On Any Sunday
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00:00:00Four million people ride motorcycles in the U.S. They come in all shapes, sizes and ages.
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00:01:31To some people, a motorcycle is work.
00:01:35Or a way to get to work.
00:01:38Or a way to get away from it all to the solitude of the open country.
00:01:43A motorcycle is whatever you want to make it.
00:01:45Turn it on, you can give yourself a real thrill.
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00:02:00A motorcycle is easy to ride, except the first time you try,
00:02:03your next door neighbor, who probably doesn't know himself, is giving you the hot tips.
00:02:07Brake, clutch, shift, throttle.
00:02:10Just simple coordination.
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00:04:13A group of businessmen during the rush hour.
00:04:16The young man with a garment bag over his shoulder is Mert Lawwell.
00:04:1929 years old, 5'6", 143 pounds.
00:04:29He's not a banker, or an accountant, or a salesman.
00:04:33But he is a professional man like the rest.
00:04:36His profession?
00:04:38Motorcycle racer.
00:04:40♪
00:05:01Mert makes his living in one of the most dangerous sports in which man participates.
00:05:06His skill on the racetrack has earned him the right to carry the American Motorcycle Association
00:05:11number one professional plate.
00:05:15He won it by competing in a series of 27 national championship races
00:05:19and scoring the highest number of points during the season.
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00:05:30The speeds he hits are incredible.
00:05:32On the half-mile tracks, one of the races he rides, it's 100 miles an hour in the straights
00:05:37and 80 in the corners within inches of posts and guardrails.
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00:05:57He rides within inches of other riders he literally has to trust with his life.
00:06:02Professional motorcycle racing is a violent world.
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00:06:37Mert Lawil is a gentle man in a violent world.
00:06:47His job as a professional racer takes him on the road about eight months of the year
00:06:51following the national circuit.
00:06:55He leaves his family and home in the suburb of San Francisco called Tiburon
00:06:59to compete for another season in 27 national championship races across the United States.
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00:07:22He and the rest of the pros pilot their machines off starting lines in 16 states.
00:07:2880 horsepower engines and 300 pound machines.
00:07:32That would be like having 2,000 horsepower in your family car.
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00:07:39To win the number one plate, you have to ride five different kinds of races.
00:07:44They each take different machines and different riding techniques.
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00:07:51There are several hundred professional AMA racers in the United States,
00:07:55but there's only about 15 who have the ability to win Mert's number one plate.
00:08:00The riders are guys like Mert.
00:08:02Definitely not the Hollywood image, but highly skilled professionals.
00:08:06Like Dick Mann, a former number one.
00:08:09Gary Nixon, twice number one.
00:08:12Gene Romero.
00:08:14Cal Rayburn.
00:08:17Most are small, around 5'6 or 5'8, and most are young, like Mark Brelsford, 20.
00:08:23Dave Smith, 21.
00:08:26Dave Aldana, 20.
00:08:27Don Castro, 19.
00:08:29Keith Mashburn, 20.
00:08:31Frank Gillespie, 22.
00:08:33Jim Odom, 23.
00:08:36Jim Rice, 23.
00:08:39Watching them in slow motion, they look almost casual in their actions,
00:08:43but they're doing over a hundred miles an hour.
00:08:47Number 24, Jim Rice.
00:08:49Number 14, Ann, the late Ken Presgrove.
00:08:52They don't all make it through each racing season.
00:08:55They're only a handful of people in the world who have the courage and skill
00:08:59to ride a motorcycle like Mert and these professionals.
00:09:07Even with their skill, they get into trouble.
00:09:09The best thing to do to avoid a bad crash is to purposely lay the bike down,
00:09:13like John Hateme is doing, at 80 miles an hour.
00:09:17Keeping us cool and checking traffic behind us,
00:09:20In car racing, you can make some small mistakes, like spinning out.
00:09:23In motorcycle racing, there's no such thing as a small mistake.
00:09:27Even laying it down hurts, leathers and all.
00:09:34Most riders can expect to lay it down several times a season.
00:09:37Some of them are involved in some unbelievable crashes.
00:09:42Keith and Ann, the late Ken Presgrove.
00:09:45Some of them are involved in some unbelievable crashes.
00:09:50Keith Mashburn, number 30X, went right through a 4x4 fence.
00:10:00Ten minutes later, he was picking the strut of his hair,
00:10:02and ten minutes after that, he was back on the track,
00:10:05letting it hang out further than ever.
00:10:07If they didn't have the ability to shake it off and get back on the track,
00:10:11they wouldn't be professional racers.
00:10:13Frank Gillespie, a young California rider, had a bad one too.
00:10:24Down on a dusty track, and out with a broken shoulder.
00:10:28Two weeks later, he's back, ready to race again, broken shoulder and all.
00:10:33Gary Fisher is a good example of the incredible courage these racers have.
00:10:38He was involved in a horrible crash in the Midwest.
00:10:43♪
00:11:04Amazingly, all the riders got up.
00:11:06Gary said he was all right.
00:11:08An hour later, he was taken to the hospital with a broken back.
00:11:12He soaked the cast off in the bathtub, put on a brace instead,
00:11:16and within six weeks, would take the brace off and race.
00:11:21♪
00:11:28To win or keep number one, you have to compete in different types of races.
00:11:32One is road racing, riding various special, highly tuned machines
00:11:36with fairings to cut the wind.
00:11:38Chin on a foam tank pad with very precise methods of throttle, clutch, and brake.
00:11:43♪
00:12:11There are five road races in the early part of the season,
00:12:14from March to the first of June.
00:12:17Road racing is noisy, precise, and very exacting.
00:12:21It's also a graceful and beautiful thing to watch.
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00:14:15Of the five road races they ride, Daytona Beach, Florida is the big daddy,
00:14:20with 30 degree bank turns and blinding speed.
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00:14:35On the banks, there's so much centrifugal force, your suspension is completely bottomed out.
00:14:40Your helmet's banging around, your eyes are forced into their sockets,
00:14:44and your vision is blurred.
00:14:46♪
00:14:54When you're watching from the stands, it's hard to believe that coming off the banks,
00:14:58they're hitting 160 miles an hour.
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00:15:15All on the track!
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00:15:31Try jumping out of your car at 120, and you'll know how he felt.
00:15:35Miraculously, he didn't break a bone.
00:15:38Watch again in ultra slow motion, and you can see the abuse he took.
00:15:42His glove goes flying 30 feet down the track,
00:15:46takes a tremendous jolt.
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00:15:53Watch his right leg get bent under.
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00:15:58It's amazing he didn't break.
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00:16:15Like all forms of racing, road racing is precise.
00:16:18It's got a certain beauty to it, and it's also very dangerous.
00:16:24This is the mile, the most incredible of all dirt track racing.
00:16:29On the straight, Mert hits 130 miles an hour,
00:16:33and around 100, sliding the corners.
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00:16:39Mert's teammate, and kind of protege, Mark Brelsford, number 87.
00:16:44Mark is spectacular on the mile.
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00:16:53Most riders agree, the biggest thrill of all,
00:16:56is to sit up at the end of the straight,
00:16:58and at 120, pitch it sideways.
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00:17:17Mark laid out, feet up, out of the turn,
00:17:21100, 110, 120,
00:17:26and back down the straight, tucked in to reduce the wind resistance.
00:17:31♪
00:17:38When Mert's not racing, he's working on his machines.
00:17:41After each race, the engine is torn down and inspected piece by piece.
00:17:46It's a lot more complicated than twisting nuts and bolts.
00:17:50For instance, each gear in the transmission is ground down by hand,
00:17:54to save a few ounces of weight.
00:17:56♪
00:18:01If he can get a fraction of an ounce off this cam follower,
00:18:04he can pick up a few extra RPMs, and that's an edge over the others.
00:18:09He spends hours alone in his garage,
00:18:12trying to figure out a way to improve an engine part.
00:18:15♪
00:18:25Only another professional racer who maintains his own equipment, like Mert,
00:18:29can really appreciate the work involved.
00:18:32He spends over a thousand hours a year working on his motorcycles.
00:18:36♪
00:18:44It's off to Columbus, Ohio.
00:18:47One of ten cross-country trips Mert makes during the eight-month racing season.
00:18:52He drives his van over 70,000 miles a year,
00:18:56traveling with his friend and helper, Jack Dunn.
00:18:59They don't stay in motels, but drive 24 hours a day,
00:19:03stopping only to eat and refuel.
00:19:06♪
00:19:08Mert is totally dedicated to his profession.
00:19:11He works at it seven days a week.
00:19:13He doesn't have time for many outside interests.
00:19:16Motorcycle racing is his life.
00:19:19He grossed about $50,000 the year before,
00:19:22ended up with about $20,000 after expenses.
00:19:26That's good money, but not what it should be
00:19:29for the skill, knowledge, and dedication he has,
00:19:32let alone the risks.
00:19:34♪
00:19:36For most people, San Francisco to Columbus, Ohio,
00:19:39would be four days.
00:19:41For Mert and Jack, 27 hours non-stop.
00:19:45They don't arrive a day early and relax.
00:19:48When the pit gates open at 8.30, they arrive at 8.30.
00:19:52♪
00:19:57An hour later, after driving all night,
00:20:00he's on the track going sideways at 80 miles an hour.
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00:20:19Before each race, there's about an hour of practice.
00:20:22They aren't practicing riding,
00:20:24they're experimenting with frame geometry,
00:20:26gearing and tires, most suitable for this track.
00:20:30There's a lot more to racing than holding the throttle wide open.
00:20:34Tires alone are an exact science to them,
00:20:37with different rubber compounds and different tread designs.
00:20:41Even a pound or two difference in air pressure
00:20:44makes a difference in handling.
00:20:46Before each race, they cut their tires with razor blades
00:20:49for added traction.
00:20:51Each rider has special cuts, and they change from hour to hour,
00:20:54depending on the condition of the dirt.
00:20:57♪
00:21:01There are many things to attend to before a race,
00:21:03like taping on these clear plastic strips called tear-offs.
00:21:07Some riders stack up five or six and rip them off one by one
00:21:11as the flying dirt sticks and obscures their vision.
00:21:15It's gotta be a real thrill
00:21:18just to reach up and find that tab at 100 miles an hour.
00:21:22♪
00:21:27The last thing they strap on before a race is their steel skid shoe,
00:21:31custom-made for each rider,
00:21:33with the shape of the bottom sliding surface
00:21:35buried to suit the rider's style.
00:21:37♪
00:21:44The 20-lap half-mile in Columbus, Ohio.
00:21:47Merted won the race two years in a row.
00:21:50A win today would put him in good shape
00:21:52to keep his number one plate another year.
00:21:55A $6,000 purse and 60 points, Mert wanted both.
00:22:01On the starting line,
00:22:03watching for a flicker of movement from the flagman,
00:22:06he's like a gunfighter.
00:22:08No show of emotion, not even a blink.
00:22:11Total concentration.
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00:22:54Mert was riding beautifully, stretching out his lead.
00:22:57He'd done everything right.
00:22:59He'd chosen the right tire.
00:23:01He'd picked up those extra few RPMs
00:23:03by grinding down his camp follower.
00:23:06His machine was perfectly set up,
00:23:09and he was riding like the national champ he is.
00:23:12♪
00:23:18The crowd sensing victory and urging him on.
00:23:21♪
00:23:24On the last lap, the pack came around, but no Mert.
00:23:28Here he came in last place out of the race
00:23:31with a broken throttle cable, a $2 part.
00:23:36It cost him the 60 points he needed,
00:23:39and his share of the purse, instead of several thousand,
00:23:43was $116.
00:23:47It was a pretty disappointing day.
00:23:49♪
00:23:54It would be tough with the races left
00:23:56to earn enough points to keep number one.
00:24:01By Monday, Mert was back on the road
00:24:03heading for more races
00:24:05and hitting the gourmet restaurants along the way.
00:24:09You may survive the race, but not the restaurant.
00:24:12♪
00:24:17Mert went on to win three national races.
00:24:20He greatly enjoys the things that come with winning.
00:24:24♪
00:24:29What followed him through the season
00:24:31was an unbelievable string of bad luck.
00:24:34He broke down in nearly half the championship races,
00:24:38often little things like a throttle cable,
00:24:41or an electrical short, or a tire tread coming off.
00:24:45Here at Terre Haute, Indiana,
00:24:47with a half a lap lead,
00:24:49Jack Dunn just knew something would happen.
00:24:53And it did.
00:24:54Mert pulling off with a broken crankshaft.
00:24:57♪
00:25:02He'd brake, bounce back, brake again, race again,
00:25:07but now it was too late.
00:25:09With the races left to run,
00:25:11there was no way Mert could earn enough points
00:25:13to regain his number one plate.
00:25:15♪
00:25:23The plate he'd ridden 12 years to win,
00:25:25and had one season, he'd now have to give to someone else.
00:25:29There were four riders who had enough points
00:25:31to have a shot at ending up number one.
00:25:34One was Mert's best friend, Dick Bugsy Mann, number two,
00:25:37the veteran of the circuit.
00:25:38Not only excels at each of the five AMA events,
00:25:41but is highly skilled in motocross as well.
00:25:44There's no one who's more respected by his fellow riders
00:25:47and the fans than Dick Mann.
00:25:50On the VSA number two, Dick Bugsy Mann.
00:25:53♪
00:25:56The second rider who could win the number one plate,
00:25:59one of the youngest, 20-year-old Dave Aldana,
00:26:02his first year as professional expert.
00:26:05David Aldana, the crazy kid from Santa Ana, California.
00:26:09♪
00:26:12Off the track, he's conservative
00:26:14compared to his action on the track.
00:26:16♪
00:26:21He crashed 15 times during the year
00:26:23at speeds up to 120 miles an hour,
00:26:26and was never hurt.
00:26:28David said, you never know how fast you can go
00:26:30until you fall down.
00:26:33If he didn't crash, he often won.
00:26:36The third rider in contention was Gene Romero.
00:26:39Gene's nickname is Burrito.
00:26:40He's the most flamboyant of all the professional racers,
00:26:43but is very serious about his racing,
00:26:45particularly late in the season
00:26:47when he wanted the points for number one.
00:26:51♪
00:26:57I don't want to hurt anybody, but I just want to get out there
00:26:59and I gotta get third no matter what.
00:27:01♪
00:27:03Boy, is it gonna be either one?
00:27:05I gotta get third or come and visit me at the hospital.
00:27:07I dig carnations, man.
00:27:09♪
00:27:11The fourth and final rider who could be number one
00:27:13was Jim Rice.
00:27:15Jim, the winningest rider on the circuit,
00:27:17had taken the checkered flag six times,
00:27:19as many times as anyone ever had in a season.
00:27:23The number one plate would be decided
00:27:26at Sacramento, California in September.
00:27:30♪
00:27:34Quite different from the national circuit
00:27:36is the on-any-Sunday world of motocross.
00:27:40♪
00:27:47A motocross track is uphill, downhill, jumps, bumps,
00:27:50mud, rocks, and dust.
00:27:52The rougher, the better.
00:27:54♪
00:28:06Competition is still the name of the game.
00:28:08It doesn't matter whether you're battling for first or 31st,
00:28:11it's just as fierce.
00:28:14Here's a classic confrontation for 10th place.
00:28:17The guy in the yellow figures he'll zap his buddy
00:28:20through the puddle and cover his glasses with mud and water
00:28:23so he can't see, and that'll put him behind.
00:28:26But his pal just threw away his $40 prescription lenses
00:28:30and passed him right back again on the corner.
00:28:33♪
00:28:42When some riders start getting behind,
00:28:44they panic and try a shortcut through the giggle weeds.
00:28:48When they can no longer race, it's simple frustration.
00:28:51♪
00:28:58Getting your bike stuck in the mud is bad enough.
00:29:01Getting your body stuck in the mud is the worst.
00:29:04♪
00:29:08Especially when it's your girlfriend who has to dig you out.
00:29:11♪
00:29:23Everyone makes mistakes riding motocross,
00:29:25even world champion, Ben Albert, here, going over the handlebars.
00:29:29Somehow when Albert gets off, he does it with a certain style and grace.
00:29:33Everyone crashes now and then, but not often with style and grace.
00:29:38More often, the classic flying W.
00:29:41♪
00:30:01♪
00:30:13Yahoo!
00:30:14Yahoo!
00:30:15Yahoo!
00:30:16Yahoo!
00:30:17♪
00:30:40♪
00:31:00♪
00:31:10Missing a turn and going off the course is a common error.
00:31:14The classic was this guy, running eighth,
00:31:17who cut the course and nailed his buddy running third.
00:31:21♪
00:31:37You wonder how they get into the positions they do.
00:31:42The one kid who was laughing so hard, he got stomach cramps.
00:31:46♪
00:32:00Thousands of riders compete in motocross in the United States.
00:32:03One of them is Steve McQueen.
00:32:07On the starting line, he's not an actor out for a ride.
00:32:10He's 100% motorcycle racer.
00:32:13♪
00:32:23There's no one with a more competitive instinct.
00:32:26When he gets on his race face, the world could be falling down around him,
00:32:30but all he sees is the track.
00:32:32♪
00:32:38A one million dollar body out there,
00:32:40with the possibility of being used by someone for traction in a corner.
00:32:45If the movie studio moguls realized what he was doing on a Sunday afternoon,
00:32:49they'd have a coronary.
00:32:51♪
00:33:04The two best motocross riders in the world are
00:33:07Ben Alberg, 500cc world champion from Sweden,
00:33:10and Joelle Robert, 250cc world champion from Belgium.
00:33:16Joelle Robert, number 17, is a national sports hero in Belgium.
00:33:20♪
00:33:26Motocross races in Europe sometimes draw crowds of over 100,000 people.
00:33:32In Joelle's home country of Belgium,
00:33:34fans have been known to lay on the track in front of other riders
00:33:37to help Joelle win.
00:33:40Except he doesn't need any help.
00:33:42♪
00:33:50With the number one plate,
00:33:51Swede Ben Alberg, 500cc world champion.
00:33:55His riding skill is unbelievable,
00:33:57here using power to straighten himself out.
00:34:01Scientific tests have been made,
00:34:03and motocross was found to be the second most physically demanding sport in the world,
00:34:08following only soccer.
00:34:11After 30 minutes of racing,
00:34:12even a rider in perfect condition like Ben Alberg is almost totally exhausted.
00:34:17He's got maybe an hour to rest between races,
00:34:19then do it again, three times a day.
00:34:22♪
00:34:29Motocross races run in all kinds of weather.
00:34:32It's a race against the other man,
00:34:34but even more, it's man's battle against the course itself.
00:34:39There's a certain brutal beauty to motocross
00:34:43that you can only see in slow motion.
00:34:46♪
00:34:54♪
00:35:02♪
00:35:10♪
00:35:18♪
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00:35:50♪
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00:36:06♪
00:36:14♪
00:36:22♪
00:36:26The classic example of the Sunday competitor who rides for fun
00:36:30with his usual ear-to-ear grin is Malcolm Smith.
00:36:34The only thing different between Malcolm and the rest of the Sunday competitors
00:36:38is Malcolm rides a greater variety of events,
00:36:40something different almost every Sunday.
00:36:43He seems to enjoy it more than anyone,
00:36:45and he's also the best.
00:36:48♪
00:36:53Back in 1968, when being interviewed by Wide World of Sports
00:36:56about his amazing performance the year before in the Mexican 1000,
00:37:01he didn't talk about how tough it was.
00:37:04Instead, typical Malcolm.
00:37:06Did you have any adventures during that nine hours and something last year
00:37:09in this wild country?
00:37:11No, it was easy going down, but it was hard coming back.
00:37:14We had an old Volkswagen that a friend of mine drove down there,
00:37:18my co-driver this year,
00:37:20and we started back and it gave up on us,
00:37:23and we rode on a turtle truck with live sea turtles
00:37:26on the top of the turtles all the way for five days.
00:37:30On the top of the live turtles?
00:37:31Top of the live turtles.
00:37:33And it smelled very bad all the way back.
00:37:36On the starting line, most riders are nervous.
00:37:38Malcolm's usually got a smile.
00:37:40♪
00:37:44Of the many events Malcolm rides, he's particularly outstanding
00:37:47in the rugged off-road races like the Mint 400,
00:37:50a 400-mile race through the desert near Las Vegas.
00:37:54Like riding from San Francisco to Los Angeles
00:37:56through the roughest imaginable terrain and averaging 50 miles an hour.
00:38:01♪
00:38:03The race goes on night and day, and when it's all over
00:38:06and the other riders are almost in shock from exhaustion,
00:38:09there stands Malcolm in the middle of the night with a big grin.
00:38:13♪
00:38:16Malcolm is king of the Mexican 1000,
00:38:18a 1,000-mile off-road race down the peninsula
00:38:21of Baja California, Mexico.
00:38:23He goes so fast he should be in a class by himself.
00:38:26One year he drove a dune buggy to see what that was like
00:38:29and was running second before he broke down.
00:38:31Here again at a pit stop, he didn't say dust, tough, tired.
00:38:36Instead, typical Malcolm.
00:38:38Looks like you're having a good time, Malcolm.
00:38:40Oh, great. Lots of fun.
00:38:42See any incidents out there? Any problems?
00:38:44No, no.
00:38:45Let's turn around this way for just a second.
00:38:47Only one I ever see is Larry Berkwist.
00:38:50Yeah, they're up ahead of you still.
00:38:51Yeah. Yeah, we know. We can't keep up with the motorcycle.
00:38:54♪
00:38:56He couldn't keep up with the motorcycle that year,
00:38:58but every other year, the lone dust cloud across Lake Chapala
00:39:02was Malcolm Smith and his motorcycle.
00:39:05♪
00:39:08He never failed to lead.
00:39:10One year he was two hours ahead of the next machine
00:39:13at a halfway point and rode the final 200 miles
00:39:16on a flat front tire.
00:39:19The rougher and tougher the event,
00:39:21the more skill and human endurance it takes,
00:39:24the better Malcolm likes it.
00:39:26As he would say himself,
00:39:28that was really neat.
00:39:31♪
00:39:35El Escorial, Spain, near Madrid,
00:39:37the site of the international six-day trial,
00:39:40the ultimate test of man and machine.
00:39:42The six-day trials is the Olympic Games of motorcycle sport
00:39:46held for the 45th year.
00:39:48348 riders from 16 countries have gathered to compete,
00:39:53among them, Malcolm Smith,
00:39:55here getting his bike inspected and marked
00:39:57prior to the first day.
00:40:00Each part of the motorcycle is marked with a special paint,
00:40:03and six days of riding,
00:40:05no part can be changed without being disqualified.
00:40:09Even internal engine parts are marked,
00:40:11and the engine is sealed.
00:40:15The only parts that can be changed
00:40:17are control cables, chains, tires, and tubes.
00:40:21At 6.45 in the morning,
00:40:23the first of the riders get underway.
00:40:25They leave four per minute.
00:40:27The colors on their helmets denote the rider's country,
00:40:30Germans in white, Spanish in yellow,
00:40:33Italians red, English green,
00:40:37Czechoslovakians in blue,
00:40:40the Swedes with yellow and blue.
00:40:44Malcolm number 242 would be starting on the 60th minute.
00:40:49Of all the events Malcolm rides,
00:40:51this is the only one he takes very seriously.
00:40:55There's no prize money involved.
00:41:12The top prize for an individual rider is a gold medal.
00:41:16Off goes Malcolm and 348 others
00:41:18through the countryside of Spain,
00:41:20the beginning of a grueling adventure.
00:41:25The concept of the event is quite simple,
00:41:27to ride about 200 miles per day for six straight days
00:41:31and keep on a prescribed time schedule.
00:41:34The trouble is none but the best can keep up the time schedule,
00:41:37and these riders are the best in the world.
00:41:40It's an honor just to be selected to ride the six days.
00:41:48You go through a series of checkpoints each day.
00:41:51You can get there early but you can't clock through
00:41:53until your prescribed minute.
00:41:55You lose one mark for each minute you're late to any checkpoint.
00:41:59In all there are 65 time checks.
00:42:02If you're only one minute late to any one of these,
00:42:05you lose a mark.
00:42:06To win a gold medal you can't lose a single mark
00:42:09in six days of riding.
00:42:12It's hard to appreciate the difficulty of the six days
00:42:15without being there.
00:42:16It's hard to realize just how long six days on a motorcycle really is.
00:42:25The best riders are usually the Europeans.
00:42:27Most are paid a salary year round to ride.
00:42:30A gold medal at the six day trials
00:42:32sells a lot of motorcycles in Europe.
00:42:35Malcolm isn't paid.
00:42:36In fact he pays all his own expenses
00:42:38just to go over there and compete.
00:42:41During the competition the temperatures range
00:42:43from 80 degrees to 20 degrees.
00:42:49They went from 2,000 feet to over 8,000 feet
00:42:53riding in the clouds in the mountains of Spain.
00:42:58Of the 1,200 miles the event covers,
00:43:01about 800 of it is trails like this.
00:43:04It may last for 40 miles.
00:43:07On the footpeg maneuvering like six days on a bongo board,
00:43:13the speed average, 24 miles an hour,
00:43:16but very few can keep it up.
00:43:21All work in the machine must be done by the contestant himself
00:43:24with no outside help.
00:43:27The bikes are locked up
00:43:28except during the time you're riding against the clock.
00:43:32The only time to make repairs or adjustments
00:43:34is if you can get ahead of schedule and stop to do it.
00:43:38If you can't change a tire in four minutes,
00:43:40you're not competitive in the six day trials.
00:43:43The only tools you can use for anything
00:43:45are what you carry with you.
00:43:50If anyone hands you a tool or helps you in any way,
00:43:53you're disqualified.
00:43:55If you keep your bike together,
00:43:57change tires fast enough,
00:43:58keep on time,
00:43:59and lose no marks,
00:44:00you still haven't won a gold medal.
00:44:03You have to compete in a series of special tests
00:44:05at the end of each day's riding.
00:44:08One is this 200 meter acceleration test.
00:44:11Clock top speed at the end earns needed bonus points.
00:44:15Except there's a sound meter in that tent
00:44:17and if you make too much noise going by,
00:44:20bonus points are subtracted instead of added.
00:44:29Another special test at the end of each day
00:44:31is a five mile time cross country loop.
00:44:34Sort of a motocross against the clock.
00:44:37The fastest times earn the most bonus points.
00:44:40And to earn enough bonus points for a gold medal,
00:44:42you have to be in the top 30%.
00:44:46The motorcycles have mufflers and lights
00:44:48which are under the number plate.
00:44:50You can be stopped at any time
00:44:51and have your light checked.
00:44:53If it doesn't work,
00:44:54you have to stay there until you make it work.
00:45:00In the special test, Malcolm has to go fast,
00:45:02but not too fast.
00:45:04He's got to save the machine.
00:45:05He's got to save his body.
00:45:07There are more days to come.
00:45:15Day after day, Malcolm left in the morning chill
00:45:18from El Escorial.
00:45:19Stiff and sore, but on time.
00:45:27Each day, he left to do battle with the clock
00:45:29and the elements of Spain.
00:45:31Mostly fatigue in his face, but on time.
00:45:35The six days, more than any event,
00:45:37tests a man's all around ability.
00:45:39His riding, his endurance, mechanical skill,
00:45:43and his ability to think clearly
00:45:45when tremendously fatigued.
00:45:48If you do everything right,
00:45:49don't make one mistake in six days,
00:45:52you win this gold medal.
00:45:54Malcolm won one in Poland.
00:45:56He won one in Germany.
00:45:57And he won this one in El Escorial, Spain.
00:46:08Back in the United States, what's Malcolm do?
00:46:10Heads for another motorcycle race
00:46:12with his friend Steve McQueen.
00:46:15The event is the Elsinore Grand Prix.
00:46:20Fifteen hundred motorcyclists line up in the main street
00:46:23waiting for the start.
00:46:40Fifteen hundred riders and 50,000 spectators
00:46:43fill the little town.
00:46:46It's a hundred mile race through the streets of the city
00:46:49and into the foothills outside of town.
00:46:52The average age of the 2,000 Elsinore residents
00:46:55is 60 years old,
00:46:57and it's the only town in America
00:46:58that welcomes such an event.
00:47:00The residents love it, and so do the riders.
00:47:10Malcolm will be starting in the second row,
00:47:13Steve starting in the fourth row.
00:47:17Held back by a rope, riders leave
00:47:19at ten second intervals, ten abreast.
00:47:22It was supposed to be ten second intervals,
00:47:24but it got a lot shorter than that.
00:47:27You could tell the most eager riders
00:47:29by the rope burns on their neck.
00:47:44By the time the race was two miles old,
00:47:47Malcolm passing the last rider and taking the lead.
00:47:53It had rained a few days before,
00:47:55and there was a big puddle.
00:47:57As the pack came thundering through,
00:47:59the water puddle turned into a mud puddle.
00:48:02Then it turned into a mud hole.
00:48:05The first 200 riders made it through,
00:48:07but for the 1,300 yet to come,
00:48:09it was all stopped.
00:48:32There's no money involved in the race,
00:48:34a trophy for the winner.
00:48:37In fact, they pay a $15 entry fee
00:48:40for the honor of riding.
00:48:45While they were getting out of the mud hole,
00:48:47Malcolm had opened up a commanding lead.
00:48:56Malcolm rides so smoothly and effortlessly,
00:48:58he doesn't appear to be going very fast.
00:49:01He is.
00:49:02There's 1,499 riders behind him.
00:49:06When he came back through town
00:49:07at the end of the first lap,
00:49:08he was so far ahead,
00:49:10there were no other riders in sight.
00:49:26With the rest of the riders thundering through town,
00:49:28it was sport for the spectators
00:49:29to see if they could get across the street
00:49:31before they got run over by a motorcycle.
00:49:42Everyone rides Elsinore.
00:49:43If there's one event you ride a year,
00:49:44it's usually the Elsinore Grand Prix.
00:49:46People of all ages, girls,
00:49:48the pig farmer from Murrieta.
00:49:54There's only about 200 riders
00:49:55who are seriously competitive.
00:49:57For the rest, it's a great Sunday adventure.
00:50:00Doing wheelies through town
00:50:01to dazzle their friends,
00:50:02bouncing off any object in sight,
00:50:06missing half the corners,
00:50:08and ripping out 10 miles of banners
00:50:10and dragging them back through town.
00:50:15The people of Elsinore can't believe
00:50:16what's going on in their town.
00:50:25They pull a chair up in their front yard
00:50:27and have a grandstand seat.
00:50:54Number 48, Steve McQueen,
00:50:56entered under the name of Harvey Mushman.
00:50:59But it didn't take long for the spectators
00:51:01to figure out who number 48 really was.
00:51:06She was dazzled,
00:51:07but her husband wasn't too impressed.
00:51:10Yeah, I could do that.
00:51:16Steve really earned the respect of his fellow riders.
00:51:19Some of them didn't realize
00:51:20what a good rider he really is.
00:51:22His car racing experience
00:51:23gives him the ability to pick the perfect line
00:51:25through the corners.
00:51:40In the subsequent Elsinore race,
00:51:42Steve crashed, broke his foot,
00:51:44got up and finished eighth,
00:51:46with a broken foot and all.
00:51:57It was Malcolm Smith's day.
00:51:59When Malcolm passes you,
00:52:00it's a mistake to try and stay with him.
00:52:08In the lead,
00:52:09it's time for a wave to a friend beside the course.
00:52:18Malcolm's got an uncanny sense
00:52:19for doing the right thing.
00:52:21Here, swerving off the course
00:52:22through a hole in the barbed wire fence
00:52:24and around the now cleaned out mud hole.
00:52:34Back through the fence again
00:52:35without missing a beat
00:52:36and passing six guys in the process.
00:52:45What's a guy who rides motorcycles
00:52:47every Sunday do for a living?
00:52:49Malcolm owns a motorcycle shop.
00:53:00In 10 laps, Malcolm passed 7,000 riders,
00:53:05some of them three times.
00:53:07Malcolm almost never makes a bobble or a mistake.
00:53:11It's about 200 feet down off the side of the road.
00:53:33When it was all over, it was Malcolm Smith.
00:53:36There he stood in the pits with his ear-to-ear grin.
00:53:39He didn't even look tired.
00:53:42Steve turned in a great ride,
00:53:43finishing 10th overall,
00:53:45riding against the best riders in the country
00:53:47for this kind of event.
00:53:50Every time I start thinking the world is all bad,
00:53:52then I start seeing some people out there
00:53:54having a good time on motorcycles
00:53:55and it makes me take another look.
00:53:57That was good fun.
00:54:03There are a lot of things that are good fun on a motorcycle,
00:54:05like sidecar racing,
00:54:07so specialized that only about 200 people do it
00:54:10in the United States.
00:54:16The passenger is called the monkey.
00:54:18He's usually flat on one side.
00:54:33Motorcycle drag racing is another
00:54:35highly specialized form of competition.
00:54:46They hit speeds of 160 miles an hour in the quarter mile.
00:54:55Before they leave the line,
00:54:56they burn their tires to get them hot and sticky
00:54:58for better traction.
00:55:01This guy was going to donate his lungs to the Mayo Clinic.
00:55:05Special machines and riders who usually specialize
00:55:08in nothing but drag racing.
00:55:10It's won or lost in a hundredth of a second
00:55:12at the finish or even at the start.
00:55:21Probably the least number of people
00:55:23in all of motorcycle sport race their motorcycles on ice.
00:55:27Quebec City, Canada is the site of one.
00:55:31The fans try to stay alive
00:55:33in the 10 degree below zero weather.
00:55:41The riders wear leather masks
00:55:43to keep their faces from freezing
00:55:45and protect them from cuts from flying ice off the track.
00:55:50Two inch spikes in the tires for traction on the ice.
00:55:55Before a race, they have to be wondering.
00:55:58It would be like getting run over by a buzz saw.
00:56:06If you go down, the main thought is to get off the track
00:56:09because there's more buzz saws coming.
00:56:12This guy set a world record for a 20 foot crawl
00:56:15on his hands and knees.
00:56:20They hit tremendous speeds on this half mile ice track.
00:56:2320 second lap times averaging almost 80.
00:56:30Absolutely no wheel spin with those spiked tires.
00:56:34They ride with different styles.
00:56:36Some foot down, dirt track style.
00:56:38Others slide on the knee on a hockey pad.
00:56:43There's only about 50 or 60 people
00:56:45who ice race in North America
00:56:47and only a couple of big ice races a year.
00:56:51It's popular in certain parts of Europe, especially Russia.
00:56:57Ice racing in Canada, 10 degrees below zero
00:57:00in the middle of a snowstorm.
00:57:10From 10 degrees below to 115 degrees above
00:57:13at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah
00:57:15where once again men on motorcycles compete
00:57:18trying to set speed records.
00:57:20Once a year they have speed week for motorcycles.
00:57:23There's about 200 different classes
00:57:25and anyone with a two wheel machine gets into the act.
00:57:28Some of the bikes are a little strange.
00:57:30This guy had a 60 horsepower skateboard
00:57:34and steel kneecaps.
00:57:38Some guy got an old bomb and put a motor in it.
00:57:41Didn't handle very well.
00:57:46From the backyard specials to the exotically engineered
00:57:49and computer designed streamlined bikes.
00:57:55There was a fellow named Cal Rayburn,
00:57:57a professional racer who was going to make an assault
00:58:00on the motorcycle land speed record of 250 miles an hour.
00:58:04He was going to drive one of those slide rule
00:58:06super engineered specials.
00:58:09He lost a little faith in the computers and engineers
00:58:12but he got in and found out an interesting thing.
00:58:15He didn't fit.
00:58:19I think Cal was beginning to have some second thoughts.
00:58:22He kept saying, you guys are nuts.
00:58:27They said his helmet visor must be too big
00:58:29so they sawed it off.
00:58:31That way it wouldn't dig into his chest.
00:58:34It didn't dig into his chest but his chin still did.
00:58:38In this position he was supposed to try and go faster
00:58:40than anyone ever had with a motorcycle over 250 miles an hour.
00:58:47Once the lid was in place he found out interesting point number two.
00:58:50He couldn't see out.
00:58:53His feet were too big and blocked his view out the front window
00:58:56and his knee blocked his view out the side.
00:58:58So all he had to do was peer out the side window over his knee
00:59:02and follow this black line painted on the salt
00:59:05at anything over 250.
00:59:09Late in the afternoon they launched him
00:59:11and he found out interesting point number three.
00:59:14It didn't handle very well at six miles an hour.
00:59:17♪
00:59:31He kept saying, you guys are nuts.
00:59:34But he was driving.
00:59:37After a week of trying and crashes from six to 206,
00:59:40Calvin finally set a new motorcycle land speed record
00:59:43of over 265 miles an hour.
00:59:47The steering changed with the speed.
00:59:49Under 100, turn right to go right.
00:59:52100 to 200, turn left to go right.
00:59:56And over 200 back to normal again.
00:59:59♪
01:00:26♪
01:00:30The mile track at Sacramento, California.
01:00:34This is where the number one plate will be decided.
01:00:38A $12,000 purse, but more important to Dick Mann,
01:00:43Dave Aldana, Gene Romero, and Jim Rice,
01:00:46101 points.
01:00:49Enough to make any of them number one.
01:00:53All the riders were there,
01:00:55but the pressure was on the four.
01:00:58If Dave Aldana won,
01:01:00it would be the first time a first year expert ever had.
01:01:03Romero was not his usual laughing self.
01:01:07Jim Rice was off alone, walking in the track.
01:01:14Dick Mann arrived.
01:01:16He'd broken his leg in a race only three weeks before
01:01:19and no one expected him to compete.
01:01:22But he'd sawed off his cast and was going to try.
01:01:29He jammed his swollen leg into his boot and steel shoe,
01:01:33went out on the track, and won his heat race.
01:01:37♪
01:01:44Mert won the second heat,
01:01:46Gene Romero the third, with Dave Aldana transferring
01:01:49to the point-paying main by finishing third in his heat.
01:01:53The first four riders in each heat transferred to the main event.
01:01:59Jim Rice, number 24,
01:02:01playing it cool in the final heat and transferring.
01:02:05After the finish, at 120 miles an hour.
01:02:09♪
01:02:19♪
01:02:30♪
01:02:39♪
01:02:49♪
01:02:59♪
01:03:14An hour later, they lined up for the main event.
01:03:19♪
01:03:34Jim Rice was getting out of the ambulance
01:03:36and was going to try and ride the race.
01:03:39Jim Rice walking out and he'll be back in action.
01:03:44In a lot of pain with a bandana covering his broken nose,
01:03:48Jim quietly took his place on the line with the rest.
01:03:52♪
01:04:17And down the back chute at 125 miles an hour.
01:04:21♪
01:04:29It was Dave Aldana.
01:04:32The race was black flagged.
01:04:35Aldana's bike was completely totaled,
01:04:37but David, as he had all year, walked away unhurt.
01:04:41But he also walked away from any chance of being number one.
01:04:44No way he could break the three-minute restart rule.
01:04:47♪
01:04:54The restart was a carbon copy of the first.
01:04:57Murden fourth, working his way back to third.
01:05:00Romero second, Mann first.
01:05:02♪
01:05:05And there goes Romero to the inside and takes the lead
01:05:08at the end of the chute on turn number three.
01:05:11And Romero again getting by Dick Mann
01:05:13in exactly the same place.
01:05:15♪
01:05:18Jim Rice running in last place.
01:05:22Ten laps later, the field's spreading out,
01:05:25Romero further ahead and Rice dropping further back,
01:05:27his bike running poorly,
01:05:29and Jim just too physically shaken to be competitive.
01:05:32It's amazing he tried to ride at all.
01:05:35On the 20th lap, Dick Mann pulled in.
01:05:39He caught his shoe in a hole
01:05:41and was in too much pain to continue.
01:05:43For him, that's got to be a lot.
01:05:45♪
01:05:49Mert hung on to Romero's tail for the first 20 laps.
01:05:52And then, as it happens so often during the season,
01:05:55smoke began pouring out as his engine went south.
01:05:59♪
01:06:01It was Romero's day.
01:06:0350 laps, wire to wire.
01:06:05His father cheering him on,
01:06:07a beautiful ride, the checkered flag,
01:06:09and Gene Romero, the new number one.
01:06:12♪
01:06:29It was a day of happiness for Gene.
01:06:31For Rice, Aldana, and Mann, it was a very disappointing day.
01:06:35Rice was lucky to be alive.
01:06:37♪
01:06:42What kind of men are these that take tremendous chances,
01:06:45that saw off a cast and ride with a broken leg,
01:06:49and say, it'll be okay, I'm a fast healer?
01:06:52♪
01:06:56Why do they do it?
01:06:58There's no answer to that.
01:07:00If you ask them, they say simply,
01:07:03because it's what I like to do.
01:07:05For Mert, the day at Sacramento had been a mirror of the season.
01:07:09With as much bad luck as Mert had had during the year,
01:07:12he still finished with enough points
01:07:14to be the number sixth ranked rider in the national point standings.
01:07:18♪
01:07:24Let's see what's happening in the rest of the motorcycle world.
01:07:27It's Sunday, and we're about 20 miles from Salt Lake City, Utah.
01:07:32There's a hill there called Widowmaker.
01:07:34It's 600 feet high, and the angle up the face is 89%,
01:07:38roughly 45 degrees.
01:07:40♪
01:07:45It's the site of the annual Widowmaker Hill Climb.
01:07:49No one's ever made it over the top,
01:07:51and they've been trying for seven years.
01:07:55Riders come from all over the country
01:07:57to compete in yet another highly specialized form
01:08:00of motorcycle competition.
01:08:02As I said, no one's ever made the top,
01:08:04but they give it a hell of a ride.
01:08:06It's a race to the finish line.
01:08:08It's a race to the finish line.
01:08:10It's a race to the finish line.
01:08:12It's a race to the finish line.
01:08:14As I said, no one's ever made the top,
01:08:18but they give it a hell of a try.
01:08:21♪
01:08:49Wherever the bike stops is where the measurement is taken,
01:08:52so they get some bizarre push-off techniques.
01:08:54♪
01:09:00This guy nearly nailed a couple of spectators
01:09:02and lost 12 feet in the process.
01:09:04♪
01:09:09That's a whole lot better than losing 387 feet.
01:09:13♪
01:09:20Some of the bikes have a lot of character.
01:09:22The hill climbers themselves are safe to say, characters.
01:09:26♪
01:09:31There was the mortician from Waukegan
01:09:33who thought hyperventilation was the answer.
01:09:35♪
01:09:37It got him up the hill, 15 feet.
01:09:40♪
01:09:42The classic guy that day was old Hawkeye Hillbilly.
01:09:46He spent considerable time mentally psyching himself up
01:09:49for the hill.
01:09:50♪
01:09:53Didn't know whether that was his number plate
01:09:55or a traffic citation.
01:09:56♪
01:10:03♪
01:10:10On the hill, old Hawkeye the bouncer turned in a great run.
01:10:15♪
01:10:22♪
01:10:30Only about 50 feet short of the top.
01:10:33♪
01:10:39Old Malcolm was there.
01:10:40He'd never ridden a hill climb, but he thought it would be fun.
01:10:43On his first try, in typical Malcolm Smith style,
01:10:46he forgot to turn on the gas.
01:10:48♪
01:10:50♪
01:10:57♪
01:11:03Later in the day, he got his second run,
01:11:05more than made up for his first error.
01:11:07♪
01:11:13Riding his stock motorcycle in the 500cc class
01:11:16against the specially built hill climbers,
01:11:19he got up to around 500 feet,
01:11:21right in there with the best of them.
01:11:23♪
01:11:25Going back down the hill is a major operation for most riders.
01:11:29Malcolm dazzled folks when he turned around
01:11:31and rode his motorcycle down.
01:11:33♪
01:11:36Holy cow!
01:11:38♪
01:11:45One of the final riders of the day was Mike Gibbon,
01:11:47who'd driven all the way from Grants Pass, Oregon,
01:11:49to ride this event.
01:11:51♪
01:11:58Chains on the tires and nitromethane fuel in the tank.
01:12:02Mike Gibbon made the first tire mark on the top of Widowmaker.
01:12:08After seven years, it had been done.
01:12:10♪
01:12:21He got a big trophy and the local Lions Club gave him $100
01:12:24to help him pay expenses back to Oregon.
01:12:29It had been quite a day.
01:12:31Widowmaker had at last been conquered.
01:12:35Malcolm got 100 feet further up the hill
01:12:37than any other stock bike,
01:12:39finishing third against the Special Hill Climb Machines.
01:12:44Beep, beep!
01:12:46♪
01:12:55This fellow's a trials rider.
01:12:58The magicians of the motorcycle world.
01:13:01Good trials riders can do wheelies like this for miles,
01:13:04around corners, everywhere,
01:13:06just bopping along, watching the scenery.
01:13:09Trials riders are the violin players of the motorcycle world,
01:13:12tremendously skilled at what they do.
01:13:17The kid couldn't believe it.
01:13:19There was nobody to tell.
01:13:22In riding trials events, all you have to do
01:13:24is get through a difficult section of terrain
01:13:26without putting your foot down.
01:13:28A good trials rider's ability to do this is amazing.
01:13:33It would seem impossible to get a motorcycle
01:13:35with 10 feet of ground clearance
01:13:37over a 30-inch log,
01:13:39and then make a sharp right turn to stay in bounds
01:13:42and not put your foot down.
01:13:44♪
01:13:49It can be done.
01:13:51♪
01:14:01Here's a beautiful example.
01:14:03Lift the wheel at the precise instant
01:14:05Turn it mid-air so when you land,
01:14:07your turn has already begun.
01:14:09It looks easy.
01:14:11Don't believe it.
01:14:13Malcolm rides one or two trials a year on his Sunday outings.
01:14:17In fact, he rides one or two of almost everything a year.
01:14:20In trials too, he is very good.
01:14:23♪
01:14:29Try this someday if you want to do something really difficult.
01:14:32Try this someday if you want to do something really difficult.
01:14:35♪
01:14:41Neat, Malcolm.
01:14:45Quite a different breed from the trials riders
01:14:47are the desert racers, unique to the southwest,
01:14:49particularly Southern California.
01:14:53There's even a group of girls called the Desert Daisies
01:14:56who race in the desert.
01:14:58A great variety of people from all walks of life
01:15:01come here on a good Sunday to race.
01:15:05Number one plate holder in the desert, Whitey Martino.
01:15:08When they line up for the start, it's quite a sight.
01:15:11♪
01:15:18♪
01:15:25Down there on the line are doctors, lawyers, carpenters,
01:15:28plumbers, engineers, salesmen, students, anyone and everybody.
01:15:34A thousand riders ready to race a heron hound
01:15:37over a hundred miles of desert terrain,
01:15:3950 miles from the nearest town.
01:15:41This scene takes place every Sunday of the year
01:15:44with starts from 500 to 2,000 riders.
01:15:48The prize, a trophy for the winner
01:15:51and the satisfaction of knowing they did it for the rest.
01:15:54♪
01:15:59They head first to a smoke bomb about five miles from the start.
01:16:03At 10 a.m., the banner drops.
01:16:06♪
01:16:13♪
01:16:21♪
01:16:28♪
01:16:35♪
01:16:42♪
01:16:49♪
01:16:55About 10% never make the first five miles to the smoke bomb.
01:17:01It's a cross between a race and a war.
01:17:05♪
01:17:08♪
01:17:15They raise a cloud of dust that settles three weeks later on London.
01:17:21Once to the smoke bomb, they start to thin out
01:17:23following a trail marked with ribbon and lime.
01:17:26No one's allowed to ride the course first,
01:17:28so it's all new terrain to them.
01:17:30Three stripes of lime across the trail mean a dangerous spot ahead.
01:17:34To the experienced desert rider, mounds of dirt mean danger too,
01:17:37because the mounds had to come out of something
01:17:39like a mine shaft or a ditch or a hole.
01:17:42You can tell when someone found one
01:17:44by the way they disappear so quickly.
01:17:46♪
01:17:52♪
01:17:58♪
01:18:06It's a hundred miles of uphills, washes, brush, sand,
01:18:10cactus, downhills and rocks.
01:18:13♪
01:18:19The struggle just to get through.
01:18:21♪
01:18:27But the biggest hazard to a desert racer is another desert racer.
01:18:31♪
01:18:38In the spring, the B-29 bugs come out.
01:18:42And hitting one is like running into a medicine ball.
01:18:45Huh!
01:18:47♪
01:18:54♪
01:19:01♪
01:19:07Desert racers are good people.
01:19:11There's even a guy who rides the desert with his dog.
01:19:15There's a rug in the tank the dog hangs on to.
01:19:18He's got claws like an eagle.
01:19:21Their pit stops are kind of unusual.
01:19:23♪
01:19:30♪
01:19:37♪
01:19:40Some of the hairiest racing is in the pits.
01:19:43♪
01:19:45The best riders can invariably be found way in front of the dust and really hauling.
01:19:51♪
01:19:53Here, J.N. Roberts, one of the really great desert racers.
01:19:56♪
01:20:03Steve McQueen riding here, still rides an occasional desert race,
01:20:07although he prefers motocross now.
01:20:09A few years back, he rode every Sunday and was ranked the 11th amateur rider.
01:20:14♪
01:20:18And here, Malcolm Smith.
01:20:20He rarely rides the desert, says he doesn't like the heat and dust.
01:20:23He's ridden about 12 desert races in his life,
01:20:26and he won six of them.
01:20:28The other six he broke down.
01:20:30♪
01:20:34King of the desert and number one plate holder, Whitey Martino.
01:20:39♪
01:20:42There's a great deal of skill involved, not just riding, but reading the terrain.
01:20:46This is the way it looks to Whitey, weaving through the pucker bushes
01:20:49at 60 to 70 miles an hour.
01:20:51♪
01:20:56You don't go straight, but it's almost like a slalom through the bushes.
01:21:00If you hit a bush, it's an instant endo.
01:21:03♪
01:21:06After battling your way through sand, rocks, turtles, bugs and mine shafts,
01:21:12you'd expect the finish to be exciting.
01:21:15The finish of a desert race is like the finish of no other race.
01:21:19It's just over.
01:21:21There's usually about a hundred people watching,
01:21:24and they're waiting for somebody else anyway.
01:21:28Desert races are a very personal experience.
01:21:31No spectators to cheer you, but a great personal satisfaction
01:21:34in knowing you did it.
01:21:36♪
01:21:40♪
01:21:44♪
01:21:48If a thousand start, there's usually about three or four hundred that finish.
01:21:52The rest are strewn out over a hundred miles of desert
01:21:56and are picked up by a crew that sweeps the course.
01:22:00But there's always someone who gets off the course, gets lost,
01:22:05and breaks a chain or something.
01:22:07He has no idea where he is and neither does anyone else.
01:22:11♪
01:22:15♪
01:22:19The desert racer's handbook says,
01:22:22build a fire.
01:22:24The rescue squad will see the smoke and come and pick you up.
01:22:28♪
01:22:32♪
01:22:35Desert races don't lean toward tinder and the one-match fire.
01:22:39It's high test in a pucker bush for them.
01:22:43♪
01:22:47♪
01:22:52♪
01:22:56♪
01:23:00♪
01:23:04The nearest water is in the radiator of his truck.
01:23:08But he doesn't have any idea where his truck is.
01:23:12♪
01:23:16That's a thousand dollar signal fire.
01:23:20♪
01:23:24Probably the most fun in all of motorcycling is to load your bike
01:23:28in a pickup truck and head out into the country.
01:23:32♪
01:23:36The pressure of racing over, it's time to relax and have some fun.
01:23:40Malcolm, Steve and Mert all like to race,
01:23:44but they think this kind of riding is the most fun.
01:23:48It's called cow trailing.
01:23:52If your friends aren't paying attention, how can you resist?
01:23:57♪
01:24:01♪
01:24:05Steve could have picked better people to fool with
01:24:09than Mert Lawwell and Malcolm Smith.
01:24:13♪
01:24:17♪
01:24:21♪
01:24:25♪
01:24:29♪
01:24:33There's something about going riding with your friends,
01:24:37a feeling of freedom, a feeling of joy
01:24:41that really can't be put into words.
01:24:45It can only be fully shared by someone who's done it.
01:24:49♪
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