Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

MEET THE DRAGGER Falller of ·twlns, Clarence Bailey runs a twln-..cJned bomb at L1..,s. Williams Waxes Cast'e loell CASTLE ROCK, WASH., June 14th Portland slXledster Mark Williams will have a few more coins in his pockets to take to the midwest this week as a result of his racing prowess •.After maldng a clean sweep of the Sidewinder's TTFriday night in Portland he moved UP to Castle Rock saturday night to repeat the deed. Williams moved through the qwilifying heats with ease, but in the Expert Semi he faltered at the start and Don McLeod grabbed the lead. Williams cleared Mc Leod's Harley in the fourth round of the 5 lap event. The three laps he trailed McLeod provided the only dust he was to eat that night. He was a wire- to- wire winner in the Dash and Malo Event. First year Expert Gregg Morris, attired in red, white and blue star studded leathers and McLeod on his bright white Sportster put on a dazzling battle for second place, exchanging positions three times. SUddenly Morris dropped three places in the last three laps o!the 15 lap Main. Ray Carroll moved to third with Ike Reed sliding into fourth after a 9th place start. Portland area riders also dominated the yellow plate class, winning every event of the evening. Jack Mott took the Dash over Blll Elder and Bill Jackson•. Elder came back to win his paid heat in record time, Mott winning the second heat and Jackson the third. A real duel between Elder and Mott loomed as they took their places for the Malo Event, but at the drop of the flag Mott's bike coughed and stuttered so he pulled to the side; Elder was off like a shot and wasn't about to be caught. Boise'S Thad Lawrence rolled to second with John Bromley third. The Novice event was marred by a three bike accident that hospitalized one It is being proved every Sunday at the drag strips that motorcycles have broadened in their popul&rity and aren't just for the sport of the wild young crowds that are usually associated with them. Cl&rence Baily might very well be a typical motorcycle enthusiast, and is certainly not to be called a wild youngster. Clarence is 40 years Old, married to a very attractive young lady who, sofar, has presented him with a set of twin daughters, now 5 years old and very cute, plus a darling little boy, all of 6 months old. The whole family attends the races qui te often, but sometimes Dad shows UP alone when other plans are made by Mom and the kids. Cl&rence t;arely misses a Sunday at Lions Drag Strip. He works continually, keeping his Norton twin engine fueler, "The Blue Fox" in top running condition. He has attained a top speed of 146 mph, but isn't satisfied with this record, so he is trying to out-do himself. He is sponsored by Belmont Motorcycle in Long Beach and receives all his parts at half-price plus plenty of free, but good advice whenever he needs It. He prefers to be his own mechanic though. Cl&rence has won many trophies and some money here and there, but that isn't his complete goal. He hOPeS to come UP with a national record that is even beyond his wildest dreams. As diligently as he works on his machine, and the progress he has made in the past few months, he may see that day real soon. rider and injured two more. As the 12 man Malo Event entered the homestretch for the first time the 4th and 5th place machines came together, bouncing Jim Neal off the fence and into the path of Chuck Voss and Lee Parker. Parker was catapulted over the fence clipping a speaker standard on the way. He was removed by ambulance with hip injuries. Neal and Voss received lesser hurts. The restart saw Monte Montgomery take the lead over a more cautious group of youngsters and went on to win his first Malo Event with Mike Gregg moving up for !'econd. (Results on page 20) Ho'ton "Hooh-If" At Gra.a. TACOMA, WN., June 13 - Taking advantage of a Sonny Burres miscue,Dan Holton, the 1968 Graham Speedway Point Champion, became the fifth winner of the 1969 Graham season in as many weeks. Holton, a second year Expert from Sumner, Wash. also became the first non-national number rider to win a TT event at the kidney shaped track this year • Holton, looking for his first TT win of the year with a record of three second place finishes, turned a time of 19.32 in qualifying to win the pole position in the Dash along with Emil Ahola and Jim Jones. Ahola grabbed the lead in the first lap and hung on to the finish as Holton charged. The Main Event saw Holton'S Jack Enderson-tuned Triumph jump to the lead with Sonny Burres at his rear wheel and younger brother Steve Holton cinched in third. Burres continued to worry Dan until lap 4 when Burres bobbled in the slower left turn and drifted off the track. As Steve Holton dodged Burres, Emil Ahola slid into second spot and Dan Holton stretched his lead to the length of the front straight. Ahola couldn't close the gap and had to settle for second. Steve Holton lost positions to Don Mc Playing Checkers·A Close Up Look AI Tbe GreenHomContinued from page 13 ~ ~ os ~ , .. - Checker Jay Storer ,ets ready at secret checkpoint "U". Fran crawled into the back of the wagon to get some more. But she'd forgotten about the rocks we'd picked up along the trail, and gashed her knee severely on a big hunk of knife-sharp granite. Instantly, one of the riders (we later found out he was a Naval officer) grabbed our first aid kit and applied a tourniquet!banclage while ,the other ran for the nearest Sheriff. In seconds we were hustled off to an emergency hospital in the Sheriff'S police car •• .and I mean fast! On the way he took time to warn us of snakes in the vicinity of the campout and asked us to .pass the word along. A little minor surgery and Fran was shaped UP. So we headed for home that night, bemoaning the irony of lt all. Still, we were pleased and gratified to have been a small part of the Greenhorn picture... a picture that continues for weeks after the run is over. With 30 checkpoints and the number of finishers involVed, over 900b separate scoring procedures must be completed before riders are aligned according to finishing position, class, etc., and the official results are announced. The intricacy of these processes is unknown to most competitors, and even District 37 Sports Committeemen apparently can't figure out why it takes so long, since last year they penalized the Pasadena M.C. by disallowing the Greenhorn as a points run after receiving the results two days late, even though all riders had been not1fled in time. But the magic of the Greenhorn doesn't revolve around points. As Bob Greene says, "It's a challenge. You work four or five months and you make 400 or 500 guys happy. It's seldom that you can make that many people happy. The payoff comes when you're in sight of the finish and you see that tail of dust that means they're making it. it's a big thrill. You think, 'Hooray, here they come - I knew they'd make it!' " Fran and I experienced a taste of this satisfaction, too. When I asked if she wanted to be a checker again next year there was no hesitation. "Oh hell yes," she said, "if we have it as easy as this time. Beforehand I was a little leary, but I really had fun. The expression on those guys' faces when~they came around that corner was worth the whole trip. They were having a ball- doing their thingso cooperative••.and so MALE. It just turned me on." And my sentiments echoed hers exactly. If you don't mind a litue dust and heat, why nQt plan to be a checker on next year's Greenhorn run yourself? Or better yet, RIDE the most demanding enduro of them But if you do compete, watch out, because somewhere along the trail you'll round a turn and there we'll be••.ready to catch you off guard - or give you a drink of water if you're thlrsty. Leod and Sonny Burres in the late laps. The Amateur program was spiced with some unusual activity as John Bromley waved off what could have been fast time of the night and then came back to fall in his second attempl,disquaillylng himself. Squire Tomasie happily stole the fast Amateur Time Trial and then battled Mike Stering for the Dash win. The third Amateur heat saw Nebraska rider W.E. Bailey ta.Nlthe lead up to the right-hander where he was centerpunched by Jim Grace who went on to lead the event to the flag. Fisticuffs broke out later in the pi ts and both riders were thumbed out by Referee Dave Welsh. Puyallup's Chuck Gordon bolted to the lead with Butch Beck guiding his Sportster into second by lap two. Tomasie was well back in the pack feeling out the treacherously slippery surface before making his move. Beck final1y gotagood drive on Gordon in laP 6 and continued on to his first Amateur win. Tomasie meanwhile was picking off a spot each, lap and was in secund by laP 9. Gordon hung on to third at the finish. Bremerton, Wash. Novice Ken Barton made a complete sweep of the yearling class winning Heat, Dash and Main Event. Bridesmaid Pat Marinacci racked up his 4th second place finish and Gregg Johnston's third gave Bultaco a sweep of the event. (Results on page 20) . an. ~'AA/£) --YOI' A#t:J7lI;~ r/,RST (!)# ~S ...n7- W't'Kk r/eVAI B/G IVtJ~ t:¥" ~R~./-'7

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