Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

~ TECHNICAL ODDS & ENDS ~ go The Seeley'Kawasakis don't have the mag wheels that the standard framed .... bikes using. Smart '" Nixon are go Seeley. The has persuaded to team Suzukis ;l' look ratty and aren't as overwhelmingly fast as anticipated. In fact, just about u o everybody who did anything had a ratty ~ looking bike. The lightweights all seem w to be using the new wrap-around tread z that Goodyear brought out to Laguna: ~ Seca. Patraco had a free dyno service in (J the pits. The major tire companies and ~ the race's sponsor, Champion Spark Plugs, had shops in the pits. They were all helpful to the riders; passing out freebies, giving technical advice, fitting tires. jerry Greene,'s Kanemoto tuned Kawasaki 500 dry gulched the H-D of Scott Brelsford off the line but Rayborn's H-D stayed with the 750 Kaws into the first turn. Greene's Kaw was timed faster than Calvin's 750. Greene went 143 (with a head wind) while Cal only managed 142 (calm) at the end of the straigh t in the heats. Qualifying races should pay money. They are good racing. The 125 mile race length presented a lot of problems. The majority of the bikes are Yamahas, and the Yamahas can go abou t 115 miles on a tank of gas. This meant that just about everyone had to stop. The 250s get just a little better mileage than the 350s. One rider who solved the problem was Terry Kiraly of Albuquerque_ Terry left his oil pump on his 350. Now the first rule in preparing a Yamaha road racer is supposed to be "throwaway the oil pump", but instead Terry modified his. By so doing he could run smaller jets. The Yamaha people said it couldn't be done, but Terry was the only Yamaha-mounted junior to go without a gas stop - and he finished with over a gallon of gas left! Not only that, but he misjudged the wind conditions and geared too low. This is the second bike that he has so prepared and his engine life is terrific. Kel Carruther's Yamahas use ram air cooling ducts like the ones found on the Suzuki street bikes. 0.. N ~ OTHER NOTES There were OMS personnel everywhere. At pit stops the OMS crews Mark Brelsford in the company of four former National Champs: Gary him. were on hand with fire extinguishers - a very good idea. Bob Bailey wasn't there and it was a shame. The factories need someone like him to keep them honest. The sounds are neat when no one is there and the exhaust noise echoes off the grandstands. So few people show up for qualifying. You are missing so much. An unexpected face in the pits was that of Roger DeCoster.' Tom Rockwood was on a .Yamaha, we noticed. An expected face that didn't appear was that of anyone selling a castor based oil. A t least one rider didn't start for lack of bean oil. Contary to rumor, Pat Evans, the Novice winner, will be: a Junior next year. The 18 year age requirement only applies to Experts. ' After his crash in the Combined event, which cut up ~s mouth, Jerry Greene went off to get a Bell Star. Greene had an interesting experience at the Kawasaki Victory party. Someone came up and asked for his autograph. Said the fellow "You probably don't re'member me." UNo," said Jerry, HI don't believe I do." He was told the man's name. "I'm afraid that I still don't remember you," Jerry said. It turned out that the man was a policeman, had arrested jerry, handcuffs and all, for jaywalking six or seven years ago. He now owns a bike -shop. None of the Europeans could compare the track to Europe. One fellow fired up his bike shortly before his race only to find that he had a hole in his expansion chamber. "I couldn't find any ligh t weight sheet." he said. So he used part of a building. It was ridiculous, but the attendance was only 23,110. That is 5,000 down from last year. Where the hell were you? You really missed some thing. Reg Pridmore crashed on the. first lap. The reason for it was, indirectly, his BMW's drive shaft. The big fat road racing tire wouldn't clear it and the tire had to be trimmed a Ii ttle. The new pattern didn't give the traction that fast Reggie migh t have hoped for. The last person I saw as I left Ontario was Dick Mann, off in an isolated part of the track by himself with a very pretty girl. He looked very young. . 'MOLLY BLUE gives you more than you A ~ ex~~~! !~h~~~U~:'. ELMET HOUSE • DEALERS SEND FOR CATALOG. 12010 W. PICO BLVD., LOS ANGELES, CALIF. 90064 PHONE (213) 479-4383 Hond Washable SUy Soft ~ ~ Othman Distributing Co. 18227 ludlow St. N

• Cover