Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

Boaz And Halford Boys Have A Manzanita Blast Beyc;-nd The Noise By Marjorie Paramore [ am a mother, with four sons who ride bikes. This is their pastime; their Heaven's Delight. They ride around tracks, as fast as they can go. Enjoying themselves, this much [ know. They ride and race each other, up and over the b1lls. Hoping their bikes hold out, and they don't take a spill. By riding and racing, they learn sportsmanship, Work off nervous energy, become boys of good stripe. They learn self control, the meaning of ta1r play. To do under others, day after day. When their help is needed, they lend a hand. This will surely help them to grow into better men. Bikes can be educational, for boys of every age. Bikes are complicated, and the latest rage. Boys will read, research each inch of their bikes. They work on them intelligently, and with all of their might. They will tear them down, and build them up again. Trying to make a bike, they can ride to win. Yes, they will read and study all about bikes. This way many a machinist has seen opportunity's light. Now, some boys stand on street corners, wasting their time. A bike rider on th\! street corner, you rarely will find. Our house is a gathering place for young riders 011 our street. They research, and repair, and they're not very neat. There's grease from their heads right down to their toes. And the noise of the bikes is maddenly close. But deep down in my heart I don't really mind. For my boys are happy, having a marvelous time. What more could a mother ask, with four boys of a kind. Than to see them make happy, constructive use of their time Sol Mothers all over, denying boys bikes, isn't fair. He could become an engineer, a mach1n1st, a great man some day. So please Mothersl a little understanding, lots of love and care. Your boy could become someth1ng, and be welcome anywhere. By Matt Glover PHOENIX, Arizona, Jan. 12 - Temperature 69 (in the shade) TT r&l:es sponsored by A,M,R,A. (Arizona Motorcycle Racing Assn.) at Manzanita Speedway, 35th Ave. and Broadway. This is a quarter-mUe oval within a half-mUeoval,allhardclay dirt. [n the summer, when thedayUmetem.perature gets up to 115 plus,in the shade, races will be under the llghts(and stars) on Friday nights. Fifty-two bikes registered on the grid board, with the 125 Novice and Amateur to run together, also Open Amateurs and Experts in one race. There were only two 125 Amateur bikes on the board, and Bill Cramer (Bri) won first overall in the heat and main, leading from start to flnish. Amateur Ron Shuman (Yam) ran second all the way in the heat, with novice D, Shuman (Kaw), third. Shuman started off the same way in the main but konked out on the sweeper in the second lap. D. Shuman (Kaw) came up from fourth place at lap one to take second overall this time, and the winning novice. In the 250 Novice heat Jim Ludi(Yam) and Robert Ritz (Yam) first and second all the way. In the main it was the same story, nip and tuck, but at the end of the Paul Lass: He r sRacing Again At 43 Story by Leonard E, Slpe Photo by Vicky Hillman Paul Lass owns a small HarleyDavidson shop in Bellflower. It's an unimposing store; no glittery facade, no strident "image," and, on ch1lly days, no heat. "Every year about this time my secretary threatens to quit because of the cold. And every year [ have to promise and cajole and be sweet to her until it warms up," Paul said. Paul took his first motorcycle ride when he was seventeen. "1 didn't really mean to take my friend's bike without permission. But that big gleaming Harley sitting outside the neighborhood skating rink was too tempting." In 1956, he joined Bates Industries as Production Engineer, in charge of designing new tooling and developing new and better production techniques. Because others in the company were avid cyclists, he began riding around on the weekends on an old dirt machine, and was soon turning out for Sportsman com. petition in District 37. After a season on his tired thumper, he decided to purchase a brand new 500cc AJS single. But with only 30 mUes on the odometer, a friend took the new machine out for a spin and stacked it up. While rebuilding the bike, Paul and his buddy decided to turn it into something special. "We didn't really plan it that way; things just got out of hand," he recalls. The result was a very sanitary customiZed dirt machine, complete with tasteful chrome plating and glistening two-tone paint job. The engine was given the full treatment. Outfitted in new leathers and satin jumper, he won the award for bestdressed machine and rider at the last Catalina Grand Prix in 1958. And bike and rider went as good as they looked. Paul f1n1shed the classic event in sixteenth place out of afield of 200 starters. After 110 miles and 3-1/2 hours of racing, the AJS was still running strong. That same year, Paul went to work as a road man for Cooper Motors in Burbank, distributor for Royal Enfield and, at that time, Yamaha. As challenging as it was, being on the road, there were disadvantages. Paul had to be away from his family too mUCh, and his riding in weekend events was cut to a minimum. He missed them both. In 1960 he made a change. With a good job as inside salesman in a local bike shop, Paul found he had time to begin racing for real. Although missing most of the Sportsman scrambles season in 1960 he wound up as #25 Expert in his district. Then he turned professional, riding flattrack and TT races at Ascot, and the old Lincoln Park. His first ride was a '37 Indian. "It was a great flattrack machine. Of course, things were a little tricky going into the first corner with a hand shifter. But that beautiful old Scout sure helPed me bring home the gold." And the points, too. ln his first year, Paul made national #12 as a class C Novice. Later he rode Royal Enfields for Shell Motors, a dealer in Lynwood, and was battling it out regularly with Elliott Schultz, Jim Goldsmith, and Blacky Bruce. Paul's professional riding ended in '62 when he got a job offer from Norm Reeves, whom Paul had known for-years (Paul bought his first new machine from Norm and wore Norm'S colors in the Catalina race). Reeves was a good businessman, on his way to becoming the richest Honda dealer in the United States. Paul started out as saiesman. He worked his way up to General Manager, supervising two of Reeves' three locations. "Norm's a beautiful person to work for. Everything I know about the retail motorcyde business I learned from him." After being with Reeves four years, Lass decided to purchase the HarleyDavidson shop down the street from Norm's Paramount store. The last three years haven't been easy, but he has built up a loyal clientele. "I soon realized there are motorcycle riders, and then there are HarleyDavidson riders. The Harley rider is a special breed, very particular and very loyal; loyal to Harley-Davidson in general, and loyal to that individual dealership that gives him conscientious service and a fair shake." Paul guarantees all his used machines. When he gets a used Harley in, he'll either fix it back into stock condition or, if that's too expensive, he'll make a clean, conservative chopper out of it. "You have to keep the price under $1000 or the machine will just sit there." He's an honorary life member of the Oxnard Motorcycle Club, and ve r y seldom misses a meeting, although it's an 85 mile trip both ways. It's worth it. Many Oxnard riders come all the way to Paul's shop for servicing and, occasionally, to purchase a new touring machine. Paul takes in the annual Sierra Run, renting a cabin or motel room at the gathering point and holding open house with free drinks and food. (The last trip he made, he sold four new bikes.) Paul is 43 years old (he looks only 33). Besides racing motorcycles professionally, he's a skier, 3/4-midgetracer, exhockey player, airplane pUot, and speedboat jockey. Following a six-year layoff, he's riding Sportsman TT scrambles again, on Saturday nights at Perris. The person responsible for Paul's return to racing is Vince Graves, his parts man. Vince was the overall high point winner at Perris' night events for '68. He makes sure Paul and his bike are out there every race night. And what is it like, racing then and now? L Paul Lass, owner 01 Paul' sH·D in Bellflower, on the line lor the last Catalina race In 1958. He was awarded best dressed rider and bike trophy, linlshed 16th o.erall out 01 ·a field 01 200. "Kids today are going faster, riding harder, and have much better equipment. The new tJo-strokes are much more competitive than the old fourcycles. A new 360 Bultaco, for instance, could wipe out anything available back then." He's teaching his eight-year-old boy to ride. "He'll soon be wanting to ride scrambles, and !' m making sure he knows how to do it right." He's keeping his eyes open for an old JAP speedway machine to build UP. He wouldn't be thinking of trying his hand at speedway racing, would he? That quick smile indicated he had something in mind. If not as a rider, perhaps as a sponsor. With the resurgence of this brand of racing, Paul Lass will undoubtedly be part of it. ~ f<:I :i!: f<:I second lap they tangled coming out of the ..,J esses up to the first jump, and f1lpped, U eliminating themselves. The race was stopPed, and restarted. Then, Pete Wouters (Yam) and Larry Matson (Bul) died on the line, and Curt Vail went off course in the first turn, considerably thinning the traffic. Ken Blatter (Yam) got the jump off the line. By the third lap he was way out front and stayed there • The 250 Amateur belonged to Jim Morgan (Yam) all the way, but hack in the pack Paul Niemi (Bul) pulled up from third in the first lap to second in the second lap, and then lost it in the esses on the fourth lap, finishing as an also ran away back. The week before Paul won the 250 Novice main, so this week they moved him up into the Amateurs. In the Main he pulled out the stops and took a good lead early, hotly pursued by Jim Morgan (Yam) and Dale Sturdevant (Yam). These first three closed tighter and tighter all through the race; But Niemi did not have a nemsis this time, winning by about five lengths; Morgan was about four lengths ahead of Sturdevant. G Wire To Wire Brlan Ross (Duc) took the 250 Expert heat by about two lengths from Tom Halford (Bul) who came through from fourth spot on the first lap. However, in the Main, Jim Halford (Yam), brother of Tom, was not back in the shuffie, dicing. He was the leader first and last. Byron Boaz (Yam) made second, holding off Tom Halford (Bul) who had won the Main the week before. Jim Edwards (Tn) handily won the ~n Novice heat race, front running the whole distance. However, Dave Ford (Tri) copped the Main, from wire to wire, beating Jim by a comfortable margin. It is evident that the cloud cover is increasing the humidity; some jet changes make the differences in the Mains. And so the tun e r s perform their legerdermain. The Open Amateur and Expert heat had John Sellers (Tri) closely nipping S11 Modesti (Nor) for the win. At the end of the first lap Boaz(BSA) closed on Sellers for the lead going into the esses, but dumped it and was relegated to tall end Charley. In three laps Boaz was up to 3rd but Time and Distance ran out ahead of him. Hey, all you riders from up Denver way, remember Don Tointon (BSA), the tractor-trailer driver, one of the knights of the road? He worked up into a good third spot in the third lap but didn't show on the fourth. YuP, ran out of gas. Wonder if he shows that in hIs log book. The Main was a different story with a determined Boaz (BSA) barreling into the lead on the second lap, and that was it, by 20 lengths. Last week they ran 250 and Open flat track exhibitions on the quarter mUe oval, no brakes. The fans seemed to like this kind of racing, akin to the caged sprint cars which follow the bikes on the same track. This week was to be the same again, but, at the last minute brakes were O,K'd. Consequently, most had 'em but some didn't, which isn't good. In the 250 Tom Halford (Bul) was out front at the drop of the flag, and lengthened his lead each laP. Man! This young feller is a natural hot shoe. Boaz (Yam) held second for three laps, then Lakin Gabert (Yam) overtook him for second; coming into the home stretch John Halford (Yam) (yep, still a third Halford brother) edged Boaz for third, almost at the wire. The Open race was Boaz (BSA) all the way, by an ever increasing lead. (Results on page 16) ... from 549.95 fU·8I1ild'um l(itl Several Mod.b - None over SJ 89.$O! Send 2St for 'atest informafion and Free De(ol. 130.poge Catalog _ sr. I tnr~W~t' '." box 2276 alhambra 55, caillornia 91803

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