Graves Has Checkered Past

Chuck Graves claims that Willow Springs Raceway has a history of being good to him. The former world champion points out that he has taken five checkered flags on the 2.5-mile road track.

But what the 31-year-old motorcycle racer from Granada Hills fails to mention are the serious injuries he has suffered while racing at Willow Springs.

A broken back, shattered clavicle, mangled finger and two broken wrists have done little to deter his competitive nature when it comes to racing bikes.

“While I was in the hospital, a lot of my friends and family came by and tried to talk me out of racing,” Graves said. “That only intensified my desire to keep going.”

Graves and two other racers from the region are scheduled to compete today in time trials for the North American Sport Bike season opener. The finals are 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Eight racers with 21 world and national titles combined are scheduled to race.

Paul Harrell of Canyon Country and Jeff Stern of West Hills are also entered in the newly formed racing series.

The series previously existed in a similar format, but ran virtually unsupervised.

Those who were associated with the racing program last season are excited about several changes to this year’s spinoff version.

Patrick Murphy, co-founder of the tour, said racers will compete on an even field because of the modifications.

A minimum weight limit of 350 pounds per bike has been imposed, meaning racers with limited budgets will no longer be at a disadvantage.

“Some of the bikes that run on the [American Motorcycle Assn.] series cost nearly $300,000,” Murphy said. “We felt most racers couldn’t be competitive if we allowed costs to escalate to that level.”

Said Graves: “Before, a guy with deep pockets could pay the extra money and get his bike weight down to around 290. Sixty pounds is a huge difference.”

Another change for the series is that bikes no longer can be turbo-charged, super-charged or alcohol-powered.

“You basically have to buy your bike through commercial channels,” Stern said.

Even with the restrictions, fans can expect to see an exceptionally fast race. With its wide lanes and open layout, Willow Springs is considered the fastest track in the West.

Stern predicts timed laps in the range of 106 mph.

“Initially, you’re freaked out by the speed at Willow Springs,” Stern said. “But there is an absence of concrete there. Because there is no concrete, you feel more comfortable.”

Stern should know.

As a veteran racer of 10 years, he figures that he has 15,000 miles of experience at Willow Springs.

Graves won the Formula USA title in 1993 and is looking for a strong performance from his Graves/Motorsports Online racing team.

Other top candidates include Doug Polen of Corinth, Tex., and Scott Zampach of West Bend, Wis., each with six titles.

Stern says not to count him out.

“I have a lot of familiarity with this track,” he said. “Guys like Zampach, they’ve never raced a lap here. I’m looking to finish in the top three or four.”

That type of optimism suits Murphy just fine.

“We are on the right path for where we want to go,” Murphy said.

“Drivers will have to depend on ingenuity instead of wallets. As a result we expect our entry count to improve.”

Plans to expand the North American Bike tour to a dozen events or more are being considered. Expansion might mean additional stops on the West Coast.

The tour has nine events this season, with its only future venture out West at Portland in August.

“It’s a reasonable belief that Willow Springs will be a traditional stop on our tour in the future.” Murphy said.

“Our No. 1 concern is that we run at quality facilities,” Murphy said.

“As long we run at national championship caliber sites, we’ll continue to look at expansion.”