King Kenny Indy Mile

[Turin]

Sure this has been posted before, The technology thread brought this to mind
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cS3ou7AOzM

[PhilB]

That was quite a machine, alright.  I got to hear it run once.

PhilB

[Daniel Kalal]

Yamaha Corp did a nice job with that video.

I saw Jay Springsteen at the Sacramento Mile do a couple demonstration laps on a TZ--pretty much as Kenny did here at Indianapolis.  And, just like KR, Springer didn't milk the throttle at all--he pinned it from the start.  Evidently, the TZ engine and chassis required that it be ridden full out; anything less and it was even more of a handful.

I was at the Indy Mile when Nicky Hayden did a demo lap on the LBM Ducati flat-tracker--a bike he'd never ridden (this was during the MotoGP weekend).  Again, the same deal:  Nicky pinned the throttle and charged into the first turn without any hesitation.

[LowRyter]

I saw the tribute run during Moto GP weekend.  He really ran it hard for a few laps.   It was spectacular for an exhibition run.

The funniest part was after the run everyone was praising Kenny, yacking about his exploits and the bike and gave him awards.  It went on for 10 minutes.  Kenny never said a word.  Finally they asked Valentino Rossi in attendance,  "Valentino have you ever wanted to race flat track?"

Rossi answered in heavy accident, "No, it looks a little too dangerous."

And then Kenny said his only words of the night,"He's smarter than he looks."

classic. 

If I couldn't be there in the 70s at least I saw that.

[BrotherJim]

That was a great night at the Indy Mile.  Sadly, it is no more.  Back to horse and buggy.

[LowRyter]

That was a great night at the Indy Mile.  Sadly, it is no more.  Back to horse and buggy.

I used to go to the Silver Crown races during the "500" weekend and Flat Track during MotoGP weekend.  I suppose the turf doesn't allow motorsports.   

[moto-uno]

  Was in Syracuse , New York at the flat track race ( in the 70's) and saw Jay Sprinsteen win the mile and was too young to be able to drink the champagne at the end . That flat track racing was amazing , also saw Kenny on the Yamaha there too ! It was so fast that weekend that they changed the groove twice to slow it down !  Peter

[Sheepdog]

I saw Kenny Roberts ride as a Junior at the Houston Short Track/TT in the late sixties. Even then, he was a phenom. He absolutely dominated the field and continued to do so when he got his pro license. I saw some legends ride at the Astrodome in both motocross and Class C racing. King Kenny was a standout performer. He truly changed road-racing and never gave up his steel-shoe origins...