Racing Review
RACING REVIEW
CAROL A. SIMS
NIXON WINS SHORT TRACK NATIONAL
Nestled picturesquely in a wooded glen near Chicago is Santa Fe Speedway, site of weekly short track racing as well as the 3rd annual Class A Short Track National Championship event. Although points were not awarded toward the Grand National Championship this year, many top-flight riders were on hand for the 9-race National program promoted by the Maywood Mustangs M.C., and competition was heated indeed. Added suspense was furnished by a series of light drizzles during practice, but the skies cleared by race time.
Heat race winners were George Roeder (fastest qualifier at 16.12 seconds for the quarter-mile), Bart Markel, Gary Nixon and Mert Lawwill, all of whom started from the pole position. Nixon rode a Triumph Cub; the other three were Harley Sprint mounted.
Two semi-final events for men finishing 1, 2 and 3 in their heats went to Roeder and Lawwill. Nixon, Duane Buchanan and Darrel Dovel followed Roeder to the checker, while Paul Pfeifer, Markel and Jerry Curry were right on Lawwill’s tail. Pfeifer and Curry, incidentally, are amateur class riders who can give and take with the best of the experts, and both turned in impressive performances throughout the evening.
Of the 12 men comprising the starting lineup for the 20-lap Main Event, seven sported national numbers, and Roeder jumped into an early lead, only to encounter engine problems on the second lap which separated him from the front runners. Nixon then moved into first place, closely pursued by Lawwill, Markel and Buchanan. By the 10th lap, Gary had stretched his advantage to a full turn while Lawwill doggedly fought off Markel. Finally, on lap 14, Markel managed to overtake the rapid first year expert, but by this time Nixon was long gone, as were Markel’s hopes of scoring another National win.
At the checkered flag it was Nixon (who did a spectacular wheelie on the last lap), Markel, Lawwill, Buchanan, Pfeifer, Dovel, John Hamby, Art Barda, Curry, Jim Challingsworth, Roeder and Bob Gilkey.
WIELAND WINS JACK PINE ENDURO
Racking up the nearest-perfect score in recent Jack Pine history — a whopping 993 points out of a possible 1000 — Matchless rider Bert Wieland of Corunna, Michigan bested over 500 of his fellow endurance run competitors to take home the coveted cowbell trophy, traditional winning symbol of the 37th National Championship 500-mile Lansing, Michigan grind.
Staring at 5:31 A.M., riders left in groups of five at one-minute intervals and headed toward West Branch, traversing some of Michigan’s roughest terrain en route. They arrived at their destination late that day, slept, and returned the following morning, 40 check points and 500 miles later.
Last year’s winner, John Wright, did not defend his title, but several other champions filled out the field including the 1961 champ and 1962 runnerup Lewis Atkinson of Columbus, Ohio; John Penton, 1958 and 1960 winner from Lorain, Ohio; 1955 and 1959 champion Sal Scirpo of Hartford, Conn.; 1956 winner LeRoy Winters of Fort Smith, Ark., and Toledo’s Frank Piasecki who won in 1952. In addition to the grand champion, there were winners in 15 other classes and a total of 50 prizes were handed out.
EKINS WINS GOLD MEDAL AGAIN
Bud Ekins, California’s ace sporting rider, brought home a Gold Medal from the International Six Days Trial held this year in Czechoslovakia. Ekins, riding a Triumph TR-6, added to his collection of one gold and one silver medal from two previous ISDT outings. This year’s ISDT was reported to be one of the roughest ever.
Triumph’s Manufacturers Team was the only British team to win a Gold Medal. A complete report will appear in CYCLE WORLD next month as CW’s continental reporter, Sloniger, was in attendance.
MANN INJURED AT FREEPORT
Dick Mann, currently leading the national point standings, was painfully injured in a race at the Freeport, Illinois half-mile track on Sunday, August 31, just a week after gaining the point lead at Peoria. Leading the feature event into the first turn, he slid down directly in front of the pack and was unavoidably hit by Thad Coleman, then run over by John Tibben, suffering painful injuries to his hindside, as well as a possible cracked vertebrae.
Moved from the Freeport Hospital to Mercy Hospital in Davenport, Iowa for surgery, he was reported by ex-racer Bill Turnan, with whom he stays while competing on the eastern circuit, to be in good spirits, ready to go and “wanting out.” In fact, he hopes to compete in the Sacramento 20-mile National on September 29, if at all possible.
Turnan said that when questioned by the admitting doctor at Freeport Hospital, Mann commented wryly, “I’m a motorcycle racer and I was leading the race; then I fell down and the other guys took turns running over me.” Responding in kind to this indomitable spirit, the doctor replied, “That wasn’t very sporting, was it?”
AND A LITTLE CHILD SHALL . . .
Nothing unusual about this picture, you say? Nothing except for the fact that it won a case in court and kept a motorcycle track from being closed down. The shot, taken by Ken Robinson, was introduced as evidence in a hearing to determine if the Melody Lane M. C. speedway in Meadowbrook, Illinois actually constituted a noise problem, as charged in an injunction brought about by neighbors. One look at the baby, snoozing peacefully amidst an orderly crowd at one of the club’s race meets, and charges were summarily dismissed by the judge.
CHAMPIONS ALL
Talking things over in the pits prior to the running of the Springfield 50-Mile National Championship are, left to right, AÍ Gunter, 3-time 8-Mile National Champion, Joe Leonard, 3-time Grand National Champion as well as 3-time Springfield winner, and Carroll Resweber, 4-time Grand National Champion now recuperating from serious injuries sustained in September of last year.
Gunter is currently trying his hand at midget auto racing in addition to his weekly appearances at the Ascot half-mile motorcycle meets in Los Angeles. Leonard, who finished 4th at Springfield in his first motorcycle ride of the year, has turned his attention more to cars this season, and is a consistent Main Event winner in modified stock car racing on the Northern and Central California circuit. Resweber faces further surgery but is in fine spirits, says he expects to be back racing bikes “one of these days.”
USMC DAYTONA SCHEDULED
One of the largest fields of international riders and machines ever gathered in the United States is expected to be here early in February for the fourth annual motorcycle Grand Prix. The schedule calls for four major races, two of them on Saturday, February 1, and two on Sunday, February 2, all at Daytona International Speedway. The races of February take on added importance now that the Federation International Motorcycliste, the world governing body of the sport, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, has awarded the races full world championship points.
The opening race on February 1 will be a 60-kilometer event for 50cc bikes over the 1.63-mile international road course. This event was won last February by Japan’s Mitsuo Itoh on a Suzuki at an average record speed of 58.719 miles per hour. Saturday’s second race will be at 100 kilometers for 125cc bikes, also over the 1.63-mile course. Winner in 1963 was Ernst Degner, West German ace, on a Suzuki. His winning average speed was 64.220.
The Grand Prix Week races, which are sponsored by the United States Motorcycle Club, come to a close on Sunday, February 2, with a 125 kilometer event for 250cc machines and a 200 kilometer race for 500cc bikes. The former is run over the 1.63 course and the grand finale over the 3.1-mile Grand Prix layout. The latter combines the long straightaway and the high-banked East turn of the Speedway proper, with the snaky infield course.
The winner of the 250cc event last February was Fumio Itoh of Japan, who rode his Yamaha at a record speed of 66.351 miles per hour. The Grand Prix of the United States for 500cc jobs was won by Don Vesco of San Diego, California, on a Yamaha and at an average speed of 89.405 miles per hour. Practice and registration at Daytona International Speedway starts on January 28, 1964.
AAMRR/USMC EVENT DRAWS 122 RIDERS
First of a series of continental-type road races at the two-mile Vineland, N.J. road race course drew a crowd of 2500 and a rider entry of 122, according to word received from Walter von Schonfeld of the sponsoring committee. Sanctioned by USMC and organized by AAMRR (Association of American Motorcycle Road Racers), the event gave many spectators their first chance to see Manx Nortons, MV Agustas and BMW Rennsports in action against the more familiar Triumphs, Harley-Davidsons and BSAs.
Another first for the east was the acceptance of two female cyclists, one who participated as a sidecar passenger, the other as a solo competitor. Both fared well; in fact, Miss Valerie Eads won her class on a 500cc Triumph.
Four teams from Canada and two from the U.S. competed in the sidecar division. Much unusual equipment was in evidence, including the C & D Special ridden by Maurice Candy and Jacques du Pont at the Isle of Man. Here Ed LaBelle took Jacques’ place in the low-slung sidecar, and the outfit emerged victorious.
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Prize money was paid to all except the stock “road” class competitors; here it was decided to present trophies to the first finisher in each of five classes as well as the overall winner. At the conclusion of the day’s racing, winners mounted a special “victor’s pedestal” as is done in Europe, where they were presented with trophies, the traditional laurel wreath and a bottle of champagne.
In the top photo, lightweight riders from ten states and Canada, on machines from England, Italy, Germany, Spain, Austria and Japan, accelerate away from the starting line. Below, left to right, Mrs. Marilyn Browne of Canada, first woman ever to compete in sidecar racing at Vineland; Bob Moore, 200cc class winner on Parilia; George Rockett, winner of the unlimited class on a 650 Triumph and Tom Waterfield, Yamaha rider who took 250cc class honors.
Heartened by spectator and rider interest in the event, the sponsoring group plans a series of similar events at Vineland in the near future.
Feature Final, Open Class 500cc and Fastest 250cc — 15 Laps
Open: George Rockett, Triumph 650cc 500cc: Kurt Liebmann, BMW 250cc: Tom Waterfield, Yamaha
Road Class — 8 Laps Overall: Dick Hagy, Honda 305 Unlimited: Herbert Phillips, H-D 833cc 750cc Flathead: Richard Cook, H-D 750cc 500cc: Valerie Eads, Triumph 500cc 250cc: AI Golden, Honda 250cc
HINES TOPS OREGON HILLCLIMB
Triumph mounted Tom Hines not only won every event entered at the recent Class C Chain Hillclimb held near Corvallis, Oregon (Expert 45", Expert 80", 80" Open Championship), he took home an impressive perpetual trophy as well. The award, given only to a three-in-arow winner, was accepted by Hines after victories in 1961 as a novice, 1962 as an expert, and again this year. Sponsored by the Oregon H-D Dealers Assn., the event was witnessed by approximately 2,500 spectators, and 17 entries were filed in each division.
LIGHTWEIGHT RACING AT THREE STAR RACEWAY
Three Star Raceway, located near McClellan Field, about 7 miles from Sacramento, California, boasts the only motorcycle race track of its kind on the west coast. The sixth-mile course was specifically designed for lightweight motorcycle racing, and is limited to cycles up to and including 250ccs. Fort Sutter M.C. of Sacramento has been sponsoring Sportsman Lightweight racing in the area for ten years, and at Three Star Raceway for five years. As many as 86 riders have turned out in one evening, with this the most profitable and successful season to date.
The moto-cross point system is used to compute riders’ standings and high point trophies are awarded to winners in the 50cc, 125cc, 200cc Novice, 200cc Expert and 250cc Expert classes. Riders return from great distances time and again to strive for the coveted points. Running on alternate Saturday nights, the last race of the season is scheduled for October 26th, reports Publicity Chairman Mrs. E. H. Burns, at which time the trophy presentations will be made.
