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/125530
DRAG RACING 11,\ Bob I bdinc: Twin-engine Yamaha, supercharged BSA's and [uel-buming HarleyDavidsons [rom 80 to 55 inches, filled in the entry blanks [or this weekends drag racin!) programs. of new asphalt. , , . Qualifymg set of! at a normal pace 10 the attempts to qualify for the topfo~r elIminators at Irw10dale Dr~ StrIP 10 Southern Callforma. Joe SmIth s 80- inch Harley was a sure th10g WIth ItS consis tent mid-ten second runs but who would make the remaining three spots was any racer's game. AY am aha 4 Bob Braverman's new twin-engine Yamaha was in its second week debut and cranked out elapsed times of 11.26 seconds. Spectacular indeed, and qualifled for the top eliminator. Two more Harley- Davidsons filled in the lineup with Bruce Miller and Millard Disharoon both burning fuelin low eleven second runs. Irwindale's new cycle pit direct~r, Clem Johnson ("Barn-Job" owner-nder) lined up the four and gave no more hope to anyone competitor, than the The Sunday's activity was filled with surprises as Rich Richards arrived at the strip with his old "45" now reduced to forty inches of pure Triumph and drafted the riding abilities of Tony DOdge. . G~rl Beats Boy Tony's "Super Bike" is in stages of overhaul and he brougbt to Fontana Raceway a new 1968 TrIumph, disgUIsed as a 1967. For those who knew, it was a revea!ing preview as the 40 incher turned in the 13 second field at better than 90 per hour. Tony bounced back and forth between the Richards drag bike and the "sneak" stocker until be was past the fringe of sharp reflexes. The Stocker was in competition with Joy Eveleth, girl drag racer and sweetheart of Art Houston. Boy, or should I say girl, she really put it to him. Joy won the 650 stock class turning a 15.73 elapsed time and 98.46 miles per hour. Tony Dodge ran Bob Braverman's unique twin-engine Yamaha qualified for Top Eliminator its 2nd time out. rider-owner and recorded a best elapsed time of 13.04 seconds with 101.39 miles per hour. Team efforts of Morrow and Lane scored the top figures in Modified street. The Sportster turned 11.6~1l5.oo. morrow and Lane's closest class winning contender was J. Linn on a 250Cc Suzuki. Linn's elapsed time was 13.56 and the mph read 96.98 mph. Good racing in the battle for A gas. Clarence Bailey's big Harley was up against one even bigger, the twin-engine Harley! Despite the tremendous disadvantage Clarence had to face, of a single vs double, be didn't back off or ride a half-hearted race. It was to payoff, for the big twin-engine Harley'S power went to waste in the form of compound clutch facings and billowing smoke. Clarence Bailey was the undisputed nctor in A gas. Put only one foot down and it may be likened to a power slide, only you start this one from a dead stoP. K. W. Kotalac's fuel-burning Vincent, was so crossed up coming out of the hole, he recorded an elapsed time of only 13.19 seconds. To show where the power comes on, this Vincent traveled through the mph traps at 131.19 miles per hour. Next Week, Irwindale on saturday and either Lions or Fontana on Sunday. (Results on page 20) Cycle News' drag racing reporter, Bob Ebeling, sizzles along the Lions Strip on his 4O-Inch Triumph. knowledge that any man can win. Joe Smith and Bob Braverman were the first opponents. It's quite a contrast in the banshee whine of two tandem Yamaha 250's and a big time-splitting, rumbling, 80 inch Harley. Smith took a lead on the nash of a green light and dispatched the Yamaha from contention. Snperbike Beats Dragster Sportster vs Sportster was the match for round two as the Miller- Brackett "Super Bike" staged in opposition to Millard Disharoon's ex-gas dragster. Oh, surprise of surprises when a heavyweight super bike puts one over on the dragsters and was just such a thing that Miller put on Disharoon in this round. Now only two, Miller and Smith were left. Eacb represents a sponsor. Smith with big color patches on his leathers that spell Laidlaw and Miller more modest in his priceless aid from Brackett. Either sad news or good for one and Joe Smith went bome with the longer wishbone. Joe defeated the Super bike turning 10.60 and 133 mph. Only one "mechanlcal fatality" occurred in saturday's action and yet even tbough the number is small, I have never seen a 650 make such a one big explosion. Bruce Wilcox's supercharged BSA lifted a cylinder ana barrel just enough to let the pistons and rods out and then proceeded to disintegrate cases with a pretsel twist to the frame. Sound bad? well it was, but Bruce merely shrugged and Said, "Well I think I'll change it a little when I set It UP again." Great shades of yesterday andpredictions of tomorrow! Old time racers trod upon the grounds of Fontana Raceway, some with competitive goals and others just to spectate. Mr. Ben Christ, Fontana's owner, laid down the prediction by stating that if competition entries are as great as this day, for the next two weeks, then Fontana's entire pit and staging area would be wrapped in the security blanket the quarter mile in 14.56 seconds. Hmm mm, that means that Joy left the line almost a full second and one half before Tony. The days closest race was in the clash for cash of E. T. bracket number 3. The Rich Richards Triumph, Joe Smith's Harley-Davidson and a beautiful altered roadster were the entries. Early in the day Joe Smith had to shut off at the line in every attempt to make the quarter mile spring. The big Rarley was only firing on one cylinder. Changes were made and one innocent bystander held his fingers on the mag pickups as Smith cranked the Harley over to see if the output was O.K. The spectators eyes were flashing with each revolution, so the verdict was passed on an efficient spark. (Later trouble shooting found the jets had been changed for fuel in only one carburetor, thus one cylinder could not get enough nitro to fire a pop gun.) Richards and Tony Dodge were matched against Smith in round one, as the roadster drew a single run. Joe Smith's once starving engine now gorged itself with enough fuel to defeat the Triumph. girl was delivered just last Friday night. Figure that one out! Johnnie Eastes won the Modified Division and will hang the trophy for baby to play with. It is three feet tali and 30 lbs. (the trophy, that is). This Sunday's racing at Fontana was so edected with super awards, such as money and more money plus 3 foot trophies that required more than one entry per class, riders that found no one in their division went around begging other loners to switch classes. Since a smaller trophy is given to single entries at all drag strips, I never thought I • would see the time of racers begging for competition. It's great to see Mr. Jim London and manager and owner Ben Christ create the outright figbt for a race to bigger awards. TELL THEM YOU SAW IT IN CYCLE NEWS • •••••••••••••••••• .. Fi !tron Ai r FiJ l.ers, J udsoD Prods. .. .. Francisco CastoroII , Dri-sll.de, n- .. .. glass tanks & seats. John Cooper & .. .. Big John Boots. All Available From .. .. SIMPSON MOTORS .. .. (213\ 247-3068 .. ... .. 4210 San Fernando Rei" Glendale, Calif. 91204 *****~*.*********** It's Approved! USSI, Z9 .1 (and Snell sCtA) The new Cosmo BONNEVILLE Lions Entries were numerous enough to keep eliminations running late into the evening. Harley-Davidson's were the brand machines that beld top elapsed time and speed in both stock and modified street divisions. Speedy High Was the top stock bike B-4 • Best made helmet on the market. Bike Beats Car Again The next round found four wheels vs two. Smith and the Roadster changed lead in that short quarter more times than tbe roadrace pros at a 100 miler. Smith reached the finish lights first in 10.47 seconds, tuxning 136.57 miles per hour. Triumph gas dragster racing was headed by Jerrie ance and the new formed team of Tupper and Lange. Lange proved to George Tupper that he deserves a permanent spot as rider, by winning the 3 foot class trophy. Mrs. Johnnie Eastes beld her busband's Harley and carried the "choke rag" despite the fact that their baby .. .. PROfESSIONAL SHORT TRACK RACING INDOORS at file SAN JOSE County Fairgrounds (Expo Building) San Jose, California FRIDA Y November 17 &24 RACES START 8 P.M. SEE YOUR fAVORITE STARS IN ACTION ON THE ASPHALT OVAL!