Sunday, July 17, 2011

Wauseon 2011...Where Do I Begin?









Henderson was the theme...



































Frank Westfall demonstrates the proper way to fire up a Henderson








Hendersons everywhere!











Dale Walksler pauses to show me some nice original racing photos




Nicely dressed '40 with later bits








Barn plucked WR!




More fresh kill







Rode in from Texas




Matt Olsen's '36 Bobbed and ridden hard!



Never did catch up with Matt...just saw the bike at the motel







Father and son Knuckles












OK! I'm gonna have to do this in at least three parts... Wauseon 2011!!!!!!!



What a trip! What a show! What a race! What a GREAT time!






I was actually a little bummed when getting ready for the trip. My middle son and Wauseon companion for many years, Jesse, was not going to make it. Tuesday night I went with him down to South Philly so he could sign a lease for his new apartment...moving out and finishing college down at Temple University....good for him!



So I was to go it alone. I had a stop to make in central Ohio to look at a pile of GOOD STUFF, but more about that on the next post. I was up in the air about racing this year without my pit crew and with a possible van load to be picked up on the way out. I almost didn't put my WLDR in the van...almost...hell it didn't take up that much room. More about the racing on the next to next post.



The meet itself was incredible! I got out there Wednesday night and met up with Motorcycle Mike, Richie (not Richie Pan) and a few others. We had dinner and hung out in the motel parking lot well into the evening. Thursday morning we hit the meet and it was going strong by Thursday afternoon. The weather was perfect and there were more vendors then I had ever seen in the 25 plus years I've attended!



I finally got to meet Sverre (American Motorcycles Norway Blog) in person. Until this weekend it was only Blog and Email. He showed up on Thursday night and we hung out and talked motorcycles over a lager. He also helped me decide to race on Friday.



By Friday morning the place was packed from fence to fence. The racing really gets in the way of Friday's swap meet action (another reason I almost bagged it). But I was happy because I filled my van on the way to the meet so I didn't feel too bad about not searching every milk crate and oil can for parts.



I spent Friday in the Pits and Racing from about 1 PM until about 11PM (Sverre and Oyunn were down in the pits with us for most of the day and evening as well) and then headed back to the swap meet to catch up on Adult Beverage, Tacos and BS! A great night! (more on racing later).



Saturday morning came around and I met up with Sverre and Oyunn for breakfast at the diner and then it was time to prepare to hit the road. I had to unpack my van and and repack everything around the bikes. By the time I was done I was dripping wet (friggin' hot!). I made it home in record time...it was a quick 550 miles!



I have more pictures to post from Wauseon, Racing and the incredible (to me anyway) pit stop I made in central Ohio.



4 comments:

  1. Hi mate, thanks for your note on our car at Arrow head inn. We truly apprechiated your company at Wauseon. We have a bunch of great shots from the race, including no. 33 from the handshifter class.
    On our way to Niagara falls now, will update when back home.

    regards
    Sverre & Oyunn
    AMcN

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  2. Thanks Sverre & Oyunn. It was a pleasure to meet you both!

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  3. Just saw a Henderson inline four like Frank Westfall's at the Rhinebeck Grand National AMCA meet last month-what a bike, would have loved to see it run!

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  4. Frank's was at Rhinebeck along with it's twin, built by the late Mike Smith. (see my Rhinebeck 2011 post)

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