Bobby Schwartz, Millennium Hall of Fame

Anyone from Orange County probably attended the motorcycle speedway

races on Friday nights at the Orange County Fairgrounds, where the

daredevils go sideways and splash dirt into the crowd after blasting

around the corners.

There are smells of fresh popcorn and burning tires. The bright

lights, zealous public address announcer, raucous cheers and

reverberating stadium energy are a special part of county history.

While the scene has changed somewhat, from a rip-roaring time in the

1970s to today’s tamer, family-oriented model, speedway’s Friday Night

Lights in Costa Mesa have always included, it seems, Bobby “Boogaloo”

Schwartz, one of the biggest names in the sport’s history.

“It seems like a lifetime ago when I won the world (pairs) champion

with Bruce Penhall (in 1981),” said Schwartz, who has been racing the

methanol-powered bikes with funny handlebars and no brakes since 1974.

“It’s a whole different sport now, and, there are times when I think I

shouldn’t be out there. It’s weird. I’m thinking I should’ve been done

and I’m still competing.”

Schwartz, 43, still races because he still wins. He shows the kids in

their 20s how it’s done around the dirt oval, then signs autographs,

laughs with friends and talks to fans like a gentleman folk hero.

Schwartz, who won a main event last month, has witnessed the growing

up of generations at the Costa Mesa track, where fans flock to the pit

area after races to examine the speedway bikes up close and rub elbows

with their favorite riders.

“I love going sideways, I love riding at Costa Mesa and I love all the

fans who come see me each week,” said Schwartz, who won two other world

championships in his career (team and pairs), both coming in 1982, and

captured national championships in 1986 and ’89.

“I really like the fact that people come here and they knew me when

they were 12 or 14, and now they’re coming and telling me they’re 32 or

34. Or they’re 44 and tell me they’ve been coming here since they were

24. I get these people of all ages.”

In his 26th season, Schwartz has children of his own now (daughters

Annemarie, 9, and Brianna, 7), and, even after bad races or bike

problems, he spends time talking to kids. “I feel lucky to be able to

still do it at a (competitive) level,” said Schwartz, who admitted that

10 or 15 years ago, a bad mood would likely cause an unfavorable reaction

to the fans.

In an era when names like Mike Bass, “Sliding” Sunny Nutter and “Wild”

Bill Cody grabbed most of the main events and kissed the Bates Leathers

girl in the middle of the infield for victory spoils, Schwartz was just

breaking into the business and wondering if there was room for him.

Now the oldest rider on the oval (Mike Faria is 42), Schwartz, a Costa

Mesa resident, would like to win another national title, but realizes

that Father Time is not on his side. “My chances get slimmer each year, I

would imagine,” he said. “Only five make it to the (national) final, and

if you make it, any of the guys have a chance.”

Schwartz competes in the heated main events, but can also be spotted

going full throttle during Legends Nights at the Fairgrounds. On Sept.

17, Schwartz was the Legends Rider of the Week.

A winner of six career Spring Classics in March, the season openers,

and five Orange County Fair Derby Races, Schwartz will go for another

national title Oct. 2 at Costa Mesa.

His competitors aren’t rivals, but friends. He has been saying hello

to guys like Brad Oxley and Gary Hicks on Friday nights longer than most

high school football coaches meet. Schwartz, an institution in the oval

world, today becomes a member of the Daily Pilot Sports Hall of Fame,

celebrating the millennium.

Schwartz was given his nickname, “Boogaloo,” by his late father, Jack,

who felt his son “boogied” around so much as a junior rider that it would

be appropriate.

The young Schwartz loved to slide his go-kart and mini bike sideways,

so when he first saw speedway bikes do it, and smelled the burning

methanol in the air at the Ventura County Fairgrounds in 1972, destiny

called. By 1973, Schwartz had his first brakeless bike and a star was

born.

After winning his first pairs world championship with Penhall (Newport

Harbor High) in ’81 in Poland, Schwartz won another gold medal with a

team of five U.S. riders in London in August 1982, then captured a third

world title (and second pairs championship) in Australia with Dennis

Sigalos, Penhall’s current partner in the Ocean Spray powerboat circuit.

Sigalos and Schwartz set a world speedway scoring record in ’82 for

pairs.

For most of his career, Schwartz worked four or five nights a week

racing throughout Southern California, when the speedway cirucit traveled

to places like Victorville, Bakersfield and Ventura. Today, only Costa

Mesa remains. In Northern California, Auburn, like Costa Mesa, has always

been the speedway king.

“We’re still going strong at Costa Mesa,” Schwartz said. “We had the

best crowd (two weeks ago) that I’ve seen in years. There were about

6,000 or 7,000 people.”

Schwartz isn’t as fast as he was 10 years ago, but he still can win a

heat coming out of the gate. “I still get a rush being able to do that,”

he said.