Russ and his Monster triple engine Honda

Hey joe got any stories about this guy?

Russ, now there’s a guy that’s done it all, I have a lot of good and bad memories about my friend Russ. I’ll relate to one that comes to mind mostly because it short and to the point.

It was at Irwindale Raceway on a Saturday which runs all day into the night. Russ had his triple Honda (ugh) there and having a lot of trouble getting it down the track. There was a lot of Bike Clubs at this race, The Hash***, The Var***, just to name a few. Now these guys bet big money at the races when it gets down to Harley against Honda, especially if it’s between Russ and Me. Russ and I have this Friend/Competitor attitude when were at the same race and the Spectators think it’s an Enemy/Competitor attitude which raises the stakes in the betting. Because of the round coming up was against Russ, I had already been approach by some of the clubs asking me how I felt about the upcoming race, you know, do you think you will win, will you get this guy, shit, blow him away? I understand that day there was around Ten Grand bet between two clubs alone.

Time for the race, every spectator there had filled the stands and along the fence, anticipation was at a high, the guy in the tower was really talking it up over the loud speaker. Russ and I are coming down the fire up road, both lit off and come around behind the starting line. There is a large group surrounding Russ getting him ready for the Burn out, I have my teenage Son ready with the colored water ready for our burn out. Both Bikes make great long Burn Outs. I have to stop here and remind every racer to remember the correct way to stage, (back then anyway) one lights a light and then the other, now it’s time for the racer that lit the first light to light his and so forth. Well, this big Triple Honda has to warm up a little longer than the rest of us and were both at the staging area and I’m look over waiting for Russ to get ready and were sitting there and sitting there and these two crew guys are running around his bike looking things over and this Monster is Idling around 4000 thousand or so, smoke coming from every place. Now, every body knows my Double Idles so low (just under a thousand) that it’s impossible to hear especially over the Honda’s three motors. Finally Russ stages a light, I pull in and stage my first light, then it begins, every Spectator thinks it’s a burn down. It’s time for Russ to stage is other light, waiting, and waiting, finally I see what is going on. My Double will lean over on the out board bearing support for the clutch and sit up right so I lean it over, stand up and cross my arms and look over at Russ and he is bend down ready to go, looks over and see’s me standing and pulls in and lights is last light. Now it’s time to race, I immediately stage, we get the go and Russ right out of the gate smokes the tire and I’m gone.

As it was, I won the race, turning an 8.10, 176. After the race Russ accuses me of doing a Burn Down on him.

Was it a Burn Down, what do you think????

Granddaddy Joe Smith