VOLUME ISSUE SEPTEMBER , P133
Instead, it would be the
incredible ride by Fauss that
would be immortalized, for
-
ever etched in the noggins of
motorcycle film geeks. These
couch racers credit Fauss and
his sneering, fiendish partner,
"Big" Halsy Knox, with a fistful
of racer's quotes, including
Halsy's most famous line,
which he delivered to Little's
doting, pie-faced mama:
"Cycles," the cocksure Knox
said, "is a mean toy, lady."
True, there were other
amazing moments on that hot
(105-degree trackside) day at
Sears Point. It was a different
world of motorcycle racing in
1969, as factory-sponsored rid
-
ers were allowed to jump from
one brand to another. In the
weekend's 250cc race, Baumann
switched to a Kawasaki for a
third-place finish behind the Ya-
mahas of Pierce and Duhamel.
In sixth place in that same race
was another Kawasaki rider—
Harley-Davidson's Cal Rayborn!
Imagine Eli Tomac parking
his Yamaha after the first moto
and saddling up a KTM for the
second race!
In the 50-mile amateur event,
Jim Dunn, also on a Suzuki,
topped Triumph rider Don Cas
-
tro, who was riding in his first
road race. Both riders would go
on to have successful careers as
Experts, with Castro winning the
250 race at Daytona as a mem
-
ber of Team Yamaha in 1974.
1969 had brought many
other memorable moments. A
few weeks before Sears Point,
350,000 free-loving rockers
had gathered at Max Yasgur's
600-acre dairy farm in up-
state New York for a concert
called Woodstock. Around
that same time, followers of a
frustrated, out-of-work musi-
cian named Charles Manson
went on a California killing
spree. In 1969, a man walked
on the moon. Sesame Street
was born.
In a year of such momen-
tous events, is it possible
to overestimate the signifi-
cance of Fauss' ride that day
at Sears Point? What if Big
Halsy's bike hadn't broken
down during the race, leaving
the handsome hunk helpless
on the side of the track, forced
to listen as the track announcer
pierced his ego with updates on
his former protege's progress
through the pack? What if Seally
Fauss, seeing the bad influence
that Big Halsy was inflicting on
his impressionable son, had put
his foot down and sent "side-
burns" on his way, long before
the boy was corrupted?
Few remember that the
talented Art Baumann won his
very first AMA road race that
day at Sears Point. Meanwhile,
motorcyclists everywhere can
still quote their favorite lines
from Little Fauss and Big Halsy.
Somehow, that doesn't seem
right.
Cycles…is a mean toy, lady.
CN
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It would be the
incredible ride by
Fauss that would
be immortalized,
forever etched in
the noggins
of motorcycle
film geeks.
few weeks before Sears Point,
that same time, followers of a
frustrated, out-of-work musi
went on a California killing
was born.
tous events, is it possible
to overestimate the signifi
Robert Redford played the part
of Big Halsy and Michael J.
Pollard of Little Fauss.
AND BIG HALSY"
