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/125599
LATE'DrS Jones Harlin Sydney Crash S Y D N E Y, Australia - Californian Chuck Jones Is In a bosp1tal here wilb a broken neck ~ arm following a motorcycle speedway crash Saturday Digbt, .January 11. The altfmdl~ pbystcfan, Dr. Yeo, said lbelnjurles may result In paralysis from lbe neck down. Jones was coming into a turn during a band1cap speedway race when a rider fell in front of bim. He took the wall to avoid running over lbe lallen rider. The touring U.S. speedway racer recently equalled lbe track record on bis first time out in New Zealand, a track lbat worldcbampionlvanMauger bas also ridden on. .Jones Is at lbe Royal Norlb Shore Hospital bere in Sydney. Doctors at lbe UCLA Medical Center totd Cycle News lbat Dr • Yeo's reputation is world- wide. Auzzies' Cheer Keeler, Jones By Peller Wb111e SYDNEY, Australia, Jan. 4- American speedway riders Dwayne Keeter and Chuck .Jooes impressed greatly when lbey made lbeir Australian debut at lbe Sydney Speedway Royals on Saturday night. Two weeks earlier, lbeir fellow countryman Rick Woods bad gone tbrough his paces at lbe nearby Liverpool speedway. Woods was moderately successful with two wins against top class local and overseas riders; but no one quite expected the devastating style of Keeter and Jones. Considering Keeter and Jones were riding borrowed equipment -lbey bad not even sat on the bikes WIlli their races came up - their performances were stunning. In lbe first event Keeter was opposed to new A ussie sensation John Langtield. Langfteld was fresh from victories over World Cbampion Ivan Mauger, English Test team captain Nigel Boocock and world ranked stars. Dwayne rock- other eted from lbe startiDc galle liked be was 011 lire and it tooktbe wtly Langfte1d lbe best part of a lap to peg bim b&ck. Tben it was a toolb and nall flgbt to lbe f1n1sb line with Dwayne going down by lbe narrowest of margins In the tbree,lap race. 1be crowd certainly appreciated Keeter's effort and gave him a standing ovatiOll, something whicb even lbe great Britlsb riders did not receive. JOIles was the next to appear but be could not run to form, due to an ailing engine. He gave it all be bad but bis mount was not up to scratcb. The program consisted of 12 motorcycle events (six solo races and six sidecar races) and two big midget speedcar events. Also featured was American bot rod driver Marsball Sargent, so tbree Super Modified events were added. Of the six solo races, there were two beats and a f1nal of a scratch series and two heats and a f1nal of a handicap series. Keeter's ride into second spot in the first scratch race qualified him for the f1nal. Here he clashed wi th Langfield again plus Australian Champion and Kangaroo Test Match Captain Jim Airey. Also In the line IGl was local ace Garry Hay. Airey and Langfield are acknowledged masters of the big third of a mile Sydney Sbowground circuit, so it was no disgrace when Dwayne came in third beh10d them. He did, bowever, burn ott Hay with ease. Handicap Race For the band1caps Keeter started from 80 yards beh10d lbe galle and Jones from 60 yards. In a field of seven riders bolb were third from the back of the field and bad four' riders in front of lbem. Langfield and Airey started from 130 yards behind. No CiIle gave the Americans a ghost at a chance but the visitors socked it to 'em 10 a big way. Keeller simply opened lbe throttle on full and blasted around the outside to take the lead witbID a lap. Sydney boys could not match him in the traffic and be galloped to a comfortable wID. It was a brilliant ride with Keeter Dlsh_n ,"S crossed up during a slnlll run. HI took top fUll at Lions on opening day. 8 Sec. Quarter-mile for bike By Dan Zeman It looks as though our toes are being stomPed on again. There were rumors going around lbat the motorcycles would not be running at lbe A.H.R.A. WlnternatiooaIs in Pboentx; Bob Braverman was the first to get 011 the ball and check this out. Bob received a reply to his letter last week and was pretty fast in getting the word around lbat lbe motorcycles ViOUJd DOt be running at this event. Now, the question Is, why? A . .tional meet Is about the only place where motorcyclists can claim and make new records. If they are not allowed to nm, bow can lbey expect to do so? Motorcycle drag racing should be brought to lbe public eye !Dr the sport it can be, but if lbe morale at the riders Is going to be broken down this way, it doesn't seem lbat lbere Is much hope for lbe SPOrt. You riders have proven yourselves on the local strips; you should be entitled to national meets, the same as cars. I have a letter in the mail, addressed to A.H.R.A., I have asked them In a nice way _ why? As soon as I get a reply, I w1l1 put it 10 lbe column, and then we w1l1 all know - why? Lions opening day brought out about thirty cycles. Four bikes showed IGl to nm for top bike. Bob Braverman, on his twin engIDe Kawasaki bad the best times tbroughout lbe day; but when round one came around, he was a bit eager and turned on lbe big red eye, leaving Clarence Bailey, on his twin engine Norton, lbe winner. Disharoon was IGl to his tricks again and he put down lbe Harley-Davidson from B.D. of Fullerton. In round two, Disharoon and Balley staged. Both bikes were running poorly. Balley made it balt-way down the strip when he bad to shut ott. All lbat Norton power pulled his rear wheel forward about 2 Inebes 011 lbe drive side. Disharoon popped through the l1gIlts to claim the gold. Disharoon was moualled 011 his "Ooat-st1cking" Harley DaYidsoo. WtD Hodges took top street booors 011 b1s B.D. Wlll bad four bikes In his class alone, not to mentiOll the other classes he bad to beat to claim tliese honors. In Modified Division, the "Dirty Old Man", Jack Murphy, was up to his nasty tricks again. Murphy beat all other class winners on bis 250 Suzuld. Incidentally, lbose other classes went all the way up to AA. Murphy, one of the older riders who come to Lions, 15 one of the best. Although his bike Is at the bottom of the division, be bas no problem beating machines lbat have tbree or four times the disPlacement. Moulders and Reese took top gas on their Norton. There was a new bike out In this div1s1on. Entered in C gas was a 450 Honda gasser, out of Lomita Honda. 'Ibis bike didn't turn any fantastic E.T.s or speeds. It's a new bike to the rider also, and be wasn't in a burry to go "Bonzai". That's what 1 calf using your head. Alex Weissman was also ona new bike, a 40-1nch Triumph. Alex made easy runs tbroughout lbe day, then got Into it toward the end, turning in lbe high elevens. ;;j .:;) BliL ~ Chuck Jones, after a win at Ascot. rubbing shoulders with the safetY fence for much of lbe journey. Jones was not so lucky in his heat. Just as be was making a forward run at lbe end of the first lap, local novice Jim Langfleld fell from his machine and crashed heavily to the track. Langtield was 10 the lead at the time and lbe riders behind had to take quick evasive action. John Taaffe and Airey "dropPed" their bikes well while Jones calmly swerved tbrough the melee. The rider who fell is the younger brother of star John Langfield. The race was stopped and are-run ordered. 'Ibis time Chuck bad his goggles blacked out by f1y1ng dirt and be lost valuable ground. He still managed fourth, and qua1lf1ed for lbe baod1cap t1nal. 'Ibis was the main solo race of lbe night. Keeter again made an excellent start. He quickly rounded up Jones and three Sydney front runners and looked all set for anolber success when suddenly his motor locked up and hewi1hdrew.All eyes wert! then on Jones as he started to make IGl ground. Chuck was riding very stylishly but could not match the sheer speed of Jim Airey. A t the cbequer it was Airey, Jones and Hay. KRAUSE'S IImORt) UI /)<,/)/."0'" HONDA/~/YAMAHA 1157 s. LA .REA at CC"tury ~.ood • • * BMW • - - ~ 6".50lS • GREEVES Robert M. Law T14I~'-n;J<~~ -. ~ .71.oa !/ • MOTO·BETA Hodaka Hotorcycle Greeves Montesa Kawasaki Westminister Sport Cycle Guy R. Louis HIGHEST TRADE-IN (714) 893-7057 239 II. Anaheim Blvd. AIIahllm, Cal. Pllanl (114) 533-1309 LARGEST PARTS & ACCESSORIES DEPT. IN THE SOUTHLAND 7574 Weslmjnister Ave. Westminster, Cal. Fastest Ever I have received word lbat on Nov. 6, 1968 at Bristol Tenn. "Michigan's Mad Man", Eejay Potter broke the unlimited class record. Potter turned an elapsed time of (would you believe) 8.82, and an incredible speed of 167.05 m.p.h. Potter is the first man to break into the 8-second bracket on 2- wheels. Potter's mill Is a fuel injected, Chevrolet V-8, lbat bas a displacement or 5,500 cubic centimeters, or somewhere around 335 cubic Inches. Potter's staodard starting procedure 15 to stage the bike with bis rear wheel held ott the ground by a stand. He then turns on the throttle to full r .p.m .s. Wben the light turns green, he rocks ott lbe staod. 1be wbeel makes contact wi th the asphalt and it puts lbe machine Into IDstant motion. 1 wonder why they call him "Michigan's Mad Man"? 'Ibank you, J.J. Atriok for sending this 1Dformat1on to Cycle News. It Is always IDtierestiDg to bear what's going on In olber~ of the U.S.A. (Results on page 16) Whidby I sland SCrambles December 15, 1968 100cc Class lst Cbuck Branstener - M/B XCIOG MB SPORTCYCLES·311 E. ALEXANDER. AVE., TACOMA, WASHINGTON 98421