Cycle News

Cycle News 2020 Issue 48 December 1

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/1313701

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 87 of 97

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.

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Cycle News - Cycle News 2020 Issue 48 December 1