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know where we were going but ended up driving right to the Golden Gate Bridge. It's red primer not gold...Bob was very disappointed. We stopped at a rest stop / viewing area & we could also
see Alcatraz from where we were. We decided to drive over the bridge & we went about five miles north and got off to turn around. We drove through a residential area and saw a few houses for sale.
We stopped and asked a guy working in his driveway what they were asking for it & he said with a straight face "I think a million fifty". Now granted it did have a view of San Francisco bay but for
that kind of money I want more than a postage stamp lot with an eighty thousand dollar house. Besides if I had that kind of money I would own my own kart track! On the way back we drove down by
Fisherman's Warf and saw some boats, the restaurants a few streetcars and people all over. As it was getting dark we headed back to the motel. The streets are just like on Nash Bridges down hill, cross
street, down hill, cross street and over and over and over. We decided the business to be in was auto brakes and transmitions as they have to wear them out fast with that kind of driving. The traffic for
this country guy was obscene. I can see why they have road rage.
Thursday morning we got up... Oh... about 4:30 AM west coast time. It was a trend we would repeat EVERY DAY we were there
(that's really the days we slept in usually we were up well before that). We had breakfast at the motel. We went back to our room & crashed until it was time to go. I mean after all we had been up
for hours already. I was taking a surfing lesson and Bob & Ron were going to some custom motorcycle shops. Well the drive out there was north of the Golden Gate on RT 1 right along the ocean. The view
was awesome. I was driving and my arms were getting tired of turning the steering wheel. This road was unbelievable. The guys were telling me to slow down and I was only going 15-20 miles an
hour. There was a guy ahead of me on a mountain bike and I was not catching him! Then a guy on a crotch rocket blew by me and just left us in his dust. We stopped along the coast to take a few pictures
of the cliffs and an old lookout they used to guard the coast during WWII. We finally got to Bolinas for my surf lesson and Ron & Bob decided to wait for me instead of going to the bike shops. I had my
lesson & had a great time. The ocean is a really powerful force and I was happy to stand up on my 4th attempt.
Now because Ron and Bob decided to wait for me they went out for lunch. They
went into a small bar and could only compare it to the TV show Northern Exposure. This town is way off the beaten path and I think the locals are a bunch of left over hippies. While the next day was
Halloween the guys could not explain the weird lady with the box on her head and the roll of duck tape she had, but when she took the box off you could see she was using the tape for face decoration purposes. We
blew out of there and headed down to Ron Simms and Arlin Ness's. They had some great custom bikes and Arlin Ness had what I thought to be the best. After leaving them we headed up to Rancho Cordova to the
motel. What was going to be a one and a half hour drive turned into 3 hours with traffic jams as soon as we got on the highway. I just don't know how they can stand it. ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR !
Friday morning the weather was overcast and cool. The track was going to open up at 11:00 AM. We got there about 10:30 and met up with Sue and Ron Cubel, Mike Frediani & Carl Buchanan. We all stood
around talking for a few minutes & the rain started. Carl said he went to Emmick karts that morning and with the rain we decided to run over and check it out. We walked around the shop and saw Ron's 1973
Grand National winning kart and all the modern karts being built. Back to the track and when we got there Vince Hughes and Ron Cubel were there and setting up camp. Ron had brought a kart for Bob & I and
Ron was using one of Mike's. Bob and I started to bolt my engine I had UPS's out to Ron before we left. As we were working Rob Jones, Team Keystone, and Team Woodcutters were pulling in and getting right on
the track. By the time we got our kart together it was getting cold & starting to rain. We all hung around until after dark but it was getting down to the low forty's. For this guy from Ohio
it felt just like it was going to snow.
Saturday arrived bright and sunny and we went to the track. Over night a few more guys pulled in. We got right to it and started getting fuel and
everything ready. Finally Bob went out & ran a few laps & stunk the place up worse than our motel bathroom. He came in & we changed carbs as that set had been giving me some trouble so I had
brought a spare set along. I went out & tuned them in & Bob went back out & spun out about 20 times. Now mind you I only saw him spin out once I think he saved most of them for the back part of
the track where few people could see him. The next thing I know I don't see him coming around then after a few minutes here he comes on the trailer. Some bolts had fallen out of the bottom of the steering
shaft block. Looks like a good part to drill & have safety wired to me. Well when the bolts were falling out they kinda wallowed out the threads & the block was toast and so were we for the rest of
the day. Team Keystone was having some carb trouble and we went over to give them a hand getting their stuff going. A guy pulled in with a truckload of old parts & everyone went scavenging for a while
& Jim Anderson was there with some parts also. While the day went by fast more and more guys pulled in. Tom Thorin showed up all the way from the east coast to be a permanent transplant vintage karter
for the west coast team. Mark Weaverling and a friend were there with Mark's Faller kart, Dean Seavers and his friend were there with their Darts. Marc Parker pulled in with his new "Vista Cruzer Kart
Hauler", Tom Smith, Terry Ives, Dave Bombright, Louie Fagoni and a bunch more people that " I just plain don't remember there names". I think I'm doing good so far remembering this many. We
flushed out my engine & packed and cleaned up our stuff and went around and talked to most everyone and lent a helping hand where needed for the rest of the day. Jerry the track promoter got Ernie Fisher to
flip a bunch of burgers & dogs on the grill and everyone had a great lunch. We hung around at the track till 9:00 PM watching BMX bikes and Dean Seavers son riding around with his cool "light-o-valve
caps" on his bike wheels. This was Ron Cubel's "retirement" party so Sue had bought a bunch of sandwiches and we all just stood around visiting the rest of the night.
We finally bid
our last farewells and headed back to the motel. We didn't stick around for Sunday so Sunday morning we drove back to San Francisco airport & we all flew home arriving back in Cleveland at 9:30 PM. When
we got home it had been warmer in Ohio that it was in California!
I would like to take this time to thank Ron Cubel for bring a kart for us to use and all the extra work that involves. I would like to
thank Sue Cubel for putting up with Ron for all these years. Mike for bringing a kart for Ron Meriman to run and everyone else that made us all feel welcome. Many thanks to all our new karting friends we met
there and shared a great weekend of vintage karting with. Rob Voska
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