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/125553
Dave Alle"s 350cc Yamaha (runnerup In Bracket #4) was put down by Jim Sherwin's HarleyDavidson. Bracket #3 . 11.51 to 12.25 seconds of sprlnt time put the contenders in this one. Big Inch Harley gassers, the never insignificant Triumph quick ones and one, yes one SuPer Bike that put ' em all away for top honors. With a scant 30 minutes left for quallfying, Bob Sirkeglan arrived at Uons atter a hard day at his retail shop in Irwindale and made one pass that put him In this bracket and the winner's circle. A long time drag racer, with enougb quarter-mile rides under his belt to completely start an odometer on Its second trip around. That experience and the super-super bike performance of 11.56 seconds and 125.87 miles per hour helped BSA trounce them all with Ed McDonald the runner-up on a HarleyDavidson gasser that turned 11.71 and 115.00. Seven More If you ever cons idered there was a lack of racing action In these quartermile sprints, the mere fact that this column has so far only covered three of the ten brackets should give an Idea of the amount of racing done. If wheel stands on the brink of no control, torn and burnt rubber wheel carcasses, 360degree spin-outs, destroyed engines, petrltled riders and glamorous females Instill the slightest increase of pulse rate In your human body, this may be your cup of tea. There were machines of every description and some I wouldn't attempt to explaln. Sidehacks were started on the electric rollers. One man had to lift the hack free of the ground so that the machine was supported by only to natural wheels until the engine caught life and was rolled free of the steel spindles that are revolving at 50 miles per hour. One three-wheeler was on the narrow dividing line between bike and auto, as Its three-wheel design was patterned atter the auto, slingshot dragsters. If It hadn't been powered by a Harley-Davidson cycle engine It would have been barred from the exclusive cycle ranks. Description of each and every final seven eliminations could be done but that 's all in the results. The part of drag racing that's unfortunately less recognized ts losers' row. They didn't collect any winners' share, yet they supported the pr ogr am . Each one had to race at least once and In those few brief seconds he was under the spot light. That flicker of ti me. when all added up, accounts for hours of drag racing everyone takes for granted. Five Harley- Davidson mounted riders beat their way two thousand miles across the U.S. from Minneapolls, Minn. to compete In this one big event of the year and with a combination of III luck or just not quite the right end of a heads- up E.T. bracket, went home empty handed• .. This lrunt end Is not only raked but ..t· ....t-e- h-..d. • Si dehack rigs we.. als o part 01 the coin' showln'. . Var iety 01 equipment Included this twtn-eng lned Norton. IIcEwy-llartlnez twln-enclne Triumph tumed top mph - 151.26! Each Harley was 61 Inches or better and set up by " Drag Speciallties," the home of speed equipment tooled just for this grand sport and the good old U,5. brand name Harley-Davidson. Elwood Sper r and Tom Rudd head ed this phalanx of armed-for-racing teamsters. If variety in racing breeds of engines tickles your fancy there was everything and I do mean EVERYTIlING! How about a 500cc Vince nt and every shape displacement Increase for Triumph from the 45-lnch Webcor barrels to Chuck Adams home-brew specials that were trekked from Phoenix, Arizona. Pretty females, ah ----- there Is a nice part of drag racing. Penny Burnett entered her little 125cc Yamaha and Joy Houston rode a 650cc Triumph. Neither one succeeded In a bracket victory but If they weren't married (and they are) they could take home every eligible male with the mere flick of their petite little finger s . Ed Rannberg of Fontana , Callf., had built and designed several way-out machines such as the Top mph bike of McEvoy-Martinez, but for the Lions drag fes tival he had a conservative Volkswagen powered cycle . The Lowe Bros. built and fiel ded a Honda 5- 90 with 12 hor sepower output. The little single cylinder engine was suspended in a frame that produ ced a total weight of 100 lbs , In an attempt to make up for the deficit In Inches, Jack Lowe had the little baby burping on fuel. One of the sidehack combo team s scored In a bracket. Stan Shorrow and his passenger Mr. Wooley were runners-up in bracket number eight. Forty inches of Trlumph carrying an extra wheel and passenger, yet turned an elapsed time of 17.77 seconds . Larry SUtton, the Lions' starter, was offered the chance to r ide as sandbag but turned It down In preference to a job driving an AA fuel drags ter In good sate physical condition. All that Is only a small part of the program that C.J. Hart provided for the Cycle Drag Festival. Thanks to volunteer helps who worked In official positions that expedited Saturday's program. (Results on page 16)