Likely going to Davenport for first time what is best motel/hotel to stay at?

[KNUCK]

I would like to be as close a possible but not in a hostel if you know what I mean. But don't want to spend too much of my parts money on a room but no bed bugs either!

Also Is the racing in Davenport as good as Wauseon? All input is appreciated, this may be my only chance to do this meet as I am on the left coast.

[T. Cotten]

Sadly. Knuck,..

I don't see racing anywhere on the agenda, although I hope I'm wrong: http://www.chiefblackhawk.org/

Everybody lost when the board and the chapter went to war.

...Cotten
PS: I'll be there in my usual spot, but times are hard, so my cooler might be hidden. But you are certainly welcome beneath Liberty's canopy if the fairgrounds authority goons you for just a sleeping bag in the grass (and they might...)

PPS: On the bright side, I bet the showers are extra extra clean this year!

[JoJo357]

Looks like a green flag Knuck. Both Wauseon & Davenport have excellent racing!
Have Fun & Happy hunting.

http://www.chiefblackhawk.org/schedule.php

*M.A.D.*

[chuckthebeatertruck]

There are several good and cheap hotels on the north side of the city about 5 miles or 10 minutes away. I've stayed in the holiday inn express several times. There's a steak house across the parking lot, making life convenient after a few too many adult beverages. I typically pay about $125/nt and split it with one of my buddies.

[chuckthebeatertruck]

Big difference in racing is the size of track. Davenport is smaller and tighter. Wauseon you get to watch guys really string it out. Beer is sold onsite at Davenport, but not Wauseon.

[T. Cotten]

Now if they would only bring back the boardtrack class!

I miss the smell of castor.

....Cotten
PS: My booth is by the race gate, Folks,...

I didn't even have to go in.

[KNUCK]

Glad to hear racing is on as that would be a let down. Will look into Holiday Inn and the area.

[JoJo357]

Now if they would only bring back the boardtrack class!

I miss the ~~smell of castor~~~

....Cotten
PS: My booth is by the race gate, Folks,...

I didn't even have to go in.

Since the George Brothers relinquished promoting the races at Chief BlackHawks Davenport, the new promoters don't usually run events on the the 1/2 mile oval. The Board Track racers refuse to run on the 1/4 mile track because the motorcycles were designed to operate on larger tracks, mainly because of the low speed involved & the limited gear change availability.

As far as the Speedway(smell of Castor)Class is concerned, most riders were based in Michigan, Ohio & Indiana. So, the incentive for traveling to Iowa was not worth what the promoters were paying out. In other words, Board Track is sponsored. Speedway was sponsored by former Wauseon Racing bikedays.com promoter Scott Brown, but not by any Davenport promoters as far as i'm aware of. Obviously Speedway is disliked by current Wauseon promoter, George Roeder II, and it has been an uphill fight to keep it reinstated since 3 Ring Circus took over the reins. And as a result, in 2021, Speedway was replaced for a...Enthusiast Beginner Class! Also noteworthy, George II broke the verbal agreement with Brown to always continue & sponsor the Speedway Class before the event was initially signed over to Roeder in 2018.

Anyway, we will resume our pre-emted television programing--------> https://youtu.be/lxwhPPQkE74

*M.A.D.*

[T. Cotten]

I always said D-port was too damm big, Folks!

Then last year was snuffed completely, and this year my precious overseas associates will be scarce, at best.

(One Oz bloke told me nobody's allowed out of his country.)

So should we all take advantage, and actually socialize instead of commercialize? I'll start my patio burner at sundown... AND THEN BARGAIN!

....Cotten
PS: Is it worth fixing and bringing the Crocker dampener?

[Peter Cooke]

One Oz bloke told me nobody's allowed out of his country.

Some of us can't even get out of the state!

[KNUCK]

Big difference in racing is the size of track. Davenport is smaller and tighter. Wauseon you get to watch guys really string it out. Beer is sold onsite at Davenport, but not Wauseon.

I can definitely work with that.

[T. Cotten]

Some of us can't even get out of the state!

So anybody can walk right in, but nobody can get back out?... Nevermind.

Back to topic, this year's D-port will take extra effort from everybody.

I'm worthless, so if any Folks feel like assisting with mundane tasks like chalking out the booths the day before, monitoring that nobody sits on display machines etc., please ask their FB page if you can help. (Never been there...hope it works!)

Those who wish to camp on site, and ain't sneaky enough, can make reservations with the Fairgrounds Office at 563-326-5338

.....Cotten

[ryan]

I went to Davenport, this year, for the first time. I rode my 1969 Flh with sidecar almost 500 miles one way to get there. I was the first campsite you would have seen walking into the entrance gate at the fairgrounds.have

As far as comparing Davenport to Waseon, Davenport prices were a lot higher than Wauseon, at least for parts I was looking for anyway. It is kind of hard for me to compare the sizes of the the two meats, I want to say Davenport was a little larger in area, but Wauseon sure drew a lot more people, both are absolutely great shows!

i had a pretty good time at Davenport and even camped along the road on the way out. My 69 rig got 35 mpg running 60 mph with no passengers, just camping equipment. Illinois roads are terrible to say the least. No issues with the bike on the way out, but was not the case on the way back home. I was riding on down the highway and heard a very loud snap so I pulled into a gas station to look the bike over and noticed my muffler had rotated 90 degrees, the noise was the large muffler clamp breaking, I secured the muffler to my left rear crash with a couple of hose 2" clamps. After putting everything away, I fired up the bike , started to pull away when my clutch cable broke. I then changed the clutch cable as I was prepared by cariring extra clutch and throttle cables. After changing the clutch cable I was off again, but it was now getting dark. My brand new headlight burned out the dim and then the bright burned out not too long after, sure grad my 30 yo spotlights still worked. LOL

I forgot to mention on the way out, I started leaking oil out of the front rocker shaft o-ring, which slung around to the port side completely covering my artificial leg and completely filling my artificial foot with oil. With the oil leak and running the chain oiler, I used 3/4 of a qt in 500 miles.
when all said and done, I put 1200 miles on my 69 while wearing an above the knee prosthetic that happened to stay on somehow, while riding. The ride and the meet were both great!

[T. Cotten]

Attendance was down, Folks,...

Because it got rained out.

....Cotten

[ryan]

Wauseon got rained out as well this year, Thursday was ok, but low on vendors.