VOLUME 57 ISSUE 48 DECEMBER 1, 2020 P87
frame as the oil tank, and the
upper part of the frame I used
like a giant catch can. And after
every race, I could drain out all
that blow-by oil, and it was also
vented to atmosphere. It made it
unique because I didn't have any
oil spillage."
Whatever it lacked in power
production—and that was negligi-
ble—the Wood Norton more than
made up for with its razor-sharp
handling. It also didn't hurt that
Jorgensen rode like the wind at
Ascot, racking up several weekly
main-event victories at the sticky,
fast half-mile track.
"I think we won the Ascot track
points championship something
like four years in a row," Wood
says.
What is certain is that from
1976 through 1978, Wood's Nor-
tons finished on the box at either
the spring or autumn AMA Grand
National half miles held at Ascot.
"In 1976, we were leading the
National on the big tube, and
then Jay Springsteen did a ka-
mikaze and got under Alex, and
we got beat by about a wheel
length," Wood recalls. "That was
a great race."
In 1977, Wood built a second
big-tube chassis Norton, fielding
Dave Aldana as well as Jor-
THAT TURNED
Ron wood stands beside the
twin-tube "lightweight frame"
Norton that Alex Jorgensen
rode to victory at the Ascot
GNC half mile in 1978.
