Round Up

ROUND UP

JOE PARKHURST

ONE OF THE main attractions at the recently convened round of motorcycle trade shows staged by Motorcycle Dealer News was a movie being shown on the continuous projector in the Webco booth. The 200-ft., 8mm, color film is called “Cycle Racing Review.” It runs for about 12 minutes, and depicts the motocross at Ontario last year, speedway at Orange County, TT at Ascot, the Champion 200 at Ontario and the CYCLE WORLD Grand Prix at Saddleback.

Besides showing some superb racing sequences, some of the crash scenes are almost unbelievable. Yvon DuHamel’s spectacular crash is shown in agonizing slow motion. His injuries were minor, but you would find it hard to believe after watching each and every bone jarring bump and smash.

Ake Jonsson’s fantastic win at the Trans-AMA final at Saddleback Park alone is worth the price of the film ($24.95). His wild trip down Bonzai hill, followed by Joel Robert, dramatically displays why Ake wins so often. Webco had to shut the movie off in order to clear the aisle around its booth, which should give you some idea of how good this film is.

SUZUKI FUNFAIR STARTS

The Suzuki Funfair has taken off on an 8-month tour of the major population centers around the country, appearing at shopping malls in more than 50 cities. The Funfair is a display of Suzuki bikes, Hobie catamarans, Winnebago motorhomes, several forms of off-road vehicles, and sporting equipment. It will offer many people the opportunity to see a large concentration of outdoor gear under very pleasant conditions.

We will have a booth at each of the shopping malls, offering CYCLE WORLD subscriptions at a very special price. Several other magazines we publish will be offered at special introductory subscription prices—Road & Track, PV4 and World Tennis magazines are the ones...look for us.

MOTORCYCLE PARKS ABOUND

We started Saddleback motorcycle park over six years ago, and like every good idea anyone ever had it wasn’t long before a lot of people were operating them. We have several imitators in California now, most of whom are doing an excellent job. But the one being built in the Ozark mountains in Missouri has to be the park to end all.

We thought Saddleback was big with more than 700 acres, but the new Ringo Springs park will have the use of some 200,000 acres! It is, of course, being described with sweeping superlatives like world’s finest and largest, etc. Largest, it certainly will be!

The site includes some of the last remaining unaltered wilderness in the Midwest and was chosen by an unnamed rider from the area who has ridden the ISDT for two years. The area is one of long, green valleys, pine and cedar trees, and pure springs, surrounded by the Ozarks. It sounds lovely. Plans include an air conditioned trading post that will sell parts and camping necessities, rest rooms with showers, laundromat, even a swimming pool with sun deck.

Ringo Springs is scheduled to open

on the 19th or 20th of May with a 200-mile cross-country event called the Ozark Grand Prix. The location is near Baliwin, Missouri, and mail can be d rected to Box 919, Manchester Branc Ballwin, MO 63011. We'll be watching this one closely. There is certainly no question of the fact that with land closures facing us anew almost every day, and the increase in off-road riding, the era of the motorcycle park is here.

NORTON SPECTACULAR

Norton Villiers recently staged a con test in England for purchasers of Nortons and gave away a new 750cc Pro duction Racer. Entrants had to answer eight multiple choice questions and supply a finish to the statement: "The Norton Isolastic Construction is unique because A chap named Michael Gibbes from Haversham (Bucks), filled it in nicely with: "...its flexible ap proach leaves the opposition rigid." Several hundred entries were r ceived, 39 of which answered the que tions correctly, so the winner was selec ted by his slogan. The British are great ones for contests. It's a pity there aren't more held over here.