Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

DRAG RACING 1\\ B,,1l I 3 WEEKS VACATION~ 111'1111'.: Caramba!, Amigos! Some enterprising young men of the Tijuana Drag Racers Assn. stole an intersection stop light, purchased a $19.95 generator and obtained the use of a private air field at Tecate, Baja Calif., for the Tecate International Events! Border Trouble "Hombre, you have tools. no? You must be mechanico! Go to consolate and get work permit, you wetback gringo!" "No man, I'm a racer, the tools are for to make cycle in truck go fast at Tecate Drag Strip." ·There is no such fast place bere hombre!" Finally after fifteen minutes of pidgin Englisb banter, the Mexican border guard relented to our crossing and we entered the place wbere not the water, but Mexicans make Tecate beer the best. Soutb of tbe Border Thirty yards into Baja, began to show all of the story book images of Mexico! Old and new adobe building structures with crumbling walls and boarded windows, a city square, witb little 10 foot stalls that sold tacos, tortillas, etc., and occasional pedestrians that ignored the existence of Del Carras. Location of the Tecate drag strip is easy to find, just travel as far north, south. east and west as possible and with a little luck you can find the dirt road that leads to a private airfield about a mile above town. The clearest directions obtained from a citizen were, -It's on a hill senor!It sure the hell is! Tales of Pancho Via describe country like this. Thousands of huge boulders stand sentinel guard above, around, and almost on this strip of stolen asphalt from some rural, One lane country road. As we drove in, our eyes penetrated the masses of sage that lay in dense clumps. Any moment tbe bandidos would jump out brandishing pistols and BOwie kni ves, but alas, our balloons of fairy' taies were burst when the strip was spotted. One minute after Bill McClurkan and I had unloaded our 4Q-inch Triumphs, the people appeared as though from beneath the red clay and sand we were parked on. "Pardooe, excuse me!, oops, sorry about that," were excuses we uttered as toes were stepped on and eyes gouged by our elbows as we fueled up and prepared to fire. On one side of this slightly less than a quarteMllile, uphill, downhill strip of asphalt was a one hundred square foot puddle of tepid water, about two feet deep in the center. Later in the day children were using it as a public bath, some with mOdesty, others completely wi thou t. Atmosphere- Wow! During the racing activities little old men pushed carts through the pits selling tacos or burritos and some carried huge stacks of com tortillas under their arms. ..at.. WE OFFER Parker was runner-up and Mike Lance took third position in his Sportster. There were hundreds of spectators plus Baja television -officials on location. Seats provided were the perches on top of the huge 30 foot rocks that surround Tecate and the eager spectators resembled vultures nesting above their prey. The entry ticket you purchase has heavy black ink stating•• En Casa de Accidente No Somas Responsables". This nostalgic throw back to drags a la 1949 has left such an impression that I will return on July 9, 1967, if the border guards will allow! Irwiudale BSA in the hands nf Bob Sirkegian jumped on Triumph with both wheels and secured Super Bike Plus ToP Fuel at Irwindale Raceway. • The first race was hetween Tony Dodge's Triumph Bonneville "Hemi Scuta" and Sirkegian's "British Strong Arm·. Bob put a quarter-mile hammer lock-of 11.81-122.28 on TOny and then did a similar deed to Bob Theiler's 40 inch Triumph fuel er. AS I remotely described, the strip is basically uphill, with changes of angle at whimsical points throughout the 1200 feet. The shut off area is quite long but if you don't make it you could trulY say, ·I've been bushwacked." Just behind the finish lights, the remaining asphalt is downhill and from the starting line it presents a challenge to see what's on the other side of the hill. Instant Expert Take one Sumki X -6 and a first time rider lObo is williDg to stand lIP a date to race and lJIe end result is a class winner and lUIIIIer-up to Top Jr. street Bike. Vamabas, HOIIdas and olJler assorted brands from 12:icc to 500cc were solDlClly defeated by class winDers Roy Touzeau and "Old Man" Morpby. An.er lJIe fol8' other class winners were met and defeated, Roy and Jack staged at lJIe starting line. A modified X-6 with aD excellent rider gave little chance to Roy's stocker and Morpby woo top bonors at 13.29-98.77, while Roy followed tbrough the lights in IS.64 seconds at 80.76 mph. Lions Triumph made up for the humiliating defeats nfSaturday by scoring all across the board at Lions. Harry Couch took street honors with a 13.32 e.t., Nira Johnson top in gas at 12.03 and Don Harris, burning fuel in his new twin engine machine, won with 11.07 - 141.95 mph. The first small bike to break below 12 seconds at a SO. Calif. location high- , TOUR 01 EUROPE W AIR FARE, HOTELS, MEALS FOR FREE AND SIGHTSEEING I T A PURCHASE OF A MOTORCYCLE H YAN-DER-KOLIl & SONS 1109 SO. BRAND BI.. YD. FOR DETAIU GLENDALE, CALI F. PH: (213) 24+5000 TH E moto rey el e partnnd BILL KRAUSE i~i :~~. -- NORTON, A.J.S., MATCHLESS \ ',.&.l" • ~ ~lh,:l HONDA / • accessories H.··.• "._,~,,-, Dept, Store. Tp~~ 1J~'l)~~ ~ M 1257 S_ LA BREA at Century e Inglewood. 671-0406. 678-5035 't\~ • ••••••••••••••• HARLEV- DAVIDSON Of Long Special MAli' Used '65 '66 Tri.plts fro. $195 3654 110. Loag leae' 81."" 426-nOJ R IT FROM ~ 'l: fJ ~1:1#{I _... t _. - ~ DEALERS: Send for your free copy of N_sCl's -,19&1 Catalog - today, Join tile thousands of tlealers wile are now enjoying huge pnIfits laandlingNamsct Qualify Parts aid accessories. J.'Il:l1iB New Modern Facilities over 12,000 sq. ft. stocked with Goodyear tires, N.G.K. plugs, Toyo mirrors, Yuasa Batteries! Paulson Products, Helmets, control cables, gaskets, mufflers, handlebars, chain, chrome and stainless fenders, levers, sidestands, Windshields, piston k;ts, sprockets plus many other Items both domestic and imported. NATIONAL MOTOR SUPPLY CO. 15710 Garfield Avenue Paramount. C~lIfoml~ 90723 Phone 213-633-5171 PASSENGER PEGS FOR YAMAHA TRAIL MODELS ~ BTE p/I '-JOO $5.90 a sef (refai') i . ~ SfIICial J ~ ., I::l 1:::1 S ,g 110 23"year old Roy Touzuu of Redlands, Calif.. had to be co.ced Into brultlne a date In ordllt' to III racine but he was all smiles when he found out that he _ his class. Roy and bl s trusty X-6 turned 15.64 and 10.76 mpb the nrst time out. A beautiful trophy was the reward. ' " Panic!! lighted Sundays program. Ray Downard, Skip Fordyce's Honda representative During eliminations, one official suddenly grabbed the stoplight and anwas top fuel runner-up at 11.97-110.97. other the generator, with a dash for the (Results 00 page (6) boulders and bush. First impression was that we were being raided and then we found that the sight of an airplane in the I vicinity had created panic. Tbere is no safety inspection and I • I you can drag race in the nude with two up if you like. : ., Classification was run by the 1966 A.H.R.A. rule book and the Harley I Davidson of Bob James came out as tnp bike and twenty dollars richer. The I L d 3346 Century Blvd, I U~-S'~ stroked 4Q-inch Triumph of Tupper and : SHELL MOTORS I~ I_'':'w,=- ~I ~I HODAKA : ft -fIS ,. . . easy il5...6011 RIDERS SEE YOUR DEALER. WE DO NOT S'ELL RETAIL ~i~ 4915 PACIFIC BLVD. VERNON, CALIFORNIA PH. 589-5488 •

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