Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

CN ...-4 l-< Q.I ..c 8 Q.I U Q.I Q 14 and was scheduled to go back to Indianapolis as a flunky of one IOrt or another. This, I feel, would have been the proper time for me to switch to cars. It would have been a little more advantageous than 1964 because I feel I would have had a six-year jump on the siruation. I had always in the back of my mind wanted to be a great car driver, but this motorcycle thing fascinated me. And with all the progress - although it being unlucrative, very unlucrative - I was overhwelmed by the amount of self-satisfaction I received from victory. So I thought, well, I'll run a couple little short tracks at Belmont and make a little spending money. And go back to Indy with Troy Rutlman and J.C. Agajanian. But fate was against me this time 100-percent. I crashed the second night and broke my leg and shoulder. Sustained about the worst accident I had in my career. This made the 1958 season look bleak. I had a leg that the doctors said would not bend. It took a lot of willpower and help from myoid friend Larry Headrick, who used to sit on my rump and rub the back of my leg and stretch it, and we'd stretch it and stretch il. I had a couple of battles with the doctors and they said, no another cast, another cast. This had happened April 15, and six weeks later I decided to be my own doctor. I cut off my cast, and this was a mistake because my leg was very skinny and very weak. Then this other doctor put another cast on and that lasted three more weeks and I said the hell with it. I could slide my whole hand down between the leg and the cast. So I took it off and started rubbing it and just lying around the house and slighting bending it. And I finally got mad and grabbed a cane and took off. But the joint wasn't quite set up and the leg wound up about an eighth-inch shorter than "the other one - a little bowed, too. July slid by and I watched my bike being ridden by Don Hawley, who led the San Jose National until the last lap. Everett Breashear outfoxed him and went by, and I think Resweber slid by too. Don got a third after leading to the last corner, which was very sad because it was just a miscalculation. He should have won. I told Charlie I'd be ready to go the first week of August. Still limping around on my cane, being a little apprehensive about not having ridden, I told Charlie to get her ready and we'd hit Sturgis, South Dakota and maybe Norton, Kansas before Springfield. Because as you can see I hadn't gathered up any National points yet, other than the win at Daytona. I got ready and went to Sturgis, and the first day out you'll never guess what happened. I won.the main event, and was very happy - back in the swing of things. The second day I think I ran second, 10 I was pleased with my performance. I'd still get off the bike and hobble around on a cane, but the leg was sufficient for shifting and getting underway.and continuing. So we headed for Springfield. We took off and had a close battle with Resweber, Brashear, Dick Klamfoth and ... oh, incidentally, they had extended the 25-mile National to 50 miles by now, so it was really a test. And I finally won it. Anyway, I was doing fairly well against the boys and catching up in the points. I fi.nally gathered up enough to where we were going to the Peoria TT, and Resweber had a slight edge on me in points the last two races of the season. I'd always shined at Peoria. I always liked the track. The first year there I won one National Championship, and "I put all my energies together end went up to Laconia, New Hampshire." Leonard's last road race National came in 1961, the 100-miler at Laconia which he won in apeetacul. fashion. "We headed for Springfield and I had a see-saw battle with Brashear and Klamfoth." Respected rivals Everett Brashear (261 and Dick Klamfoth (2) figured in some of Leonard's toughest conflicts. in '54 I won both of them - the 45 On the last lap he came around the class and the 80. So this boiled down outside and I saw his shadow. I to what he would do. He hadn't been thought, well, maybe if I drift I can riding TTs very much and wasn't too beat him to the flag with that good. Sponster. But his shadow was more or I got third in the 45 event but I had less an optional illusion. As I drifted a SportSler for the 80 event, and wide he slipped under me and beat me Peoria is a real test, as anyone knows by about two feet to the line. And that who's been there. Practice on both cost me the Number One title for motors, heat races on both motors and 1958. then two 14-lap main events. A 45 in Naturally, I was rather dejected those days was just about as heavy as after missing part of the season, just an 80 and just about as fast. So my getting rolling the last half - and work was cut out. ,then blowing a chance to swoop off We took off and I was leading, but with the title again. along towards the end I started getting And had I known this Resweber a little tired and my fellow Californian, would come into his own so strong the Dick Dorresteyn, who was back at next year I would have been extra sad. Peoria for the first time, was moving But I thought, well, tally ho the fox, up on his Triumph. we'll be after him next year - another The way the points were, if I won year, new season, whole new deal. the 80 I'd get the National Number Now, after this many years of One and if I got second or back I'd campaigning I was not quite as lose. . " . - - - --'hused as-I used to be. And I am a confirmed believer, and any champion will agree with me in any field, that once your interest starts slipping it isn't necessarily you, physically, or this "getting old" as some news people put it. I maintain that if you keep yourself physically fit and mentally fit, there's no barrier on the age limit. To justify my statement, look at the late great Don Branson, or Tony Bettenhausen, or Rodger Ward. Just start naming them, and you're speaking of men all well into their forties who, as the last season of their running, still being enthused, and still being physically fit, were just as tough as nails. And the records speak for themselves. But like I said, when you lose your enthusiasm, that's when you get old. It's not a matter of seeing a guy go up and go down because eventually you all will. Well, just look how long I lasted, for instance. From 1951 to 1961. So I was runnerup to Resweber that year, 1958. In 1959 I'd quit Cha.rlie West and joined Monte Miller. I didn't even get a smell of a National that year, and 1960 I think I ran second. And I think that was the year a litttle red-headed boy from up around my hometown, Dick Mann ... or was that '6!l? Well, hell, everybody knows Bugs' deal, so there's no point going into that. Anyway, this is '61, and becoming more unenthused each event and each week I kept thinking about this car siruation - racing automobiles. Even mentioned it to several friends I had, J.C. Agajanian and a few people like that, but never did seem to get a nibble. Finally I put aU my energies together and went up to Laconia, New Hampshire with a really unorthodox bike. I figure4 out a tire combination and gear ratio combination and rake and trail and whatnot, and won the event very handily, lapping the great Number One Resweber at roughly 89 miles. Just to show 'em the old warhorse had a little bit of fire left. Then I ended up the '61 season second in the point standings, feeling thoroughly that I'd had enough of motorycle racing. It had been gnawing at me. So I decided to quit. In '62 I met Tim Witham, an old friend of mine who'd built several winning bikes way back in the early Fifties. We started talking and he decided to build a Triumph. And a Triumph being my first love, I decided to ride it. We decided to run one event, the Sacramento mile, and we didn't practice or anything. It took me a little bit in practice to get in the groove and then we led the .race - all the boys had traveled all over the country and we led - until that flat tire put me out. So I said "Tim I quit," and that was the only event I raced all year. Never even rode a street bike, mind you. Then '6!l came along and Tim says "Let's have another whack at that," 10 I says "Okay." We decided we'd hit Springfield and then hit Sacramento - just two miles. We wanted to prove that a big fella, because I was rather big in starure, could still beat those little I !lO-pound jockeys. It was about 12 pounds per horse, roughly, so you're speaking of three or four or five horse when it gets down there. I got to 160 and that was as slim as I could get. I looked like death warmed over then. My natural weight's about 180 - six foot and a half-inch. So you could see my job was cutout. We never practiced or nothing. We built the bike and we ran a rather poor fourth at Springfield that year, '6!l. Had oil pump problems and the engine didn't run good, so we went

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