Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125443
• • .. • MEET THE RACERS 5 -- --=- a.o::: Tanner, left, during Interview. Sammy Tanner, #7 By Jack Byrd T his we ek me et Nat io n a 1 # 7 , Sa mmy T anner. Sam began his care er in ra c in g in 1954, at th e rip e o ld age o f 14. He ' s bee n a n a ctive pa rtic i pant in th e s po rt e ve r s i nc e . Whe n he was a Novic e rid er, he did only av erag e , but he be ga n to s ho w pro mis e of be ing a gre a t co mpetitor when he wa s a n Amat eur. In th e nine y ears t hat Sammy has been an E xpe rt, he has be en U.S. Di rt T ra c k Ch am pio n, fo ur tim es! This is tru ly a n ou t sta nd i ng a c compli s hment. Sammy rid e s a BSA , owne d and tuned by C .R. Axte ll, a nd wit h this c ombo of Sam, Axtell and BSA , they a re an a l most unb eatabl e t rio . It seems a s tho ug h Sam a nd t hat Be e z e r are jet pro pell ed when th ey a re in a ra c e, hen c e t he ni cknam e " T he Fly ing Flea . " T he y always gi ve th e spectato r his money' s worth in thrills a nd to p ra c in g a ction . La s t yea r , " a s a side li ne , " Samm y T anner Distributors ope ned up i n Wilmi n gt on, specializing i n j ust about everything for the motorcycle a nd t he cycle enthusi a s t. Sa m is a le gitima t e busine ss ma n, a nd e njoying every mome nt of it. We asked Sam if he had any othe r inter e s ts a nd to o ur su r p r i s e we found that he is a lso in t eres t ed in ca r ra cing! How ever moto rcyc les a re hi s first love-and , s pea ki ng of love , gals , Sammy is s i ng le a nd unattached ! With 307 wins c ha l ke d up to hi s c re dit , i n ele ve n ye a rs o f p rof ess iona l compet ition , he is still go i ng strong. Whe n asked who he th ou ght was th e be s t up-and-c oming rid er, h e declin ed to s tate . We beli e ve we know why a ft e r vi ewing him th e la st few we ek s at As cot--Sam, himself, s t i ll ha s many good y e ars of winnin g l eft! Ke ep yo ur e y e on th i s littl e red -h aired guy, dr essed in red and white leather s ; he may mak e that record re ad "Five T i mes U.S. Dirt Track Cham p." T i me will t ell. A FAVORITE RETURNS By George B. Maness Chri s Dra ay er is bac k! Many will remem be r th is pe rsona ble yo ung h otshoe from As c ot' s 1965 se ason . An ama teu r last year, he dro ve fro m hi s hom e in Salt Lak e Ci ty to ou r local ova l only five tim es, but he and h is po t en t Harley-D a vids on quickly found the fast line to the pay- window and a large fo llowi ng of fans e age rly a waited his weekly a pp earance. Fre sh from a s even th plac e fi nish in the Day ton a 200- mile National, Chri s r et u rn e d to the •'H ome of Ch a mpi on s" s po rting natio nal number 77. A fi rs t y ear e xpe rt , his plans incl ude all th e Nation al s a nd figh tin g it out wi th "Tanner and Co ." for a sha re of As c ot' s wee kl y offe ring of green stuff an d pain ts , Travelin g with Mert Lawwill (National # 18) , Chris i s no w ridin g out of Dudl e y P erkins' Harley Da vids on de al ership in San Francis c o where h e h as taken up temporary residen ce . He will be leavin g us around th e middle of s u mme r to tr y hi s h and at a few o f th e e as te rn tracks . As th e son of a Harley de al er in Salt Lak e City , Ch ris c ame by hi s lo ve of motorcycle s na tur ally and was rid in g at an early a ge. Mos t of the 200 o r so members of th e Sal t Lake C i ty Sp or tsman Rider s As s oc iation ar e co ntent to rid e a few sc rambl es and c ross-coun try even ts a y ear leavin g no thin g for an as pirin g c hampion to d o bu t s e ek his fame and fortune e lse whe re . Local fans a re fortunat e that he ch ose As co t as h is home away from hom e. . ,..- AREA DISTRIBUTOR -- IN SO UTHERN CALIFORNIA BELOW KERN COUNTY LINE, AR IZONA AND EASTERN NEVADA HODAKA DEALERS: Glendale ARIZONA Honda of Glendale Phoenix 905 E. Colorado Blvd. Dave Jacohs Motors Goleta 2120 E. Indian School Road Power Research & Devel. Tucson 269 Oran ge Ave •• Triumph of Tucson Hollywood 2114 So. A1vernon Leon's Serv. Inc . CALIFORNIA 3904 Fountain Ave. Anaheim Inglewood Norm Reeves Inc. Crowell Cycle Shop 224 No. Anaheim Blvd. 10429 So. Prairie Artesia LaCrescenta Artesia Cycle Center Crescenta Valley Sportcycles 12:;39 Carson St. 3629 Foothill Blvd. Bakersfield LaMesa Mel Dinesen Motorcycles Mits 116 Kentucky 7704 Univers ity Ave. Barstow Lancaster Desert Cycle Center Competition Cycles 1620 W Main . 5 26 W. Ave . I Buena Park Yamaha Lomita Buena Park Yamaha T & 0 Yamaha sales 6871 Beach Blvd. 221 2 W. Pacific Coast Hiway Burbank Lompoc Sports Life Lompoc Valley Sport Center 341 No. Glenoaks Blvd. 336 No. G St. Ca noga P ark Long Beach Intern ational MIC Ace Bike Shop 7233 Canoga Ave. 1100 E . Artesia Chula Vista Los Angeles Holiday Honda Sport Center 249 Broadway 6027 IIbittier Blvd. Covina _Three Star' Cycles Yamaha Speed Center Inc . 1525 So. La Cienega 444 No. Barranca St. Lynwood Culver City Shell Motors Honda-Culver City 33016 Century Blvd. 4413 Sepulveda Blvd. Manhattan Beach Escondido Manhattan Sport Bikes Honda - No. County 1313 Sepulveda Blvd. Gardena Menton e Nelson & Son Wilbur's Outboard Motor Repair 15930 So, Western Ave. 1280 Crafton Ave. NORTH OF KERN COUNTY L.avl" Pow. Tool Co. , Inc. 230 5 " J" Streel, Box 214287 (218) 248-1017 GLENDALE, CALIF. Monrovia Motorcycle Service Center 220 E. Huntfngton Drive North Hollywood Nick Nicholson Motors 11629 Vanowen St. Norwalk Machlin 's Motorcycle Sal es 11675 E. Firestone Blvd. - Ojai Honda-Qjai Inc. 942 E . Ojai Ave. Oxnard Honda-Oxnard Inc 1032 So. Oxnard Blvd. Paramount . Norm Reeves In c 15745 Lakewood Blvd. Pasadena Honda of Pasaden a 1920 E. Colorado Pomona Yamaha of Pomona 546 W. Holt Ave. San Ped ro otorcycles Ce ntury M 1640 So. Pacific Ave. San Luis Obispo Ken' s Cycle Shop 662 Higuera St. Santa Ana Oran ee County Cycle Ce nte r 205 No. lIarbor Santa Maria Speed Marine Sport Center 1637 No. Broadway Santa Monica .Ia c k Baldwin M otorc ycles 270 5 Pi co Blvd. Sepulveda Mission Hills Ml c Sales & Ser. 873 0 Sepulveda Blvd. Taft Taft II 0 Sal es 130 Center SI. Thousand Oaks Gifford Engineering 2937 Los F eliz Drive Torrance Redondo Beach South Bay Honda 1212 So. Pacific Coas t Hiway Hoc k te vs Motorcy c les Ridgecrest 22025 So. Figu eroa Vni-Source Van Nu ys Rive rside Mid-Valley Motorcycle Sales Barnes Cycle Service 16160 Sherman Oaks 15 35 La Cad ena Drive Ventura San Bernardino Honda-Ventura Inc Ocelot Engtneering Co. 882 E. Meta St. 950 Kendall Dr. Ventura Suzuki Sport Center San Diego 6541 Ventura IIIvd. Continental Motorcycles lI'i1min l:ton 533 3rd sr., Honda of Wilmington San Clemente 530 11'. Anaheim St . Beach Cities Honda MEXICO 527 No. El Camino Real Yamaha de Ensenada San Gahriel 498 First St. Pi erce ~Iotor Center Ensenada, Baja California 933 So. san Gabriel Blvd. NEVADA Simpson MI C Sales & Service Sacranent o, Calif., 9580 1 1026 So. t s t St. Phone (916) 630-6970