O.I.R history remembered

O

OIR_Old

PR Member
Ohio International Raceway is featured in todays Record courier. Sunday december 30 2012. This is the local portage county newspaper. Im sure you can find it on line. Its not much but its cool. The date featured is October 8, 1974. They have a great picture of the sidecar race, that was the first sidecar race ever in the United States. Just wanted to share this, im sure there are a few of you who were there. I was but I was also 3 yrs old so I can't say I remember anything. Good luck to all in the new year. Huge thanks to Jason Rogers for taking over and getting O.I.R back in shape. Cant wait to watch the first race next year! Thanks everyone for you continued support of our track. Chris Mosher
 
P.S Im horrible with computers. If anyone can, please post the pictures from the paper. I have no idea how to do that. LOL Thanks
 
Hey Chris. I couldn't access it online without subscribing...sorry. Looking forward to seeing you out there next year.
 
I recieved a call from Dave Sferra (he ran OIR from 1980 to 2000) and he was talking about how he, with OIR and Jerry McLaughlin with Malvern had been the two key tracks in starting the CRA. Just thought it is kind of ironic that here we are 2013, some 33 years later and those same two tracks are involved in starting something new again. History really does repeat itself.
 
I remember back in 91 going off the track and ending up in seven foot ditch that was covered by weeds. I look up, and theres ol Dave on his fat-cat saying hey wata u doin down there! Some of the best times of my life were out there! I was at the last real race there, which was held by the Hands and me and my boy Steve Pfaff were the last ones to leave. After we drank many a beer, we locked the gate up for Dave Hand and said goodbye to one of Ohios best tracks. Its so cool Jason is bringing her back! Always looked up to Jason as one of the great local pros and now one of the great track promoters. really looking foreward to this year. Cant wait to see everyone there!
 
I raced my first race there on a hodaka 100, sometime in 1971. Raced there through 1977. That was one of the longer tracks back then, 20 minutes motos x 2. Trying to remember the guy that ran the bike shop up on rt. 5 back then. Think it might have been Frank Jackson, maybe. Can picture him, but not sure on the name.
Mike Hawkins
 
firehawkmph said:
I raced my first race there on a hodaka 100, sometime in 1971. Raced there through 1977. That was one of the longer tracks back then, 20 minutes motos x 2. Trying to remember the guy that ran the bike shop up on rt. 5 back then. Think it might have been Frank Jackson, maybe. Can picture him, but not sure on the name.
Mike Hawkins
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Dallas York owned both Twin Falls Sportcycles. Does anybody remember the practice tracks out by RT.5, I remember cutting school on Wednesday's to go ride, GOOD TIMES!
 
O.i.r

firehawkmph said:
Not that one. I know who he is.
Mike Hawkins
Click to expand...

I raced there back in either 77 or 78.
Good times,had a 77 RM125 and then bought a new RM125 in 78 ,cant remember which I raced there.
Have some pics somewhere,I will have to see if I can find them
 
Frank Jackson was the big guy with the beard. He helped my dad at the track. He also worked with Portage cycle I think. Everyone had crazy nicknames back then. I think he was called Fast Frank and his wife was Munch, a short little dark haired lady. Those are the good times I remember at the track, Id like to forget the last three years if I could !!!!!!!!! Last I knew Dallas York worked at Klaben Ford as a service writer. As for the Fat cat, I can still picture Dave riding around the track, white tee shirt pack of Marlboro reds in the pocket. Those were the days!!!!!!!!!!!! Look forward to the future of our track and the OMA !
 
me and steve pfaff grew up racin there with his dad jack, i always looked up to jack, he would push me and steve till one day we were pushin him,anyway i remeber runnin the track the other direction and i was on my first 80 my dad got me, there was always a mud puddle on the top of the uphill that i would always land in, well after practice my dad told me to just pinn it up the hill all the way to clear it, so first moto guess what i did, but i hit powerband at the very top, and straight looped out and landed flat on my back in that old mud puddle, bike flew bout 20 feet farther.what memories of oir, cant wait to make some more, safe ones though .hause ive never seen a post from u on pitracer, stranger.
 
Frank Jackson-Portage Cycle. That's who I was thinking of. I remember OIR having a jump contest during the 250 moto. They used the uphill jump, had a guy with a pole for a marker standing up on top off to the side. He would keep moving back and marking the landing spots. I don't remember what the prize was, either a t-shirt or $20, something like that. One day I'm standing on top watching and a Kaw 250 comes flying over (75-76 vintage) and on landing breaks in two right behind the steering head. Front end went off to one side, rest of the bike went the other way, and the rider went rolling up the middle. Don't remember him getting hurt bad. Saw the same thing happen to Nils Arne Nilson at the old Mid Ohio track when he was riding one of the first 125 factory huskies.
Mike Hawkins
 
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