The vibes and sounds that echo’d through the crowd at the San Manuel Amphitheater this past weekend, we’re an epic mix of motor vs. music. The RSD x Indian Motorcycle Super Hooligan Races at the Lost Highway certainly upped the ante and delivered a true spectacle to the screaming crowd.
Racers and builders from all over joined the RSD Super Hooligans for the epitome of grass roots racing, literally. Starting out with an open field, the Hooligan track prep team pulled off a miracle turning a pasture into a legitimate grass track in a few short days. The beauty of the track and hooligan racing in general is in its imperfections. Off Camber, bumpy but somewhat consistent traction provided action packed and exciting racing for an unsuspecting crowd and the group of riders who assembled to put on a show.
But that’s only half the excitement. Vendors the likes of RSD, San Diego Custom, Biltwell, Rusty Butcher, Suicide Machine Co and Kraus motors and many others were front and center supporting the local scene. That and a custom bike show sponsored by Hot Bike, Street Chopper & Baggers Magazine, had the infield covered with everything ranging from high and tight SoCal style FXR’s to vintage Indian’s and Harley’s creating the perfect walkway from the amphitheater to the race-track.
The Hooligan circus is a bevy of characters riding a large variety of machines. From the Vintage Scout of Jim Otlete to the SMCO boys Aaron #46 and Shaun #66 Guadardo of Suicide Machine Co. representing for the bar and shield the field and talent was deep. Sean was very fortunate after sliding out in front of Josh Johnson #13 during the races. He came out of the corner, flipped a 180 and ended up staring down Josh’s front forks with no where to go but right into them. Breathless and with a sore neck and back, in true Hooligan spirit, he got up after a few minutes and walked off the track smiling smashed helmet in hand.
Of course, Cameron Brewer and our own Roland Sands were present piloting two of the House of Machine built Indian Scout’s. Cameron was recovering from a tangle at a prior race and was seen performing field medical care of his own accord removing some stitches to free up movement in his hand. And apparently it worked, because he was able to swing a tight pass on the inside that ultimately took him to a third place finish over-all. The day also saw Andy “Denim” Bell #23 (Nitro Circus) winthe LCQ, Travis Newbold #47 (Former Pikes Peak Winner) took the win in the Trophy dash ahead of Sands and Bell moving on to the Main. Brendon Lutes #77 (Fast House Racing) was on an Indian Scout as well.
As for Sands, Sunday wasn’t his to win, finishing second in his heat and crashing out then remounting to finishing second in the Hooligan Trophy dash. But that didn’t seem to bother him one bit. It was apparent that he was getting more enjoyment out of watching his friends do what they love. “This event is really about getting people riding and exposing people to flat track. Every kid or adult who watches us race and thinks, hey, maybe I should do this is bound to catch the bug. It’s so much fun, it’s hard not to want to be involved once you see it go down.”
Bringing the heat from Florida, the Hooligan series saw two new racers this past weekend. Husband and wife, Jason Paul Michaels and Leticia Cline (Standard Motorcycle Co.) Jason piloted RSD’s Triumph Scramble-Tracker. Fortunately he looks better than he races and can recover pretty well from being crossed up. Good looks and bad jokes aside, he managed to keep it up-right though and made it to the semi-finals despite getting shoved into the wall by Tyler Heuertz #454 on his T-bar’d Dyna who ended up taking 2nd in Super Hooligan on a borrowed Sportster.
Leticia, obviously having more grace and better throttle control than Jason, took the RSD Yama-Tracker around the track with a steady pace through-out practice and the races. We asked what she thought about taking a 500+ lb machine around a grass track with a bunch of testosterone fuel’d males and this is what she had to say.
“It was my first time racing hooligan and this track felt more like an initiation track being that it was grass and filled with holes and ruts which made it even more intimidating, but so much fun. I felt like I was in my back yard racing with all my friends like when I was a kid. That's what I love about hooligan, you can come out here and ride whatever you want and just have a good time. It takes it back to why we started riding motorcycles to begin with and at places like Lost Highway make it even more fun. "
With a laundry list of racers, the roster also had ru along with Team Rusty Butcher, Meatball (Hell on Wheels), Josh Johnson of Broken Homme, T Bone from Noise Cycles and of course Gabe "Three Case" Vidiro (Bennett’s Performance) to keep it truly Hooligan. Needless to say, the track was almost as wild and slippery as the race field.
"Our little grass track at the lost highway ended up being a blast. The track got better and better as the day went on. It was off camber, bumpy and still completely shredable. Everybody laid it down to put on a great show for the crowd and the cameras. Grass track is back!!"
When walking through the pits and around the festival it almost seemed as though we’d stepped back in time to a period when racing was a lifestyle and not so much a sport driven by ego, politics or money. Everyone had a smile on their face. You could find the Hooligans wrenching on one another's bikes, breaking bread or giving one another a hard time between time on the track. After the race it was beers and cheers for everyone as any full cooler was a free for all. And it certainly didn’t hurt that Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Social Distortion and a handful of other bands with a timeless sound were jamming in the background.
For a lucky group, they found the Lost Highway and marked it on their maps and some raced. We hope if you didn’t that you will next time. We know we will!
We’d like to thank all our racers and the fans who came out to be a part of what we’re trying to build here. It’s our hope that it will continue to grow and that we can bring Hooligan racing to every major city before too long. We’d also like to thank Indian Motorcycles for supporting the Hooligan Racing effort, without their support this wouldn’t be possible.
The second annual Lost Highway Motorcycle Show & Concert-- a motorcycle, music, and camping destination festival--named one of Rolling Stone's '30 Must See Festivals This Summer', will be held on Saturday, July 23rd at San Manuel Amphitheater & Festival Grounds in San Bernardino, CA, beneath the picturesque San Bernardino Mountains. The Southern California festival has just announced the additions of Foghat and Tyler Farr to the stellar lineup of musical acts as well as Roland Sands Design Super Hooligan flat track motorcycle racing presented by Indian Motorcycle. Brett Young, Bullets & Octane and Hall Pass are also joining with live performances on Friday night at the official kick-off party in the K-FROG Lost Highway Campgrounds. Tickets and weekend camping packages for Lost Highway are available now at www.LostHighwayFest.com
Roland Sands Design’s and Indian Motorcycle’s recent Hooligan racing efforts are a throwback to ‘30s era racing, when you raced – and could ride home on – any bike you owned.With its roots in Southern California motorcycle culture, today’s flat track Hooligan racing category is rapidly gaining in popularity with riders of all ages and experience levels across the nation by offering the fun of motorcycle competition in a less structured environment, as this class lets racers ride their street-legal motorcycles. RSD’s Super Hooligan flat track motorcycle race presented by Indian Motorcycle will put on a rowdy show of aggressive street bike racing at Lost Highway with an eclectic mix of riders on different bikes, all for the fans!
Want to race with us? Rules are loose at best and allow for stock framed 750cc and larger twins, triples, fours etc… Must be an OEM streetbike. No Framers will be allowed. Dirt track tires or rain tires are preferred. No Nobbies. No front brakes.