Old CRA Track in East Palestine, Ohio?

I saw these posts about the track in East Palestine and wanted to join the forms to respond. I have been reading Pitracer for several years. This is Sam Clemente and I remember these picture. I still race but at least ride area tracks for practice once a week such as Beans, Dirt World, etc. I also remember Allan Sams and his future wife Tina and her dad Carl P. I would of been on here sooner but I worked this last weekend. One of the pictures was my cousin Donny on the XR80. Me and Rick had a great time growing up racing especially at the Friday night races at the Wattsburg fair grounds in PA.
 
Did you have to cross a small bridge to get from the road into the parking lot?
I looked at the trophy I have and it says 1st place 1978 Pirate Competition
If you had to cross the bridge i am pretty sure this is the track
Didnt they have hill climbs there a few years back?
 
You did have to cross a small bridge to enter the track. They did hold a national hill climb event in 1998 or 1999. In 1980 all of us used to race at Harbor Woods mx by New Castle,PA because they ran the minis in the morning and then we would go to East Palestine to run the mini hare scramble. Some of the riders were Pete Maurice, Allan Sams, Curtis Morrow, Tony Zonka, Eric Joffin, etc. They ran the motocross for 1 year in 1981 hence the pictures from Rick. I ran some hare scrambles in 1982 my last year on minis after that in was strictly motocross. The mini track was sort of like a GP track and they even ran us down the creek for a short time.
 
That had to be the place than.
I went there with a buddy in 1977 for my first race
My friend rode a 250 Maico from a shop on ST RT 45 in Salem,Ohio
I got a first place in my first race and still have the trophy.
They went by Pirate Competition at that time,maybe not the track name but that is whats on the trophy
I ran harescrambles till 1980 or so than got out of racing untill 1996 when i bought a new RM250 and raced a couple harescambles than switched to motocross.
Found I liked that alot more
Imagine going from a 1978 to a 1996 model bike and how much the tracks had changed
All good times
Somewhere I have pictures of my 1978 Rm strapped to the trunk of our 1964 Chevelle SS convertible just to go race because my buddy couldnt go and we allows hauled our bikes in his dads van
 
Pirates use to ran hill climbs back in the 70's on a regular basis. Use to be an AMA sancation track then as well. They usually ran us down the amatuer hill and thru the creek under the entrance bridge.

Harbor Woods was a pretty cool track back in the day. Last rode there in 1979.
 
Harbor Woods

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Thanks for the pictures, I have some also and have to figure out how to post them. Do you or the boys ride or practice. It is nice to hear from you. It would be nice to see each other again.I remember that race at Harbor Woods, it was in March 1982 because of the snow. I will respond back more this evening. Talk to you later as I should be working
 
My boys are still racing. Mainly stick close to pittsburgh now with fuel prices. We may get up to TvLand over the 6th.
 
TPMS#8 The people who ran the track before Carl P..was the Pirate Motocycle Club...when we took over and for insurance reasons we went by that for a while.... we did have that on the trophies for a while... so Im pretty sure that is the trophy you have. My hubby got his first trophy that same year.. The last Pro Hill climb "we" ran was in 81 I believe ( holy tuff crowd)...You DID have to cross the bridge to get into track and go UNDER it to race.

Hey Sam!
Glad to see you post on here! Hope things have been good...And being that I have not been to your "OFFICE" in a while things are good here too! lol
Allen said he thought he seen you at Dirt world a couple weeks ago..but when he came to say hi he could not find you! Hope we run into you soon..It's a LOT of fun lookin at the old pictures! My Dad can NOT post on her (tech challenged) But he read it all and said say Hello!
 
I was a Dirt World a couple of weeks ago. I drive a red Ford pickup and ride a honda crf450 #112. I hope to see you at one of the tracks. Tell Allen and Carl hello and I am glad you and everyone our doing well. I will eventually get some pictures up.
 
Harbor Woods was a fun track. I started racing there on my JR50. Did a Russ Darnell MX school there in the early 80's. Loved that long start watching the big bikes through there. My dad and i raced there a lot. He was on Maicos back then #754. He ran there and a place called Huggy Bear a lot. We even tried the track that opened near New Castle after HW closed. Can't remember the name, but it was a gravel pit and the jumps were piled up big.
I never got to runat the Wattsburg Pa fairground night races, but was there plenty and still have fond memories driving thru.
Anybody remember the track that used to be in erie Pa off of I90? Used to be right off the highway. Think its near the Rt 8 exit.
So many tracks to remember. Its funny how i can take a lap in my mind on every track I've ever ridden, but forget the to do list my wife gives me... :)
 
Hindsy. I actually did a Russ Darnell school at Yankee Lake with Sam112 for a week. I remember he would stand in a corner with a stick or a tire. If you didn't do it right he'd crack your hand or toss the tire on the bars. I doubt that would work at schools today. LOL

The track in New Castle may have been Hickory Hills which opened a few years are Harbor Woods closed.
 
I raced there in 85 or 86 for a 3hr harescramble. toys for tots. Terry Cunningham won overall... really tuff but fun track!
 
I remember the Russ Darnell school at Yankee Lake in 1981 and you are right If you did that today someone would say something. I know it made me put a finger on the front brake and made sure I used it.
 
sam112 said:
I remember the Russ Darnell school at Yankee Lake in 1981 and you are right If you did that today someone would say something. I know it made me put a finger on the front brake and made sure I used it.
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Hickory Hills was in New Castle and it is just a grass field now but if you knew the layout you can still tell the track.
 
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