Hey ya'll, Joe Kopp here with some new news about summertime Flattrack racing in Spokane, WA.

    Last year as we all know, Mark and Lisa Anderson were gracious enough to build us a brand new outdoor 1/4 mile cushion flattrack at the Spokane County ORV park. Well their plans have changed as they have just recently opened up a new bike shop, Colbert Powersports in Colbert, Wa, plus their son Wyatt is turning Pro this summer when he turns 16, so they want to travel with him to some races back east. So their time at the new track was going to be limited , so that's where I stepped in and for some reason said, "Sure, I'll do it and put on the races". So long story short, here we are trying to get the word out to everyone and let them know the plans. So here they are, as I've got a few different ideas that we are going to try too.

    Starting in May, we are going to be running all Wednesday night races under the lights, with gates opening at 4:00pm, practice  at 6:00pm, and racing at 7:00pm. And we'll be out of there before 10, I promise! The first practice is going to be April 28, Saturday night, under the lights starting around 4:00pm. Then the first race is a few days later on May 2nd, with a race pretty much every three weeks after that, except for dates around the 4th of July holiday.

    You can go to the new track web site at  www.SpokaneSpeedway.com  and check out the practice and race schedule anytime ya want, with other info there too. The web site will be getting more work done to it soon too, as it's not quite done just yet, as I have a track to get ready too!      I am in the process of trying to get some bleachers built, a totally separate beer garden, more fences here and there and many, many other pieces to the puzzle too! So any volunteers that might have some time to come on out and help make this happen, please get in touch with me, ASAP. I'm not really exactly sure what I am getting into right now, as I just decided to tackle this a couple of days ago. Nothing like feeling overly prepared huh?

    Last but not least, I want to wish the Anderson's the best of luck with Wyatt and his racing and in their new business at Colbert Powersports! I hope you can all support their efforts too!  Keep in touch, as I really feel that with everyone's help and word of mouth, that we can turn this Wednesday night racing into a big success!

    Thanks for your time! Joe

Mikey Martin’s

Daytona Beach

Race Report 

Link to report

For years, from its inception in 1937 until the early ’60s, the prestigious Daytona 200 motorcycle race wasn’t merely run at Daytona Beach. Along with other high-speed, high-risk clashes, the 200 was run on Daytona Beach.

In 1948, LIFE magazine covered the races, both amateur and pro, at Daytona (the Road Course opened in 1936) and reported, in its April 19 issue, that “for four days last month the resort city of Daytona Beach could hardly have been noisier — or in more danger — if it had been under bombardment.”

Now, with unpublished and rarely seen photos by Joseph Scherschel (brother of another LIFE photographer, Frank Scherschel), LIFE.com opens a window on a long, loud weekend 70 years ago: a weekend that thrilled racing fans; slightly scandalized one very popular weekly magazine’s editors; and — as if proof was needed that the young sport was still in the hands of rebels and scofflaws — saw two people killed and 30 more injured in the midst of all the high-octane fun.

The 1948 event, which attracted “375 helmeted daredevils and plenty of non-racing hell-raisers,” was marred not only by deaths and injuries but, as LIFE duly noted, by classic knuckleheadism. “Because the antics of an unruly minority reflect on the dignity of motorcycling,” the magazine observed, “the American Motorcycle Association may hire special police at future races. One duty will be to restrain sophomoric cyclists who amused themselves this year by tossing firecrackers into the crowd.”

Ultimately, as LIFE tersely reported, “155 motorcycles started, only 45 finished. Winning rider, Floyd Emde, averaged 84 mph, got $2,000.” What LIFE failed to mention is that Emde (who was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1998) won by the sliver-thin margin of 12 seconds; 1948 was the first time a rider led the race from flag to flag; and it was the last time an Indian Motorcycle won the 200.

2012 Events & Results