starter checks with the corner judges and marshals for the all
clear sign.
By this time tires are pressed against the
starting line board; Good Year Eagles, Carlisles, stock tires and everything else for sale
in bike shops. Pedals are in position, just waiting to be pushed on, muscles strained and
mouths dry.
Down goes the flag and its three laps around the
180 yards of race track at full speed. Over the jump, using the berms, sliding through the
tight corners, shoulder to shoulder, wheel to wheel, rider and machine work in harmony. Up
another little hill/jump, over the woop-de-do and either use the berm or go through the
water-hole.
The crowd is yelling and cheering on the riders;
coaches are giving signals to the team members and riders are cheering on their favorites.
Seven riders are bunched together going through the turns, over the jumps, and the final
sprint on straight away before the last turn and the start of the second lap.
All this in a little over 29 seconds, and this is
just the 8 and under novices. The race is not even over yet when the next group is staged
and ready to go.
When the checkered flag is waves at the winner,
the finishing positions are recorded and the racers clear the infield. In the pits, water
is uses to soak the jerseys, helmets are removed revealing sweat-soaked heads, and gator
aids are consumed by the gallons. The machines are turned upside down with wheels towards
the heavens.
This process continues , class after class, until
everyone has had their chances for victory and glory. All during this time the pits are
humming with activity, the sun glitters off wrenches working with vigor to finish changing
the sprockets before the next moto, tire are being changed, mud is scraped off bikes, and
band-aids are applied to the victims of endos.
Then it is time for the ole timers race and the
Backwards race, one lap around the track; the open and rough 30 minute ENDURO, with the
only relief a merciful field judge and a hose spraying over the track and riders.
Like most tracks, some dispute arise over who did
what to who in the corner, and the language gets a bit "salty." Some physical
confrontations result but all-in-all the concept of winning and sportsmanship is evident
throughout Caliche Park.
One team borrows parts from another team for
needed parts, and the winner of a race will help the second place rider fix the bike or
suggest sprocket changes for maximum speed.
The rules are simple, direct and enforced.
Everyone knows them and what happens if they are broken. Very few riders are banned from
the track, but a few have been for "sandbagging" (lying about age).
If a pile up occurs before the first obstacle the
race is restarted and this is the only time a race is restarted. If a rider jumps the flag
twice in a row he is given a handicap by starting in the back of the pack, (only 8 riders
on the line at once).
If a corner judge claims a rider fouled another
rider, points and position are forfeited, and the judge’s word is LAW, no if, ands,
or buts.
The riders caught pit racing are also docked x
number of points for their actions. These are track rules, you live by them or go race at
another track.