The madcap indoor racing group rolls into the upper left coast
In Milwaukee, Wisconsin they have a winter tradition that gathers together everyone on a February weekend for all things motorcycle, called the Mama Tried Show. On Friday night, during the show, fans pack the Fiserv Forum for an annual race night called Flat Out Friday. Nathan Baron attended and covered these events for Road Dirt the past couple of years. We compared notes over the phone about the mischief and shenanigans Geoff and I experienced at Flat Out Friday when they made their inaugural debut on the West Coast, at the Portland Expo Center, as part of the 15th annual One Motorcycle Show.
“Chatty Madi” does the trackside inteviews; MC Micah Kranz on a “Boonie Bike”; DJ Kev grooving the fans and racers, even during afternoon practice.
Flat trackers will race almost anywhere, at any time, and on any surface, even on a concrete floor coated with just enough Dr. Pepper syrup to lay down some rubber! Think about the last time you were in a movie theater and your feet made that sticky sound as you shifted in your seat. It’s water soluble, so it’s easy to wash out and clean up after the indoor event.
“Wouldn’t you like to be a Pepper too?”; AFT rider Shelby Miller #45; Kenan Duncan #44.
Upon arriving at the Portland Expo Center to photograph practice, we found the Flat Out Friday crew to be organized and friendly to the racers and us. Geoff and I went through the pits to visit racers we recognized. The West Coast flat track family is large, and we don’t often get to see each other as much as we would like, so a chat to catch up was in order. The track workers and flagman were also locals who were hired to work the event and knew some of the riders too. The crew enjoyed wearing the Flat Out Friday logo shirts and their famous “Where’s Waldo” shirts.
The Flat Out Crew; “Stretcher please!”; Brandon Williams, Mt. St. Helens Motorcycle Club.
Once practice and the first heats were over, the stage was reset for the main event and fans started arriving at 6 PM, filling the bleachers until there was standing room only. Then the racing began with 8 lap main heats, 10 lap last chance qualifier races, a kids bicycle race, Icon Stunt riders, and a relay race all before the 16 ten lap mains: Three Wheeler, Electric Bicycle, BTR, MadDawg, 50cc, 50+ Senior Main, Open Electric, Open Women, 65/85cc, Open Am, AA/Pro, Staycyc, Hooligan, Boonie, Vintage, and finally the Goofball complete with outrageous costumes and hysterics. As you can imagine, a wild night.
Icon stunt rider; Icon rear braking system with 3 calipers; Kid’s race, the future of flat track.
The One Motorcycle Show’s own Thor Drake rode the Ryvid electric bike to claim second place and join in the fun. Flagman Robert Lawrence proposed to his fiancé during the intermission for an added bit of excitement. Families cheered for their kids and other riders. You could see the cell phone flashes from the fans, as everyone enjoyed the evening. We hope to be back next year to see what the 2nd annual West Coast Flat Out Friday may bring. This was truly an amazing experience and a fun family event.
Thor Drake on the Ryvid electric motorcycle; She said yes to the flagman; Goofball race; Goldwing Goofballs.
Stay tuned for our report and photo gallery of the 2024 One Show!
Barb Nickless
*photos by Geoff Nickless
It was a grand time, and my personal highlight was the young lad being interviewed, and described his last corner save and pass as ‘scary’. Doesn’t get more real than that.