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KLAMATH
FALLS FALLS - the Soap Opera I began to work with Grubin on this new race, and to get Hammer & Tongs off the ground. For me this was an end-run; go around the problem altogether. Let Ahrma be. But Dirk thought it would be better to get involved in Ahrma, and put on an race, and lead by example. I was skeptical, and thought there would be more fighting ahead, but I promised to help him in whatever he was doing, and Ahrma in general where I could. And this is how we became partners. The first Hammer & Tongs Race was a lot of work, but it enjoyed success, and has gone on and grown into a Summer Series. Dirk's Ahrma Regional at Johnston Ranch was also a lot of work and also a great race. Dirk had made it clear from the beginning that the second KFalls Race would be a two day event. He had found a cool track with a huge field across the road. To keep everyone happy he was going to be running PV Classes on the Saturday on the track, and Vintage could happen in a natural terrain Situation. You'd THINK everyone would have been happy. But Dirk began to experience mounting resistance- and often in an indirect way. It was suggested that PV Classes not be run. Dirk said No- he had made a promise to the Riders of the Northwest. Then Dick Mann decided he didn't like the track. The given reason was the soil, the trees. Indirectly PV would be separated. Dirk stuck to his guns and said NO- it would be here at this location. Then a call came (from the then Trials Coordinator) that Dirk's race would be July 3rd; the day before Independence Day. Dirk saw this not as a real date but as manipulation; American Families like to spend the 4th of July in a traditional way: BBQing in the backyard, helping decorate the float, relaxing by the pool. It is important to keep in mind where Klamath Falls is- it's not like Carnegie, or Woodland- within an hour of major cites. And it goes without saying that driving home from a regional motocross race is not in the cards for anyone's July 4th. Dirk began to have the strong impression that he was being jacked around. Now sick & tired of the whole thing said OK the hell with it - the race is off. THIS caused men further up the chain at AHRMA to say Oh for God's Sake... and soon Dave Janiec the Chairman of the Board of Directors called Dirk, said what can I do to make it happen? Dirk said sorry, not playing games anymore. Meanwhile I (CJ) was blissfully unaware of any this. Dirk & I had a few phonecalls and I admit I was surprised that there would have to be such a huge problem. Dirk descibed how frustrating it all was. Why all the drama? Unless all this is a power struggle or some kind of Generation War I can't think of a good reason. As a side note the July 3rd 2005 date eventually was assigned to the Spokane Track. Of course it lost money with thin showings from both PV and Vintage. The track subsequently no longer interested in Vintage. My friend Ed Parsons came over to point out how disappointing the PV showing was. And I had to agree. And this is precisely the reason why a PV stand-alone series is such an absurd suggestion. |
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New Diredtion I said what about the Indy 500? But he was serious, and had a idea that we could have a joint race between AHRMA and Hammer & Tongs Classes. The reasons for this would be threefold. a) attract back the many PV Riders who had stopped renewing their AHRMA Licenses because there were no races in Washington/Oregon/Idaho/Montana. Dirk got the OK from Dave Lamberth, AHRMA's Executive Director to have a one time thing where people were not going to be required to buy the AHRMA license. b) a National Level Track is expensive-$10,000 (!) and JUST to pay the bill we would need all the entrants we could get, and the many non-Ahrma racers would not stay home on account of a $40 license. c) we would actually get to race Washougal before it was turned into a Mall or Housing Development. The hope is that it would begin a tradition at least as long as the track is around. While Racers everywhere were thrilled, it was a short time before Dirk began to receive calls about why it couldn't be an AHRMA race. And while that wrangling went on, Dirk got a phonecall- New
Region would Dirk be the coordinator of the a Pacific Northwest Region? Dirk answered I’ll do it if CJ does it. Translation: I’ll be the Vintage Coordinator, if CJ is the Post-Vintage Coordinator. Really it is one job done by two people. Meanwhile (again) I was quite surprised to learn this. I said You better be kidding! I'm already dying under the weight of trying to do all the VDR Results and now organize Hammer & Tongs on top of that- there's no way I can take on Ahrma as well. But Dirk pointed out that quitting never solved anything and that Ahrma was all of us, both of which I couldn't argue with. So in the end we decided to go for it. After all we were supposed to STEP UP. But how was this New Region thing going to work? We were supposed to put together a Proposal and present it at the AHRMA Board Meeting at the Farm. Dirk asked me to put together a team so that it wasn't just two people trying to do all the work, and that's how the A-Team came to be.... |
OK- To sum it up: Dirk & I were on the far end of an online war
of words in 2003 on the Gas It & Go Forum, and after being told
that it was wrong to "criticize volunteers" and that if we
wanted something we
should "step up' we did. But we had different ideas on how to do
it. 
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