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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.
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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.
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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.
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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♪
00:12:10There are five road races in the early part of the season from March to the 1st 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 banked 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, and your vision is blurred.
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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.
00:15:56It'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 is 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.
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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.
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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.
00:18:08He spends hours alone in his garage,
00:18:12trying to figure out a way to improve an engine part.
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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.
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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.
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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 nonstop.
00:19:45They don't arrive a day early and relax.
00:19:48The pit gates open at 8.30.
00:19:50They arrive at 8.30.
00:19:52♪♪
00:19:58An 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
00:20:32than holding the throttle wide open.
00:20:34Tires alone are an exact science to them,
00:20:38with different rubber compounds and different tread designs.
00:20:42Even a pound or two difference in air pressure
00:20:44makes a difference in handling.
00:20:46Before each race, they cut their tires
00:20:48with razor blades for added traction.
00:20:51Each rider has special cuts,
00:20:53and they change from hour to hour
00:20:55depending 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
00:21:30is their steel skid shoe, custom-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-and-a-half mile in Columbus, Ohio.
00:21:48Mert had won the race two years in a row.
00:21:50A win today would put him in good shape
00:21:53to keep his number one plate another year.
00:21:56A $6,000 purse and 60 points.
00:21:59Mert 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.
00:23:35It cost him the 60 points he needed,
00:23:39and his share of the purse, instead of several thousand,
00:23:43was $116.
00:23:46It 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.
00:24:13♪♪
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, with 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.
00:24:58♪♪
00:25:02He'd break, bounce back, break 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.
00:25:16♪♪
00:25:22The plate he'd ridden 12 years to win
00:25:24and had one season he'd now have to give to someone else.
00:25:28There were four riders who had enough points
00:25:31to have a shot at ending up number one.
00:25:33One 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.
00:25:43There's no one who's more respected by his fellow riders
00:25:46and the fans than Dick Mann.
00:25:49On the VSA number two, Dick Bugsy Mann.
00:25:52♪♪
00:25:55The second rider who could win the number one plate,
00:25:58one of the youngest, 20-year-old Dave Aldana,
00:26:01his first year as professional expert.
00:26:04David Aldana, the crazy kid from Santa Ana, California.
00:26:08♪♪
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 got to get third no matter what.
00:27:03Boy, is it going to be either one?
00:27:05I got to get third or come and visit me at the hospital.
00:27:07I dig carnations, man.
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♪♪
00:28:07Competition is still the name of the game.
00:28:09It doesn't matter whether you're battling for first or 31st,
00:28:12it's just as fierce.
00:28:15Here's a classic confrontation for 10th place.
00:28:18The 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 Albrecht,
00:29:27here going over the handlebars.
00:29:29Somehow when Albrecht gets off,
00:29:31he does it with a certain style and grace.
00:29:33Everyone crashes now and then,
00:29:35but not often with style and grace.
00:29:38More often, the classic flying W.
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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♪♪
00:31:59Thousands 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 $1 million 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
00:33:07are Ben Alberg, 500cc world champion from Sweden,
00:33:11and Joelle Robert, 250cc world champion from Belgium.
00:33:16Joelle Robert, number 17, is a national sports hero in Belgium.
00:33:21♪♪
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 to help Joelle win.
00:33:40Except he doesn't need any help.
00:33:42♪♪
00:33:50With the number one plate, Swede Ben Alberg, 500cc world champion.
00:33:55His riding skill is unbelievable, here 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.
00:34:10After 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 that you can only see in slow motion.
00:34:46♪♪
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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,
00:36:41something different almost every Sunday.
00:36:43He seems to enjoy it more than anyone, and he's also the best.
00:36:48♪♪
00:36:53Back in 1968 when being interviewed by Wide World of Sports
00:36:57about 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 in 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, my 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.
00:37:30The top of the live turtles?
00:37:31Top of the live turtles, and it smelled very bad all the way back.
00:37:35On 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 through the roughest imaginable terrain
00:37:59and averaging 50 miles an hour.
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 of 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.
00:38:46Only one I ever see is Larry Burquist.
00:38:49Yeah, they're up ahead of you still.
00:38:51Yeah. Yeah, we know. We can't keep up with a motorcycle.
00:38:55He couldn't keep up with a motorcycle that year,
00:38:58but every other year, the lone dust cloud across Lake Chapala
00:39:02was Malcolm Smith and his motorcycle.
00:39:08He never failed to lead.
00:39:10One year he was two hours ahead of the next machine at the halfway point
00:39:14and rode the final 200 miles on 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.
00:39:35El 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,
00:39:52among them Malcolm Smith,
00:39:54here getting his bike inspected and marked prior to the first day.
00:40:00Each part of the motorcycle is marked with a special paint.
00:40:03In six days of riding, no parts can be changed without being disqualified.
00:40:09Even internal engine parts are marked and the engine is sealed.
00:40:14The only parts that can be changed are control cables,
00:40:18chains, tires, and tubes.
00:40:21At 6.45 in the morning, the 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,
00:40:39the Swedes with yellow and blue.
00:40:44Malcolm number 242 would be starting on the 60th minute.
00:40:50Of all the events Malcolm rides,
00:40:52this is the only one he takes very seriously.
00:40:55.
00:41:11There's no prize money involved.
00:41:13The top prize for an individual rider is a gold medal.
00:41:16Off goes Malcolm and 348 others through 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
00:41:54until your prescribed minute.
00:41:56You 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
00:42:18six 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.
00:42:59Of 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 foot peg 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.
00:43:19All work in the machine must be done
00:43:21by the contestant himself with no outside help.
00:43:25The bikes are locked up except during the time
00:43:27you're riding against the clock.
00:43:30The only time to make repairs or adjustments
00:43:32is if you can get ahead of schedule and stop to do it.
00:43:36If you can't change a tire in four minutes
00:43:39you're not competitive in the six day trials.
00:43:42The only tools you can use for anything
00:43:44are what you carry with you.
00:43:47If anyone hands you a tool or helps you in any way
00:43:50you're disqualified.
00:43:52If you keep your bike together, change tires fast enough
00:43:55keep on time and lose no marks
00:43:57you still haven't won a gold medal.
00:44:00You have to compete in a series of special tests
00:44:02at the end of each day's riding.
00:44:05One is this 200 meter acceleration test.
00:44:08Clock top speed at the end earns needed bonus points.
00:44:12Except there's a sound meter in that tent
00:44:14and if you make too much noise going by
00:44:16bonus points are subtracted instead of added.
00:44:25Another special test at the end of each day
00:44:28is a five mile time cross country loop.
00:44:31Sort of a motocross against the clock.
00:44:34The fastest times earn the most bonus points.
00:44:37And to earn enough bonus points
00:44:39for a gold medal you have to be in the top 30%.
00:44:42The motorcycles have mufflers and lights
00:44:45which are under the number plate.
00:44:47You can be stopped at any time
00:44:49and have your light checked.
00:44:51If it doesn't work you have to stay there
00:44:53until you make it work.
00:44:56In the special test Malcolm has to go fast
00:44:59but not too fast.
00:45:01He's got to save the machine.
00:45:03He's got to save his body.
00:45:05There are more days to come.
00:45:08Day after day Malcolm left in the morning chill
00:45:11from El Escorial.
00:45:13Stiff and sore but on time.
00:45:20Each day he left to do battle with the clock
00:45:23and the elements of Spain.
00:45:25Mostly fatigue in his face but on time.
00:45:28The six days more than any event
00:45:31are the most difficult.
00:45:35The six days more than any event
00:45:37test 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.
00:45:47If 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.
00:45:58And he won this one in El Escorial, Spain.
00:46:05Back in the United States what's Malcolm do?
00:46:08Heads for another motorcycle race
00:46:10with his friend Steve McQueen.
00:46:13The event is the Elsinore Grand Prix.
00:46:18Fifteen hundred motorcyclists
00:46:20line up in the main street waiting for the start.
00:46:24Fifteen hundred riders
00:46:26and fifty thousand spectators
00:46:28fill the little town.
00:46:30It's a hundred mile race
00:46:32through the streets of the city
00:46:34and into the foothills outside of town.
00:46:37The Elsinore Grand Prix
00:46:39is the first of its kind
00:46:41in the history of motorcycling.
00:46:43It's the first of its kind
00:46:45in the history of motorcycling.
00:46:47It's the first of its kind
00:46:49in the history of motorcycling.
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
00:46:59that welcomes such an event.
00:47:01The 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
00:47:19riders leave at ten second intervals,
00:47:21ten abreast.
00:47:23It was supposed to be ten second intervals
00:47:25but it got a lot shorter than that.
00:47:28You could tell the most eager riders
00:47:30by the rope burns on their neck.
00:47:44By the time the race was two miles old
00:47:47Malcolm passing the last rider
00:47:49and 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 stop.
00:48:17Music
00:48:33There's no money involved in the race.
00:48:35A trophy for the winner.
00:48:37In fact they pay a $15 entry fee
00:48:40for the honor of riding.
00:48:43While they were getting out of the mud hole
00:48:45Malcolm had opened up a commanding lead.
00:48:55Malcolm rides so smoothly and effortlessly
00:48:57he doesn't appear to be going very fast.
00:48:59He is.
00:49:01There's 1,499 riders behind him.
00:49:04When he came back through town
00:49:06at 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
00:49:30to see if they could get across the street
00:49:32before they got run over by a motorcycle.
00:49:41Everyone rides Elsinore.
00:49:43If there's one event you ride a year
00:49:45it's usually the Elsinore Grand Prix.
00:49:47People of all ages.
00:49:48Girls.
00:49:49The pig farmer from Murrieta.
00:49:54There's only about 200 riders
00:49:56who are seriously competitive.
00:49:57For the rest it's a great Sunday adventure.
00:50:00Doing wheelies through town to 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
00:50:17what's going on in their town.
00:50:25They pull a chair up in their front yard
00:50:27and have a grandstand seat.
00:50:38♪
00:50:53Number 48, Steve McQueen
00:50:55entered under the name of Harvey Mushman.
00:50:58But it didn't take long for the spectators
00:51:00to figure out who number 48 really was.
00:51:03She was dazzled but her husband wasn't too impressed.
00:51:07Yeah, I could do that.
00:51:14Steve really earned the respect of his fellow riders.
00:51:16Some of them didn't realize what a good rider he really is.
00:51:19His car racing experience gives him the ability
00:51:22to pick the perfect line through the corners.
00:51:24♪
00:51:39In a subsequent Elsinore race, Steve crashed,
00:51:42broke his foot, got up and finished eighth,
00:51:45broken foot and all.
00:51:47♪
00:51:56It was Malcolm Smith's day.
00:51:58When Malcolm passes you, it's a mistake
00:52:00to try and stay with him.
00:52:02♪
00:52:07In the lead, but still time for a wave
00:52:09to a friend beside the course.
00:52:11♪
00:52:17Malcolm's got an uncanny sense for doing the right thing.
00:52:20Here, swerving off the course through a hole
00:52:22in the barbed wire fence
00:52:24and around the now cleaned out mud hole.
00:52:26♪
00:52:33Back through the fence again without missing a beat
00:52:36and passing six guys in the process.
00:52:38♪
00:52:45What's the guy who rides motorcycles every Sunday
00:52:47do for a living?
00:52:49Malcolm owns a motorcycle shop.
00:52:51♪
00:53:00In ten laps, Malcolm passed 7,000 riders,
00:53:04some 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.
00:53:14♪
00:53:22♪
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, finishing 10th overall,
00:53:45riding against the best riders in the country
00:53:47for this kind of event.
00:53:49Every 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,
00:53:55it makes me take another look.
00:53:57That was good fun.
00:54:01♪
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.
00:54:12♪
00:54:16The passenger is called the monkey.
00:54:18He's usually flat on one side.
00:54:20♪
00:54:24♪
00:54:33Motorcycle drag racing is another highly specialized
00:54:36form of competition.
00:54:38♪
00:54:46They hit speeds of 160 miles an hour in the quarter mile.
00:54:50♪
00:54:55Before they leave the line, they burn their tires
00:54:57to get them hot and sticky for better traction.
00:55:00This guy was gonna 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.
00:55:14♪
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 in the ten degree below zero weather.
00:55:35♪
00:55:41The riders wear leather masks to 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.
00:55:54Before a race, they have to be wondering.
00:55:57It would be like getting run over by a buzz saw.
00:56:02♪
00:56:05If you go down, the main thought is to get off the track
00:56:08because there's more buzz saws coming.
00:56:11This guy set a world record for a 20 foot crawl
00:56:14on his hands and knees.
00:56:16♪
00:56:19They hit tremendous speeds on this half mile ice track,
00:56:2120 second lap times averaging almost 80.
00:56:24♪
00:56:28Absolutely no wheel spin with those spiked tires.
00:56:32They ride with different styles.
00:56:34Some foot down, dirt track style.
00:56:36Others slide on the knee on a hockey pad.
00:56:41There's only about 50 or 60 people who ice race in North America
00:56:45and only a couple of big ice races a year.
00:56:47It's popular in certain parts of Europe, especially Russia.
00:56:53Ice racing in Canada, 10 degrees below zero
00:56:56in the middle of a snowstorm.
00:57:05From 10 degrees below to 115 degrees above
00:57:09at the Bonneville Soft Flats in Utah
00:57:11where once again men on motorcycles
00:57:13compete, trying to set speed records.
00:57:16Once a year they have speed week for motorcycles.
00:57:19There's about 200 different classes
00:57:21and anyone with a two wheel machine gets into the act.
00:57:24Some of the bikes are a little strange.
00:57:26This guy had a 60 horsepower skateboard
00:57:30and steel kneecaps.
00:57:34Some guy got an old bomb and put a motor in it.
00:57:37Didn't handle very well.
00:57:39From the backyard specials to the exotically engineered
00:57:42and computer designed streamlined bikes.
00:57:49There was a fellow named Cal Rayburn,
00:57:51a professional racer who was going to make an assault
00:57:53on the motorcycle land speed record of 250 miles an hour.
00:57:57He was going to drive one of those slide rule
00:57:59super engineered specials.
00:58:03Cal Rayburn was a professional racer
00:58:05He was going to drive one of those slide rule
00:58:07super engineered specials.
00:58:09He lost a little faith in the computers and engineers
00:58:12when 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
00:58:30so they sawed it off.
00:58:32That 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
00:58:43over 250 miles an hour.
00:58:47Once the lid was in place he found out
00:58:49interesting point number two.
00:58:51He couldn't see out.
00:58:53His feet were too big and blocked his view
00:58:55out the front window and his knee blocked his view
00:58:57out the side.
00:58:59So all he had to do was peer out the side window
00:59:01over his knee and follow this black line
00:59:04painted on the salt at 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.
00:59:18He kept saying, you guys are nuts.
00:59:20But he was driving.
00:59:23After a week of trying and crashes from six to 206
00:59:27Calvin finally set a new motorcycle land speed record
00:59:30of over 265 miles an hour.
00:59:35Calvin was able to keep up with the speed of the
00:59:38motorcycle for the first time ever.
00:59:40Calvin was able to keep up with the speed of the
00:59:42motorcycle for the first time ever.
00:59:44The speed record was over 265 miles an hour.
00:59:48The steering change with the speed.
00:59:50Under 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.
01:00:14The mile track at Sacramento, California.
01:00:34This is where the number one plate will be decided.
01:00:37A $12,000 purse.
01:00:40But more important to Dick Mann, Dave Aldana, Gene Romero, and Jim Rice, 101 points.
01:00:49Enough to make any of them number one.
01:00:53All the riders were there, but the pressure was on the four.
01:00:58If Dave Aldana won, it 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, and 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, went out on the track, and won
01:01:35his heat race.
01:01:44Mert won the second heat, Gene Romero the third, with Dave Aldana transferring to the
01:01:49point-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, playing it cool in the final heat and transferring.
01:02:05After the finish, at 120 miles an hour...
01:03:06An hour later, they lined up for the main event.
01:03:34Jim Rice was getting out of the ambulance and was going to try and ride the race.
01:03:45In a lot of pain, with a bandana covering his broken nose, Jim quietly took his place
01:03:50on the line with the rest.
01:04:01And down the back chute at 125 miles an hour.
01:04:29It was Dave Aldana.
01:04:30The race was black flagged.
01:04:35Aldana's bike was completely totaled, but David, as he had all year, walked away unhurt.
01:04:40But he also walked away from any chance of being number one.
01:04:44No way he could break the three-minute restart rule.
01:04:54The restart was a carbon copy of the first.
01:04:58He turned fourth, working his way back to third.
01:05:00Romero, second.
01:05:01Mann, first.
01:05:02And Romero, again, getting by Dick Mann in exactly the same place.
01:05:19Jim Rice, running in last place.
01:05:23Ten laps later, the field spreading out, Romero further ahead and Rice dropping further back.
01:05:28His bike running poorly, and 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, he caught his shoe in a hole and was in too much pain
01:05:42to continue.
01:05:43For him, that's got to be a lot.
01:05:46Mert hung on to Romero's tail for the first 20 laps, and then, as it happens so often
01:05:55during the season, smoke began pouring out as his engine went south.
01:06:02It was Romero's day, 50 laps, wire to wire.
01:06:05His father cheering him on, a beautiful ride, the checkered flag, and Gene Romero, the new
01:06:11number one.
01:06:30It was a day of happiness for Gene.
01:06:32For Rice, Aldana, and Mann, it was a very disappointing day.
01:06:36Rice was lucky to be alive.
01:06:42What kind of men are these that take tremendous chances, that saw off a cast and ride with
01:06:48a broken leg, and say, it'll be okay, I'm a fast healer?
01:06:57Why do they do it?
01:06:59There's no answer to that.
01:07:01If you ask them, they say simply, because it's what I like to do.
01:07:08For Mert, the day at Sacramento had been a mirror of the season.
01:07:11With as much bad luck as Mert had during the year, he still finished with enough points
01:07:16to be the number sixth ranked rider in the national point standings.
01:07:26Let's see what's happening in the rest of the motorcycle world.
01:07:29It's Sunday, and we're about 20 miles from Salt Lake City, Utah.
01:07:34There's a hill there called Widowmaker.
01:07:36It's 600 feet high, and the angle up the face is 89%, roughly 45 degrees.
01:07:47It's the site of the annual Widowmaker Hill Climb.
01:08:02No one's ever made it over the top, and they've been trying for seven years.
01:08:08Riders come from all over the country to compete in yet another highly specialized form of
01:08:12motorcycle competition.
01:08:14As I said, no one's ever made the top, but they give it a hell of a try.
01:08:44Wherever the bike stops is where the measurement is taken, so they get some bizarre push-off
01:08:53techniques.
01:09:00This guy nearly nailed a couple of spectators and lost 12 feet in the process.
01:09:10That's a whole lot better than losing 387 feet.
01:09:21Some of the bikes have a lot of character.
01:09:23The hill climbers themselves are safe to say characters.
01:09:32There was the mortician from Waukegan who thought hyperventilation was the answer.
01:09:38He got him up the hill, 15 feet.
01:09:43The classic guy that day was old Hawkeye Hillbilly.
01:09:47He spent considerable time mentally psyching himself up for the hill.
01:09:54He didn't know whether that was his number plate or a traffic citation.
01:10:13Down the hill, old Hawkeye the bouncer turned in a great run.
01:10:31Only about 50 feet short of the top.
01:10:39Old Malcolm was there.
01:10:41He'd never ridden a hill climb, but he thought it would be fun.
01:10:44On his first try, in typical Malcolm Smith style, he forgot to turn on the gas.
01:11:04Later in the day, he got his second run, more than made up for his first error.
01:11:15Riding his stock motorcycle in the 500cc class against the specially built hill climbers,
01:11:20he got up to around 500 feet, right in there with the best of them.
01:11:26Going back down the hill is a major operation for most riders.
01:11:31Malcolm dazzled the folks when he turned around and rode his motorcycle down.
01:11:46One of the final riders of the day was Mike Gibbon, who'd driven all the way from Grants
01:11:50Pass, Oregon to ride this event.
01:12:00Lines on the tires and nitromethane fuel in the tank, Mike Gibbon made the first tire
01:12:06mark on the top of Widowmaker.
01:12:09After seven years, it had been done.
01:12:22He got a big trophy and the local Lions Club gave him $100 to help him pay expenses back
01:12:26to Oregon.
01:12:27It had been quite a day.
01:12:32Widowmaker had at last been conquered.
01:12:36Malcolm got 100 feet further up the hill than any other stock bike, finishing third against
01:12:41the special hill climb machines.
01:12:56This fellow's a trials rider, the magicians of the motorcycle world.
01:13:02Good trials riders can do wheelies like this for miles, around corners, everywhere, just
01:13:07bopping along, watching the scenery.
01:13:11Trials riders are the violin players of the motorcycle world, tremendously skilled at
01:13:16what they do.
01:13:19The kid couldn't believe it.
01:13:21There was nobody to tell.
01:13:24In riding trials events, all you have to do is get through a difficult section of terrain
01:13:28without putting your foot down.
01:13:29A good trials rider's ability to do this is amazing.
01:13:35It would seem impossible to get a motorcycle with 10 inches of clearance over a 30 inch
01:13:39log and then make a sharp right turn to stay in bounds and not put your foot down.
01:13:50It can be done.
01:14:03Here's a beautiful example.
01:14:05Lift the wheel at the precise instant, turn it mid-air so when you land, your turn has
01:14:10already begun.
01:14:11It looks easy, don't believe it.
01:14:16Malcolm rides one or two trials a year on his Sunday outings.
01:14:19In fact, he rides one or two of almost everything a year.
01:14:23In trials too, he is very good.
01:14:31Try this someday if you want to do something really difficult.
01:14:36Neat, Malcolm.
01:14:41Quite a different breed from the trials riders are 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 who race in the desert.
01:14:57A great variety of people from all walks of life gather each 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.
01:15:25Down there on the line are doctors, lawyers, carpenters, plumbers, engineers, salesmen,
01:15:31students, anyone and everybody.
01:15:34A thousand riders ready to race a heron hound over 100 miles of desert terrain, 50 miles
01:15:41from the nearest town.
01:15:42This scene takes place every Sunday of the year with starts from 500 to 2,000 riders.
01:15:49The prize, a trophy for the winner and the satisfaction of knowing they did it for the
01:15:54rest.
01:16:00They head first to a smoke bomb about five miles from the start.
01:16:04At 10 a.m., the banner drops.
01:16:30About 10% never make the first five miles to the smoke bomb.
01:17:00It's a cross between a race and a war.
01:17:15They raise a cloud of dust that settles three weeks later on London.
01:17:19Once to the smoke bomb, they start to thin out, following a trail marked with ribbon
01:17:25and line.
01:17:26No one's allowed to ride the course first, so it's all new terrain to them.
01:17:30Three stripes of line across the trail mean a dangerous spot ahead.
01:17:33To the experienced desert rider, mounds of dirt mean danger too, because the mounds had
01:17:39to come out of something like a mine shaft or a ditch or a hole.
01:17:43You can tell when someone found one by the way they disappear so quickly.
01:18:07It's a hundred miles of uphills, washes, brush, sand, cactus, downhills, and rocks.
01:18:20The struggle just to get through.
01:18:27But the biggest hazard to a desert racer is another desert racer.
01:18:39In the spring, the B-29 bugs come out, and hitting one is like running into a medicine
01:18:45ball.
01:19:08Desert 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 onto.
01:19:18He's got claws like an eagle.
01:19:21Their pit stops are kind of unusual.
01:19:41Some of the hairiest racing is in the pits.
01:19:46The best riders can invariably be found way in front of the dust and really hauling.
01:19:53Here, J.N. Roberts, one of the really great desert racers.
01:20:04Steve McQueen riding here still rides an occasional desert race, although he prefers motocross now.
01:20:09A few years back, he rode every Sunday and was ranked the 11th amateur rider.
01:20:18And here, Malcolm Smith.
01:20:20He rarely rides the desert, says he doesn't like the heat and dust.
01:20:24He's ridden about 12 desert races in his life, and he won six of them.
01:20:29The other six he broke down.
01:20:35King of the desert and number one plate holder, Whitey Martino.
01:20:43There's a great deal of skill involved, not just riding, but reading the terrain.
01:20:47This is the way it looks to Whitey, weaving through the pucker bushes at 60 to 70 miles an hour.
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.
01:21:07After battling your way through sand, rocks, turtles, bugs, and mine shafts, you'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 100 people watching, and they're waiting for somebody else anyway.
01:21:28Desert races are a very personal experience.
01:21:30No spectators that cheer you, but a great personal satisfaction in knowing you did it.
01:21:50If 1,000 start, there's usually about 300 or 400 that finish.
01:21:55Contesters strewn out over 100 miles of desert and are picked up by a crew that sweeps the course.
01:22:02But there's always someone who gets off the course, gets lost, and breaks a chain or something.
01:22:08He has no idea where he is, and neither does anyone else.
01:22:23The desert racer's handbook says, build a fire.
01:22:26The rescue squad will see the smoke and come and pick you up.
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.
01:23:06The nearest water is in the radiator of his truck, but he doesn't have any idea where his truck is.
01:23:18That's a $1,000 signal fire.
01:23:25Probably the most fun in all of motorcycling is to load your bike in a pickup truck and head out into the country.
01:23:37The pressure of racing over, it's time to relax and have some fun.
01:23:42Malcolm, Steve, and Mert all like to race, but they think this kind of riding is the most fun.
01:23:48It's called cow trailing.
01:23:53If your friends aren't paying attention, how can you resist?
01:24:07Steve could have picked better people to fool with than Mert Lawwell and Malcolm Smith.
01:24:35There's something about going riding with your friends, a feeling of freedom, a feeling of joy that really can't be put into words.
01:24:45It can only be fully shared by someone who's done it.
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