Got this email from Willard Kelly and thought it would be good to re-post here. Following is a story of me racing out in California for the first time. Actually I did race Three wheeler at San Jose California in 1983, but this was the first time that I got to race Motorcycles out west. As always I planned to win, as I wanted to put it on the west coast guys, but in life not everything always goes as we plan. At The end of the story is a Photo of The Rod Lake Racing Team, as well as a link you can click on to see the photos we took at the willow Springs California races. I Hope you all enjoy The Story. WILD WILL CRASHES HARD AT WILLOW SPRINGS, INJURES BACK, BUT CONTINUES ON. It happened on the first lap of practice today Sunday May the 5th at Willow Springs in Rosamond California. At first I wasn’t even going to practice today before the races, but the track was groomed so nice and looked faster than yesterday, so I decided to check it out. I took off with probably a dozen or so riders in front of me, and shifted thru the gears on The Rod Lake Racing Honda, and sailed thru turns one and two and headed down the back stretch passing several riders in the process. I drove off into turn three way way too hot, and immediately saw I was in deep trouble. The track was so hard that I got better traction than I did yesterday, so I must have been going ten miles an hour too fast to make the turn. I pitched it in, literally, and saw I was going to hit the hay bales. About ten feet from the hay bales I let the bike go, as I didn’t want to be with the bike when it hit the hay bales. The Honda slide into a couple of hay bales and I followed it, and I think I bounced off the bike, and proceeded to slide what Rod Lake later said was at least sixty feet on my back. I had instant pain in my back (the part I had operated on in 2006), before I started the sixty foot slide. When I stopped sliding I was about the middle of turns three and four and the Honda was way back at the entrance of turn three. I was up against one of the hay bales, and my back was hurting terribly. I crawled up between two hay bales and rested against one of them as practice continued. The next lap around another rider did almost the same thing as I did and ended up next to my bike, but he was able to remount and continued on. I was out of the way and the bike was out of the way, unless of course you overshot the turn like I did, so they completed the practice session. After the practice session was over my pit crew was allowed to cross the track to retrieve the Honda, and of course they came and checked on me. I was in terrible Pain and told them it was my back. My biggest concern at that moment was that I was going to have to walk back to the pits, and I sure wasn’t looking forward to that. Then here comes Eddie Mulder on a pit bike to check on me. I told Eddie I hurt my back and asked him if he would give me a ride back to the pits. Eddie slide as far forward as he could on the pit bike and I got on behind him and we headed to what I thought was going to be the pits. But Eddie stopped off by where the ambulance was parked in the infield and asked them to check me out. I crawled into the Ambulance and removed my helmet, and the nice guy asked me where I hurt, and I told him and I also told him that I had my back operated on in 2006. He then asked me if I remembered crashing, and I said sure. He wanted to know if I hit my head and maybe knocked myself out. I told him, no that by head never touched the track. Then he asked if I had knocked the wind out of me. I told him No, I just hurt my back, and then I told him I may have just twisted it. He wanted to know if I wanted to go to the hospital and get checked out. I told him No, that I had come all the way from Texas, and I was going to race. He kind of laughed and said, there is nothing you really want me to do is there. I told him not really as I just needed to get back to my pits. I thanked him for his time, and he told me if I needed anything to just come back and let him know. Before I left though, he gave me one of those ice packs to put on my back when I got to my pits. So I walked slowly and I do mean slowly to the edge of the track and waited for the practice session that was in progress to end so I could cross the track. After all the bikes had passed by, the flagman motioned for me to cross before he allowed the next session out. When I got to our pits, everyone was asking how I was and I shared what I have already mentioned in the story so far. I went and sat down in the car with my wife and explained to her what was going on and gave her the icepack to activate, but ended up getting one of the pit crew to do it. I believe it was Ronnie Brown That took care of it, as I asked him if I tore up the Lil Honda. He said No, It was fine, but he was concerned about me. I put the ice pack on my back and leaned back in the seat in the car to help hold the pack in place. Then my wife gave me a couple of Ibuprofen. Then I got out my new nonprescription pain medicine called soothanol X2, which has DMSO in it along with other ingredients. I got my wife to apply this on my back in hopes it would work miracles. My wife doesn’t really like the stuff because it smells like Ben gay only a lot stronger, but I use it for my arthritis pain. Nothing was really helping though as I was indeed in a lot of pain. Mr. Henry stopped by and I talked him into undoing my steel shoe since I couldn’t reach down to do it. Mr. Henry told me sitting there might not be the best thing to do as he said I might stove up, and I might should trying walking it off. My wife agreed with him, so I got up and walked to the lil boy’s room, and made a walk thru the pits hoping that would help. I went back to the car and sat back down, and folks started coming by to check on me. My wife didn’t think I should ride due to all the pain she could see I was in. Rod Lake came over and talked to me and he as well as everyone could see I was in a lot of pain. Rod told me I didn’t have to ride if I didn’t feel like it. I told Rod I did too as this trip has been ten years in the making, and I didn’t drive over 1600 miles to watch. Rod assured me that I didn’t have to ride because of him, and I told Rod I did too. Rod said, not because of me you don’t Will. I am your Friend. I assured Rod I was going to Ride. But Rod said that is entirely up to you Will. My Pit Crew kept saying the same thing, as they were indeed concerned about me. But I didn’t want to let Rod and everyone down, and I felt like that is what I would be doing if I didn’t race. Besides I am from Texas, and I am supposed to be Tough, and I am not a quitter, so I fully intended to try and race. I was entered in race Number One, and race Number thirteen. I was also pre entered in the Digger Pro Class, and since the Modern bike had a cracked frame I was just going to ride the lil Honda in that class also. But after the crash I decided to drop out of that one, and just concentrate on the other two classes. I was a tad bit late getting ready for the First heat Race, as I was moving kind of slow. Rod took the Honda to the starting line and I walked out to the starting line from the wrong direction, but I was there. The flagman was real quick with his starts, and I just basically cruised around to see how my back felt during the race. I finished a solid fourth, so that gave me a front row start for the main event which is all I was wanting out of the heat Race anyway. Mr. Henry was in race number two on the other lil Honda, but I didn’t get to see him race because his race started as I was coming back to the pits from my heat Race. Mr. Henry had a back row start, and I think he got like fifth or sixth, but I am not for sure. I think he wound up on the back row in the main event too. Mr. Henry was also in race number seven on the Rod Lake BSA Gold Star, and I got to see that race. The Gold Star died on the starting line though and they had a hard time getting it to restart. Eddie Mulder finally got it kick started. I want to tell you folks something. Eddie Mulder may be the Promoter but he does lots more than just promotes. They finally got the race started but Mr. Henry ended up taking off in like third gear, and was last the first lap. There were eight bikes in the Brakeless class, and once Mr. Henry got going he passed two riders putting him in sixth, and he was almost in fifth as they crossed the finish line. After my first heat Race, I decided to just leave my Jacket and Steel shoe on so it wouldn’t take so long to get ready. With the wind blowing the way it was, it wasn’t that uncomfortable with the jacket on. I line up for heat race thirteen, and didn’t get a very good start. I found that the track was much rougher than it had been in my first heat race, and the pounding was really hurting my back. I am not sure but I think I finished like fifth or sixth in that heat race. After all the heat races were run, we had an intermission, then they ran the Pro dash for cash, followed by the Pro Semi, and then we went into the main events. I was still in lots of pain, so I decided since the track would probably rough up again by the thirteenth race, I would just race one main event. I told Rod Lake what my plan was and that I was planning on winning that one main event. Rod just grinned and said well you do have the right attitude. I talked with Ronnie Brown and got him to turn the rear wheel around so I would have a new edge for the main Event. When I got ready to go to the Main event, I put on My Red Racing vest, that I had not worn yet, because of all the pea gravel that was being sprayed up, but hey it was now show time, pain or not. As I lined up I was fourth on the front row, and I noticed there was A 750 Triumph, a 750 Yamaha and a 750 Harley, all twins of course then me on the ill Rod Lake Racing Honda single. I think I was like fifth through the first turn, then I just sucked it up as for as the pain was concerned and started chasing them down. I moved to fourth, and then Third, and then I moved into second place. I made all of my passes on the inside as the other riders seem to drift high. I didn’t win but I did finish a solid second Place, and considering what I had to deal with all day, I guess I should be proud of myself. But of course I wanted to win. Rod Lake and The whole pit crew seemed to be proud of my finish as I don’t think they thought I would finish that good, considering how much pain I was dealing with. Rod Lake told me I rode great, and he said the rider that won my race was a legitament fast guy. His name is Ken Thiebaud. And he was the rider on the 750 Triumph. After I took My Leathers and stuff off, I went and found the gentleman, and congratulated him on his win, and I even took a photo of him and his Triumph. And he seemed to me to be a real nice guy too. Now Mr. Henry again was in race two right after my race, and I didn’t get to see all of it, just the finish, but Mr. Henry Got third in his race on the lil Honda, but in the brakeless class The Gold Star died on the starting line again, but this time they could not get it to restart, so Mr. Henry watched that race from the infield. They had a very nice Award presentation after the races, and as we got our awards we got to say our thank yous. Of Course I thank Rod Lake for making this trip happen, as well as thanking my special Pit Crew, Ronnie Brown, David Brown, and Steve Lacey. But I also thanked Eddie and Jodi Mulder and Digger. I also thanked everyone for making us feel so welcomed out here on the west coast. My wife and I truly had a blast even with all the Pain I had to go thru. I took photos of the awards ceremony, and as soon as I learn how to download these photos from this new Smart camera, I will be posting them. Before Rod Lake left he told me we would do this again, and I told Rod that he had my Number and just call any time as I always keep my bag packed. After all My Motto is: Have Leathers will Travel. Again I want to say Thanks To Rod Lake for making this ole vintage Racer’s Dreams come true. Thanks a million Rod. I would also like to take this time to thank Dennis Mahan for coming to the races. This was the first time I have seen Dennis in person since the Springfield Mile in 2006, when I was in a wheel chair, waiting on that Back Operation. I hope to see all you West Coast Riders again soon. After returning Home to Texas I went to the Doctor and found out I broke my back and two ribs. But I am healing and plan to make The Kansas Fair Circuit Races in August as well as The Bultaco Astro Cup in Indianapolis Indiana, and then Davenport Iowa Labor day weekend. Wild Will From Stephenville. The Rod Lake Racing Team at Willow Springs. Left to Right: David Brown, Mr. Henry, Rod Lake, Wild Will Kelley, Steve Lacy and Ronnie Brown [URL=s833.photobucket/user/WildWill_photo/media/Willow%20Springs%20Rosamond% 20California/boyd438.jpg.html][IMG]i833.photobucket/albums/zz260/WildWill_photo/Willow%20Springs%20Rosamond%20California/boyd438.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
Posted on: Mon, 08 Jul 2013 14:19:33 +0000
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