Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

Letter From Russ Darnell: The past few months have really flown by. Time has been passing very rapidly. We have sort of settled into a pattern of life here, and we are enjoying it. On the weekends we race, and during the week we prepare equipment, write letters and sometimes make side-trips to places we haven't seen. Two weeks ago I had a race at Markelo, Holland, so we left from Gent on the Thursday before the race and did some sight-seeing. We went up through Antwerp to Rotterdam, then on to Amsterdam to look around. In Amsterdam we found an Italian restaurant and had a PiZza, the first we had had since we left home. That was a real treat, because we miss the food from home. We especially miss pizza (found mostly only in Italy here) and Mexican food. After doing some shopping in this beautiful city we drove uP through the scenic countryside to Den Oever where a thirty mile long dyke extends across the Zuider Zee to the other tip of Holland. We leisurely toured down the length of Holland and arrived at Markelo at about 2:00in the afternoon on Saturday• They held an official practice .sess.ion at about 4:00 in the afternoon ana we Dad a chance to loak at the course and the competition. Both turned out to be formldablel Arne Kring, the new Swedish star was there and he is an extremely powerful rider. He looked always in control and very very fast. Also quick on the Suzuki was Ollie Petterson. Bengt Arne Bonne, and Jeff Teuwissen were there, both on Husqvarna, and Pierre Karsmarker rode his 400cc CZ. Dave Bickers and Keith Hickman showed uP later, Dave on his works 250 CZ, and Hickman on works BSA. Jeff Sm1thcamestill later, and arrived at the same time as ChrIs Hammargren. The course itself was sandy, as all tracks in Holland are, and wound through a forest, and down several sheer drops into sand pits. After the wood you suddenly burst out onto a straight dirt road for about 250 yards and hitaflat-out-infourth-gear jumP. This jump caused some pretty terrible decompression problems. As you hit It in fourth gear, at about 75 mph, you would sal! out and land back on the same dirt road, because the jumP Is man-made, and just sort of piled in the straightaway. Upon landing you could teel all sorts of things giving, and twisting. This was a killer on rear wheels and many were broken during the race. I landed a COuPle of times so hard that I thought my eyebrows would hit my lower lip. After that jump you ducked back into the forest for two turns, then out onto the start-finish straight, over a jump, and into a grass right hander which could be taken in 3rd gear. The course overall was very fast, with the exception of some deep sand in one section. The next day, race da '. turned out hot and beautiful, and the course was a little bit dusty. Dusty! Can yO'1 imagine? [ had not seen any dust since [ left home, so I loved it! In the first leg of the race, I got a good start, but I got involved in the usual first corner crash that seems to happen every week here. I came around 27th the first lap. The dust proved to be an advantage to me, as I was able to pass where others could not or would not. [ worked my way uP to 9th before the finish. It Is funny to say I was proud to be in the top ten In a big event like this, but the competition Is a whole lotdlfferent from home. In the second leg (there were three legs of 35 minutes plus 2 laps) I got another decent start, and worked my way to 7th position behind Jimmy Aird on the works AJS, I tound I could getby Aird so I passed him, and was running 6th behind Keith Hickman (works BSA). With two laps to go, I slid out on a corner when my rear tire suddenly went flat. I imagine I tore the valve steam out of the tube going over one of the jumps,Anyway, I was unable to finish in that leg. In the last leg I rode hard but started to get tired from the sheer speed the course necessitated, so I was unable to pass any more riders than I had already, and I finished ninth again. Over all I finished an 11th for the day, very pleased with that. . Last week we went to France to race for the first time. The course was in a stonEl quarry and very hard. In one place the course went up a hill that was covered with cement. This was very hard on tires to say the least, and [ wore an almost new tire out in this race. The French are very gala in their races. All of us international riders had to push our bikes to the area where our flags were in front of the bleachers they had set uP for the spectators. It was very interesting. We pushed our bikes behind gtrls carrying our national flags and the girls all wore mini-skirts. This is a ceremony I would very much like to see catch on in the States. Especially the girls in miniskirts. At the end of the parade we each stood in fron t of our flag and the announcer went down the line reading the attributes and victories of every rider. After reading the piece, they would play the national anthem of the respective rider. It was very stirring. When they played the 'Star spangled Banner', I couldn't help grinning to show my pleasure. My wife said [ got the biggest applause of the day, but she is kind of prejudiced. The course was not good at all. Very narrow and dusty llke some desert races are. Also on every side were 50 and 60 foot high cliffs, straight down where they had cut the quarry away. The course was lined with barbed wire and the fastest straight away ended in a low gear, gravel corner which was very dangerous. In 1966 a rldel' was killed on the circuit and they had a memorial for him on the main straight. Not very encouraging! Start system was a rubber band similar to the ones [ remember at Ascot. I was third in the first leg until I fell, then [ finished fifth. in the other two legs [ placed fifth and sixth respectively, for a fifth over all. These two races, Markelo, Holland and Soucy, France are my best performances to date. At first I couldn't tell If the European experience was belping me or not, but now [am sUre of it. I have learned a great deal in the time I have been here, and I have four more months to further train. I hope I can bring my newfound knowledge of motocross back to the U,S, so that other riders can benefit from it. [ have no doubts at all that we can field a team of American riders, soon, to successfully compete with the more experienced European riders. Reed Speeds, ~ ~ ~ '" ~ :i!: r.J ...J t..> ;:.., t..> Stops Marie Ike Reed, rl&ht, slopped Mark (70) Williams' win streak at six in the hlaioPald Sidewinders event at Clackamas, Ore. • By J.K. Lacey PORTLAND, ORE" June 20- First year Expert ike Reed copped his second Main Event win this season with a wire-towire ride, stopping the new National Number 70, Mark Williams, win streat at six. Reed (Tri) charged into the lead on the first lap and though dogged throughout the entire event by Williams (Tri), he never left the door open for a moment. Fifth year Expert T .L, Hogland (Tri) was a distant third, Jimmy Smith (Tri) fourth, and Trophy Dash winner Ross Roberts (Trl) fifth. Once again, for , the fourth time this year, Sidewinders paid a sizeable overage to the riders. [n the Amateur division smooth Bill Elder (H-D) wiped 'em out again. He won his sixth Trophy Dash of the season, then went on to the Main where he toured around looking like a slot-car, terribly unconcerned. His only opposition came from the youthful Jack Mott (BSA) who dropped out after three laps with a broken shock, leaving Thad Lawrence (Kaw) in second and Bill Jackson (Tri) third. [n the absence of the two go-fast pointleading Novices, D. Cotton & C. Joyner, everything in the Novice class was uP for grabs. Mike McCall (Kaw) did the deed in the Trophy Dash with a wide win but darn near didn't in the Novice Main. McCall had the lead but Phil Pfau (Bul) drove through the pack to snatch the lead for two laps. McCall came right back to retake his position but lost it again to Pfau, who in turn was out-braked in the bottom corner, gave the lead back and never again headed McCall. In third, just waiting to pounce, was Don McShane (SUZ). (Results on page 20) - -- r MOVING??? ... I I I I PLEASE CHECK ONE: o Second Class Subscription o First Class Subscription o Air Mall Subscription I I NAME: - - - - - - - - - - NEW ADDRESS: CITY: I...S.T.AT~ --7---.Z.IP.: I I I I I M M Second class mail is OT forwardable. Send us your new address as oon as possible, so you won't miss an issue. I - .. • I • • I I I I III .g . Z ." III ..J :E u 0 > u e 0 • ~ .c .c u ~ 1: c - I !! 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