Oliver Hosts An After-season Party

Oliver Hosts An After-season Party

© 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

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From a press release issued by Team Oliver Yamaha:

Team Oliver Yamaha celebrates the perfect season with a wild party in Auberry, CA.

After winning twelve 250 Grand Prix races in a row, the last being the Roadracingworld.com 250/50 at Willow Springs, Team Oliver had time to relax and enjoy a Saturday of fun with their sponsors and friends. Flat track racing, target shooting, great food and a liberal amount of “sport drinks” were served to the guests. Friends and sponsors were able to enjoy first hand some of the Mystery School curriculum. For the first time ever Rich held two-50 lap dirt track main event night races, complete with Victory Circle ceremonies, under the glare of multiple halogen lights.

However, the allure of trophies, champagne, and prize money caused the party to take on a competitive atmosphere as racers vied for the huge rewards. Rich explains a few of the shenanigans of the evening, “The first thing I noticed my mechanic, Robert Ward, parking quite a ways away from everyone else as he was secretly prepping his Honda 100. However, Robert denied any extra preparation even though I knew he had been up to my property several times before practicing on the track, had his suspension adjusted by Jim Lindemann specifically for this night, a special engine pumped to the maximum capacity and had been mixing various fuel combinations like a mad scientist in a crazy laboratory all to have his bike fail him in the warm-up laps. It was popping and banging like a fourth of July celebration. He was crest-fallen as all of his efforts left him high and dry forcing him to sheepishly ask me to borrow one of my school fleet bikes.

“Then my neighbor Christoph showed up with a dual pronged attack. First was his entire lack of respect for the engine size limit showing up with a 200cc Honda and his secret weapon, nine-year old son Deitrich who raced his Honda 50 and tried to distract the participants with his strange weaving serpentine style. Christoph would ride behind Dietrich yelling strange commands such as ‘dodge left, rear right, you almost have him…’

“Representing Micron on the front row, was Doug Cameron. His strategy was to find the largest mudhole on the track and fly head long into it drenching himself with mud. His strategy was to use it as camouflage to sneak up on other riders and trick them into thinking he was just another part of track debris, however, they soon saw it was just Doug using the spray of the mud drippings to try to blind their way.

“Yamaha’s Jeff Jones was the smoothest of our riders and played the strategy of everyone’s friend off the track but on the track, he had the uncanny ability to outsmart the competition by avoiding the other riders on-track devious ploys.

“Wilson’s representative, Gary Georges was unable to participate in the night events as he had to leave to attend his own birthday party. Coincidentally his TTR125 Yamaha was also popping and banging and Gary was overheard on the way out saying ‘maybe I hurt it a little by adding all the nitro-methane to the gas.’

“Debra, the lone female representative, strategically picked the electric start TTR125 Yamaha with knobby tires giving her the advantage of increased traction and in case of a fall, a speedy restart.

“Completing the field was suspension expert Jim Lindemann who riding with a severe handicap still managed to put in great lap times. His handicap was that every few minutes he would pull off of the track and adjust his bike’s suspension, repeatedly reciting, ‘it’s only one click away from being perfect’ as he mimicked Rich at the races this year waiving his arms over his head and jumping up and down.”

Race One Race Report

Robert was out to a flying lead riding like a man possessed. I think he was so mad that his Honda had failed him that he had the red rage. Jeff was slotted solidly in second as Christoph, Deitrich and others started their attack. In the end, Robert sprayed champagne and took the $25 victory, while Christoph with his cannonball style passed Jeff for the $15 second place prize and Jeff cashed in with a whopping $10 for third.

Race Two Race Report

The riders positioned themselves at the line. The flag dropped and they were on their way. Feeling the adrenaline rush and seeing the dollar signs of the prize money, everyone rode a bit harder and out of their league as demonstrated with the hay bale face implant Christoph demonstrated half-way through the race. Stunned and pricked, he pulled to the center of the track, never to restart. Deitrich on the other hand, seeing his father’s misfortune dug down deep and held the Honda 50 wide open around the small oval track melting the soles of his rubber workman’s boots as he imitated those wearing the real steel shoes. In the end, Robert again tasted victory, Jeff improved his podium finish to second and little Deitrich glorified himself and his family with a strong third place.

On a more serious note, thank you to all of my sponsors, friends and fans for supporting me in this record setting final year of 250 Grand Prix racing.


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