Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

AReHrvEs Feets And The Catalina Grand Prix "F eets" Minert still remembers the day he got his nickname. Still a scrawny teenager, Minert walked into the LeBard & Underwood l'4otorcycle Shop on Firestone Boulevard, in Los Angeles. Minert, who at the time stood only about 5 feet, I inches, wasn't an imposing figure. ln fact, there was nothing panicularb/ big about him except one thing - his feet. For some reason this skinny, short kid was born with a pair of size- 12s. His logger boos only mag- nified Minert's disproportionate dogs. Shop co-owner Jim Underwood walked in, took one look at the kid, and exclaimed, "My God, look at those feet!" Feet morphed into Feets and a nickname was born for one of Southem California's best off-road motorcy- cle racers of the 1950s. Feets Minert (his real name is Chuck) first 8ot into motorc),cles the hard way - by washing them. An older buddy in Minert's L.A. neighborhood had a Harley that he liked to keep clean. The qnly problem was that he didn't ne€essarily like the work it took to keep his pride and ioy nice and shiny, but he found the soiution in Minert. Minert gladly accepted the role of weekly bike washer, and he did it free of charge. The reward for his labor was a short ride around the block on the Harley after the wash to make sure it was totally dry Those Saturday morning rides whetted the young Minert's appetite for motorcycles, and LeBard & Underwood became Minert's hangout. Lucky for FeeB the shop's co.owner, Aub LeBard, was a legendary off- road racer who won the presti8ious Big Bear Enduro three consecutiye times. LeBard was taken by Minert's enthusiasm, and he helped the youngster along in his path to racing. 'Aub really taught me most of what I know about rac- ing," Hinert said, "l got into the Orange County Motorcycle Club and we would go out on weekend trail rides, and I followed Aub and try to copy what he was doing on the bike. He was about the hottest trail rider in Southern California at the time. lt was a great learning experience," By the late 1940s, Minen began winning races in Southern California. He raced it all - enduros, scrambles, flat track, TT and trials, Louie Thomas BSA offered him a ride for the Amateur event at Daytona in 1950. Minen had never ridden anything like the old beach course, but he proved to be a quick study and turned in a solid perform- ance in the race, finishing fourth, One of the biggest races on the West Coast during this era was the Catalina Grand Prix held on Santa Catalina lsland, which is about 20 miles off the coast from Los Angeles, The event attracted hundreds of racers, including many of the AMA Grand National stars of the day. Race motorcycles were shipped over on packed barges at midnight when the seas were calm in prepara- tion for the weekend's race. Minert finished second in the l95l Catalina Grand Prix and was peSged to be the next West Coast factory BSA rider, when he was called to serve in the Navy during the Korean conflict. While stationed inJapan, I'4inert had his Triumph Gold Star shipped over to participate in Japanese scram- bles races, "This was the early 1950s and theJapanese riders had never seen a bike like the BSA," Minert remembers. "They wouldn't let me race it. Too big, I guess. But they loaned me a little pressed-steel-framed Honda, lt was a lot of fun." After the service, Minert turned his attention again to Catalina. The Grand Prix was held on a lO-mile racecourse startin8 and ending in the town of Avalon, lt consisted of paved roads, fire trails, single track and even utilized pan of a golf course. BSA fltted a special five-gallon tank on Minert's Gold Star so he wouldn't have to make a pit stop during the 100-mile flnal. Almost 200 entries were in the race and Minert 8ot off to a relatively incident-free start. EverythinE was goinS according to plan, when Minert slid in a turn and went down, bendinS his riSht handlebar at a sharp angle. "l thought the race was over for me at that point," I'4inert said. "l could ride, but nowhere near the pace I could before the crash." The lucky break of the race for Minert came in the form of burly Triumph dealer Louie Thomas. I'4inert pulled into the pits and Thomas grabbed the handlebar and with all his might gave it a tremendous pull. "He got ir almost completely s$aight," Minert recalled. With the repair made, Minerr was quickly back under way and passing other competitors at a torrid pace. "l knew things were going well late in the race when lwas gefting thumbs up from the pit crew when I came by," Minen said, "l had no idea, tho'rgh, that I had gotten into the lead.'' I'linert took the checkered flag in the closest flnish of the Catalina GP Walt Axthelm and C.H. wheat were second and third on BSAs, making it a clean sweep for the British maker. The top three were separated by iust 50 seconds. BSA heavily advertised l.,linert's Catalina victory and he reached a new level of recognition. Minert stayed with BSA through the 1960s as American scrambles evolved into full-blown motocross. When the Trans-Af4A started in 1970, the British brought over the factory team that featured Dave Bickers, Dave Nicoll, Jeff Smith and Arthur Lampkin. Minert and David Aldana made up the American factory squad. Already the European and Japanese two-strokes were making the four-stroke BSA obsolete, but Minert stuck to the brand to the bitter end. Minert, who was in his 40s by the early 1970s, was a regular points scorer in Trans-AHA races. Eventually, the big four-strokes were no longer competitive and Minert faded from the pro-racing scene, He never quit racing, however, and now in his 70s, the ever-fit f4inert is a top competitor in Vet races- He very well may hold the title for the rider who has com- peted in the most races, though he lost count after 2500 races six or seven years ago. He also took up flying, and pilots his plane right out of his hangar/garage, which is in an airport community southeast of Los Angeles. Minert's name will forever be linked to the British BSA maker. He says the brand meant something during his days of racing. "l was a BSA guy then and still am," Feets says with a laugh. "To this day, I never fully trust a guy riding a Triumph." Cit 92 JUNE 14,2006 . CYCLE NEWS BY LARRY LAWRENCE + * L I #'t ,' I D! *' t, f' t -,-t r ., h=- E= ^- I ET= 4 I _tL .yl ,a I al T \ lr I ,L

• Cover