Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

'YOUNG MAN IN A HURRY: JEFF MARCH by Gary Van Voorhis Photos by Jaydie Putterman Competitiveness, tenacity, persistence...call it what you will, it is the one quality that a rider needs if he is ever to make it big... ar even make it at all. Jeff March has that qual'ity'plus the skill and desire that is needed to pursue radng as a full time occupation. However, there is one small problem facing Jeff for next season: a ride. Motion Enterprises (Steve and John O'Neill) of Elm, New Jetsey, have backed Jeff through the last four seasons on Yaroaha road racers, but increasing business commitmen ts and the time involved in mooing and maintaining a business will preclude thejr sponsorship next season. To some riders this would signal an end to their competition, or at least severely restrict it, but Jeff doesn't figuJ"e that the 70,000 miles he traveled this season are that easily put off. "I've established a small business. five year plan for myself in professional racing. Racing (road racing) is like any other business; a pay.ing proposition. If I can'l make it to where I plan to be in die next few years then I'd probably get out." The prospect of finding the righ t sponsor for the coming season is a major undertaking that is made even harder by the fact that Jeff is a rookie Expert, and is practically unknown on the west coast where most of the action is. "The chance of an east coast rider getting a really good ride (like Gary Fisher) without really being known is just non-existen t. When I think of the riders ou t of the east coast that have made it you can count them on .one hand." Jeff runs the entire National circuit because, as he puts it, "If I want to be a professional then I have to race professionals .. .if you're going to pay to p;o to a race then you may as well go where the competition is." Charlotte was the only non-National that Jeff ran and it proved to be a wise choice. He won. "You get so hopped up about winning a race for so many years that when you do win it's sort of an anti-elimax." He didn't win at Indy and that too sticks with him. A sure win turned into disaster when Jeff crashed with half a lap to go. The only competition, Howard Lyngaard, had crashed a half lap previous but without a leader-board to advise him, Jeff kept up his fast pace and ended up in eleventh. "I don't think 1 would have done anything different if Howard (Lyngaard) would have been behind me. I didn't have a crew to tell me he had crash.ed but I wasn't going to be second, NOT that race. I was pretty disappoin ted when I crashed but, I feel I ran a good race." Ontario' and Loudon provided a pair of thirds in the Junior races, plus a sixth at Daytona after a blown engine in the last quarter mile stopped his third place bid. Although Jeff's best placings this year have come in Junior competition, his first love is the 250 Combined. "The 25& class gives everyone a chance to run on equal machinery. It's a orre to one race where the best riders (C arru the rs- F isher-Roberts-DuHamel) are all entered and my machinery has been competitive when I've finished." The key to success in any form of racing is mastery of the bike and on intimate knowledge of how it works and what to do to make it work and handle the way you want it to. "I do all the chassis work plus anything other than the actual building of the motor. 1 believe that a person who is going to ride a bike and doesn't have anything to do with it himself can't possibly get the most out of it, like (Kel) Carruthers can. He knows he doesn't have to worry. It's an absolute waste to me if I can't ride "" N .... 0> .; " C U> ~ W Z W ...J U >- U ... J elf Mjlrch, "I have this thing where I like to perfeCt the infield part of the course, lot necessarily tune to be the fastest but to get the most out of the comers. I try to gain a lot back in the corners." "DuHamel is the fastest thing going. He sets a pace and no way does he break that pace. That's good, but 1 like to be flexible. Racing is a men tal trip also, but some people believe that you go as fast as possible and either crash or win. That's not consistency. There's a fine line between what I do and that. You have to make the bike go as fast as it can and last. "I'm in road racing because it presen ts more of a mental problem than the physical ones in dirt track or motocross. Road racing is the ultimate combination of a good running and handling bike being put through its thing and coming out a winner. I have the confidence that I can make it; I just have to find a sponsor with the Same feeling. . "I don't plan to become divorced from the bikes. I want to be a functional part of the building and the ideas that go into building racers. "If ; can't locate a sponsor somewhere before Daytona then I'll be there with my leathers and hope the opportunity aris'es w here I can pu t my skills to work." I t's not such a long time from now 'until Daytona, but you can bet the time will pass slowly for Jeff March until he finds the elusive ride that he deserves. On Limiting the Black Plate Races'-----....:.---~------------....:.----------------.....;---to cancel theirs out ror rea. Vl I1Vl UC::U1~ able to draw a crowd. One of the better things th'at is now in the system is that each area of the BILLBOARD graduates to professional racing being the likes of AI Kenyon, Dave Hansen, Rick Hocking, and John Gennai. The best of the Amateur types include Jim Foley, Ray Huff, Bill Landsborough, Mike VanLienden, and many others who are the mainstay of motorcycle racing. The issue of whether or not to limit the races boils down to whether it would limit ct,e racing and perhaps curtail its growth, or make it a more pure end of the sport. By limiting the events to one or two a week, the guys that were specifically after a black plate could rely on setting themselves up for just that specific event. The guys that didn't want to compete with heroes could seemingly go somewhere else and run. That is, if another race was scheduled. It's entirely possible that when a black plate race is scheduled, the other club may just want i' ~ lO. " combined to make it easier for them when it came time to COmpete in the big boys' game. Since that first year, 1967, the same h as held true with more recent M 0> every race." Probably the best way to get to know Jeff is just plain bench racing about last season. his ideas on racing and riders and the problem he faces for nex t season. III race to win, nol for second. However, sometimes you come up with the problem of being a little too aggressive at the wrong time, because there are times when you just can't go fast where other people go fast. You have to wait and take them where you go fast. Consistency is what it adds up One of the proposed changes running through the minds of the officials of the newly organized District 36 is one of limiting the numbe~ of race,s that count towards the District's top twenty black plate riders. The system is similar to the National with the top twenty Experts claiming special plates to wear for the following season. The Experts compete on all 11 m on th basis collecting poin ts with respect to the number trophies given in the main event of each Expert race. If seven trophies are given, then seven points are counted towards the high point. In the five years since its inception, the black plate race has been a sort of wide open affair with as many, races counting as the rider could handle_ Thus, a man can seemingly race t~ree or even four times a week and collect many poin ts. While this may seem like a runaway for those that can compete all the time, it certainly builds a caliber of racers that go in to the professional game with a headstart. The first number one black plate holder wasJim Rice and that same year, the number three was held by Mark B re Isford. These two riders have exemplified themselves in the business of professional racing and one of the reasons that they were as good as they were was that they raced a longer, harder season then anybody else. Of course, they were naturally !;ood, but the racing,1 travel, different tracks, and work to get the machines ready, .." .. ~ by Bill Sperlcer DistTict has its own local hero who usually blows all the other troops in the weeds. While the limiting device would give the heroes a chance to bedevil the local heroes, the local migh t just decide to scram to another track rather than get embarrassed by all the heroes coming into town. While this is only an example, it might happen. One of the reasons that the idea was brought up is that the season was too long and getting much too expensive. This is quite true for almost any sport you get into. Also, the point system was swayed toward the 250 class because of its unusally large size. This is easily handled with a set point spread for each Expert event, of. 10-7-5-4-3-2-1. This would certainly satisfy those beleagured individuals who seem to think they aren't gettinp; a fair share of the points. But to limit the racing would definitely show signs of killing the idea of having the best being able to show just why he is the best. Looking at the system from the 1972 season shows some of the interesting facts that 1 speak of. • First of all, the number one plate now belongs· to Jeff Davidson of Hughson, just South of Modesto. Another kid from that area was Kenny Roberts. At any rate, one of the reasOns that Jeff made the plate was because of all the races he went to. He didn't win all that many events, but he was always around when the brass was to be handed out. The man who most likely won the most even ts was probably the number two man, Alex Jorgensen. Alex started late in the season and m.ade a terrific try for the number one, bu t fell just a little short. The battle created much hard feelings around the district that shouldn't have had to happen, but those two young men are defmitely gomg to be great pro prospects. Without a doubt, Jorgensen, with the righ t handhng, can expect to 'be a top flight Expert prom just a very short time. 1 rank him With Brelsford, Rice and Mann - talent all over the place. The reason that he h~ become so proficient is that he rode a tremendously hard season and did well. If the'limit system were to be put out, 1t might not have had a lot to do with the overall outcome, or it might have made a big change. The point is that the more the rider has to try, the better he will be in the long run. ' .. ~

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