Preston Petty
Ted Lapadakis
I have to back
this story up a few years to a point where it will make sense as to
why I was so exhilarated about this event. Chuck
Daly previous recipient and Sachs mechanic to the
stars) had not kept any of the bikes he had helped make so
famous in the late 60’s and early 1970’s. As a matter
of fact, ten or so years ago I went up to his place in Big
Bear and loaded all of the old Sachs parts that were filling his
garage and space under his house. In 2007 he sent
me an e-mail photo of a rolling chassis Sachs with a powder coated
frame and I responded “Are you serious? “ He said that it
might be fun to do a restoration. I had several beat up
but complete bikes in AZ and I brought him one of them. It
took about a year before he put that rusted bike back into factory
original showroom condition. Since then he has picked
up a few more and worked his magic on them.
The rumors were
abundant that there might be a resurrection of the old classic
Catalina GP. It had not been run since the late 1950’s.
I think I started hearing about it at Mammoth and every event
afterwards the volume increased.
I forget the exact
date but Chuck sent me an e-mail with the entry form
attached. I really wanted to enter the event but I was
obligated with work and could not get away for the 5 days it would
take from impound dockside to pick up dockside.
The next e-mail was a
shocker!!! He had gotten an e-mail from Preston Petty
(one of my all-time heroes I had learned a lot from just watching
and listening to him ride and talks with Chuck) inquiring if Chuck
happened to have a DEEK he could ride at the event. Chuck
explained that he did so Preston entered the race.
Chuck needed a place to get the cobwebs out of the bike to check
the jetting , gearing and suspension. I suggested that if he
wanted to come up this way we could go to Scott’s ranch and figure
some stuff out. Chuck is about 4 hours away.
As fate would
have it one of the Kehoe daughters was getting married in
Bakersfield and Chuck and his wife Ellie were invited.
I offered to put them up for the weekend and he could bring the
bike. He did and it was toooo coooool . I hadn’t
ridden one of these in 25 years so it was exciting to get aboard
again. The gearing was off a tad and the suspension was close
(at least for their weight). A few weeks later he
delivered the bike to Preston and the stage was set.
I could only get away
for the day so Friday night Scott and I got down to the San
Fernando Valley and hit the motel 6 with a 4 AM wake- up
call. We had to be at the dock by 5:30 to catch the early
boat over.
The ride went quickly
and right off the bat we ran into Brad and Greg Powell, the `guys
Chuck and Preston were staying with so finding Chuck became much
easier. We followed the streets up towards the start
impound area and with Chuck on the other end of my cell we met
handily and off we went to try to see the races. I lost Scott
in the crowds but I knew we would hook back up at least after the
race back in the pits. Chuck and I found Preston’s ex-wife
and I told her of my endeavors and that I had brought one for
Preston as well as Ted Lapadakis (the motorcycle importer who had
sponsored Preston as well as a host of the top riders back in the
day). Ted was also a racer who had raced this race
before. I broke out the video camera and shot the race from
several vantage points.
The bike held
together and Preston finished the Catalina GP. He had said
that he wanted to be able to tell St. Pete that he had finally
finished this event. Yahooo!!
Back in the pits he
was swarmed by autograph seekers. I found out later he
had been overwhelmed in the days preceding the event. Not
many people had seen this icon for 30 or so years. I found
Ted and he was able to get Preston away for a photo op. Ted
Lapadakis, Preston Petty and Chuck Daly were together for the first
time in close to 40 years. It warms my heart to think
that I had a little to do with all of this. Pretty
Cool. Everyone seems to enjoy receiving my thanks and
recognition awards.
Scott had found us in
time to video the recognition presentation and we were now starving
so off we went to get some breakfast.
The rest of the morning was
spent back at the house talking to Preston , Chuck and the Powell
brothers. Preston had us laughing to tears with some of
his droll humor. Scott and I went up to the MX section and
ran into Willy Simons and Larry Thompson and did some catching
up. (Willy is on my hit list). Just when I think it
doesn’t get any better (here we go again). Scott looks back
at me and asks,” Is that Dan Gurney up in that golf cart?” I
thought it was so we headed in that direction. I introduced
myself and related how much enjoyment he had brought with all of
his racing. I was just a kid when he gave me a Gurney
Eagle tie pin. My dad was racing formula C’s and was a friend
of Lou Spencer’s I explained. He was reading my Extreme
Sports Pioneer hat so I explained what it was all about and that
Joe Leonard was a previous recipient. “ I talk to Joe all the
time “ he responded. “ I would be honored if I could present
you with a recognition plaque” and with that he handed
me one of his cards. Who would have thought I would find one
of my all time racing heroes at the Catalina GP!!!!!
The racing was good
and the rest of the afternoon we bounced between talking to Chuck
and Preston the harbor and the various awards events going on in
various locations. It’s not often you go to a motorcycle
event where you are able to walk a ½ mile to world class food and
shopping let alone the world class view. The only thing that
would have made it any better would to have been riding this
awesome event.
NEXT YEAR !!!!!!! we
hope? Not!!!
Now we’re hearing 2012 for sure!!!
