Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

E • ~ E o 00 0') 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

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