Nevada City's David McKay in 2008 is a well known photographer and artist. He currently is serving his second term on the city council and has been Nevada City's Mayor. This drawing shows David in 1976 when he was selling Nevada City Classic T-shirts. His idea of having great looking women in sexy attire most certainly helped that year's Classic T-shirt sales a lot !
The Nevada City Classic is considered one of the most technically and physically challenging 1-day cycling courses in America. The course which threads through downtown Nevada City and it's neighborhoods is a 1.1 mile, 7 turn counter-clockwise loop. Riders gain and loose 120 feet per each of the 41 laps. Taken place on every Father's Day since 1961, this year's event marks the 48TH Annual. It has had as many ups and downs as the course itself. Wiley Dog and Sparky were voluntary help for 18 years. Setting up, monitoring and taking down was their job.
Charles Allert shown here with National Hotel owner Tom Coleman are just about to take a prerace spin with all the riders behind--- like a pace car. Allert's first race in 1961 attracted some 1,500 locals who came out to see Bob Tetzaff win in a time of 2:05. Of the many prizes given by local merchants that day the gold nuggets were the most cherished.
Before the Classic changed the course the riders would fly down Broad Street and take a hair raising left turn onto Pine Street. The crowd was thick here hoping that something would happen....and it THE TURN never let them down. Wiley Dog and Sparky remember when Nevada City rider Don Davis leading in the last lap crashed here. Rider Dave Walters passed him and Don , bleeding and tore up jumped back on his bike. In those days the finish line went up hill and finished at the library. In an incredible sprint Don caught Walters only to loose by the length of a bike. That was 1972. THE TURN cost Davis once again the victory in 1975 when he crashed there and lost to Bill Wild. This famous corner had wiped out any best chance that a local ever had. Local Ron Miller perhaps had the worst crash ever on THE TURN he even busted his foot straps as he hurtled into the hay bails. This spot as we say " Took no prisoners!".
Charles Allert shown here with National Hotel owner Tom Coleman are just about to take a prerace spin with all the riders behind--- like a pace car. Allert's first race in 1961 attracted some 1,500 locals who came out to see Bob Tetzaff win in a time of 2:05. Of the many prizes given by local merchants that day the gold nuggets were the most cherished.
Before the Classic changed the course the riders would fly down Broad Street and take a hair raising left turn onto Pine Street. The crowd was thick here hoping that something would happen....and it THE TURN never let them down. Wiley Dog and Sparky remember when Nevada City rider Don Davis leading in the last lap crashed here. Rider Dave Walters passed him and Don , bleeding and tore up jumped back on his bike. In those days the finish line went up hill and finished at the library. In an incredible sprint Don caught Walters only to loose by the length of a bike. That was 1972. THE TURN cost Davis once again the victory in 1975 when he crashed there and lost to Bill Wild. This famous corner had wiped out any best chance that a local ever had. Local Ron Miller perhaps had the worst crash ever on THE TURN he even busted his foot straps as he hurtled into the hay bails. This spot as we say " Took no prisoners!".By the 1980's The Classic was drawing up to 20,000 spectators which would line the new course every inch of the way. By then Wiley Dog and Sparky were the Head Monitor team. Same duties but their station was the start finish line which now was on Broad Street. The old course and the famous THE TURN were changed as the riders flew down Broad Street . It proved to be a huge crowd pleas er and more of downtown had become part of the race course. THE TURN was really never duplicated but the corner where Coyote Street and Commercial Street met would become a close second and a crowd pleas er. From 1979 to 1981 Greg "Reno Rocket " LeMond would dominate the Classic. Part of the joy that Wiley Dog and Sparky enjoyed of their new "title" was they would walk the course to bring water and what ever help they could with the Classic volunteers. One such trip they were walking up Court House Hill which is an extremely steep part of Main Street. Olympic hero Eric Heiden, who it seems had the largest calves, was attempting his 16 effort on the spot. The hill won. The Nevada City duo held Eric's bike while he recovered. He was a very gracious man. The most exciting time that the two had is when Toby Power, who was one of the most popular riders with the crowd won in 1982. After a fantastic finish Sparky was walking Toby back to the finish line. Holding his bike, the riders never liked almost anyone to HOLD their bike, and walking up Broad Street Sparky thrust ed his fist in the air and started yelling " TOBY TOBY TOBY " the crowd went crazy. Thousands were screaming " TOBY TOBY TOBY " what a magic moment in an very magical event.
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