The turnout:.
Spectator turnout at Glen Helen seemed concentrated mostly of industry representatives and competitor’s families. Maybe it had something to do with bike week ending on the same weekend less than an hour away, or most likely, the warm Florida sun, Gatorback drew a wide audience of which a high percentage seemed to be female. We heard no complaints from the one hour photo guy at Wal-Mart.

The Pits:.
Easy going was the theme in the pits at Gatorback. Unlike many professional sports, the Pro Pits are open to the public or anyone willing to take a walk and everyone gets a press view between rounds. Throughout most of the day crowds swarmed the factory supported Honda team and Team Suzuki booths in search of autographs and a quick chat with Tim Farr or Doug Gust.

The Track:.
A quick walk up to the fence revealed that this weekend’s racing was going to be good. Gatorback is a long and windy track with several large gaps and elevation changes. A large table top in front of the main Grand Stands kept spectators entertained and the monstrous uphill finish line jump kept away any low flying birds spectators seated atop the bleachers may have had to deal with. The Florida soil seemed to be an equal mixture of sand and clay and track conditions varied from muddy to dusty throughout the weekend.

Anyway, get on with the story…