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CYCLEALLEY
By Bob EbeUDc
New World E, T, ReCdrd
Electronic time clocks were stopped in 9.46 seconds a's Leo
Payne andbisHarleyDavidson established the wodd's quickest sprint
of one-qurter mile at Lions Drag Strip,
Depair & Delight
where the aches of despair settled
Cycle News has covered many drag
racing events. Match races, we have
thought the greatest ever to be, records
established and broken at speeds or
elllPsed times, that surely would never
be broken again. Riders and owners
sitting amid broken machines or carrying
both a winner's smile and a winner's
trophy.
This weekend was no different except
that, instead of a little sadness there
was outright despair and the smiles
were increased to rages of mirthful
laughter. The performances? Leo Payne's
9.46 at 149.25 and Clem Johnson's 9.72
elllPsed time, 158.00 miles per hour, so
eclipsed previous match race eliminations it was like jumping into the future.
'Murray and Cook were the original
opponents for Leo Payne rot, this is
heavily. Boris Murray sat astride the
twln-engine Triumph as its rear wheel
was set to SPlnnlng on Lions electric
roller starters. When the engines responded at the drop of the clutch, it
was rolled of! and Jim Cook climbed
aboard the little tuck and roll cushioned
seat. Progressing to the starting line
the slick was wiped clean of little as=
phalt "marbles· and the staging lights
glowed a bright yellow when the double
was set for a sprint to the flnlsh lights.
smoke poured from the Avon's hide for
5 feet and suddenly sparks gave the
illusion of an indepe!1dence holiday.
NOlse came from the Tnumphs rear section that resembled a child dragging a
stick along a picket fence and a strange
wobbleing motion, with a change of the
wheels position in the frame spelled
Seen .t th. Las V.ps .II-blk. dr.,s _t1J WIIS P.t. Hutton's A-G.s twln .,In. Triumph"
W.lIPOn WIIS ... lIt .., f.mous
r.cer and sp_dWIIJ tun. Mlk. Tuck.r and has tumed 128 an
pump ,as In th. quart. mil.. CJcl. futuru fnInl·to-back h••ds, drl_ throu&h Triumph , ....
box. Frant brake Is uNd far Itnppln, Inst••d of canVtlntlon.1 roar br.k. to koop tho wal&ht
wh.r. It's n••d.d most.
'
lin,
disaster.
Every spoke in the wheel was seveted in two and the outet rim and ilmer
bub wete separate, uncoDDected pieces.
Nothing else was burt from this UDlaclnc
process and an extra wheel assembly
lay In readiness in emergency and this
was it. The new ODe was iDstaUed and
the usual preparations executed for a
second try.
This time, -Flustration· accelerated
out of the chute in ample fashion but a
second material failure took place. The
bar which secures brake shoes and plate
from rotating within the wall, broke free
and the plate twisted into grotesque
shape. Fortunately the brakes did not
lock and the big twin engine projectile
was brough t to a safe halt.
Several other of the fastest men's
machines attended Lions saturday program, such as SOnny Raslawskllj Harley
and Clem Johnsons Vincent.
Murray and Cook tried in desperation
to straighten the bent plate rot it is
made from 1/8 inch steel. If only it
could be heated to a cherry red softdess,
then possibly it would yield to the blacksmiths hammer. Bruce Miller works in a
radiator repair shop only fl ve minutes
from Lions and he offered the shop's
facilities to M & C.
Cook accepted and together with all
of the required parts, Bruce and Jim departed to make the necessary repairs.
By the time they returned and assembled the brake and wheel there was
no chance for a trial run. The Triumph
was rolled onto its staging position and
Leo Payne removed the horse blanket
warmer from his sPortster. Boris Murray
tightened the spark plugs in preparation
for fl.ring hut one would not seat! Carefully he snugged it onto the plug washer
and with a look of despair, signaled for
the electric rollers to start. A vi brating
humm and clash of gears started the
roller and Triumph wheel into motion.
The engines fired and a pop resembling
a champagne cork, interrupted the even
beat of four cylinders. Murray grimaced
as the Champion plug richocheted from
his left ann. Murray ralsed his voice
over the lous exhaust of Leo Payne's
Harley that fired just alongside and the
combined Triumph cylinders, -We'll try
lt on three,· sald Boris. It just wasn't
mea.m to be, for the primary chain suddenly rolled out onto the ground as if to
say, I want no part of it.
Leo had advanced towards the starting line and Larry Sutton, star flagman
at Lions, motioned for him to shut it off.
As the Harley's last exhaust note ended,
spectators from both sldes of the staging
area called, -Let the Harley run·.
THE
#1
ALL
OVER
THE
WEST
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801 337-2745 E. HU"r'"GrO" DIIVE, DUARTE, (AUf. 91010 (213) 359-92n
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