I remember when......

[tmc3c]

I remember when I was about 11 or so and my Dad owned a service station on hwy 61 in Charleston S.C. and there was a poker run in Bear Swamp. All of the guys who hung out at the station were all getting ready to ride from the station to the run.I had a Honda trail 90 and we all took off from the station and my Dad was hiding me in the middle of the pack of riders until we got up to about 40/50 miles and hour and I started getting speed wobbles !! So we all stop and a guy who was with us was on a Putsey"not sure of the spelling" but he hid it behind a billboard and rode my bike and I got on the back of my Dads Honda 305 Super Hawk. Well,there were guys on Harleys,Triumphs and Hondas.I belive this was in about 1969 so no Pentons that I know of,but anyway I remember a muddy logging road . My Father and I were doing good and I was holding on for dear life and down we went! As we were going down a friend of my Fathers was already laughing so all could hear and as he rides by he throws us tootsie rolls ! meaning we were candies for falling ! I remember seeing Triumphs sitting straight up with out anybody on them on a power line on that day ! This was a fond memory that I have of my early years of motorcyling.

Thomas Carmichael

[Doug Wilford]

Thomas I liked the story.    Having Dad riding you around as a kid is a wonderful thing.    I never got a ride on the back of my Dads motorcycles but he and my mom sure poured in alot of gas and refreshments as pit crew, for me, and most of the Penton, Husky guys at the qualifiers and enduros.    We all knew if my dad "Wally" had a difficult pit area to get to "He Would Be There"!  As little as it may seem, my Dad and Mom were a big part in the success of Team Penton race results.

[tmc3c]

Thanks Doug ! And you know what else happen ? In my later years my Dad and I raced in the same class on 125 PENTONS !! and we had another friend Allan Fisher who also raced with us and rode to the track with us, he also raced on a PENTON 125 !3 Penton 125's on a trailer being pulled by a MINT condition 1952 Chevy pick up truck ! Talk about a eye catcher. When I raced on Sundays we would load up early morning and then go to Sunday School with the motorcycles ! and then we would cut out before preaching just to make the event ! My Father and Mother played a BIG part of my racing !! I could have NEVER done it without them!!

Thomas Carmichael