Flat Tracking a 6 day

[tmc3c]

Back in the 70's I was racing at Orangeburg fairgrounds.It was a night race and it was a banked 3/8 mile with the hardest clay around.I ran my heat and finished second to a good friend named Randy Edenfield on a 125 Yamaha that was out of a local shop.During the main feature Randy and I swapped first and second several times.There were two local Motorcycle shop owners in the stands.One was Ed Stokes who owned the Honda shop in Charleston who sold Pentons, where my bike came from and the other owner was Mr. White of the Yamaha shop.This was the Yamaha I was up against.He couldn't understand how I was running with his Yamaha and made the comment that they had seen my mother bringing in some "SPECIAL FUEL". I guess my giving the Yamaha a run for it's money could only be explained by thinking I had "special fuel."  Ed told them that the only thing we did with my Penton was wash it a lot.The fuel was for my brother's XR75 because we left his gas at home accidentally so we had to buy gas in Orangeburg.I remember to this day that coming off the forth corner in a full tuck being side up with Randy and looking down the straight and seeing the flagman and the green light at the end of the straight.It was like slow motion when we came across the line side up and to this day I wish I would have had the presence of mind to bring my arm across my handlebars and I would have won this one,instead I got second. So close but so far away,but not bad for a CLEAN STOCK PENTON.

Thomas Carmichael

[tomale]

Nice story Tom, I quess no one could really believed just how fast they really were.... are. We have several guys that are running Penton bikes with Honda engines. Talk about a handicap... It is strange to see a Penton coming down the straight making noise like a four stroke. Can't wait to get the 125 running so that we can turn some heads.

Thom Green,Still crazy after all these years!
76' 250 MC5 (orginal owner)
78' 400 MC5

[tmc3c]

Thanks Thom, Like the ole saying goes"if I only new then what I know now" then the story might have gone my way but I ended up being the first looser.



Thomas Carmichael


1970 125 Six Day
1976 250 Hare Scrambler