Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

~ w Z W ..J U > U IYIII I ••• ..America's No. 1 weekly motorcycle newspaper. You'll always see it FIRST in Cycle News!" GETTIN'lOOPED The Lost Coyotes Motorcycle Club would like to registerits disappoin nnent with the write.up, apparently by Mr. Camitses of our race in Cycle News. "Instead of having just the trailbikes go one loop, this time everybody did." How your correspondent missed the sight of 151 riders snivelling over both loops of our course amazes us considerably. It may also cause consternation alpong the 151 two-loopers. The Lost Coyotes used a Grand Prix method of finish, in which all riders are flagged off as soon as the leader finishes. The only riders who made only one loop were those who were already lapped. We would like to express our appreciation for the lack of both litter and pit racers at our event. LOST COYOTES M.C. Publisher Charles Clayton Business Manager Sharon Clayton General Manager Tom' Cutp John Bethea Managing Editor Assistant Editor David Swift Circulation Manager Rheba Smith Circulation Ass't Marla Tarbet Production Manager Steve LeHuray Ed Drechsler Production Assistant Advertising Assistant .. Barbara Richard Bookkeeper D'orothea Lang Bookkeeper Ass't. . Eleanor Duke Lab Technician Larry Groves' If this attitude sounds provincial and elitist in nature, perhaps you're righ t. Just remember, however, that this is my hobby. Planning, subordination, caution. forfeiture of privacy are all part of survival in today's world. Every second 1 can steal from that world is going to be spent following my natural instincts. Using my free time to fight the "establishment" (under their rules) is playing righ t in to their hands. As the new rules and land closures come about, I will confonn to them. I will write my government and urge them to be reasonable, In the meantime, I will be seeking a new hobby - a way to explode where I won't disturb anyone. Catch me if you can! BEN EGBERT Sylmar, Calif. FORCED INTO ACTION Recently, a group of us traveled to VOICES O'F THE WEST INTERESTING THOUGHTS Please allow me to express a highly personal attitude toward my hobby (desert racing) which may, in part, agree with the attitude of other riders. If so. it may help explain what appears to be indifference on our part towards the common plight of lost riding areas. Racing motorcycles is a very personal means of expressing your individuality. Although I do not identify with Hells Angels types, thumbing my nose at society is certainly one of my reasons for riding. After conforming to the requirements of an overorganized society five days a week. it is essential for me to take control of my life on the weekends. risking it as I see fit. with minimum outside influence. The efforts of Honda, the MIC and most motorcycle publications to make our sport popular and acceptable goes directly against my requirements. It is the American way, I suppose, everyone can participate. This generally results in a time-killing activity with lack of depth and excitement. You know. like TV! Desert racing has a flavor that is unique. The charge to the smoke bomb, racing on a cross country trail that you have never ridden before (welI, almost never) the challenge of long distartce, heat. cold, thirst, dust, etc. The fU'St thing to bite the dust will be the sound. Six hundred motorcycles with expansion chambers cannot be heard a half·mile away (check this for yourself). By the first of August they will alI have silencers! I won't miss the noise. but I do regret having made the compromise. District 37 is already looking for alternatives to the smoke bomb (balloons will be tried this summer). The nex t thing to go will probably be the mass start. Worse yet will be the inevitable loss of riding areas so that eventually we will be riding the same old short course every week just like motocross. . Desert racing is like the buffalo; it has just about outlived its time. I do not intend to figh t very hard to save it because that involves becoming organized. Organization is what I'm escaping from! Besides, as soon as there is clear-cut evidence that my activities are offensive to the rest of society I will stop them. I may be anti-social, but I'm not hostile. Jawbone Canyon for a weekend of riding. On Saturday, three of us took a ride deep into the hills surrounding Jawbone Canyon to visit an old friend who has resided in that area for over 40 years. His name is Mr. Bishop, a part-time uranium prospector, whose life has been spen t trying to main tain a with nature. As we closeness approached Mr. Bishop at the mine area, we were met by a rifle barrel and an angry Mr. Bish op. He did not recognize us 'as we rode up which was the reason for the fll'earms staring at us. After talking to him for a while, he related a story to us that we feel has a great deal to do with the reason we are getting "kicked out" of so many riding areas. It seems that during the past year or so there has been a great deal of malicious damage done to his home and mining equipmen~ - his house has been fired upon, windows shot out of his vehicles parked around the house, ex tensive damage done to his mining equipment which renders it useless, and fish kept in a pond near his home have been needlessly slaugh tered by rifle fll'e. Believe it or not, this has been the work of a few motorcyclists who seem to derive a great deal of pleasure in this type of leisure time activity. They do not give a damn for anybody or anything except their own selfish interests. yet they are the first to complain between belches, when a riding area is closed down because of their type of behavior. Mr. Bishop welcomes your cOl11pany. He will offer you food if you're hungry, water if you're thirsty, and a cool spot in his house if you're tired and just want to sit and talk for a few minutes. But I don't hink he is going to sit idly by while this damage is being done to his property. He will either take action himself, or call in the authorities which is one step toward getting another riding area dosed down. Most likely, the wrong people will read this letter and the people who are concerned and who do care about the righ ts and privacy of this man will feel a great deal of sympathy for his plight. Help us by getting as many riders as you can to honor Mr. Bishop's rights of privacy. SYSCHOR Torrance, Calif. Cycle News East, Dixie Cycle News, and National Advertising information: Tom Culp, National Advertising Director. Published weeklry except the first and last week of the calendar year by Cycle News, Inc., Post Office Box 498, Long Beach, California, also publishers of Cycle News East, and Dixie Cycle News. Second Class Postage paid at Long Beach, Calif. Editorial stories, cartoons, photos, etc. are welcome. Addressed, stamped envelope assures return of editorial matter. Reprinting in whole or in part only by permission of the publishers. Advertising rates and circulation information will be sent upon request. See S.R.D.S. Cycle News (West), P.O. Box 498, Long Beach, California 90801. (213) 427·7433 - L.A. 636-8844. TELEX NO. 673-474 Subscription: One year 2nd class mail 2 years 2nd class mail 3 years 2nd class mail Single copy price . . ~ , .~ .$9.00 · $15.00 · $18.00 · . $.30 .......... , ... - THE NATIONAL DRAG SCENE by Jimmy Boyd RUSHING ROULETTE Holy Smoke! The mails are full of stuff like coming from all over and I'm proud of all you beautiful people. All the midnight cowboys are sending results from all over as well as several little darlin's anxious to read about their main men. And away we go on this week's article about the "slickest of the hot shoes". Keystone Raceway, New Alexandria, Pa. bike winners (Drags) were: Open-Class Expert Jerry Stahlsmith. Allison Pk.. Pa. 250cc Expert, Ron Lojak, Tarentllm, Pa. 125cc Expert, John O'Toole. Pittsburg: Open Amateur, Don Christner, Youngwood, Pa: 250cc Amateur. Jim Friday, Tyrone. Pa: 125cc Amateur. Soclt Steele, Greensburg, Pa. DING DONG DADDY NAMED DAN Weis, that is. Thanks a million for results from this big league promoter and his Richmond Dragway. Richmond, Va. Aside from the weekly winners, Dan sends the list of strip record holders: BIS Gordon Caldwell. Sportster, 15:38 at 89:82 mph: CIS William Rozzell. Honda 12:88 at 101:69: DIS Steve Mayer, 14:93 and miles per hour of 78:74: EIS Harold Fender. 15:01 seconds and 85 :22 mph: F IS Homer Fagan, Honda 16:98 e.t. and 77:38 mph; HIS Wayne Johnson. Honda. 19:12 seconds at 60:03. To prove the caliber of promotions pulled off at Richmond, don't forget that Bob Gill and his Bultaco will pull off their super-duper space shot motorcycle jump on July 31. TO RUN OR NOT TO RUN IS NOT THE QUESTION (and these haulers did) Phoenix Dragway, Arizona. Cycle Eliminator this past weekend was Bob Justice on a '70 Honda at 15:70 seconds and 78:00 mph, while second place was taken by Richard Bany on a '69 Yamaha at 15:44 seconds....AHRA Southern Nationals. Green Valley, Texas. Bike class winners were: AIDB, Bob Abels, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Harley Davidson: CIDB Jerry C. Hawkins, Ft. Worth, Tex. Kawasaki: A/MB, Joe Cox, Ft:. Worth, Tex., Harley Davidson: C/MB, Tony Nicosia, Glendora. Calif., Kawa. Note: Nicosia established a new national record for this class, 12:34 seconds at 109:35: AAIDB, D.J. Milton; Carrollon. Tex., H-D: FIB (no listing, as to make) Phil Pratt. DENVER, COLOR.... High School Drag Racing continued as the Ranum Performance Mechanics club (R.P.M.) held their third annual R.P.M. Invitational at Thurnder Road Dragway. The big bash featured cars against bikes, etc. Cycle Eliminator was detennined f"Jrst with Steve Vincze, of Westminster winning out of a strong field on his Yamaha 250 with an e.t. of 18:85 while cranking out 65:65 mph. While the little cubic inches hauler kept up its blistering pace by downing some super strong drag cars, Steve's undoing came about when he came up against a little lady by the name of Marty Montrose, who by the way had just won Powder Puff Eliminator. Miss Montrose strapped it on the bike to the tune of 16:80 going 74:93. That's flat hauling for the mile.high altitude. . 24 HOURS OF SADNESS Just received the word that tragedy has stricken the family of long time drag enthusiast Sonny Mazza. His son was killed in a mo torcycle accident and from the meager details it was non-racing related. Anyone wishing to send cards or flowers may send them to 19 Mazza Road, Lynn, Mass. BYRON. ILL.... Rockford Dragway last Sunday featured a whale of a bike drag show. Taking home the beautiful gold trophy for Motorcycle Eliminator was James Schubert from Stockton, III. with his 1970 Honda. His winning time and speed recorded at 13:22-101.12. ST. PAUL-MINNEAPOLIS, MINN....Sunday·s Bike Eliminator went to Kevin McGarry of Mpls. driving a '70 Yamaha at 16:57-76:07 .... Heavy Bread Seekers. they're laying out the filthy lucre at Sunset Dragstrip, Sharon, Pa. and Youngstown Ohio Dragstrip. For further infonnation call (412) 347·7600 or write, Sunset, 149 E. State St., Sharon, Pa. 16146, to get poop on both strips. UTICA-ROME SPEEDWAY, N.Y....In forma tion on a couple of back-to-back races from this central New York facility shows Motorcycle Eliminator going to Skip Tamburino. Suzuki, taking the win over Gene Stankivits' Triumph. On the second r~ce Motorcycle Eliminator was won by Gary Coombs on Dick Turner's D/Modified bike. The unique Sled-bike (a dragster bike powered by a Chapparal snowmobile engine) turned in a time only .06 off the national record for its class, and this is just the first week the vehicle has had the right gearing. MORE STUFF FOR RICHMOND Winners include: C (Cycle), Steve Mayer E.T. 12:86, speed 107:38: F. Tony Bowman. E.T. 14:47, speed 88:75: A, Richard Prover, 13:27 at 85:71 mph: CC Rodney Ball, E.T. 13:09, speed 102:62: C (auto) Ronnie McClelIan, E.T. 15:23, speed 94:03: D. Ken Hicks, E.T. 16:53, speed 84:65: B, John Easter, E.T. 1502,speed 71:48: G, Billy Thurston, E.T. 10:73, speed 44:73: B. D.W. Chenault, E.T. 14:30, speed 100:83: E. Fred Clark. E.T. 17:03, speed 55:33. WHAT'S HAPPENING August 22-28, marking the 23rd Annual Booneville National speed trials on the Salt Flats in Utah. under the co-sanction of the American Motorcycle Assn. and the National Hot Rod Assn. For hundreds of racers this represents their annual vacation and means seven days of competition as bikes and cars of all sizes and descriptions bring lots of action to the Salt Faits. Under the direction of B.N.I. Board Members and long time S.C.T.A. officials the best meet in the history of Speed Week is being planned. The 87 auto and bike records set in 1970 will be attacked once more. Along with approximately 137 others up for grabs to the best machines. The stock-bodied Production. Gas Coupe and Sedan classes with speeds from 114 to 202 mph comprise the "race and drive it home" group, excelled by the F.uel, Modified. Roadster, Gran~ Touring sports cars and Hot Rod classes, with the grand f"Jnale being the Streamliner. Lanester and Sports Racing classes with record speeds of over 350 mph. Also, in strong competition are the bikes ranging from stock frames to totally streamlined machines. Further inforrna,tion may be had by writing to: Bonneville Nationals, Inc.. 11927 E. Washington Blvd., Whittier, California 90606. That's 'nuff, send stuff to 40 Kirkwood Lane, Greenville, S.C. 29607 01' call, not coHect, (803) 232·1730.

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