Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

IAIIY II"'S "Speedwfly flnd /lie... Oh dear! I'm out of the World Speedway Championships. At least barring miracles I am knocked out for in the Nordic-Brtish Final. The seven pom,s I scored was only sufficient to make me reserve for the next stage, the European Final, at Wembley on August 21. Before I tell you all my own troubles here are the eight men who qualified for the European Final and the poin ts they scored out of a maximum 15: Ivan MaugeT (N ew Zealand and Belle V uel 14, Ray Wilson (England and Leicester 12, Ole Olsen (Denmark and Wolvemampton), Nigel Boocock (England and Coventry) 11, Jim Airey (Australia and Sheffield) 9, Ronnie Moore (New Zealand and WimbledOnel 9, Tony Lomas (England and Coventry 9 and Eric Boocock (England and Halifax) 9. Of course, any explanations I give you for my performance on the night in Glasgow are going to sound like excuses. They are not, for I don't like making excuses and the only reason I won't be at Wembley, or at the World Final in Gothenburg, is that I just didn't score VOICES (Continued fro;" pag~ 4) using the same ground over and over again. The population of lIIyo county now stands at about 15,000, which is the second largest county in California, gives a very low population density. Because of the foregoing reasons we believe redistricting will be a benefit to us and to the clubs of district 37. CHARLES POTTERVILLE, Pres. DAVID HOLMES, Sec. Bishop M.C. Mike Vancil stated last week that he would be very happy to present th is proposal to the AMA Congress when the meetings begin, "The AMA Districts are set up for the benefit of the clubs and all the questions about boundaries, changing them, etc. are welcomed," Vancil reported ... Ed. LOST-A-PUCH On June 7th, 1971, we gave_MT. Bill Pettigrew a 125cc Puch motorcycle for the purposes of a road-test article for one of the new motorcycle magazines. We gave him this machine with the agreement that he would have it for his road-test purposes for one week. It has now been eight weeks and we have, at this time, been unable to contact this person or discover his whereabouts. I am thinking that we have lost a motorcycle! We would appreciate any information concerning the whereabouts of this person or this motorcycle. DICK MILLER Puch Distribu ting Corporation You're not the only one, as the next letter points out... Ed. STILL WAITIN' In May we were approached by Bill Pettigrew of the High Sierra M.C. and were asked if we would donate contingeneies for their Mammoth Mountain Motocross which was held June 19-20th. I agreed to supply gift certificates to CZ riders in the 250 and 500 class who finished in the top thTee spots, and High Sierra M',G. was supposed to advise me immediately after the race, the official results so that 1 could issue the gift certificates to the riders through the club, who would then mail them to the riders. Anyway, they never did contact us regarding official results, and letters to them seeking this information has been unanswered. In the meantime, CZ riders who feel that they may have won a certificate are starting to call us. Could you tell me a way to get in touch with the High Sierra M/C (they were not listed in your last Club Directory) or send me a copy of your edition with the Mammoth race results. Then somehow, 1 will have to try to contact the riders. We sincerely want to award these certificates, however, I just want to make sure that the right people get them, and without the results, this is a little hard. TED MOORE American Jawa Result. are onI \.I ... h\.Jf"\from us... Ed. tneir wav J ~ ... ~\<~ 'J:o enough points at Glasgow. Mind you, I should have been forewarned with my escapades of the two previous evenings_ At Poole, in a big individual event two nights earlier, I had what for me was a rare fall. It migh t have cost me victory in the meeting but at least I wasn't hurt and the 11 points I scored were enough to give me third place. The following night, 24 hours before the big one at Glasgow, 1 was riding at Sheffield. I had my two bikes that were going to be used in the Nordic British Final and, unbelievably, I had troubles with both of them. My number one bike, in particular, was going sweetly until it gave out on me. We spent plenty of time in the next few hours getting one of the bikes ready to ride at Glasgow. But after two rides, when I had been forced to meet most of the top riders in the meeting, I had scored only one point and the bike just wasn't going like it should. Such is the comradeship of speedway riders that Ole Olsen had no hesitation in letting me use his number two bike for my third ride. I had just gone past Tony Lomas when the bike reared up I though I had caught a ridge - and 1 ended up in a heap by the wooden safety fence. As I walked away somebody pointed out that my steel shoe had split in half. But, I'm not really sure whether that happened before or after the pile-up. I was very upset because in the crash Ole's bike had taken a nasty pounding and he couldn't possibly have ridden it had he had any trouble with his number one bike. So there I was with one point from three rides and my World Championship hopes all but dashed. But help came my II way again, this time from Ivan Mauger who loaned me his second machine. I went out and won both my rides on this bike to give me my seven points and I began to feel a little more hopeful. There were quite a few of the lads around the six and seven point mark. Two of them were Ronnie Moore and Lomas who had six and seven points respectively from their fiTst four rides. But, in a remarkable affair with riders falling off and being excluded for tape breaking, the going was made a little easier for Ronnie and Tony and they got the points to take them through. k Th en, th ere was E nc B OOCOC, W h 0 had scored six poin ts from his first four , rides. In his last race he was out against Mauger and Olsen so if you went by the form book it meant that Eric should get one point for finishing third and that, would have put him level with me. What happened? Eric goes and beats both Ivan and Ole to get a win and three points! I tell you it just wasn't my nigh t. Among the other riders eliminated were my Swindon teammate Martin Ashby and England Internationals Bob Kilby and Dave Younghusband. The remarkable thing with Dave was that he went out the following evening to score 18 points to help England beat the might of Sweden in an international at Halifax. The plucky Bert Harkins also got knocked out. Haggis was riding with a bToken collarbone heavily strapped and he had a pain killing injection to help him through the meeting. Considering everything he rode really well, but in his last ride Bert clashed with Ray Wilson and aggravated his injury. It mi~t seem :' ~ittle stran~e that my preparatIOn for nding m a bIg meetmg like the N oTdic-British Final was to ride in meetings on the two previous evenings. But I don't think that's WTong for I'm a professional motorcyclist who earns a living from speedway as much as anything else_ If I'm asked to ride before a World Championship meeting I accept it as part of my job. Anyway, I never have believe in "ursing myself befoTe a big meeting. The only thing I crib about is the method of World Championship qualification. So far we have had three qualifying rounds, a British Zone semi-final, a British Final and a NOTdic-British Final. Apart from thTee Danes and a Norwegian in this last meeting, we have been meeting the same riders every round and you just have to go on proving yourself against the same people in eveTY meeting. I've been of the opinion that the World ChampiQnships system is in need of revision fOT many years so that opinion wasn't just brough t abou t by my failure at Glasgow. This Nordic-British Final seems to be my bogey round. Three years ago I was eliminated at the same stage when the meeting was held at West Ham. On that occasion sickness to two of the riders enabled me to take my place in the European Final and I went on to reach the World Final and finish second. So, while I wouldn't wish illness or injury on any of the lads who have qualified it does show that I might stil1 be needed when the big nigh t comes to Wembley. ADDITIONAL SUSPENSIONS COLUMBUS, D., Aug. 10,1971 - AMA Director of Professional Racing Bill Boyce announced today that three professional motorcycle racers have been suspended from AMA competition for 15 days for filing falsified medical forms with their application for 1971 licenses. The three include Thomas D. Rockwood of Gardena, Calif., Tim L. Rockwood of Gardena, and David Robert Smith of Lakewood, Calif. Each has been suspended for 15 days effective Aug. 9, a punishment following precedent established in earlier like cases. Speedway Racing's Best-Kept Secret It's no secret that speedway racing is rapidly branching out. The super-slidey 500cc fuel·burners run every Friday night at both Costa Mesa and Sacramento, on Tuesdays at Ventura County Fairgrounds (absence of rodeos and horse shows permitting), and to ever-growing crowds on Wednesdays at Bakersfield. There have even been spot shows as far away as Reno, Nev., on Thursdays. Still other tracks are in the offing. Optimistic as this growth appears on the surface, though, only a relatively few top-running Division I riders are taking home the big loot. F or example, the winner of the Handicap Main Event at Costa Mesa can win in the vicinity of $200, including overage (which goes to Division I Main Eventers only and is figured on a basis of 30% of the gate ,after certain expenses). By contrast, the winner of the Division II Main Event pockets a whopping $15. And non-Main Event Division II and III riders receive a fla t $5 no matter where they fmish. One and all pay $3 to enter. Naturally, crowd-pleasing front-runners such as Rick Woods, Sormy Nutter, Mike Konle and Bill Cody deserve every permy they receive for putting on a show that draws over 5000 people back week after week. Speedway Racing Association members themselves voted that payoff should take the form it does. But moving up to Division I status is where the rub comes in. Only wh en top-ranked riders are injured or suffer prolonged slumps does a spot usually open for the consistently rapid Division IJ rider. So, other than hoping that a fellow competitor hurts himself, about the only recourse open to a Division I hopeful is to become so proficien t that his ability is glaringly obvious - then he moves up. Here's where things start getting sticky. A Division I rider may race as many as six Handicap and Scratch heats, Semis and Mains a night for a possible 24 laps of heavy-duty competition. All this activity, plus an occasional Feature Match Race, makes for gains in both skill and con fidence. But with the over abundance of rid.. and the limited startinl( berths By N. D. Pitts available to the lesser lights, a total of 18 Division II riders comprise three four-lap heats at Costa Mesa. Only the fiTst two men transfer from each heat to their Main Event, and just the six Main Eventers aTe eligible to be on the program the following week. So 12 riders have gone four laps, six riders have gone eigh t laps, and only six finalists can hope for another whack at it next time out. Even worse, the 12 Division III beginners have only gotten in four laps apiece. Since the pre-arranged program allows no practice or qualifying before the races, the only most important fac tor toward improving the up-and-comers is missing - a chance to get in some laps. Now to the secret stuff we hinted at earlier. Only an item in Cycle News' Calendar and further spreading of the word from rider to rider has accompanied running of Division II and III races the past few Saturday nights at Trojan Speedway in South Gate. Spectators were mostly wives, friends and neighbors of the racers, so crowd attendance wasn't exactly of the turnaway variety. Sometimes the program got a little fouled up, too. Still, it was a start. And not only were the riders able to run on a track about twice the size of Costa Mesa, they were able to practice beforehand and then race in as many as five events. The payoff on race night wasn't so hot, but the experience was worth it. This had already been proven in the few weeks the sh ows had been running. Take Joe Fitzpatrick, for example. A middle-of-the-pack Division II rid.er last year, Joe made the Trojan scene every week and when his Division I chance fmally came at Costa Mesa recently, he was ready. His first time out with the "big guns" Joe scored a clean sweep Handicap heat, Semi and Main - against the likes of Steve Bast, Mike Konle, Jim Gresham and Billy Gray... to name a few. Speaking of Billy Gray, he was another Trojan regular who's been putting all the practice time under his wheels he can, and is now fIDding himself in the Division I winner's circle with increasing regulari ty. .Xhes.e.aTon't.the only improved riders by a long shot. Good racinl( abounds each week, with progress being made by scores of promising speedway exponents. The overall picture takes on even more long-range significance in light of the AMA's affiliation with the FIM and its avowed intention of sanctioning speedway events_ Recently, SRA and A.1\1:A officials met on a frienilly basis to discuss mu tual plans for the future. Unfortunately, the machines preferred by most riders - Czech-built Jawa/Eso fouT-stroke singles - are manufactured in limited quantity, about 500 a year for the entire world. Even good-running JAP's are hard to come by. So it will be a while before speedway can become a true national and, hopefully, international facet of U.S. motorcycle racing. Now, though, one-shot shows like the AMA's short track events at Madison Square Garden, the Houston Astrodome and other likely indoor arenas aren't beyond the realm of possibility for speedway. Tracks the size of Ascot's quarter-mile would be better yet from a rider's standpoint. As much exposure as possible is what counts. And what counts even more is the development of skillful, trackwise competitors, which can only come about through giving each and every one of them a chance to ride with regularity. One practice track isn't the answer... it's only the beginning. But it's not hard to envision the eventual AMA sanctioning of Division II and III races such as their current Novice/Junior events. Meanwhile, we wish we could invite you to offer your support by attending the Saturday night shows at Trojan. Too bad that economic difficulties has suddenly brought a streaking halt to those proceedings, and many riders are back to racing approximately one minute per meeting at other tracks... if th ey are 1uck y (only encouraging news is Saddleback Park's current construction of a facility strictly for speedway practice), Though the running of Trojan race programs may have been little more than a rumor, at least the secret's out now that a critical problem does exist. qllt.tiJ?R·~ j1nyql~'?ilUl I ""e .:c..,.01Q ..... Cl ~. ci> :l « ~ w Z w oJ u >u

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