Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

;::: - '" ~ ! c( I w z W .J U > U lIy II I ... "America's No. 1 weekly motorcycle newspaper. You'lI always see it FIRST in Cycle News'" ~+~ .. ,.1. Publisher Charles Clayton Business Manager. . . . . Sharon Clayton General Manager ...•.•...• Tom Culp John Bethea Managing Editor Assistant Editor. . . . . . . . . David Swift Circulation Manager Rheba Smith Circulation Ass't. Marla Tarbet Steve LeHuray Production Manager Production Assistant Ed Drechsler Advertisi ng Assistant .. Barbara Richard Bookkeeper Dorothflll Lang Bookkeeper Ass't. . Eleanor Duke Lab Technician Larry Groves Cycle News East. Dixie Cycle News. and National Advertising information: Tom CulP. National Advertising Director. 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 Ylllrs 2nd class mail 3 years 2nd class mail Single copy price . . . ~ .~ · .$9.00 · $15.00 · $18.00 · . $.30 Published weekly 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 pub I ishers. Advertising rates and circulation information will be sent upon request. See S.R.D.S. " •. " ... RESOLUTION NEEDED I though t that your readers would be interested in the enclosed resolution submitted by Senator Ralph Dills of Gardena. This Resolution contains many of the facts I presented to him a few weelu ago regarding the background and current situation involving mile track racing in California on a state owned facility, built and maintained by taxpayers of the state. It has become quite obvious that a few, a very few, people are in control of the new state grounds known as ''The Cal-Expo", which is the new state f~unds that replaced the old grounds that was the site of yearly national mile events from 1959 through and including 1970. The "Cal-Expo" has been in debt and a money losing proposition since the day it was f"JI'It opened. We have, in writing, statemen ts to the effect that the mile can only be used by hones and hone owners at this time. This situation will remain this way until something is done about it. Senator Dills is not pro-motorcycle or pro-hone. He is an advocate of the fact that the ltate facilities should be available to all on a reasonable, business like basisFrom 1959 through 1970 the national cycle race drew the largest single day crowds into the grandstands. Yet, there was no Fair or any other facton to help draw people - just the race itself. The event proved itself. Trackside betting at the old grounds and also at the new facility has yet to draw anywhere near the total amount of people that pay to lee the annual national cycle races each year. The Resolu tion by Senator Dills is just that. It is not a law but a direction for guidance that should be followed. A Resolution of this type was passed a few years ago involving the old Fairgrounds and the cycle situation. At the present time there is not a single mile track oational west of the Mississippi river. Sacramento mile racing rapidly developed, over the yean, into the finest mile track event in America. Now we have at least one Senator with enough guts to stand up for the cyclist and buck the powerful hone lobby and combine that has existed for yean in California. The Del Mar mile, located between Los Angeles and San Diego, is also owned by the state. This track and facility also has a long history of "Red Ink" and was purchased by the state after many private owners gave up trying to make money at that location. All readen may not be fonowers of professional cycle racing but if you are interested in seeing an elected official ltand up for at least one aspect of motorcycling 1 suggest that you write and let him know how you feel. I would also suggest you write to your own area elected officials and send along the resolution and ask them what their stand is on the matter. At least we now have one major politician in the state backing lome form of motorcycling. Gardena area voters should remember this fact at the next election - I know [ will. ROXY ROCKWOOD Gardena, Calif. Senate Concu....ent Resolution No. 119 - Relative to mo torcycle racing at Cal·Expo. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SCR 119. as introduced. Dills (G.O.!. Cal-Expo. • Raq...ts Califomia Exposition and Fair Exacutive Committee to maka the facilities of Cal-Expo available to more s"!J1'8nts of the public by allowing motorcyde racing at Cal-Expo. Fiscal Commlttee - Yes. Wh...... for _eral yeers. from 1969 to 1970. the onlHTlile r-mel< at the old Slate Fair grounds w. rented one day a yeer for a profallional national championship motorcyde event. which event w. tha only of its kind run each yeer on a Slate-owned portion of land; and Wherees. This event ultimately bec:8me an outstanding annual affair. and each year the crowdo were larger than the preceding year. and during the last four years of the event. there were standing-rC>OtT>-only crowds. of which _II over 90 percent were California residenlS; and Whereas. Not once during the event's 12·yeer hiltory did a single major injury'or fatality occur. nor wes any property damaged. one nor was a single arrest IT'8de for any infraction on the pen of any spectator; and Wher_. The old State Fair grounds have been closed. and th us the annual racing event can no longer be held at the race track of the old State Fair: and Wherees. CaI·Expo contains a grandstand and honeracing track which can ba converted to accommodate motorcycle racing. and Whereas. Horseracing is only conducted a few days each yeer at the Cal-Expo racetrack; and Whereas. State-owned facilities such as CaI·Expo Wen! built for all the people of RIGHT NUMBER RIDER, WRONG [ was riding back from the Masterlinlu smokebomb when I encountered this incident: A girl went flying past me just before 1 bit the dust. She mUlt of looked back and saw my super eodo. She picked me up, dusted me off, ltarted my bike, put me on it, and took me back to my truck. (Man, 1 call that lervicel) This chick was an angel of mercy. That charming warm smile and those big bright eyes sure helped out a lot! She was riding a Hadaka and had No. 68 trailbike. I found out it was Wes Andenon, Sr.'1 number. She sure didn't look anything like Wes Sr.1 Blond long hair, tan, big blue eyes and stacked. Wes could never look that good in a pair of tight jeans and a tee shirt. I later found out she is the daughter of Sr. and Wes jr.'s little (?) sister. I'd like to thank Miss Anderson for MR. QUACK QUACK: Yes, we have wondered about your signs and we think they are very amusing. My son is also a novice "junior" but in motocross. He also rides HIS heart out on a very, very tired scooter. But someday I will be able to get him the scooter he wants and when he has WORKED his OWN way to the top he will get the write-ups and pictures and fame and glory that goes with being on top or being a top rider. But he will have EARNED it and only then will he deserve that fame and glory. I realize that money and shop sponsored bikes have a lot to do wi~ beating us. But lomeday we will make It to the top by ounelves. I also believe that Cycle Newl gives credit where credit is due. THE FATHER OF A NOVICE "JUNIOR" RIDER 395 QUIET ONES. VOICES OF THE WEST California and should be available for the use of all Califomians, including legitimate businessmen and groups; lind . Whereas. Within Califomia. thare ara fIve major motorcycle distributo.., which account for owr 90 percent of all motorcycles lold in the United State; and Whereas. Califomia is considered the hean of the motorcyde industry in the United States. and the tax dollars brought into this state by the various motorcycte and related companies is increasing every day: and . Whereas, CaI·Expo is not self..upponlng and 88ch year General Fund subsidies are needed to finance operations; and Wherees. Funds received by additional use of Cal·Expo for motorcyde racing will be of profit to the State of California and will help to increese the attraction of Cal-Expo; now, therefore. be it Resolved by the Senate of the State of California the Assembly thereof concurring. That the ~ raquest that the California Expostion and Fair Executive Committee meke the facilities known • CaI·Expo available to more S8IJ11enll of the public by allowing motorcyde racing on the onlHTlile track at Cal-Expo; and be it further Resolved. That the Sacret8ry of the Senate transmit a copy of this resolution to each member of the Califomia Exposition and Fair Executive Committee. FAKIEST CRASH. just who did you talk to about Dave Aldana's "spectacular crash"? It was the lakiest crash I ever saw. M·y friends and I agree with joan McGrew and her friends. Talk about padding a story! BILL AMES Everett, Wash. MORE ON THE CRASH I just read the letter concerning Dave Aldana at Castle Rock. You ltate you doubt that any National rider would do anything like that. Well, I don't. Any California rider would do anything he dam weD wanted too as we all saw at local events before Castle Rock - especially the indoor at the Seattle Coliseum. Talk about fouls! Maybe Aldana didn't fall on purpose but his crash wasn't near as spectacular as described. Would you like a new reporter? JACK JOHNSON Bellevue, Wash. her kind heart, (boy would I!!) She proved to be a very remarkable penon. I tried to thank her Sunday but she moves too fast. When 1 catch her I'd like to give her my personal thanks. JIM REED Mission Hills. Calif. 'im. it sounds like you endoed in love.:.Ed. FINAL QUACK, QUACK [t loolu like the Phantom Duck's task of making Wallis Weatherwax famous is at an end. At last Sunday's Barstow M.C. Hare Scrambles, someone else had put Wallis Weatherwax signs along the pit road. In a recent issue of Cycle News there was an ad that I didn't place. So Wallil Weatherwax has become famous as I had hoped. There are only a few things left to complete the project. One, is that Wallis Weatherwax is leading the popularity contest 100%. But then, I suspected he would. Second, 1 mailed a Phantom Duck of the Desert Special Award trophy to the Antelope Ramblen M.C. with a request that they present it to Wallis Weatherwax at their trophy presentation on August 13th in Saugus. This is the final part of my plan to make Wallis Weatherwax famous, and 1 am very hopeful that the Antelope Ramblers will give him the trophy. Sent a personal note to Wallis Weatherwax inviting him to attend the trophy presentation, and to bait him on, I mentioned that I would be there also. 1 intend to be there, but not as the Phantom Duck. I think the most outs·tanding point in this whole campaign was your lelection of my entry in your Finish the Funny contest. My thanlu to you many times over. Give my thanlu to your ad department for the good layout work they did. As you suspected in the beginning, the letter to Voices of the West from Curtis Lee Fosley, was also a creation of the Phantom Duck. THE PHANTOM DUCK OF THE DESERT In keeping with our policy of maintaining the highelt standards in sportsman racing, the Huntington Racing Association is pleased to announce its support of silencers. Effective September I, 1971. all H.R.A. night races, both motocross and T.T., will require silencers. 395 Cycle Park, on highway 395, in the city of Adelanto, Calif.. is the "Home of H.RA." and will continue to have night racing on Saturday nights throughout the summer and early fall. HOPE &c DON ENGLAND Westminster, Calif. RELATIVE WRITES. Please convey my thanks and deepest appreciation to all who have meant so much to my grandson. Loyal Penn, to me and his family while he was racing motorcycles. For everyone, from those at Perris Race Track, where he started sportsman racing about four years ago, and including all those we have met as he raced professionally acrOIS the United States and especially here in California have contributed greatly to his having led the most happy life he desired. He loved motorcycle racing and from the time he arrived at the pit gate until the after-race festivities were over, everyone he met: riders, mechanics, AMA officials, track personnel, the flagmen, all took time to fellowship with him, to help him, to give him a pat on the back. The track announcer always gave him a good send off, the newl media was most generoul. All this he dearly loved. Now he is gone. Do not grieve. How many will leave and be able to say: "I enjoyed my allotted time to the fuDest?" We, his family, thank you aU. LOYAL T. PENN Grandfather and Tuner Tubac, Ariz. AMA PETITIONED The Bishop Motorcycle Club Inc., being the only AMA club east of the Sierra Nevada mtns. now in district 35 and cut off from competition in said district by the geological barrier of the aforementioned mountains, hereby petition the AMA to redistrict the area of district 35 east of the Sierras, south of a line which now forms the boundary of Inyo and Mono counties, west of the California, Nevada state line. This would include the whole of Inyo county which is immediately north of district 37's northern boundary. The addition of this area to district 37 would open a vast area to motorcycling which at present is not used for organized competition. Due to the ecological conditions now present in large areas of the present district 37 it has become increasingly difficult to find enough room to hold events without (Please ~m to poge 5)

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