Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126442
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IAbove) Three-time champ Jay Springsteen and his win grin. (Below) Mile
racing often proved to be the most exciting of motorsports.
Do you remember HarJey-Davidson's
introduction of the XR750, Yamaha's
'IT500, their Tl750 road racer or that
same rocketship in din trim ... the
BSA, Triumph and Nonon factory
backed machines on the din and road
race counes... the sound that nearly a
dozen British triples made as they dove
for the first turn at Daytona or the
banshee wail of a solitary Suzuki
screaming around the banking at
Daytona during time trials.. _the
cheers and pandemonium when Mike
Gerald won the 1974 Houston Shon
Track National and tossed his gloves
and helmet into the rajun' crowd of
supponers from Cajun country... the
day you learned that Cal Rayborn died
in a racing accident halfway around
the world in New Zealand?
•••
Do you remember Dick Mann winning
Daytona for Honda in 1970 and BSA
the
following
year ... Mann
culminating that season with his
second AMA Grand National Championship with a space between them of
nine seasons... the names of Kenny
Roberts, Gary SCOlt and Mike Kidd
when they were oviees in 1970 .. .John
Cooper. perhaps the last of the "old"
school of British road racers. winning
the inaugural Ontario 200 ... the vote
of confidence by Harley·Davidson in
giving Rex Beauchamp and later SCOlt
Brelsford factory backing in their
Junior ye.. rs... Ban Markel winning his
28th career National at the Charity
Newsies... Englishman Paul Smart's
knee dragging ro..d style that became
the norm in racing?
•••
Do you remember watching real dirt
track racing - the three and four deep
going into the comers spewing roostertails type - and not the follow the
leader style... Gary Nixon winning at
Loudon - it didn't malter what race
just as long as he won ... watching Kenr,y Roberts emerge as a true superstar
and
his
climb
through
the
ranks... reading that Gary SCOlt had
decided to leave a factory contract
with Harley·Davidson and defend his
Championship title as a privateer
... seeing David Aldana's "Mr.
Bones" leathers for the first time
... how about Aldana's "Superman
leathers - eape and all ... the tragic
accident that took the lives of Randy
Cleek and Kurt Keifer ... Jay Spring.
steen winning five of the last seven
Nationals in 1976 to take the
championship?
•••
Do you remember SCOlt Parker's win·
ning ride at the DuQuoin Mile which
made him, at 17 years and about eight
(Above) Kenny Robens. now a World Road Racing Champ, shows his shan
track style. (Below) 1972 Grand National Champ, Mark Brelsford.
months, the youngest·ever National
winner ... Men LawwiIJ, Gene Romero,
Jim Rice, David Aldana and the rest in
On Any Sunday... the foreign invasion
of Daytona by planeload after
planeload of visitors ... Mark Brelsford's
championship
season ...
Sonny Burres' win in the 1975 Peoria
'IT at the age of 40 ... Dianne
Cox. the first lady Expert dirt tracker
out-qualifying approximately 80 riders
for a spot in the 1975 Houston Short
Track NationaL.the U.S. Army sponsoring Mike Kidd?
•••
Do you remember R.J. Reynold's
Camel Joe and his introduction in
1974 ... the Camel Pro Series... the
Winsto'; Pro Series... the $465,000 in
point fund money that Camel/Winston have paid out since 1974...Corky
Keener as the only rider collecting
money in every year since the series'
Gann,
Robbie
inception... Laird
Powell and Dave Knight .. _Miss Winston, Lynn Griffis... the live camel
purchased by promoter Hugo Shea?
•••
Do you remember Mike Hailwood,
Giacomo Agostini, Jarno Saarinen,
Johnny Ceoclto, Percy Tait, Tuevo
Lansivuori, Rod Gould ... the weekly
half miles at Ascot ...seeing Eddie
Mulder, John Hateley and Gary Feil
doing stunt work in movies... the
racing Palmgren brothers - Larry,
Chuck, Denny and Donny... Mickey
(who?') Fay leading the 1977 Houston
'IT for nearly half the event and then
coming back to win in 1979... the
sound of a Yoshimura superbike_ ..Steve
McLaughlin without
anything to say?
•••
Do you remember the epic duel bet·
ween Jay Springsteen and Steve
Eltlund at the Ascot Half Mile
National which decided the 1978
title... the blank-et fmishes th