Here's some 1980-83 photos at Loudon

[senecak19]

I want one of those front row seats behind the bowl. And is it me or does it seem like theres a lot more spectators their?

[gmdboston]

Hey, did you ever meet a guy back in those days named Ralph Sumner? He started racing then, and continued right up to the early 90's. Always rode Suzukis.

The name sounds familiar. I started racing in 1987 so I may have seen him. At my first race I broke my pelvis and was out until late 1988, then back full time in 1989, so there were a lot of people that I don't know from then.

[gmdboston]

I want one of those front row seats behind the bowl. And is it me or does it seem like theres a lot more spectators their?

Kevin when I started racing the back section of the track behind T6-9 was called Animal Hill. You literally took your life in your hands by going up there during at night during the National. If you brought a girl with you she would taken away from you by the mob. Japanese bike were jump through a bonfire utill they would not run any more, then burned. Cars and trucks were burned and gutted. Each year 1-2 bodies were found either over dosed or murdered. The stands around the old turn 10, 1, 2, 6, 8, and the outside of 2-4 were full of spectators. When I did my first National in 1991 the grand stands were packed in turn 1 and there was a huge crowd in the main grandstands at s/f. The AMA has done every thing they can think of to kill roadracing, but despite there best efforts it still limps along. Now there are more spectators at our club events than at the National. Each year myself and a few friends raid the local movie theaters, stealing the cardboard cutouts of movie stars and duct tape them in the stands to make us feel better.

[bobr]

i remember every year someone ended up in that pond.