Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

.... ""'lI~..,..,.,~,.,..,.,~,.,..,.,~",'7:l".7"7~~P7.,.,'7:r7~"7"::r7~'7:"~'7:"~'7:'1'7~'7.:'1'7'n"7:~77. ~£"'III'.oi~\1 Q.. You'll ..America's Weekly Motorcycle Newspaper- Always S." It FIRST in Publisher••••• Charles C. Clayloa Business Manager. • ron Clayton Managing EdilOl". Wayne Flemingloa Productinn Manager. .DeDDis Gteeae Assistant Editor & Lab Technician • • • • • • • • • • • • " Bill Pettigrew BooIlkeeper•••••• Susan WhiteJaw Circulation Dept•• Jenny McDonald Receptionist••••••• Sandra PurelY . . Publlshed weekly except the fust andC&S Publishingthe calendar year by last we<:k of Co., Post Office VOICES OF THE WEST J.N.'s DUAL DRIVE Mr. Roberts: Many have emulated you by wearing the famous suPerman shoulder pads. Once r thought they were SuPer muscles but when strUlped down to mortal clothing you are very human. Along with being admired for suPer go, as a matter of course, I now wish to report this champion's humaruty In the Elsinore Grand Prix pits Saturday, after he and other completed a race very trying to many men and machines. This was a European motocross cake walk. Thetr kind of riders and some of us were as happy as a wee child making mud pies. The pits were no less trying for the four wheelers. Everywhere you looked there was digging, pushing, jacking, planking, baYing and cooperation. The tow truck cables were slowly winching hopelessly mired metal victims. Then we saw J.N. in his dual drive, moving his Dodge with dispatch up to one and then another helpless case, and In his style, getting the job done speedily. Moving all around the pits like a desert racer trying to find the tratl, he freed all be found until dusk saw the operation well completed. This kind of dual image is beartwarmIDe. tile stutr we like to see In a cbamP. say, you look neat. sans the face ha1r • Now we can see wbat kind of guy you arel No matter bow much trouble the racers felt they faced, the GrUlsters had the most challenge. They made a go of it without abwndonIDe gOOs of course. Bless the GrlPsters the clty and people r1 E1s1nore, the new hometown of metropoI1taa raclDe. DONRAPP Buena Park, cal. GOT A CANDIDATE! I'ft heeD an and motorcycle race fIUl since my high scbool days thirty-11ft J9US ago, first at the old L.A. White SoK Park, tIBl AtIaDt1c, GUmore, South Gate, LIncoln Park, C&rroll, Ascot, Prado, SlIcramento, Carlsbwd, WUlow Spr1Dgs, EIslnore, Perris and SlIddJe.. bKlt. I remember riders such as: Elder, Farand, TnljUlo, Roberts, Bolder, Cordy & Jack Milne, Kretz 81'.. and Lammeriewc. Later such riders as Kretz Jr.. Gunter, Pbilllps, Basney, Everett, Hawley and O'Brien came along. I remember the Northern California contlDgent headed by Leonard, oorrestyne, Mann, and Lawwill; the Southern boys beaded by Andres, Rayborn. and the Lacber brothers. Pve seen the Easterners headed by Markel, Roeder, NIx, Draayer, Nixon, and of course, the present Ascot crop led by Tan.oer and van Leeuwen. I guess we're all prone to make comparisons and pick a favorite, and f have. My selection or the best rider 1 have ever seen, on any track, is based upon these criteria: Mastery r1 the machine, competition spirit, sportsmanship, perception, reflexes and reactions, and conslstency. Hoping my selection is not tinged by nostalgia, my top rider is the Immortal "Lammy" Lammerieux. '!bat man was total skill 00 a steel shoe. Who will agree? C.E. JENNINGS Lakewood, Cal. McKInney, ASCOT BIKE PARKING r have been attending races at Ascot Park for many years and really enjoy the motorcycle racing _ but r believe it is outrageous the way they charge for motorcycle parking. First it was 25~ (years ago) then 50~, then 75~, then the big boycott last year and they let us park free, then it was 50~ again, then it was called oU for the Clyde Litch Benet1t, then again for the TT races last week they said "50~ please." Why don't they make up their minds and stick to something so people will know what to expect? They really should remove the charge for bikes to bring in the cyclist. After all it worked after the big boycott last year and the parking lot was filled. They actuallY lose money by charging this unreasonable amount because they are losing several dozen people every race. r can gradually see Ascot motorcycle racing going right down the tubes, as is the opinion of Carl White from Inglewood who wrote your paper a few weeks ago. The crowd is treated as it they are just being tolerated there and they can elther like it or not. The crowd won't dwindle awayovernight, but it's on its way. 1 am also happy to learn that Cycle News is for free speech - so I will add ooe more thing: Any cycltst who keePs up toleratIng the "treatment" they are getting regarding parking and rest rooms doesn't have any hackbone. And as a matter r1 princUlle my family and friends are never going to Ascot Park again. Box 498, Long Beach. California. also publishers of State Cycle ews fOI the Eastern states. Second Class Postage paid at Long Beach, Cali!. Editorial stories, cartoons. photos. etc. are welcome and will be Paid for on the 15th of every month for material published the prevtous month (except press releases and • Voice" letters.) Addressed. stamped envelope assures retum. Reprinting in whole 01 in part expressly forbidden except by permission of the Publishers. Advertising rates and circulation information will be sent upon request. The Honorable Tom Hom Member of the AssemblY of The State of California. Sacramento, Calltornia. y Dear Mr. Hom; According to an article In the San Diego Union of this date, you have lntroduced legislation which would require motorcyclists to wear protective headgear. Not having a copy of the proposed legislation, I cannot review it completely but personally agree that some steps shoulU be taken to regulate fIrms which rent motorcycles to require them to provide protective headgear of an approved design to riders who hire theIr machines. As an active motorcyclist r1 many years standing, I would not think: of riding my machine without fIrst securing my safety helmet and the great majority r1 two eeled riders share my views. However, Mr. Hom, to suggestthatcycle enthusiasts should be FORCED to wear protective clothing would seem to be about as reasonable as to Intrnduce leg~ islatlon to force everyone to wear rubbers and rain coats it they ventured out In the rain and just as constitutional ton, I mIght add. If you will study the statistics more thorougbly, yocr will notice that the great majority of motorcycle accidents are sutrered by Inezperienced riders wIIo are on a borrowed, rented or newly purcbasecI macbine. You may also fiDd that 70% of the accidents lnvoIrinc a molDrcycle and an auto are the fault r1 the car driver. Baving _lx:bed your career as a publlc servant. it bas been my obserratlon that you bave always been a faIr and just man and _ were pleased to see you go VICKEY LAMAR to Srlcram9llllo; so please doD't start Ieg!sJaHng against a mlnoritygroupsuch as the molDrc:ycl1Dg ellthllsiasts even thougb your 1Dtentlons ~ be fOUDded OIl Ilooest c:oocern f« the cycle riders Gentlemen, you haft flnalJy dOIIe It. A1lIer 16 years of rld1IIg Sportsman ftEls In the Southern 'Calitornla area I feel the need to write a letter • I would like to commend you OIl your receat Gran Prix. It was, witllouta meaSure r1 doubt, the worse event from start to fln1sh 1 bave ever had the mlsfortuDe to ride. A little mud in any event is a test of skill and enduraDce for a rider and his machine, bowever your four mile lake of mud was ridiculous. Nature was beyOlld your cootrol, bowenr reroatIng r1 the track after the satanII.J - ' would bave cut down a Uttle r1 the mud for the big bores. HoweYer, abcm! and beyond the mud. the compJalnts are numerous. As a beginning, the "0De-m1Date spaced start" was more like a mad scramble. The tact that there were automoblle6 crossing the track in and around the town was enougb to lID-nerve anyooe, to say notbtng of the un-beJmeted street riders that _re crulslng the track In .n sjlOts. It is encouraging to round a beDd In the track and have to dodge a street rider out for a would be Sunday ride. The Jack or Grtpster Patrol riders was evident to all concerned, which I imaglne was a definite problem on the part of your club members, after all not very many would volunteer to ride In that muck for nothing. Agatn g e 0. tie men, congratulations, your well run event of last year brought back fond memories or the Qld catalina, and your run or this year will bring back nightma:i'es of places 1 would rather not be ever for years to come. JERRY WILLINGHAM Culver City, Cal. Subsaiptioe: one year 2nd class mail. • • • • • • • • • • • • • . •. 7.50 NATIONAL ADVERTISING DIRECTOR•• , •• Thomas R. Culp Cycle News (Westl, P.O. Box 4911, Long Beach, Calif. 90800 Tel, (213) 423-6431 • EASTERN ADVERTISING State Cycle News (East) P.O. Box 13, Amherst,Ohlo 44001 Tel • (216) 984-2433 COpy OF LETTER TO HO Inglewood, CalIL CONGRATULATIONS GIIPSTERS SiDell' copy price• • • • • • • • • • 2:1( weJ1lIre. The last sessia:l r1 the legislature ..cted a Jaw wIIlcIl requires an twowbeeled Yebicle ClJl91"8IDr$ to be Iieeaaed; as SOOII as the Jaw ca.lICIles 1F 1IUIl.n the riders as the7 r:-w or get DeW drhers' permits yon wlllllnd the molDrcycle accideat rate drqI, and witll t&e proper edlIcatiOll r1 automobile drlftJ'S CClDCerning IIldDn:yc]es it sbon1d decrease the accidents even more. WII. D. HARMER SIu1 DIego, Cal. THE CO TRACT Rescue Three was also a ~ sight for me and my d1stncate

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