CJ, thank you so much for this video. My dad, Mike Curoso is wearing the #2 bib in this race but wore #54 on his helmet and leathers. He was maybe 20 years old in this video. I have never seen footage of him racing before. This has been so awesome for me to show my 3 daughters (Mikes grandkids) their papa race. 🇺🇸 #54❤ Thank you again Cristin Curoso - Hurley
Thanks so much for your kind words! Mike Curoso was one of my favorite riders and was known not only for his riding talent but also his kind personality. He was widely respected and nobody had a bad word to say about him.
Your dad was my favorite rider. I got a 5x8 BW photo of him fully crossed up racing. I met him he was very cool. Sbeen into SW since 69 when it started in CM. Great memories.@@cjholmes4329
Boy, the memories! Dad and I did Ventura every Tues. Wed get to Orange County (Wed. as I recall), it was a bit of a drive,. Many thanks for sharing this!
Nobody can ride a 22 anymore.When Gene Woods owned Speedway USA in Victorville ca in the 90s he had an outlaw night. Some guys ran 22s but couldn't make em work .
@@tommccallan8802: The 19 inch rear tire is approximately 90% of the 22 inch rear tire diameter. This results in drastic gear changes from standard gearing for the small tracks. I'm sure the savvy California sPeEdWaY riders figured it out, but it was just easier to ride w/o the hassles, and ride with a 19'' rear tire. When the Jawa machine was shipped into the USA, they were set up for FIM tracks, which were at the time a 1/4 mile minimum and up. The 22'' rear worked great with those speeds. Also, they were equipped with a 2~speed Transmission. VictumVille er' Victorville, is about the same size as Costa Mesa, and if it was outlaw night, then they were running old Jawa-Weslake-Godden-JAps. They should have been able to make them work, just like on this film.
@@cjholmes4329 I was filming 3 to 4 feet away from Dennis Green who took the Picture for the poster. I was a kid and I turned to him and said "I got that" Lol So did he. too funny.
@@cjholmes4329 Thanks, I just found this about the incident in Cycle World, "When the race was over and it was announced that the Europeans had won, Bast and Harkins got into a fight when Bast questioned Harkins about (a) his heritage and (b) his riding ability. The crowd booed Mike Bast loudly when he got on the p.a. system to say, “I ride like a man,” thereby giving the impression that Harkins doesn’t. Harkins was then cheered when he stated that he “held no hard feelings” toward Bast, and hoped he would be “invited back to America to race very soon.” It was true speedway at its roller-derby-style best. Mike Bast had been cheered for beating the Europeans the past three days, but now was attacked for hitting the injured Harkins. He may have ruined his chances of getting a good reception from crowds for the entire season."
CJ, thank you so much for this video. My dad, Mike Curoso is wearing the #2 bib in this race but wore #54 on his helmet and leathers. He was maybe 20 years old in this video.
I have never seen footage of him racing before. This has been so awesome for me to show my 3 daughters (Mikes grandkids) their papa race.
🇺🇸 #54❤
Thank you again
Cristin Curoso - Hurley
Thanks so much for your kind words! Mike Curoso was one of my favorite riders and was known not only for his riding talent but also his kind personality. He was widely respected and nobody had a bad word to say about him.
Your dad was my favorite rider. I got a 5x8 BW photo of him fully crossed up racing. I met him he was very cool. Sbeen into SW since 69 when it started in CM. Great memories.@@cjholmes4329
8:36 - Holy Fack!!!
This is just about like the “Zapruder Film”.
Notice how Mike Bast's head flies back and to the left, back and to the left, back and to the left. Bert Harkins was just a patsy!
😆😅😂🤣
Absolutely laughing my arse off. Oliver Stone couldn’t have said it any better.
Boy, the memories! Dad and I did Ventura every Tues. Wed get to Orange County (Wed. as I recall), it was a bit of a drive,. Many thanks for sharing this!
This footage is unbelievable! Looks like a lot of 22'' rear tires. Thank You CJ for sharing this piece of History.
My pleasure! Those were some awesome times at Costs Mesa...
Nobody can ride a 22 anymore.When Gene Woods owned Speedway USA in Victorville ca in the 90s he had an outlaw night. Some guys ran 22s but couldn't make em work .
@@tommccallan8802: The 19 inch rear tire is approximately 90% of the 22 inch rear tire diameter. This results in drastic gear changes from standard gearing for the small tracks. I'm sure the savvy California sPeEdWaY riders figured it out, but it was just easier to ride w/o the hassles, and ride with a 19'' rear tire. When the Jawa machine was shipped into the USA, they were set up for FIM tracks, which were at the time a 1/4 mile minimum and up. The 22'' rear worked great with those speeds. Also, they were equipped with a 2~speed Transmission. VictumVille er' Victorville, is about the same size as Costa Mesa, and if it was outlaw night, then they were running old Jawa-Weslake-Godden-JAps. They should have been able to make them work, just like on this film.
#54 YOUR DAD WAS A AWESOME RIDER ONE OF THE BEST I USE TO SEE HIM AT IRWINDALE ON THURSDAY NIGHTS BACK IN THE 1970S
I grew up watching speedway at the Orange County Fairgrounds, in the 1980s. I literally lived a half mile away.
I think I went to this event! LOL I'm glad we all got our hair cut. Got real jobs. Great video Thanks!
Awesome footage! Thanks so much for posting!
Thanks!
I was at a daytime race at CM in 1974 that was a USA VS World race. It looks like the same race and line-up.
So 1974 huh? Thanks for the input! It was a great day at CM
@@cjholmes4329 Pretty sure this is 74
This speedway is awesome
Grest video!
I'm trying to find my Super 8 footage from turn 4. I'm just below the signal light when Ivan Crashed. I was filming.
Oh that's awesome! I hope you can find the film.
@@cjholmes4329 I was filming 3 to 4 feet away from Dennis Green who took the Picture for the poster. I was a kid and I turned to him and said "I got that" Lol So did he. too funny.
@@cjholmes4329 I will search every box and bin in this house this weekend for it. If not, I still have the Super 8.
Cool video
Thanks!
Turn 1 & 2 ...MORE BEER..!!!
“More Red Snapper!!!”
Hi do you have any more from Costa Mesa?
I love it.
I was there.
Thank you for sharing this.
It feels good 👍🏻
Thanks so much for your kind words! Unfortunately this is the only speedway action I captured on film.
I was there back then
Who was the rider who walked up to Mike Bast and grabbed him by the collar ?
That would be Bert Harkins, a fine rider from Scotland. Still going strong!
@@cjholmes4329 Thanks, I just found this about the incident in Cycle World, "When the race was over and it was announced that the Europeans had won, Bast and Harkins got into a fight when Bast questioned Harkins about (a) his heritage and (b) his riding ability. The crowd booed Mike Bast loudly when he got on the p.a. system to say, “I ride like a man,” thereby giving the impression that Harkins doesn’t.
Harkins was then cheered when he stated that he “held no hard feelings” toward Bast, and hoped he would be “invited back to America to race very soon.” It was true speedway at its roller-derby-style best. Mike Bast had been cheered for beating the Europeans the past three days, but now was attacked for hitting the injured Harkins. He may have ruined his chances of getting a good reception from crowds for the entire season."
@@MBStudioservices That is awesome! What issue of Cycle World did that article come from?
@@cjholmes4329 june 1st 1974 Cycle world
@@MBStudioservices thanks!
Sit behind turns 3 and 4 and get blasted with dirt clads. People would sit there with plexiglas shields and get hit with dirt.