Afm Willow Springs Races

AFM WILLOW SPRINGS RACES

GEORGE PAXTON

WILLOW SPRINGS RACEWAY, near Rosamond, California, hosted the first American Federation of Motorcyclists allmotorcycle road races of the season. Buddy Parriott, La Puente, California Norton rider, made it a triple show by winning the 500cc event in both of the two days of racing, plus the main event on the second day. Parriott won the 500cc race on the first day after a wild dice with the noted AFM Matchless exponent Don Vesco, winner of the recent USMC Daytona races on a Yamaha.

In the first day's 250cc race, won by Ron Grant on his Honda, Norris Rancourt's Parilla, often the victor in this AFM category, did not finish. Rancourt did manage a smashing win in the 175cc class race on a borrowed Parilla, though.

One of the best shows of the day was that staged by Dave Buising and Tony Murphy in the 350cc event with Murphy coming out on top on his Honda; later Buising brought his AJS 7-R home as the first small bore machine in the main event on the second day. The ultra-lightweight classes were dominated by John Honda's impressive Tohatsu twin. •

Race 1 — 251-350cc Tony Murphy, Honda Dave Buising, AJS Writzel Morgan, Honda Race 2 — 100-125cc John Honda, Tohatsu Tony Murphy, Honda Sherman Gray, Tohatsu Race 3 — 351-500cc & Open Buddy Parriott, Norton Manx Alan Krupa, Norton Manx Don Vesco, Matchless G-50 Race 3 — Open Class A. Whitney, BSA D. Harwood, Triumph D. Van Tassel, 505 Manx Race 4 — 126-175qc Norris Rancourt, Parilla Ron West, Ducati Dick Churchill, Ducati

Race 5 — 176-250cc Ron Grant, Honda Jim Dey, Parilla Ben Clawson ,Ducati Race 6 — 50cc John Honda, Tohatsu Sherman Gray, Tohatsu Bill Hogue, Tohatsu Race 7 — 100-250cc Ron Grant, Honda Alan Krupa, Aermacchi L. Horn, Honda Race 8 — 251-1000cc Buddy Parriott, Norton Lance Weill, Norton Vic Vila, Norton