Glendale Buell Race Team

Sunday was great, I got a chance to see Willow Springs for the first time but the best part was the opportunity to be there to see how the pits work for a race. The first thing I noticed was the organization of the entire operation. Ernie Snair runs a tight ship with ease. His team, which included Steve, Mike, and Alex really worked hard to keep the pits working.

I arrived around 09:30 and they were setup and McGinley was on the field for his practice laps. Throughout the day this small but extremely proficient team worked together like a well oiled machine. In addition to running the show Ernie also takes care of the maintenance with Steve assisting. Mike took care of making sure things were organized and kept track of the Glendale Buell assets. Alex whipped up some mean burgers and dogs for us on the grill but more importantly she kept her ears on so Ernie and Crew could focus on the job at hand. She never missed a beat and the team was ready to go on time, every time.



You will have to forgive me for my ignorance on this track and the different classes as I am a newbie. As I get a few more races under my belt I will provide more information on the event. I am also working on getting some video together.


Patrick McGinley (71)

After Erine and Steve prepped his bike for the race Patrick did a once over on the bike. It is always a good idea to have a fresh set of eyes look at the bike before you head out. No better person to do that than the rider.



Just a few days earlier Patrick injured his ankle and was walking with a limp. This was also his first time on this particular bike (XB12R). Despite his injury and unfamiliarity with the bike he got out there and placed 4th.

I had a lot of fun photographing them on the track. It is not easy to do but I think some of these photos turned out OK.









Patrick does production (I think he is a cameraman) for film and TV and unfortunately had to be on-set in the afternoon, so after his run he headed back to LA. What a day, racing in the morning and working on a movie set in the afternoon. This is one of the things that I am referring to when I say Adventure Riding from the SoCal Perspective. Where else in the world could you do this? This place really is an adventure; I love living here.


Jeff (Slipp) Dixon (883)

Jeff is a Racing Instructor with Fast Track Riders and he DJ's in his day (more likely night) job. Jeff started racing at a very young age and has been at it on and off for about 12 years.

Two weeks ago he had an accident on the track which resulted in internal bleeding, bruised organs, and a punctured lung. Despite that he got on the bike this weekend and ran a great race.

The first round resulted in a mechanical failure on the first lap. The crew and supporters watched as he rounded the first turn only to notice that he was having some issues. Once they got the bike back into the pit Ernie found that there was a problem with the clutch. After working on it for about 30-45 mins Ernie made the command decision to move to the XB12R McGinley rode earlier in the day.



The mothership was out of commission for the day. Jeff started to familiarize himself with his new ride. This would be his first time riding this bike (McGinley rode it for the first time on Sunday as well). After a number swap, some adjustments to the suspension, and refueling, the bike was ready to go.



Jeff started the first lap in 4th place and by the end of turn one was in 3rd. I think the first lap was him getting used to the bike but he maintained the 3rd position until the third lap.

Here Jeff is chasing 2nd.



Then in lap three he pulled off a difficult maneuver and took up the 2nd position leaving a nice gap between him and the previous owner of 2nd. Pretty damn good for a guy who had a punctured lung two weeks prior.

And here Jeff is pulling away from 3rd place.



He chased 1st for the rest of the race but didn't find an opportunity to overtake for the lead. All of the races for the day were limited to six laps.



Here is a shot of the final lap of the day for the Glendale Buell team.




At the end of the day the team pulled in the bikes and tore down the pit. Jeff rolled in and Steve put the bike in the trailer. It is hard to see but the wind started to really kick up after the last race. We started to take down the tents and really had to fight the wind. It was a good thing that there were some other supporters there to help take down the tents otherwise they would have blown away.

Being at the track made me want to start learning to race. Talking to the guys and getting to be around the team really inspires you to get more into bikes. I think a lot of us like the sense of community that comes with being a "biker" and the people behind Glendale Harley Davidson / Buell really make you feel welcome.


Future Races / Events

They race every 3rd Sunday of the month. The pit gets there around 7AM and are there until the last race finishes. I am going to organize a ride out there for next month which will take us through the canyons. There is also talk of a Buell night at the Glendale dealership. If you would like updates on events email me with your info and I will keep you up to date. My email address is motocaliblog@gmail.com.