Last week while sitting here working on something of vital national importance or possibly just goofing off, the radio was on to help override the annoying noise the ceiling fan makes. Basically it was on just for the noise, with the songs and comments going in one ear and out the other. Vaguely even registering as the announcer was talking about bands this and motorcycles that, thinking this was an upcoming event I was paying even less attention.
Thank goodness at least one of my brain cells was paying attention, and I realized he was talking about this upcoming weekend and the acronym wasn't correct. See, in Texas we don’t have any one-named rallies like Sturgis, Laughlin or Daytona. So, we tend to save time and cut to the chase like: HTH, ROT, RBTS, LSR, and now TNMR or by its proper name the Texas National Motorcycle Rally. Seems this was destined to be the second year for this event, with last year’s inaugural event being preceded by Hurricane Ike, which left the Texas Gulf-coast area beaten & bruised.
The 2008 event had been scheduled at Houston Raceway Park in Baytown just east of the city. I was surprised to learn that Ike did not derail it with last year’s attendance exceeding expectations, considering a lot of folks were still without power or trying to cleaning up from the hurricane destruction. Some, such as myself had suffered child abuse after the hurricane…”Are you sure there is no poison ivy over there?” I asked my father, as I was helping clear trees that fell on the house.
Anyway, the 2009 Texas National Motorcycle Rally fun and possibly some late night mischief was again scheduled to take place at the raceway, as part of the TNMR is drag racing! And not just for the folks wanting to take their stock or hopped up street ride down the ¼ mile, but with several of the big boy’s & Top Fuel Bikes from the American Motorcycle Racing Association! For those of you who might follow drag racing then you know that ¼ mile at HRP (see more initials) held its share of record breaking races over the years, when the NHRA rolls through town so this ought to be fun!
It suddenly registered that this was already Tuesday night; so, I need to get moving and fast! My first action was to look up the website and locate a contact phone number; my first attempt got me a recorded message. So bright and early the next morning I called again and inquired more about the event. I was then given to another person who told me I had to contact Steve Scranton the Event Coordinator and was given his e-mail address, which I promptly sent a message explaining who I was, etc. and hoping that it would not be too late to hear back, the gates open in less than 24 hours! I was very surprised to receive a reply just a couple hours later. He was busy this late in the game, but not too harried to handle Bikernet.
Since Thursday was a no-go due to prior commitments, I made my way out I-10 East on Friday to check things out. The racing was scheduled for Saturday & Sunday's festivities, so I wondered around investigating the area. One of the first sites to catch my eye was the display from one of the rallies sponsors the US Army, who happened to have a Tony Schumacher top fuel dragster on display. Granted it may be retired to a life of leisure now, but it would be cool to have in the garage! And hell, this may be the one that set a Top Fuel Track Record of 335.32 mph in April 2005 here in Texas? Amazing!
There were MMA cage fights scheduled and included as part of your entry fee, along with plenty of bands to keep folks jamming, from Ray Wylie Hubbard on Thursday, Charlie Parker, Geneva, and Pat Travers supplying the sounds Friday, and Blues 4 Sale, Mike Zito, and Johnny Winter keeping things rolling through Saturday’s activities.
It is possible the TNMR may also make it onto national television as Geneva and her band is part of a Fox TV reality show “Geneva’s Rock-N-Ride.” Which as I am typing this I just heard a radio commercial for along with the TNM rally on 101X in Austin, a day late, but sort of freaky timing none this less (I have to get my music off the Internet as Houston radio is not so great).
There were all of the rally required activities, a bike show sponsored by the fine folks at South Central Choppers, biker games, sexy girls in wet T-shirts, vendors and the ultimate in survival supplies, and our favorite food on sticks! The folks from Wreaths Across America were on hand; this is the national organization that through donations helps remember our countries fallen service men and women each year by placing wreaths at our national cemeteries.
I arrived early Saturday morning and set out to do what I do, take pictures of motorcycles and cute girls. All of the trailers that had been sealed from prying eye’s yesterday were now open with folks getting the bikes ready for the races which were scheduled to kick off at 10 am. One surprise was the American Graffiti hemi-powered car. While I did not see what class it ran in, I can tell you I was no more than 5’ away from those exhaust pipes when it made its first pass and damn that Rocked!
The fuel bikes put on one hell of a show, as did some very stealthy, right off the street, bikes. While out on the track I met Scott Singleton who has a variety of great jobs, not only is he the Asst. Drag Race Manager, Announcer and Photographer for Houston Raceway Park, he is also a photojournalist for RPM Magazine! Damn I have trouble getting stuff done for one event and I am not even going to tell y’all what I missed out on yesterday, but it involved Chuck Norris & motorcycles. I am way too far out of the loop here in Houston.
While I do not believe the attendance reached the estimates hoped for this year, due to a constant chance of rain and maybe the economy, I will say you missed out on some big time fun if you did not show. Saturday it never rained enough to to hide my camera, and as you can see the bikes had no trouble with the weather. I came across two things I had never previously encountered at any event, a man and his duck, and dogs for sale. I swear, if that lady had not been sitting there, that one pug was the dude from Man in Black and would have requested help saving the universe or at the very least escaping!
Apparently, the late night activities tend to be more adult in nature, refer back to sexy girls in (or out of) wet t-shirts. I can’t say how Sunday’s event went as it was raining on my side of Texas, and the still-in-need-of-repair left knee had all it could take the two days before.
Everyone I spoke with involved in this event was as friendly and helpful as could be, and if they will have me back next year, I think I’ll rent a trailer to drag out there so I got some place to crash at nights end. I’m too old to sleep on the ground.
Till next time,
–Rigid Frame Richard
TNMRally.net
WWW.Houstonraceway.com
WWW.NHRA.com
WWW.Genevasrocknride.com
