Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

(Above) One of the four Indians entered in Early Vintage. (Below) Gary Zweifel (73) leads the 350cc Novices with Jim Cooke (60) . (Above) Bob Tryon (Indian). Clyde Earl (Matchless) and Larry Bird await the start. (Below) John Rudder (65X) leads Open Single. Dinosaurs rediscovered at Ascot by Dirt Diggers o f 'e m were ba tt li ng eac h o the r lik e spare p arts were sti ll for sa le just down th e stree t. C lyde Earl was th ere wit h a Ma tchless co m p lete with th at Ma tch box so u n d and a litt le p udd le o f oi l under it o n th e read y line. Frank Danielson. wh o is o ne o f th e veteran ga ng. wa s th ere with hi s side hack a nd has so me very welco me hel p fro m KT M afte r many years of do in g it th e ha rd wa y. T he Pete Bren n / Karen Da n ielso n hack shou ld have had a class to itse lf. It wa s a proper "sidecar." suita ble fo r a lady ridi ng London 10 Brighton o n a su n ny day. The hackers did a noteworthy job by helpin g d ry th e track o u t wh en it was unwisely wat ered a nd no t d ragged after th e blue g roove had de velo pe d. T wo -whee led d inosa u rs due to run after th e wa ter go t into as much troubl e with th e surface as if fou r-footed rela tives with runn y noses had stood th ere for a co u p le of h ours. Ro b Marion. with a n immaculat e la te vintage Ha rley, slid o ver on h is side w ith no effor t o n h is part . a nd he wasn ' t the o n ly o ne . C u rtis 'Ca n no n a nd Bo b Sanders went a t eac h o ther with yo u ng "Cann onball " ta k i ng fu ll m easure of Sa nde rs ' experience a nd th en blast in g him a co up le o f tim es. The batt le bet wee n Dave Alexander a n d Don Brillingt on in th e 500cc Novi ce cla ss wa s good , a nd desert rider s like St eve Hurd were havin g fun even without a ny pucker bushes By Maureen lee GA R DENA. CA . MAY 22 Those scientists in Africa who 've been hunting dinosaurs for a couple of years now without much luck had better check with the Dirt Diggers M.e. They know where dinosa urs a re a n d h a ve a TT scra mbles for 'em once a year. If you want to p lay it straight, it's a four-stroke race only, bu t if 34 yo u wan t to trap th e esse nce o f th e da y. yo u wander arou nd th e pits o r sit in th e sta nds and wat ch the pe ople a nd listen to th e so un d. Th ere were lots o f both people and machines th at co u ld n' t qua lify as true dinosaurs but th ey like bikes that run lik e mor orcycles.should ...gas in one tank. o il in a no the r. There' s a lo t o f la ugh ter a nd fun in the di nosaur den o nce a year, but then racing w as m ore fun when yo u h erded your bike aro und tu rn s in stead of dancing it. In th e Ear ly Vinta ge cla ss. Feets Minert, o n o ne o f h is trea su red C oldi es. was o u t front doing h is th in g but mo st eyes were o n a tr io o f Ind ia ns ridden by J oe and Andy Dod ge a nd Bo b T ryon . T ryon 's was the most restored looking . but th e three arou n d. H is pal Goose cou ld have done wi th ou t th a t m issed shift in his ra ce. Larry Bird wa s iro n m a n for th e day as he rode hi s Tri um p h in every cla ss h e co u ld ge t it into . In th e O pen Twi n group hi s bi ke q ui t r unni ng com ing out o f turn n in e a nd ~ e push ed i t a ll a rou nd th e half-mile turn to th e sta rte r. wh o helped by jogg ing up th e stra ig h t to g ive him th e checkered a bit soon er while a ll cheered th ei r hearts o u t. If yo u hav e ever pushed an old Trumpet (provided yo u could pick it up in the fir st place) yo u kn ow wh at dinosaur day is a ll a bo u t. Results 125 : 1. Steve Dyer (Han ); 2. Ricky s iema n (s uz); 3 . M ike Wayne (HanI. 250NOV : 1. Dave A lexander (Hon); 2. Steve Oyer (Han); 3 . Randy Okada (Yam). 250 AM : 1. Scott Bull ard (Han). 250 EX: 1. Greg Nelson (Han). 350 NOV; 1. Keith W illiams (Han ); 2. Jim Cooke (Han); 3. Jeff Bli. (Honl . 350 AM ; 1. Chuck Corr il (Han); 2. J im Chapman (Han); 3. Lou is J oseph (Han). 350 EX; 1. Gary Zw iel il (Han ); 2. Bubba Spann (Han). 500 NOV: 1. Mike Wa yn e (Han); 2. Brian Alexande r (Han); 3 . Don M ein er (Yam). 500 AM : 1. Skip Cr isty (Yem); 2. Russ Thompson (Yam); 3. James St eer (Yam). 500 EX: 1. Greg Nel son (Yam ); 2. Dan Kane (Yam); 3. Rick Hanley (Han). OPEN TWIN : 1. Bill Barrow (No vlTri); 2. Loui s Joseph (Am lTri); 3. Larry Bird (ExlTri). LATE VINTAG E: 1. Larry Blum (NovlTr;); 2. AI Mag li en o INovlTri); 3 . Rod W hitcher (A mlTri). EARLY VINTAGE; 1. Joe Dodge (Nov/ lnd); 2. CHuck M inen (E. / BSA). OPEN SINGLE: r. W ally Nairn (NovlYam ); 2. Skip .Cristy (A m lYam); 3. Jo hn Rudder fExlYam). sIDE HAC Ks ; 1. Rich Bleer lTerry Bleer; 2. Ban Crendell /Ron Swan; 3 . Glen M itcheli /Davidsmith.

• Cover