Round Up
ROUND UP
JOE PARKHURST
CYCLE WORLD’S MOTORCYCLE SHOW continues to be the largest show in the world. Over 143,000 people jammed the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena this year. The giant three-way extravaganza of custom cars, dune buggies and hot VWs, plus more motorcycles than you can shake a stick at, is the biggest crowd-drawing affair at the Sports Arena during the whole year. We surveyed the attending audience one year, and over 60 percent came to see the bikes. That means 85,000 people came to see the bikes alone. That makes the CW affair bigger than any so-called “all motorcycle” show in the country. Boy, are we proud.
A few of the people that make the show the huge success it is are guys like the wonderful gang from the Classic & Antique Motorcycle Association, who bring down a fantastic collection of bikes that always contains at least one or two trophy winners. Readers who might be interested in joining the association can write them at 808 S. Church St., Visalia, CA 93277.
Another group that gives us a big hand each year is the Side Hack Associa tion. They always round up a selection of rare and sometimes exotic rigs that help make the show. In the past, we have had both the Ariel Owners Club and the Vincent Owners Club take part. This year we had two speedway racing groups, Speedway Racing Association and Great Bear Enterprises. Several mo torcycle clubs were involved, and of course, we could not put the show on without the Tridents Custom Car Club. Thanks one and all. I'll call you next year!
CYCLE WORLD GOES MOVIE MAD Movie mogul Clyde Earl, another member of the CYCLE WORLD show staff that I can't thank enough, put together a little 10-minute 16-mm color film for this year's CW theater during the show. He filmed the 1969 Inter-Am motocross at Saddleback Park (another CYCLE WORLD project). Clyde is the one behind the Bolex in the nearby photo. CYCLE WORLD'S resident jazzrock band, the Harley-Davidson Mojo Company, supplied a musical back ground for the epic flick. It didn't win any awards, and I'm inclined to believe it never will, but it was a lot of fun to make. Clyde, for those who may not know, is without question the best informed, best supplied motorcycle movie man in the country. He has run the theater during seven years of CYCLE WORLD shows. We'd be dead without him. His collection of motor cycle movies is unsurpassed. If he doesn't have it, he can find it.
RESCUE THREE
The recent Mint 400 desert race was almost without question the dustiest, dirtiest race in the world. Tom Bates, Editor of CYCLE WORLD's companion publication, DUNE BUGGIES & HOT VWS, was almost blinded, due to ill-fit ting goggles. He was aided by a group called Rescue 3, who took him to a house trailer they were operating on th~ course. The trailer had been set up with several cots and was being used to treat competitors injured in the race. Rescue 3 guys were all over the course on bikes, buggies, jeeps, etc. They have been a familiar group at~ cross-country motor cycle races for some time, but they were new to buggy-minded Bates.
Queries produced the information that they were a volunteer group, pay ing for their expenses out of their own pockets. Clubs organizing events gener ally pay for their services to a certain extent, but Rescue 3 members stress the fact that they do not solicit contribu tions. Though they receive some kind of donation from the organizing club, it seems to me that we owe them a great deal. They undoubtedly could use addi tional funds, and every competitor in the Mint and countless other desert events certainly owe them a huge debt of thanks. Backing it up with a contri bution wouldn't hurt either. The group, sometimes known as the Community Assistance Group, can be reached at P.O. Box 1136, Barstow, CA 92311. I hope every off-road racing enthusiast will join me in writing them a note of thanks for being some of the nicest guys around, and proving their feelings with a check. They operate their own commu nications network, are well equipped with mobile equipment, and are always ready to serve.
