The Stampede: Prequel To Born Free Motorcycle Show
Speedway racing on a mish-mash of oddball bikes
The Stampede kicked off the weekend’s excitement for the Born Free motorcycle show yesterday at the legendary Costa Mesa Speedway in Orange County, California. The night’s festivities included short-track racing of everything from tank-shifting Harleys to rigid-frame minibikes and liquid-cooled Indians.
The event saw racers and spectators from many walks of life. To be certain, beards and tattoos were in no short supply at the Speedway on this evening. Any action-sports fan will have also noted some familiar names flying by the grandstands – and one almost into the grandstands. Steve Caballero, one of the original pro skateboarders, piloted a tank-shifting Harley-Davidson Flathead 45. Caballero celebrated a little too hard on his first heat race of the evening, sending himself and the vintage motorcycle into the wall at relatively low speed. The rider/skater was unharmed in his spill. We also saw freestyle motocross champions Carey Hart on an Indian Scout and Jeremy “Twitch” Stenberg on a modified H-D 750 Street.
There is no better way to get the blood pumping than raucous engine noise being blasted out of upturned, fishtail exhaust pipes and being pelted with sand at track side. Let’s not forget that this event sets the mood for the weekend’s upcoming Born Free 9. Think loud, ridiculous, unbridled fun.
I will be at the Born Free festivities this Saturday. If you see me, say hello, tell me a funny joke or a hilarious anecdote. I’ll be the one with the pierced ears, tattoos, and flat cap on, so I should be fairly easy to find. I hope to see some of you there!
Ryan’s time in the motorcycle industry has revolved around sales and marketing prior to landing a gig at Motorcycle.com. An avid motorcyclist, interested in all shapes, sizes, and colors of motorized two-wheeled vehicles, Ryan brings a young, passionate enthusiasm to the digital pages of MO.
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Wow - based on the riders this sounded like an *All-Star* race! Location-Location-Location. Wish I could have been there sounded like a blast!
Those pictures are awesome. Looks pretty grass roots. Nice to see the known and unknown having a good time together.