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/125469
r..: . "". '" ,Q 3 o o By Bob Ebeling ·PreUy girls can be squeezed from hair cream tubes but quick elapsed times and fast speeds only come out of nitro cans•• Murray and Cook squeezed the can into two Triumph engines for a double victolY over the Saturday and Sunday racing action at Irwindale Raceway and Lions drag sttip. Their performances were consistently within the high nine second bracket and the best miles per hour figure reads 156.79. Two Easy? There is 0(). such thing as an easy victory, even though a competitor is noticeably slower. The element of chance is a little demon perched 00 e very racer's pillion. Saturday the purse at Irwindale totaled two hundred dollars and it was to be divided among the top eight bikes with first round losers collecting $10; second round $20; runner up $40 and top bike $80. The only reason I divulge this detailed information is that some creditors may expect payments in the mail soon. And who can pay? The list of top ei$t qualifiers was rather surprising when some of the faster cOmPetition arrived late and received only one chance to make it and muffed it. Joe Smith. Harley-Davidson; George Tupper, Harley-Davidson; Don McEvoy, Triumph; Bob Ebeling, Triumph; Don Harris, Triumph; Murray and Cook, Tr" umPh; John Eastes. Harley-Davidson; Ron Knapp, Yamaha were the eight contenders and the first race saw Joe Smith paired with George Tupper, both Harley mounted.' That little demon 1 mentioned earlier jUmPed into Joe's engine and he was unable to fire which gave an automatic victory to George, wbo made an easy single run. Part two of round one gave us Don Harris and Ron Knapp. Don with his 650ce Triumph fueler and Ron aboard the 250cc Yamaha that is quick and fast thanks to a great weight to power ratio. Don Harris won the round and shut off early due to low oil pressure. Don turned 11.75 elapsed time and 125.00 for speed. Ron Knapp made it to the finish Ugh ts at 12.98 seconds and 99.33 miles per hour. A little one sided maybe, but the next race waS between Johnnie Eastes' Harley-Davidson Sportster and Murray and Cooks' twin engine Triumph. Johnnie tried hard, in' fact he beat the double about ten feet off the line but that is as far as it went in street bike ahead of fueler. Murray and Cook took the win turning a 9.91 E.T. to Johnnie Eastes 13.46. The final part of roond one found Ebeling's bike minus a rider due to the pit direction duties and Jim Cook was drafted for the empty seat when he returned from his race with Eastes. Tom Whiteman was the able rider on McEvoys Triumph single and all signs pointed to a close race. Then, unexpected as usual, that da-ned demon poked up its nasty head. Jim Cook did everything but light matches to get Ebeling's Triumph to fire with no luck, so Tom Whiteman took a single for the win. Round Two The field was en t in half and Mc Evoy vs Don Harris were the next to meet and cu t the field Qy one. Whiteman and Harris came off the line in a rip and tuck hattle until a sh rie k of sickening high R.P .M. told us Tom's trans had popped oot of gear. Don took this ronnd turning 11.75 E.T. and 125 mph. Tom took. the McEvoy machine through the clocks at 11.99 seconds. Again a reductiOn in competitors when Murray and Cook's Triumph staged against George Tupper's Harley. George had traveled the distance from San Diego. Calif. to try the traction in this area but brought along mechanical probiems. The twin engine F1ustration did it again in the 9 second realm and the actual winning E.T. was 9.91 to George's 14.15 elapsed time. Final Round Don Harris was taking a big chance in this final race for top bike. His engine showed a complete loss of oil pressue ( but rather than wave a black flag. Don fired for the joust .'il.h the Foothill Cycle Center dreadnaugllt of Murray and Cook. The green -light sent both bikes oot the gate with lots of tire smoke in a lunge for the final time clocks, Halfway down Don saw a rear vi.ew of the big Triumph double and shut off to save the lower end. Morray and Cook won the top bike award with a 9.94 - 156.52 run. Lions Top Fuel Four of the best were placed in conten lion for the winners purse and one 1lY one they fell aside to the rubber burning, 9-second consistency of Murray and COOk. Don Harris was riding for Rich Richards of Bonneville fame and Sonny .Raslawski was there to try for a liOlls (Continued on 1*5" ,6) First Annual San Gabriel Valley NORTH · SOUTH T Harley Vs. ChftY. Harley won. Below: Talk about lOod cllftpanJ! You're in Goo CHA~LENGE RACE Saturday, October 29th FROM THE NORTH FROM THE SOUTH Dick Dorresteyn Phil Cancilla Tom Steele Eddie Mulder Skip Van Leeuwen Gene Rom.... AND MANY MORE NO INCREASE IN PRICES ! DOUG VOGT Tbey call him Super Sales at LONG BEACH HONDA 341 W. Pac. Cst. Hwy, 591-1305 11747 E. Carson 860-1354 5105 Atlantic 423-1433 4328 E. Anaheim 439-11943 G AdII. $2.51 •• Gates Open at &... Jr. 8-12 $LDO First Race at 8:15 , . Uader 8 Free w.ltb Pa....t TIlls lew Raceway is lICIt. just 3 miles NIrtII If till saa Ben.... FreewaJ _ Ri,.-pada RlL il tile City of Irwi_l.. SAN GABRIEL VALLEY RACEWA Y .