Racing Review
RACING REVIEW
SPEEDWAY DOLDRUMS: WHY?
While the Costa Mesa Fairgrounds mini-track, owned by the triumvirate of Jack Milne, Harry Oxley and Gene Rhyne, continues in its second year as a Fort Knox financially, with crowds of some 5000 in attendance regularly, the Class A speedway game on the Pacific Coast has not developed into a circuit as it did in the 1930’s.
At that time there were ovals operating in San Diego, Long Beach, Bakersfield, Fresno, Stockton, Sacramento and Oakland. It was believed that with the success of Costa Mesa racing last year there would be an epidemic of ovals in 1970, but this has not happened (despite better equipment and plenty of bikes and riders). Apparently there are several reasons why, at this writing, the boys have only two night spots to race,
Costa Mesa and Bakersfield.
The original promoter who opened Bakersfield Fairgrounds in May of this year, Dr. Louis Sell, a dentist and auto race driver, said he lost several thousand dollars before turning the place over to Gene Rhyne, who reports only nominal success. Sell had some trouble with riders on at least one occasion on a matter involving prize money, he and the riders giving different versions of why and what. Sell says he barred at least one bike owner and rider from the track.
Pete Palmer tried promoting at the Fairgrounds in Lancaster and folded after sparse attendance.
The population centers where the sport flourished in the 30’s such as San Diego, Fresno and Oakland do not have tracks. Clovis, near Fresno, has stands, lights and a track that could be revamped for Class A, and this may go into operation, although a local curfew law looms as a hindrance. Teen-agers are required to be off the streets at 10 p.m.
J.C. Agajanian reports that Class A is planned for Sacramento but probably will not go into operation until next year.
Several promoters have talked of opening at the Ventura County Fairgrounds, which has 3200 seats and a track much larger than Costa Mesa’s tiny oval, but they have been scared away by cold nights at the seaside plant. The track is right beside the ocean.
Dick Kanold, owner of Oxnard Automatic Sales who thought seriously of running the broadsliders at Ventura, dug into the expense of operating weekly (Continued on page 64) and came up with these figures, which may be of use to potential Class A promoters:
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Track rent, $300; Speedway Racing Association (they have two tracks) sanction, $35; racing officials and help, $150; gatekeepers and ticket sellers, $100; six policemen, $108; guaranteed prize money against 30 percent, $1000; announcer, $50 or less; ambulance, $50; sound system, $50; rider insurance, $100 a night; public liability insurance, $125 a night; water wagon, $50; track work, $150; stadium miscellaneous help, $50; advertising, $300; publicity man, $350.
“This landed us around $3000 a night and it loomed as a very close race between the expenses and the possible gate receipts,” said Kanold, who has a large operation with Navy bases and other businesses in the Ventura area and has been highly successful and stable in the vending and amusement machine business for 18 years.
Not previously reported is the fact that a Sunday afternoon race this summer at El Cajon, near San Diego, was not acclaimed a howling financial success and that indoor racing in Los Angeles last year was tried and not continued.
So there are more riders with ESO Jawa and JAP machines than needed by the two tracks.
It seems unfortunate that spectacular boys like Rick Woods, Steve and Mike Bast, Bill Cody, Mike Konle, Ron Miller, Dennis Gildehaus, Sonny Nutter and others haven’t more chances to display their talents and win money. So how can it be done?
One suggestion from Norm Hartford, a promoter of speedway since the Thirties: instead of 30 percent, the riders should receive 40 percent, with no guarantee demanded. That would allow the promoters a chance to get more towns operating.
CANADIAN GRAND PRIX
The sidecar event provided drama, excitement and tremendous dicing in the FIM sanctioned Canadian Grand Prix held over the 2.45-mile road circuit at Mosport, Ont. Two teams from Calif, came to do battle with the established Canuck crews for top honors in North America, and put on a display of acrobatics that held the spectators spellbound.
Dean Hummer and Rulan Gulbransen, recognized as the “Best in the West,” brought along their 883-cc Harley fitted with a right-hand chair, and after practice they were confident that they would retain their unbeaten record on asphalt. The first two-stroke powered machine appeared in the hands of Otto Auer and Walt Garnett. It was a Kawasaki engine which added greatly to the sound effects but was lacking in horsepower.
Locals Powell/Rice, veterans Herrmann/Davis and rookies Manning/ Smith, all Triumph powered, were the main contenders.
Manning blasted into the lead followed by Herrmann, Powell, Murphy/ Boyce and Hummer. Powell moved past Herrmann on the second lap and tailed Manning, while the opposing antics of leftand right-side passengers Boyce and Gulbransen contrasted sharply. Hummer took Murphy on the outside of the fast downhill Turn 2 as Herrmann set about Manning, now relegated to 2nd by Powell.
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The first three crews were displaying fluid teamwork and precise drifting while the H-D pilot was using handfuls of throttle to correct the oversteering characteristics of the high-framed beast fitted with telescopic front forks. Powell and Rice were sidelined with fuel feed problems when they looked set for victory, leaving the jubilant Manning/ Smith crew holding 1st place at the flag by 4 sec. from Herrmann and Davis. Third was the Hummer/Gulbransen outfit, which slowed dramatically on the last lap due to lack of rear wheel spokes. They were just ahead of Murphy, who held off Whittaker/Schock by 2.5 sec.
In comparison the 125-cc and 250-cc GPs were rather tame, but they did start the trend of American domination of the solo events. Duane McDaniels, from Milford Mich., ran away with both races on his Twin K Yamahas. Lacking any real competition, he won easily from Karl Bergschwenger and Fred Guttner, both also Yamaha mounted. Twentyeight-year-old McDaniels, currently holder of the Canadian No. 1 road racing plate, anticipated a duel with the Deeley camp, but Yvon du Hamel did not arrive, and Lloyd suffers from a lack of confidence.
Run concurrently, the 500-cc and Open events gave the Canadian spectators their first taste of Daytona-type racing, with interest centered on battles between the brands—Yamaha, Honda, Triumph, Kawasaki and BSA. Kurt Liebmann jumped into an early lead on his meticulously prepared Honda Four ahead of Fred Guttner, aboard a twitchy Yamaha. Then came McDaniels and Jim Allen (Suzuki). Allen, desperate for a home win, set after the three Americans in tremendous fashion, disposing of Guttner and Liebmann in two laps and diving inside McDaniels at the bottom of Turn 2 to take a 100-yard lead. Quirk (Kawasaki) and Purdy (Yamaha) were both outstanding in their move through the pack, while a disappointed Platt parked the other Honda Four at Moss’s corner with serious internal rumblings.
Three laps from the finish, Allen shot into the chute well in the lead but, searching desperately for gears, he discovered a broken rear chain. McDaniels scorched past to take a hat-trick of GP wins, the first rider ever to take all three events. Quirk was 2nd on his Kawasaki, with similarly mounted Sturgess, 3rd. Liebmann completed the American rout by placing first in the Open GP ahead of Sorensen and Lysight, both on Triumphs.
The preliminary events held the previous day catered to Juniors and production riders. Fifty Juniors scorched off the grid from a massed start, all determined to lead into the first turn. Eight didn’t get through, causing sufficient confusion to allow Pat Julig, on a six-year-old Ducati, to lead home a bunch of Yamahas. Production riders, now recovered from a recent 24-hour marathon, continued the “dealers’ battles.” Dan Sorensen (Trident) outrode first-year-Expert Randy Platt (Honda) for another victory, while Kawasaki extended their run in the 250-cc class with Sandy Douglas aboard.
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Again, it was hoped that a few AMA road racers would be tempted to show their skills on this demanding course, but none appeared. Could it be that they were not enticed? Surely this well organized event could be slated for a suitable date in 1971 to provide a truly International field.
MURRAY QUARTERS IN 9.07!
Boris Murray and his double-engined Triumph fuel dragster, subjects of our August issue cover story, broke the standing U.S. quarter-mile elapsed time record recently at an unofficial meet in Twin Cities, Minn.
He smoked down the drag strip in 9.07 sec. and posted a terminal speed of 168.85 mph. His best previous e.t. was 9.25-sec. at a fraction over 165 mph.
The new time most definitely supports the lanky Californian’s claim that he can beat “those East Coast cats.” The best elapsed time posted officially so far was the 9.10-sec. run by Sonny Routt’s double Triumph. Murray’s 9.07 does not go on the record books, however, as it was not achieved at an NHRA event.
Boris’ fantastic performance at Twin Cities was the culmination of a threeweek tour, during which he was locked in battle with some of the quickest Harley fuelers in the country.
Murray began the war at Houma, La., where he won Top Fuel Eliminator with a 9.24-sec. standing start quarter-mile run. Then, at Bowling Green, Ky., the following week, he again won Top Fuel, posting an official NHRA terminal speed record of 166.35 mph, as well as defeating Harley exponent Jim Pressler.
At Twin Cities, Murray again zapped Pressler, whose best run was 9.25 sec. at 155 mph before the H-D’s gearbox failed.
Murray feels he is approaching that magic barrier, beyond which are runs in the 8s. He wants to be the first to do it. At Twin Cities, he might have done it on his last run, but he got so much traction that the front wheel started lifting. So he had to ease off on the throttle. Even so, he ran off an impressive 9.12-sec. charge to the finish!
ISDT COMPETITORS NAMED
Competitors from the U.S. to this year’s International Six Days Trial in Spain have been named.
The selection was made by a 25-man ad hoc committee, meeting in Los Angeles and representing both factions of MICUS (Motorcycling International Committee of the United States) as well as the AMA, and interested riders and industry representatives. The meeting was chaired by CW Editor Ivan Wagar, in cooperation with Mr. and Mrs. Wes Cooley of MICUS, and Jack Krizman, 1969 ISDT juryman.
Because of the wide representation involved, this year’s selection of ISDT participants is a landmark, of sorts, and should do much to squelch murmurs of past years that U.S. ISDT selections were crony-oriented.
For the first time, the United States will have a six-man Trophy Team, due to liberalization of rules by the FIM. Formerly, a Trophy team had to be mounted on motorcycles manufactured in its own country, but that no longer obtains.
In secret ballot, the committee of 25 selected Husqvarna to provide Trophy team machines. The company, participating officially in the ISDT for the first time, offered full support to a U.S. team in the form of one 250-cc machine, two 360s and five 400s, and on-site factory personnel. A bid for the Trophy team had also been made by Puch and Sachs.
The Trophy team will comprise Western stars Malcolm Smith, Bud Ekins, Mike Patrick and Eastern enduro circuit riders Jeff Penton, Ron Bohn and Bob Fusan. Alternates are Dave Mungenast and Whitey Martino.
We will also have two four-man Vase teams. The Vase A team, to be mounted on Pentons, consists of John Penton, Jack Penton, Tom Penton and Doug Wilford, all top flight Eastern Circuit men. Leroy Winters will be the alternate for this squad.
Vase B team is made up of Preston Petty, Dave Ekins, Bill Uhl and Paul Hunt, with Gene Canady as alternate. Puch is to supply machines and support for the team.
Odd sounding as it is, the U.S. will also have a manufacturers team. Bultaco made the sole bid for this berth and so will make up the team. Its riders will be Gerry Pacholke, Bob Maus and Larry Berquist, with Bill Ostercamp as alternate.
A three-man club team was formed for riders Bob Hicks, David Eames and Pete Sullivan.
Other individual entrants will also be grouped into club teams to give them the best possible chance of acceptance in the 1970 ISDT by the FIM. These include:
Charlie Hockie, AÍ Baker, Herb Uhl, Dale Richardson, Bob Robstadt, George Johnson, Lewis Milligan, Hugh Standriver, AÍ Rogers, Bob Armstrong, Mike Lewis, Bob Ewing, Charles Whitter, Rich Smith and Tom Canning.
The selection committee included many well-known names in motorcycling. Representing the AMA were President William Bagnall and Rider Representative Tom Clark. From the AFM Los Angeles chapter came Jim Manning. Also present for MICUS, in_addition to Wes Cooley, was John McLaughlin. Olin Hunt represented NORRA (National Off-Road Racing Association).
From the publishing industry, participants were Joseph C. Parkhurst, Ivan Wagar and Dan Hunt, of CYCLE WORLD; Bryon Farnsworth of Cycle; and Chuck Clayton of Cycle News.
Also present: Ted Lapidakis, representing Sachs and Puch; John Penton, representing Penton motorcycles; Edison Dye, representing Husqvarna; Tom Patton and Bill Dutcher, of Bultaco; Tom Heineger of Webco Inc.; Bob Ewing, Paul Hunt, Preston Petty, Malcolm Smith, and Ted Moore. [O]
