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/125732
MASHBURN GRABS CUP AT BOSTON GARDENS ~ w Z W ...J U >- U By Don Woods BOSTO ,MASS.,JunelO,1971 -After having a tremendous string of successes around the country with the Yamaha Silver Cup Series, promoter Don Brimer of Trojan Enterprises ventured into conservative Boston with the first summer indoor race ever held on the East Coast, with the aid of super-enthusiast John Jacobson's Boston Cycles. The local public was saturated with TV-N ewspaper and radio publicity about the merits of motorcycle racing. Upon arriving at Boston's airport, this reporter inquired at the information counter how to get to the motorcycle races. The young lady knew everything about it and even corrected me and told me it was an indoor race and not just any other motorcycle race. Being basically a winter event, for the first time in a city not really familiar with motorcycle racing, it's really asking for it. The attendance was not all that bad with 6250 spectators in the 15,000-seat Boston Gardens Arena. Disappointing was the fact that most of the spectators were avid motorcycle race fans and not Boston's general public as New York's Madison Square Gardens show had been. The program ran a little slow with all types of added attractions for the fans - celebrities, races and a minibike event. bands. and all sorts of hoop-Ia but the races were typical indoor with the racers after every penny they could get of the $500 purse. California riders, who had the most experience in indoor racing, have developed tech niques in dealing with guys without a lot of savvy. Centerpunching, bumping and pushing are required arts for a good indoor Keith ~1ashburn, probably one of the fastest short trackers ever, led for the entire feature. There was a lot of crashing and banging back in the pack, but he stayed far enough in front to avoid it. Kenny Roberts and Don Castro kept enough pressure on to keep ~1ashburn from running away with the whole thing. Barnes managed to dodge enough riders to ease in to fourth. Mashburn kept the Silver Cup for Yamaha and the promoters learned a thing or two. Even though indoor racing .... Keith Mashburn on the road to victory. although being pressed hard by Don Castro (5) and Kenny Roberts {SOl. raCCT. In the elimination heats, a less experienced rider who would lead one of these savvy riders would get zapped with the aforementioned techniques. The hapless rider would usually find himself sliding along the Ooor while staring at the ceiling. Bill Dutcher, a parl-time professional from NY and Eastern sales manager for Bultao, has picked up some of the West Coast tricks. Leading the second elimination heat, he was centerpunched by Jim Odom while coming off a comer. Instead of going down, Dutcher c1amly went his way and a surprised Odom found himsclf sliding along the Ooor out of the racing for the nigh t. But, experience won out and by the time the evening's final even t came around, all but two of the riders in the field were experienced West Coast indoor racers. Pennyslvania's Fred Barnes had survived the battle along with a junior- rider from Florida, Charles McGoron. Kenny Roberts. Keith Mashburn. may be a summer sport, there are a lot of people in Boston that now know motorcycle racing as a professional sport, thanks to Brimmer's, and Jacobson's public relations effort. (Results on page 48) Ski-Doo Iniunction Sought BOSTON, MASS., May 28, 1971 - A brief for a restraining order was filed today in Boston Federal District Court against Bombardier, Limited, Valcourt, Quebec, Canada, world's largest manufacturer of snowmobiles, Ski-Doo, to prevent Bombardier from m.rketing mini-cycles in the U.S. and Canada. The preliminary injunction was requested by Engine Specialtil's, Inc., Croydon, Pa., the marketer of Broncco mini-cycles and mini-bikes in the United States and Canada, pending a full trial of the case. In their .action, Engine Specialties, Inc., charged Bombardier with violations of the U.S. Anti-Trust laws and maliciously interfering with Engine Specialties' business and contractual relations with Agrati-Garelli, Montkello, Italy, who was, until recently, the manufacturer of Broncco mini-cycles for Engine Specialties. In its brief, in support of its motion for a. preliminary injunction, the Broncco firm claimed that Bombardier maliciously and deliberately induced Agrati-Garelli to breach and terminate its contract with Engine Specialties and that the Ski-Doo Company and Agrati-Garelli agreed jn violation of the U.S. Anti-Trust laws not to compete with each other in the sale of mini-cycles and motorcycles in orth America. It further contended that Bombardier induced Agrati-Garelli to enter into a join venture for the manufacture and sale of Broncco type mini-cycles and motorcycles in North American in violation of the U.S. Anti-Trust laws. In addition, . Engine Specialties, Inc., alleged that Bombardier illegally persuaded Agrati-GareUi to stop selling Broncco mini-cycles to Engine Specialties, Inc., in violation of Engine Specialties, Inc. 's exclusive rights under its contract with Agrati-Garelli. Furthermore, Engine Specialties, Inc., alleged that, as part of this scheme, Bombardier circulated false and misleading rumors in the trade about Engine Specialties, Inc. A week ago, the Federal Court denied Bombardier's motion to dismiss the action and rejected contentions of the Ski-Doo manufacturer that the suit could not be instituted in the Boston Federal Court and that the action did not allege violations of the Anti-Trust laws or of Engine Specialties, lnc.'s common law righ ts. Specialties, [nc., is E ngi n e represented by the Boston law firm of Ch oate, Hall & Stewart. EVEL KNIEVEL AUTO THRILL GARDEN STARS ·IN SHOW AT Evel Knievel, King of Motorcycle Daredevils, will make his New York debut as the star of the Auto Thrill Show at Madison Square Garden July 8-11. The famed Jack Kochman Hell Drivers share top billing with Knievcl in the two-hour program presented by the Garden and Pace Management. Knievel promises to jump over a dozen or more (if the spirit moves him) cars on his specially-built Harley·Davidson. Coincidentally, the film version of Knievel's life story, produced by Joe Solomon and starring George Hamilton as Knievel, premieres in N.Y. at the Penthouse Theater onJuly 7.