Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

....... ., , NOTES THE NATIONAL DRAG SCENE C_M.I.C. RETAINS RUSS SANFORD OF M.O.R.E. AS LOBBYIST by Jimmy Boyd READING, PA. Maple Grove Dragway presented the State Motorcycle Championships featuring cyclist from a dozen states. Some of the meets highligbts were the great 9.08{164 Top Fuel victory by the New York City based Cook Neilson. Runner up Danny Johnson of Winston-Salem, N.C. shut off in the final after a strong 9.17 showing earlier. Top Gas winner Ron Fringer of Woodstock, Ill., turned in a record 9.80{138 victory over Bob Mairiello of Spartan, N.J. Mairiello jumped on his second Harley and won street Eliminator over Wes Nyce on a local Kawasaki. Both Top Fuel and Top Gas Eliminator winning times went into the record books of AMDRA. TillS MUST BE THE PLACE: Manassas, Va., and Old Dominion Dragway. Top Bike Eliminator gave David Parks the win with his F{A cycle. Tom Rhodes just didn't have it this week with his 'D{FB dragster as Parks held the lead with 'an 8.48 seconds win to a trailing 6.98. SMOKE CITY SHOWDOWN. The big two day cycle weekend at Keystone Raceway Park, New Alexandria, Pa., was a grea t success. The cycle weekend offered a fuU program of two-wheeled wizardry with the motocross on Sat. afternoon, a Bike Drag Eliminator and wbeelie contest Sat. night, topped off by three 150 mph runs on the Keystone quarter by the Michigan Madman, E.J. Potter riding his nitro-burning drag bike powered by a 340 c.i. Chevrolet engine. The wheelie contest was taken by Jerry Stahlsmith of Allison Park, Pa., who rode his 360 CZ on one wbeel for 1250 feet. First place money on Bike Drags wellt to Richard Gumbert on a D{Modified Kawasaki, second place to Robert O'Conner, third place to Kevin ClarK, and fourth to Ed Cable. Tbe Northway Cycle Center in Warrendale, Pa., gave a 90cc Kawasaki as agate' prize. It was won by Charles Gindlesperger of Bolivar, Pa. DRAG BIKES AT. THOMPSON ... Fuel Bikes along with bikes of aU kinds showed up to vie for the American Motorcycle Drag Racing Association's aU-star top circuit title. Two of the nation's top dune bike men were on hand to participate in this event., Editor of Cycle Magazine, 28-year-old Cook Neilson and Circuit Honcho Roy Strawn. The weatherman showed himself again and rained allover the place and the race had to be cancelled after the first round of the fuel bikes on the Thompson quarter mile. A whale of a crowd had turned out for this event featuring such notables as Sonny Routt, Larry Welch, T.C. Cbristensen, Neilson, Guy Learning and Nick Palemorene. Another major company got into the act as 3,000 happy spectators got to muncb on Chiquita brand bananas, given away courtesy of the United Fruit Company. Most went away a bit damp, but anxious to return to see these brutes battle it out on their return engagement. Some of the highlights of the shortened race were the apparent loss of a motor of the Norton Twin of T.C. Neilson with a smokey E.T. of 9.88 seconds at 147.69 mph. MORE DRAG SCENE... Utica-Rome Dragway. Again we can always look forward to a great turnout of bikes at this famous strip. Motorcycle Elimioator continued to go strong long after the weather turned cold. Top Dollar was won by Gene Stankevit's Triumph 650 single carb D{Bike over the 250 Suzuki G{MB of Jim Strick. Earlier in the evening Strick bad set a . new U-R record for G{MB at a blistering 9.00 seconds. More recent winners at Utica-Rome Dragway were Sled, Craig Hardy 11.11 seconds at 55.76 mph, MfB, Randy Bogue 11.6.8 and 53.89, B/Bike Fran.k Currier 8_31 seconds and a speed of 82.94 (remember these times and speeds were on the eighth mile), K{B Larry Chesebro 11.05 and 84.21. C{B Toney Ross 8.01 and speed of 85.71, D{B Gene ,StanRivitiz 8.92{61.85, FfMB Carl Lyulandy ·12.08{51.02, 1{.B Don Oerman 11.32 {56.60, L{B Bill TreJer 13.09{48.11, J{B Bruce Young 11.15{61..14, Sled No.3 Mate Maba In;i3/AA~his just has to be one of the best bike dra~ shows in the country. SALT FLATS PRESERVATION ... Representatives of the National Hot Rod Association Bonneville ationals, Inc., and the American Motorcycle Association met with Utah's Governor Calvin L. Rampton in Los Angeles, California, to discuss plans for the preservation of the famed Bonneville salt flats racing facility. The meeting wbich took place at the Ambassador Hotel following a press reception, was attended by NHRA president Wally Parks, Bonneville Nationals spokesman Burke LeSage and AMA's western referee Earl Flanders. Governor Rampton was in Los Angeles to solicit new industry activities for the state of Utah, with particular emphasis on film and television, promoting Utah's favorable scenic atmosphere and recreational programs. In his discussion with the racing representatives the Governor conflTITled his interest in maintaining Bonneville's salt flats as an active site for auto and motorcycle speed contest. The 23rd annual Bonneville National Speed Trials, held in August this year featured 108 cars and 73 motorcycles. Now a state park, the salt flat have attained valuable new improvements. Entry routes, parking facilities and many other great features to attract tourists and afford any easy access to the vast encrusted area in which most of the world's land speed records have been set over the years. Governor Rampton assured those in attendance that Utah had not lost interest in continuation of the annual Speed Week's program which have been produced under the auspices of the NHRA, Bonneville Nationals Inc., AMA and the Sou thern California Timing Association. The C.M.I.C. Board of Directors, during their meeting on Oct. 5 at San Francisco, authorized the engagement of Russ Sanford of M.O.R.E. as our legislative advocate. Negotiations were entered into and the agreement finalized Oct. 23rd. Russ has be~n doing the job for M.I.C.{C.M.LC. since April 1971 having been retained at that time by the Land Use Committee of MJ.C. Because of the pressing nature of land use activities in the State of California, M.l.C. went forward with this work in advance of the formation of the C.M.I.C. C.M.I.C. has now formally picked up this function and is looking forward to more active participation in the shaping of good motorcycle legislation. We are very pleased to have Russ Sanford aboard as our lobbyist. * * * * * Tbe October Board of Directors Meeting was held at the Hilton Inn, San Francisco Airport at 9 a.m. on Oct. 5,1971. Mr. Bygnes, a representative of the San Mateo County Motorcycle Association, related the success which they had in unseating State Senator Carl Britschgi, an opponent of motorcycling through cooperation of the mo'torcyclists in their area. Since the same type of problem is evident now, the assignment of evaluating this project was given Ray Abrams and the Public Relations Committee. Several calls 'have been received regarding being unable to obtain Noise Pollution Revolution materials. We have checked this out, and find the Post Office Box available again to act on requests for materials. The expiration date has been extended for an indefinite period, so all of you who missed out getting N6ise Pollution Revolution stickers and Less Sound-More Ground buttons on the first offering, get your orders in as soon as possible. The schedule for the local area meetings in each zone has been finalized. Starting on Monday, Dec. 6, the meeting schedule is as follows: Monday, Dec. 6 - Zone 1, San Francisco, Treasurer Sandy Greenblat and Director Ray Abrams; Tuesday, Dec. 7 - Zone 2, Sacramento, Vice President Armando Magri and Director Glen McGill, the Woodlake Inn-8 p.m.; Wednesday, Dec. 8 - Zone 2, Fresno, Vice President Armando ,Magri and Director Glen McGill, the Tropicana-8 p.m.; Thursday, Dec. 9 - Zone 3, Bakersfield, p,resident Ted Evans and Director Ed Kretz; Monday, Dec. 13 - Zone 5, San Diego, Directors Dick Lechien and Bob Emde; Tuesday, Dec. 14 Zone 3, West Los Angeles, President Ted Evans and Director Ed Kretz; Wednesday, Dec. 15 - Zone 3, East Los Angeles, President Ted Evans and Director Ed Kretz; Thursday, Dec. 16 - Zone 4, Corona, Secretary Marvin Lee and Director Dale Marschke; and Friday, Dec. 17 - Zone 3, Santa Barbara, President Ted Evans and Director Ed Kretz. These meetings are an extremely important part of our C.M.LC. activity both in keeping our present members informed of our activities and in showing prospective members the value of joining C.M.l.C. The meeting will include in troduction of C.M.I.C. officers and the directors and steering committee members for the area. Certificates of Membership and decals for Member Dealers will also be distributed. Russ Sanford will give a run-down of legislative activity. M.I.C. will also be represented by task force members whp will tell us of the national activities for the advancement of motorcycling. Watch for the C_~.l.C. van in your area. 'AII"I'S'S "Speedwtly tlnd me... II Phew! What a month Septemb'er has been with almost non-stop activity in my motorcycle world. I've started to write this story a dozen times but each time I have had to rush off somewhere to ride the speedways of Britain and Europe. 1 have had meetings in Norway and Denmark, in Poland and Czechoslovakia and fitted in nine meetings in Britain in a 25 day period of dashing here, there and everywhere. Fortunes, too, have been pretty mixed. It started with disappointment in Oslo when my c)1ances in the World 1,000 metre championship were shattered by motor troubles and ended in great excitement and elation when I was a member of the Great Britain team that went to Poland to win the World Team Speedway Cup. It's probably easiest if I chronicle the events as they have been happening, so I'll start with that meeting in Oslo when my lousy luck with motor troubles continued. I kept on teUing myself .that I'd had enough bike problems this year and that my luck must change. But it didn't and in five rides during' the meeting I had motor troubles on three occasions. Still, I bad managed to put together enough points to get into the final race and though I knew I couldn't win I was determined to leave my mark on the meeting. I was sniffmg the fresh air out in front when the bike packed up with a broken rocker arm and I was placed sixth overaU. Ivan Mauger won the meeting, beating W-est German ace Manfred Poschenriede,r by one point. The other three men to finish ahead of me were Runo Wedin (Sweden), Jan Kater (West Germany) and Bent Norregaard (Denmark). This 1,000 metre championship has been given World title status this year and I look forward to the day wben riders from the United States compete ~.HHtt,)h"'~f!Il~~nYV.p.l~s,O-:AAah~ . Odd moment of the month for me was the day of the World Speedway Final in Gothenburg, Sweden. The sorry story of my elimination from this competition I mentioned in my last column, so for the first time since I made my World Final debut in 1954, I had to sit this one out. ' What did I do while the boys were over in Sweden? Envied them like mad, of course, but I 'spent that evening watching television and I don't get mucb opportunity for that! As you probably saw, Ole Olsen of Denmark, who rides for Wolverhampton in the British League, won the meeting with a maximum and he proved his class a week later when he went to Czechoslovakia and won the big Golden Helmet meeting at Pardubice. It almost goes without saying tbat I lost interest in the Golden Helmet reasonably early in the proc'eedings when I experienced mag troubles! All the disappointments were forgotten in Wroclaw, Poland, however, when the British team not only won the World ,Cup but really thrashed the opposition out of sight. We scored 37 points, Russia was second with 22, Poland third on 19 points and Sweden fourth with 18. Poland was expected to win on their home track but sucb was our domination tbat the Poles didn't provide one race winner. Of the 16 heats British riders were first in aU but fTVe, including a spell when we won the last seven races. Ray Wilson 'scored a maximum 12 points ~d Ivan got a couple of wins and a couple of second places to finish with 10. Jim Airey, making his first visit to Poland, didn't score in his first ride and then went out and won his three . remaining races as if he was riding rOuild his home track up at Sheffield! I tr,ailed in last in my first ride after being baulked coming out of the first bend. I was leading in my second when half a lap from home the biJl;.c.jslst: Wet out...I'd run out of fuel! . Now, people wbo know me will tell you that I'm not usually the sort of bloke who shows his anger. But I drifted round as the other three riders belted by me, pulled -up by the fence and gave the bike one heck of a kick. [ don't think the Polish crowd had ever seen anybody do that before and they were taken a bit by surprise. , But the crowd certainly knew what they though t of their team's performance. They whistled, the continentals do that, to show just how upset they were. It only made us go all the harder and I ended up on the happier note of winning my last two races. It was really a great day for us all and one that I won't forget in a hurry. N ow our British season has graduaUy drawn to a close with the last big meeting being the British League Riders Championship at Belle Vue, Manchester, on Oct. 16. Immediately after that I jetted over to Los Angeles for the last few weeks of the California speedway season. My last Stateside visit was to Chicago when I rode for Don Vesco on a Kel Carruthers tuned machine and enjoyed the best meeting I've ridden in America. I was reaUy going good for 10 laps in the 25 lap Final but after that I began to realize that my European style was much too tiring for the full 25 laps. If the race had been 15 laps I reckon I might have hung on but those extra 10 really finished me and I had ,nothing left to give. Before any more AMA national championships, I have got ·to do some serious rethinking about my style, if 1 am to succeed. . Now m finish off the British season, I. hope on a happier note. I won a big individual meeting at Reading and that· cheered me up considerably. Let's just hope that bike keeps singing sweetly for the rest of the season 'l&d. f 9baWlk1p1W.1H6. '.<::>'0'1 0'10 -n, ~ Z en ~ w Z W ...J U >- U

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