Racing Review
RACING REVIEW
CAROL SIMS
WHILE THE REST of the country was shivering in the grasp of winter, Southern California T.T. riders began their once-a-month schedule of races at Ascot Park. Warming up for the 100-lap steeplechase event reported elsewhere in this issue, they were out in force ... 194 of them. And all eager.
First came the novices, with their brightly colored leathers and shiny new equipment. Many showed promise, but outstanding among them was Ducati-mounted Bob West. He led the 8-lap main from start to finish and was never seriously challenged.
In the Amateur division, Jim Nicholson dominated an accident-marred program of events in which two leading amateurs, Gene Romero and Paul Conserriere, wound up in the hospital with minor injuries. Nicholson, a 120-pounder, wheeled the only entered Harley Sportster to heat race and main event victories, displaying a grace and smoothness of style that had the experts gawking. So overwhelming was his drive that he won the 10-lap feature by 17 full seconds over runner-up Mike Konle (Triumph).
At the start of the 15-lap Expert Main Event, Skip Van Leeuwen jumped into the lead ahead of Bob Bailey, Eddie Mulder and Dick Hammer, all mounted on Triumphs. Not until late in the race did Dave Palmer appear to be a threat. Starting 10th after winning the semi, he steadily carved his way forward, moving to 3rd by the 9th time around. On the 13th lap, as Van Leeuwen and Bailey waged their own private war for first, Palmer zipped by them both, stretching his lead to the finish. Bailey wound up second; Van Leeuwen nursed an ailing mount to third ahead of fast closing Dick Mann (Matchless), Sid Payne (Triumph) and Hammer.
DIXIE DRAGSTER
Quarter-mile times of 112.64 mph in 11.7 seconds were logged at the 5th annual Big Go South in Miami, Florida by this 650cc Triumph, shown with owner Gordon Stewart' aboard. Gordon rides out of Grand Prix M/C Shop in Miami.
A.C.A. SCRAMBLES FOR MONEY
A precedent-setting event took place recently at Willow Springs International . Raceway in Rosamond, California. W.S. Cooley’s A.C.A. presented a scrambles-formoney race, and the $500 purse lured many a top rider to the well-publicized affair.
The course, demanding in the extreme, wound around four miles of open desert, fire roads, sand, shale, hills, jumps and high-speed asphalt turns. Dead engine push starts were the rule, and a sweeping turn around paved portions of the Willow track preceded the rush up the mountain.
Greeves proved to be the perfect machine for this type of event, and Challengermounted Russ Darnell was the star of the day. After finishing second to Malcolm Smith in the one-hour combined 175cc/ 250cc race (Greeves took the first five places), Darnell went on to win the 350cc/ 500cc Open class event with an astonishing three-mile lead over second place Jack Ross on a 650cc Triumph. Little bike honors (up to lOOcc) went to Hayward Mendenhall on a Yamaha, ahead of Güera rider Eddie Wirth.
BIG DISTRICT SIX SCHEDULE
A banner year for professional AMA racing is shaping up in District Number Six (Eastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware), with ten Class C events scheduled. Nine of these will be held on half-mile dirt ovals, one will take place at the new 1-1/8 mile track in Nazareth, Pa. The schedule follows:
April 25—READING (Pa.) FAIRGROUNDS — $1800 May 2—NAZARTH, Pa. — $1200 May 9—WILLIAMS GROVE, Pa. — $1200 May 16—ALLENTOWN (Pa.) FAIRGROUNDS — $1500 May 31—YORK (Pa.) FAIRGROUNDS — $1800 July 18—WILLIAMS GROVE, Pa. — $1200 Aug. 7—NAZARETH 1-1/8 MILE (Sat. Night) — $3000 Aug. 28—PENNA. DUTCH, Reading (Sat. Night)—$1500 Aug. 29—WILLIAMS GROVE, Pa. — $1200
Plenty of action is insured by prize money totaling $15,900, and racing fans would do well to schedule their vacations with these dates in mind.
SAGE & SAND HARE SCRAMBLES
Seventy-eight riders gathered on the southern slopes of Rattlesnake Hill for the annual Hare & Hound Scrambles, sponsored each spring by the Sage & Sand Motorcycle Club of Sunnyside, Washington. Three and a half miles of rock-strewn gullies and dry washes made up most of the course, with an occasional sandy hillside to ensure position changing.
The day’s contests were divided into three classes, Open, 250cc, and lOOcc, with each class running three heats. First race was for the Open machines, and impatient big bore riders stood in front of their silenced mounts, straddling the front wheel. Then, at the starter’s gun, they scrambled aboard and took off. Thirty seconds later the 100s left in the same fashion. This arrangement worked out well with only a few of the open displacement bikes being passed by the 100s at the end of the two-lap heat. As soon as the first finishers were back at the start, the 250s roared away.
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Sunnyside dealer/racer Don Pomeroy swept all three heats of the 250 class on his Schwartz-tuned Cotton Cobra. Second and third place awards went to Ben Travis (Honda) and Chuck Hardin (Triumph).
In the Open class, Spokane dealer Darrel Triber emerged victorious on Don Pomeroy’s BSA after his own was damaged in the first heat. Pomeroy had withdrawn from that event when his fuel tank was split by a flying rock. Not to be outdone by circumstances, Triber changed tanks between heats one and two and proceeded to carry the banner for BSA. Bud Stultz and Dennis Ehding, both Triumph mounted, finished second and third.
Sixteen-year-old rider Pat Gray won the lOOcc class on his Yamaha. Ed Vanderveer (Honda) and Gary Heisey (Hodaka) were second and third. Vanderveer and Heisey took first and second in the Adult 100, since Gray’s win was listed in the “16 and Under” lOOcc class.
MINNESOTA CHAMPION SPORTSMEN HONORED
The Norsemen Motorcycle Club of Cambridge, Minnesota presented trophies to the top seven sportsmen riders in Minnesota at their annual club banquet, and BSA rider Bernard Larson took top honors for the season just past. Following in order were Allen Mathwig (BSA), Dennis Kannenberg (Honda), Thomas Slater (Triumph), Virgil Dickenson (Jawa), Ken Spear (Jawa) and Richard Carpenter (Matchless).
A variety of interests occupy the Norsemen. Scrambles, endurance runs, hillclimbs, field meets and trials keep them busy from spring until fall. Then, with the arrival of sub-zero temperatures, ice racing and road runs take over throughout the winter months.
HOW THE POINTS ARE SCORED
JACK HUNT HIGH POINT CMA RIDER
Jack Hunt of Toronto has been named the winner of the White Trophy by the Canadian Motorcycle Association. The trophy is awarded annually to the rider gaining the highest number of points in events sanctioned by the Association.
Born in Esthonia, the 24-year-old high point champion has lived in Canada for eight years, and is employed by Firth Motorcycles in Toronto. He has been riding motorcycles since he was 13, and started in competition in 1960. Now setting his sights on international racing, he will leave for England at the end of March to compete in British and European motocross events. “I want to see how I stack up internationally,” says Hunt. “There is a great deal more competition over there, and I know that if I do well it will prove that I am really good at the sport.”
Runner-up for the White Trophy is Yvon du Hamel of Montreal, and in third place is Maurice Fraser of Hamilton.
KEEPING FIT
John Surtees, defending World Champion in four-wheeled Grand Prix competition, hasn’t lost touch with motorcycles.
He uses this Greeves 24 T.F.S. Trials machine for between-race exercise and, if his busy schedule allows, may also enter a few local trials when at home in England.
A.M.A. CHARGES V.O.M. WITH LIBEL
An interesting legal decision has been handed down in the case of the American Motorcycle Association versus Robert Pilgrim. Recently summoned to the District Attorney’s office of San Mateo County, California, Mr. Pilgrim was charged with criminal libel as an outgrowth of charges, printed and distributed by his “Voice of the Membership,” that AMA members had no voting rights or voice in the AMA’s activities.
During the hearing, many hitherto undiscovered facts came to light. At the request of Ass’t Dist. Atty. Haverty, the AMA’s by-laws and corporate constitution were produced, which brought out that the Association has two classes of members. Class “A” members are either riders or interested parties. Class “B” members are either manufacturers, exporters or importers, or marketers of motorcycle accessories.
Unfortunately, the AMA constitution provides that only Class B members have voting rights. Although primarily financed by the Class A riding membership, Class B members have absolute, sole, final control in determining the direction and conduct of the entire corporation.
Hence, the bulk of the membership is represented by self-appointed officials who are in business to sell motorcycles and accessories, not to further the cause of the non-voting and long suffering racer. But this is the first time that the AMA has used the courts (ironically enough at the expense of the membership) in an attempt to suppress criticism of its activities. So it is especially gratifying that the libel charges against Mr. Pilgrim were flatly dismissed.
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This is a major step in the right direction, and perhaps it may lay the groundwork for further legal probings into the unjust treatment of Class A members. For example, it is a violation of constitutional rights for the AMA to deny its riders participation in races sanctioned by other groups, and penalizing them for such action amounts to flagrant disregard of the law. But until such time as riders, or groups of riders, band together in protest, with proper legal representation, these illegal activities will undoubtedly continue.
A.C.A. WILLOW SPRINGS ROAD RACE
Ninety-six professional road racers turned out for the A.C.A. season opener at Willow Springs, California, bringing with them a total of 130 machines. But at the end of a fine day’s racing, one rider and two machines stood out in everyone’s mind — Haruo Koshino and the fantastic 50cc and 125cc factory Suzuki rotary valve twins (reported in detail elsewhere in this issue).
Works rider Koshino, just over from Japan for the U.S.G.P. at Daytona, completely outclassed his opposition in the 50cc division, went on to lap the field in the 125cc class, and finished second to Tony Murphy in the 250cc class. The superiority of true factory machinery as compared to production models was never more evident.
The growing popularity of road racing in Southern California brought more competitors in all classes, and more spectators to watch them dice their way around the exacting Willow Springs course. A rather high accident rate accompanied the accelerated pace, though no really serious injuries resulted.
Fine individual performances dotted the day’s activities. Norton Manx mounted Ron Grant was impressive in beating back Buddy Parriott for 500cc class honors, and Tony Murphy took a double victory — first in the 250cc race and then, despite all Eric Dahlstrom and his Honda could do, winning the 350cc event on the same Yamaha TD-1B.
ACA ROAD RACE RESULTS:
