It was April 1976, practice day on the short track at Bryar Motorsport Park.  A thoroughly moto-xed 1975 Montesa 125, a Beck Arnley leather jacket , a Triumph front wheel and a pair of used Dunlop k-70's. 16 years old and as the commercial goes, it doesn't get any better than this, right?  The same track that hosted a Saturday night Pro race during Laconia. I remember seeing Stevie Boyce highside coming out of turn 2, going right out the pit gate ending up under the ambulance. Watching the late Randy Cleek road racing during the day and flat out whipping everybody Saturday night on his short tracker.  A couple of Laconias later, a Friday night amateur race on my 250 Montesa.  Not a lot of success that night, but did strike a deal with local hotshoe Charlie Whitaker to ride it Saturday night. Rain cancelled the races till Sunday but not the party on the hill. Sunday road races were great and then at the short track after banging handlebars with Mike Krasun, Charlie won the Trophy Dash! A 5" trophy and $100, can it get any better? Not bad for a bike that was used as a campground cruiser all weekend.

Fast forward thru a few Montesa's, Can-Am's a 750 Triumph and a half Rotax, half Harley-Davidson plus almost every Saturday night at Bryar Motorsport Park, races in Ohio, the Syracuse Miles and of course Daytona every year. In 1987 a diving accident put me in a wheelchair and ended my dirt track racing. In 1989 Bryar Motorsport Park was sold, in building New Hampshire International Speedway, the only motorcycle short track in New England was turned into a parking lot. Not only was dirt track taken from me, it was taken from everyone in New England.

Seeing the something to had to be done, Sideways Promotions was created. In 1990 Sideways Promotions ran 2 A.M.A. sanctioned races at Canaan U.S.A. Speedway, a wide, banked 1/4 mile oval located in Canaan N.H. Those races were very successful. The next year 4 races were set up as The New England Dirt Track Series.   As the crew from Sideways Promotions gained more experience the riders were also finding out about the races. There were over 100 different riders from 8 states and Canada. The 1992 schedule had 5 races, 2 of which were during Laconia Motorcycle Week. Unfortunately it rained the Saturday night of Laconia canceling one race. Other that, the 92 season was great, we had new riders, new classes and great response from both riders and spectators.  Sideways Promotions branched out for 93. Spectro Oil was sponsoring the whole series. 12 races at 3 tracks and 3 races during Laconia Motorcycle Week Rally and Races! 1994 and 95 saw us fine tuning our program and ventures into Maine and Vermont. We also had National riders (the Bostroms) from Loudon come to race at Rochester.

96 was again another expansion year. With support from Spectro Oil, The New England Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Dealers and Yamaha Sideways is taking care of the Amateurs and Pro's. A 7 race Northeast Professional Flat Track Series with a 1/2 mile race at Rochester June 14. A pavement short track at Stafford Springs Ct in conjunction with The Harley-Davidson Jamboree and Rodeo Weekend August 24,25 took care of the Pro's. The Amateur program is 9 races at 3 different tracks! 4 year old kids riding 50CC mini's, 60 year old kids riding vintage bikes, we have Amateur's, who have Pro's. A highlight of the Amateurs is a race in conjunction with the Rochester Fair Sunday afternoon September 15. Take all the excitement of a country fair, add some 80 m.p.h motorcycles on dirt and you have a show you can't miss. 1997 was another growing year. Things were looking good for both series. We did our biggest Pro race so far. A $10,000 pavement short track and motorcycle demolition derby under the lights of  Riverside Amusement Park. Not many riders but we had a ball and headed for the Syracuse Mile Rainout.

1998 was a very busy year. 4 Pro races in New England alone plus all the New England Dirt Track Series.  Also we made Wachusett Valley from a little flat practice oval to a race track with our Inaugural Youth Day October 17. I wanted to run a small event with only mini's and Karts to find out any problems that might surface. A beautiful day, the spectators, racers, cops and the ambulance people all thought it was great day. The Kiwanis club did the food and made some money. Great newspaper coverage did what I wanted to prove to the town. It was a family style event that showed everyone what we are all about.

Another excitement was Hell Week in New England. August 21 a Pro race in Mass, 22,23 a 2 day in event in CT, the 26th went to a Buffet Concert and the 28 left to run a 2 day race in Bangor Maine 5 hours away. Friday got the track crew going and wake up to sunshine Saturday morning. 11:00 A.M. it starts to drizzle but the locals assure me it's a passing cloud. 1:00 it's a light rain  and all the weather forecasts  are saying partly  cloudy.  Since it's only "partly cloudy " the spectators and T.V. stations are all there asking me what's happening. This is our first ever race at this track and I know from a test day that it can take some water, but not what we are getting. We cancel and plan to run a double program Sunday.

I assure the United Bikers of Maine everything "will be fine in the morning." It was "partly cloudy" till 9 p.m. Saturday night the city is hopping and everyone is having a great time. Me ? My heart is in my throat worrying all night. Early Sunday morning wake up to gray and dreary. They don't have a grader so we have a bunch of  trucks pulling different drags. The track is great except for the front straight that has 6 inches of mud on it. Took the biggest 4 wheel drive pickup, a big drag made out of 1" rerod and worked the muck into the turns. I know the lifespan of that truck was shortened by at LEAST 2 years with 1 hours abuse. We let it dry for a while as the sun came out. Mean while all the doubting thomas's are telling me it will never work. Now you have to remember we are in Maine. I tell them to grab the water truck and the big wooden grader box. They start going around but the last grader "board" is bouncing making the track rough. To fix that problem we strap a 10:20  truck tire on top and have the UBM president ride on it to hold it down. That drag smoothed the track out like a cement floor. Practice was in 15 minutes and the "thomas's" were still doubting. Put some Experts out and the track was a beautiful cushion. The water truck driver went to put the truck away because he said "We won't need this today." When I said "We'll be watering after practice," they started laughing.  OK ! We watered after practice, the heats and the first set of features. For a cushion, that track was smooth till the last couple of features when it got a little bumpy. Uuunbeeeelievable the way it turned out. Luck was definitely on my side. Being the traveling gypsies we are and working with junk clay and poor equipment prepared me for that weekend. And some people think us promoters just count the money and head out for a "lobstah dinah."

What's in store for 99?  I am very thankful for all the support of Wurlitzer Distributing, TORCO Racing Oils and the New England Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Dealers Association. They help make it happen!!! I  want to refine the program we have and get Wachusett Valley up to speed. The BIKEWORX SUPER TT SERIES should prove interesting. I'm still want to get a roadrace added to it, but we'll start with what we got. The Northeast Amateur Nationals is an exciting venture. I have been working hard on The Pro Series trying to convince more tracks to join. We HAVE TO give the fans in the northeast some bigger races. I can't afford a HotShoe or National.......yet. I love this sport, the fans, the riders. I believe that dirt track is making a comeback and am proud to be involved in it!!!!  Pete

Just a note to remind everyone about protecting your right to ride. Imagine one morning you wake up and you can't ride.Your bikes are in the garage and the road and the trails are still there, you just can't use them. Well it  happened to me and I can tell you it really sucks. I could go for a ride in a sidehack, but it's not the same as twisting the throttle and feeling the power.

To be continued...The minibike years and unstudded Hodaka racing, Pictures of Bryar

1978 Bryar Motorsport Park Champion Framed 250 Montesa. I worked at Gardner Cycles in Gardner  MA then. They sold Montesa's, Can-Am's, Guzzi's, Moto-Morini's, Triumph's, Bennelli's and Laverda's. A great place to work, got to listen to many old racing stories and ride some pretty exotic bikes owned by some interesting people. The J. Geils Band used to come in all the time.Senator John Kerry rode a Triumph back in the 80's

Bryar Motorsport Park 1978, A paved short track with beach sand mixed with drain oil. made for an awesome surface, never holed up. Dragged the dirt back on the groove after practice and the heats. Trackmaster Montesa 250, Rebcor Montesa Helmet and borrowed leathers, Ahhhh to be 17 years old again!