Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

Cycle News 1966 08 11

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

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defeated a large field of top machines on their Harley-Davidson. with a 11.66 elapsed time and 120.48 miles per hour. Bob Michaels was the closest contender with his well known Harley, mOre familiar to all by its name • Black Knight·. Boh promised a return next week and a second try at Smith and Butterworth. Who will win is yet to be seen, but S & B have a long victory list and have no wish to see it broken. After all. its tbeir team duty to win. 4 If yon had never seeu a fuel burning machine lock the front brake and open the throttle to prodnce vast clouds of burnt rubber smoke and then move forward to the starting line and proceed to make a quartermile-run of9.70 seconds ataterminal speed of 153.58. then you should have been at the Lions Drag Strip world record meet and seen Leo Payne of Cedar Rapids. Iowa, do just as described with his fantastic Harley-Davidson. Top Street defeat for Hannah. sal Estrada held the miles per hOllI World Record and his elapsed time was a full halfsecond Quicker t han Hannah's. Harley-Davidson was Estrada's power source and the weak point that led to his defeat was the transmission. In both eliminations (heads up and handicap)Estrada missed a shift and Hannah took Top street honor turning 13.34 elapsed time and 96.87 miles per hour. sal Estrada was making strong runs on his Harley Sportster and was well in sight of top street victory, but was foiled when time ran out and the final elimination was cancelled. His match would have been against steve Rowles Suzuki and if mechanical and human errors had not hampered the Harley there would be no Question as to who would be "top street·. Earlier in the day Sal broke his chain adjuster and Bill Smullins of ·Smullins Machine Shop· came to his aid and repaired the break. If Smullins had not done the service sal would have been out of contention. Sal and all drag racers (except those defeated) appreciate having his help at hand. Jo Ann Hepker from Iowa rode her 74" Harley to AA street victory at Irwindale. Her best E.T. was 13.06 and the speed 102.27. The announcer at the strip has his fun giving her the name Harle,Y Helen and because of her consistent appearance, she '!nay become well known by the title. Is there another female Harley rider that would challenge Jo Ann? If so, let us see her at Irwindale next week. WORLD RECORDS CLIMB AT LIONS Saturday was reserved for attempts at the quarter mile World Records and a total of fifteen new ones were estahlished on that day. Murray and Cook (2-engine Triumph) headed the parade of fast times and quick E.T.'s ~y turning in time ticket bearing the figures of 9.92 seconds and 155.44 mIles per hour. The honor of being the top gas machine was split between Sonny Raslawski and Smith and Butterworth. Both machines were Harleys and the race fOI accomplishment and prestige was as fierce as the actual quarter-mile sprint. Raslawski is posessor of the elapsed time glory, Smith & Butterworth have the miles per hour. The E. T. is 11.30 seconds and the miles per hour stands at 122.28. This is a complete list of names and figures which represents hard work, skill in mechanics, an excellently-produced machine and a rider's finest ability. These are the new official A.H.R.A. World Records: STOCK BIKE C/B Salvador Estrada, W. Los Angeles, Calif. H"D 105.80 F/B Grant Hannah, Hawthorne, Calif. Triwnph 13.15 100.55 J/B Steve Cox, Whittier, Calif. Honda 89.02 SUPER STOCK Bruce Miller. Lawndale, Calit S/FB Jobn Wbitehead, Jr., Los Angeles, Calif. slMB Larry Bonner. Whittier, Calif. SICB H-D 12.63 105.88 Triumph 13.84 97.78 Honda 16.92 74.87 World Records MODIFIED BIKE orton M/GB Moulders' Reese. Huntington Beach, Calif. MI GF Steve Rowles. Glendora, Calif. Suzuki Mloo James D. Prescott, Mississippi City. Miss. Honda DRAG BIKE MlDA-Gas MlDA-Gas MlDA-Guel MlDO Gas Mloe-Fuel M.'DG-G3S SOnny Raslawski. Oxnard. Calli. Smith & Butterworth. La Puente. Calif. Murray & Cook. La Verne, Calif. Millard Disharoon Lawndale. Calif. Roben. Ebeling, Covina, Calif. James D. Prescott. Mi issippi City. Miss. Competition Sunday morning began with the return of about 60 per cent of Saturday's machines. The other 40 per cent had hlown apart or the owners just simply gave up. The A Fuel class had only two entries; Murray & Cook and Harlen Decker of Oklahoma with his 80-inch Harley. At the last minute Perry & Scotty arrived with their twin engine Triumph and Leo Payne and Bulk Wuerdeman of Cedar Rapids. Iowa, with Harley-Davidsons placed their fuel burners on the entry list. As previously described. Leo Payne put on a tremendous show of engine power and owner!rider determinat~on. He defeated his class contenders and then with equal ease shut down all the smaller displacement machines, both on a • heads up· series of races and a handicap elimination. There is nothing better to describe his performance other 11.94 14.11 15.11 Record Le Roy Wyman DOW has the quickest Honda 350 street bl1le to ever run at local strips. His elapsed time was a fantastic 13.42 seconds and there may still be some tbroWe leCt. CongratulaUons to Le Roy for achieving maximum perfonnance for 350cc of displacement. Grant Hannah rode his Triumph Bonneville to the Top Street victory with the same ease he uses on the machine in his daily trip to and from work. Only one contender had to be overcome. and that loomed as a sure 94.40 86.12 H-D 11.30 H-D 122.28 Triumph 9.92 155.44 H-D 115.83 Triumph 10.72 137.64 RODda 14.94 85.71 PrOblems Twenty-four trophies were awarded to the bikes at Lions. Many complaints were lodged against the classification system. the most common being that there were not enough classes. Forty-seven bikes were entered, but fourteen classes had but only one entry and these were awarded the forty inch tall national trophy without a race.. How can cyclist expect drag strip owners and directors to add yet more classes? I would rather just sell them a trophy, for they did no more than make a purchase with their entry. An even more bitter portion of this to me, is the fact that many were overjoyed that they won a ·race" so easy. Top Fuel Three machines and riders made up the field of contenders for top fuel. Bob Sirkegian on BSA, Ebeling with Triumph and Peterson & Torgerson's twin engine ~--------~ than the title he won and deserves of "Top Fuel Bike·. Top Gas Half of the award money was given to the top machine, with even starts off the staging lines. The balance was given to the winner on a handicap system. Sonny Raslawski gathered his gold in the first series of eliminations and' Millard Disharoon copped the second half. Both riders were on Harleys and had established World Records on Saturday. The smaller gas divisions fielded bikes from Northern Calif. and as far East as Mississippi. The owners of machines in the Gas and Fuel divisions that hauled from the East were given $25 each by Mr. C.J. Hart. Lions Director, to help defray the travel expense. Laidlaw may again place the trophy of top gas and A clas s gas drag bike on his crowded shelf. Smith and Butterworth Sorry About That... But When Grant Hannah stepped torward to collect his just rewards, Lions gave him twenty-five dollars and he had fifty dollars yet due from STP and Pennzoil, but they refused to pay him. To collect the winnings you must display a decal of each company. Hannah said he had not been informed of tbis stipulation. It is partially my error. for as an official I should have known the requirements and informed Hannah. Such is big business in what we call sport. = -~#''''''"'' ....r-_-=.... ~ C3 g "" .c ~~~~~~ U E '" 3 o .c Q" CUSTOM H.... are thr.. of tho beautl.s that w.r. on display at tho Ros. Bowl last Sunday at tho World on Wh..ls motor show. Except for Bob IIcElvaln. shown at loft with his flrst plac. comp.tltlon cat.gory wlnn.r, tho own.rs namos .scap. us. Doubl. Triumph above Is a fin. pl.c. of workmanship used r.gularly for tran .. portatlon. Bulck-ongln.d dragstor Is also 'MIll .ngln..r.d, but has y.t to be test.d and so lost points. for Bea.tif.1 Biies for Race or S'ow This bike was a trophy winner at the "World on Wheels· Show. Brand new stock-customs for sale at our two stores Nor. Best Motors Is T'e Place To Go I HONDA Two locations to serve you 84&1 COIIIIIOnwealtb 1410 W. Hadley St. Buena Park, C1l4) Sn-3642 Whinier, (213) ox. 9-8210

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