From the pages of The Ton #1
It’s the richest off the road race for motorcycles… in the history of organized sport – a fantastic spectacle in honor of some fatback grossero. – Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Four years ago See See Motorcycle’s Thor Drake launched Dirt Quake USA. The event immediately drew out a rogues gallery of motorcycle enthusiasts, thrill seekers, maniacs, rednecks, and partiers. Last year the name, which was owned by a UK company, was retired in the US as the Brits decided to not go forward with lending its name to the Washington based event.
To fill this gap a name change was in order, and out of the ashes of Dirt Quake, The Wild One was born. Like Dirt Quake, The Wild One, is the kind of motorcycle event where safety is an afterthought. Akin in part to the rebellious biker runs of the 1960s and the insane hill climb events of the California desert in the 1960s and 1970s. What is different is that the race itself is a psychotic version of the Super Hooligan and flat track events. While there is room for “normal” races, the attraction mainly is the free-form races that bring in riders of all walks of life.
The original event was invented by a few Brits trying to demystify the act of flat-track racing and to bring newcomers to the track. And, in some regard, it has worked. Rolland Sands, See See Motorcycles, and a group of other like minded companies started a new professional Super Hooligan circuit. In other ways, the event itself has become something of a wild motorcycle version of Fear and Loathing – where the atmosphere and stories of wild nights, has overshadowed the racing.
So you might be asking yourself, so how is The Wild One different than Dirt Quake? To be frank, it really isn't. It is the same insane summer party nestled in the back corner of the Pacific Northwest that it had been in its earlier incarnation.
Fifty miles north of Portland, Oregon, in Castle Rock, Washington is a clay-based oval track ran by the St. Helens Motorcycle Club. The track was the perfect location for such an event. Motorcycle racer Kenny Roberts once stated that Castle Rock is one of those raceways where the fence around the track is protecting the racers from the race fans. Add in a little American spirit – and lots of beer – and you have yourself the makings of The Wild One.
The track itself predates the eruption. When St Helens blew its top, the track along with the majority of Castle Rock was covered. As they began to dig out and rebuild the track, they changed the length just slightly. That change would lead to the track being abandoned by the professional flat track circuit – and many thought this would seal the fate of the track. But out of necessity a rag tag group of modified racers, motorcycle educators, club members, and more kept the track afloat. The location, construction and wide open space surrounding the track proved to be a perfect fit for the Wild One and its marquee Super Hooligan race.
Running roughshod around the track were several classes: Choppers, Trackers, the Inappropriate Road Bike, Lady, Tripod, Minibike, and Hooligan. In many ways it really doesn't matter who won the race, as The Wild One tends to blur the line between spectator and participant. What does matter is that everyone who showed up walked away with smiles on their faces and hours worth of stories to share.
The Wild One, and events across the country, has the power to bring people together in awesome ways. Events like The Wild One are popping up and happening all over the world and most of them are great fun, so long as you keep an open mind and relax a bit.
"The idea of covering this race in any press sense was absurd." - HST, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.