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/126460
Ellner the pig's favorite road racer • ID By Jack Mangus Photos by Gary Van Voorhis and Mangus When the checkeTed flag waved at the end of the 1979 Daytona 200, it waved fiTst fOT Dale "Pig FarmeT': Singleton. Singleton and David Aldana had hooked up fOT a neaT race long battle that provided the most e:ccitr'ng Tadng seen in the 200 in many a yeaT. A ldana suffered racing luck when mechanical gremlins tumed him into a DNF neaT 24 What do you have going for you this year? For the seventh consecutive year, I'll be on a Taylor White Yamaha. Taylor is responsible for where I am today getting ready to compete in the 500cc World Championships with a Daytona 200 win under my belt. In I 97!l , just after I won the lOOcc Sportsman road race at Daytona, he started to sponsor me and has continued to do so through my Novice and Junior years, and through four years of Expen class racing. He deserves a lot of the credit and his company - Taylor White Construction Co. - deserves a tbank you. The Beaulieu company will be my major sponsor in Europe this year. The frrm is an international carpet/rug manufacturer based in Belgium with the U.S. branch right here in my hometown, Dalton, Georgia. The U.S. branch is spearheaded by motorcycle enthusiast Carl Bouckaen. Just after my Daytona win last year he added coDlliderably to the financial budget of my racing operation, malting the European rounds I competed in possible. Beaulieu makes Onental style woven rugs and although they've only been producing carpets in this country for a sbon while, they've been very, very successful. A sister firm of Beaulieu, Berry Tuft, which is located in France just south of Paris, is also adcling sponsorship to my European usault. Berry Tuft's Mr. Luc DeClerck will also provide me with a etoD the end of the Tace. Singleton Tode on to win the wOTld's greatest motoTcycle Tace. The wrn was a poPUln.T one. Singleton had bTought a mascot to Daytona - a pet prg named ElmeT. Dale and ElmeT dTew photogTapheTs lr'ke Jlies and ElmeT's appeaTance in wr'nneT's dTcLe ceTtainly added to Kodak's pTofit lr"ne r'n MaTch of 1979. We Tecently sat down with Sr'ngleton as he was pTeppr'ng his br'ke fOT the 1980 Daytona 200 and asked him the following questr'ons: baR of operations in Europe. The various personalities in the European operation are all eager motorcycle fans and they make it an enjoyable experience. I plan to campaign the European CPs. I've hooked up with Wolfgang Bitsehnau and he'll manage a team, Austrian Racing International, which will have Frenchman Bernard Fau and myself competing throughout Europe. Our priority events will be the CPs with some International 750 events in between. I also plan to compete in as many Nationals here in America as I can. How did you spend the off-«aJOn? Preparing my sponsorship for this year and organizing my Ellropean plans. I spent a couple of weeks in Europe over the holidays and pretty much lined everything up for the season. Whatever time I did have after doing that was spent helping my dad bang nails on my new bouse. We started the bouse last year on some property I own outside of Dalton and before we knew it the house was shaping up bigger than we had planned. There's still a lot 0 work to be done on it, but it's going to be a nice one. Hey, I can't forget to mention that I've spent. time feeding Elmer! Plus preparing to defend my Daytona title to try again to fly my Rebel flag the highestl Who do you think. will be your main competition at Daytona this year? Kenny Robens. Who else? The caliber