Early 1990s AMA and WERA photos

For Throwback Thursday, I though y'all might like to see some pics that were scanned from negatives. The late 80s and early 90s just seemed to be a cool time for racing. Ducatis were storming the world, plenty of characters racing, Colin was beginning his rockstar lifestyle, tobacco money was flowing... and plenty of 'nice' team colors filled the paddock.

And it was fun taking pictures with a basic Pentax and zoom lens 'cause you never knew how the photos would turn out until you stopped by the drug store and picked up the pack of pictures. All the pics are here and include the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Here is Charlotte 1993. The smell of 2 strokes and nice wood board chicanes attached to the asphalt which would keep the cornerworkers busy picking up pieces that popped off when guys went by...







The paddock was always great:



This is me getting a poster signed by Colin and Jamie - we all had so much hair back then... sigh.



oh sweet baby

 

And to the big racing!

Hay bales anyone? Remember Polen nailing one in the air going on the bowl and dropping a cylinder? Bam! Vrooommmmmm...













giddy up!



Next will be some WERA Rockingham pics.

 

Thanks for the classic pictures.

 

Kipp on the Camel - very cool. A couple of years later he was the first cat I ever saw in person getting smoke off a tire backing it into T1 @ Loudon.

Good stuff :up:

 

Very pics!!
:up:

 

Way cool dude....

 

Thanks!

I had tons of beers with Picotte.

 

I bought the ‘93 TZ that Rich is on. Raced it in Hawaii then the AMA in ‘98, ‘99 & the first part of ‘00.

 

#64 on the 250 - Ienatsch?

 

Bad Mother Fucking Ass!!!

 

The Rock! Went down with a buddy and took pics of him and others we met in the paddock. I had a few addresses written on a paper with the photos and some prints and negatives were missing so I must have mailed them to the other guys. I do remember a great close viewpoint coming out of an infield corner where the bikes would slide and the NASCAR wall with 'Rockingham' would be in the background.

This was also a vintage weekend so that was neat. I rode my cafe'd '79 RD400 Daytona Special down to Rockingham from Raleigh which about killed me.











This is my buddy on his GSXR:



good times.

 

Somebody call Chaotic and tell him he has homework tonight.

 

Maybe.

 

Yes. I had a copy of one of those pics at Road Atlanta later that year (or maybe the next) and we talked some and he autographed it.

I also remember Mike Harth's tire blowing out on the oval... Man, Mike was tough. I talked with him later at Atlanta about that.

 

I am convinced that according to Chaotic racing didn't exist until 1999.

 

Now I know where Chip and KWS got their paint scheme.

 

How sad is it that I can remember watching those cats race like it was yesterday?

Jamie James and Colin - damn. I still have their posters from back in the day, along with Lawson's from when he won the 200 on the Yammi in '93.

 

I remember my buddy wheeled his V&H FZR into the pits to get Colin to sign it. He did it willingly and said "Here, man, lemme get you some posters". He grabbed a handful out of the trailer, walked back to us, looked at em and said "Shit, lemme get the other one, my hair looks better". Jamie just rolled his eyes.

 

Road Atlanta GNF 1992. Suzuki Cup! Kurt Hall was the man!







I'm pretty sure this is Gibb on the last year's Camel bike



What battles...



I don't think it was this year, but I remember it being cold for one of the GNFs and it started snowing for a while. We would see racers who had wrecked coming back to the pits with Georgia clay and feathers coming out of winter coats they were wearing over leathers.

We would trek around and watch from the infield side of the fence where the pits are now. And of course Gravity Cavity...

 

great pics. thanks for taking the time to post them.