Racing Review
RACING REVIEW
KAWASAKI $750,000 CONTINGENCY
Kawasaki Motors Corp. has increased their cash contingency program to $750,000 for 1971.
According to Paul Collins, Kawasaki advertising manager, most winners are sponsored riders being paid or supported to ride. Kawasaki’s program, however, is designed to encourage and reward the privateer, whether he be dealer, rider, or a combination of both.
To be eligible, all winners for all events must be on a Kawasaki motorcycle plainly identified as such with large lettering. The competitor must also present a report and photograph, plus a signed publicity release to Kawasaki Motors Corp.
All claims must be submitted with an official results sheet signed by the referee or official in charge of the event. Prizes offered are subject to approval by the sponsoring organization.
Following is a schedule of the I 971 AMA National Championships, for which Kawasaki is offering a total cash contingency of $750,000.
SHORT TRACK NATIONALS January 25 Madison Square Garden, N.Y. January 30 Houston, Texas
August 13 Santa Fe, III.
Winner of expert main receives $10,000 Winner of junior main receives $3000 Madison Square Garden, winner of main event receives $7500
Total Contingency $46,500
T.T. NATIONALS
January 29 Houston, Texas
July 17 Castle Rock, Wash.
July 24 Gardena, Calif.
Winner expert main receives $10,000 Winner junior main receives $3000
Total Contingency $39,000
DAYTONA ROAD RACES
March 29 Daytona Beach, Fla.
Winner of junior main receives $6000 March 13 Daytona Beach, Fla.
Winner of junior/expert main receives $7500 March 14 Daytona Beach, Fla.
Winner of 200-mile national receives $20,000 Total Contingency $33,500
ONTARIO INTERNATIONAL
October 15-17 Ontario, Calif.
Winner of junior main receives $6000 Winner of junior expert main receives $7500 Winner of 200-mile national receives $20,000 Total Contingency $33,500
OTHER NATIONAL ROAD RACES
April 25 June 12-13 July 10-12 August 21 -22 September 4-5 Winner of novice/juni
Atlanta, Ga. Loudon, N.H. Kent, Wash. Mt. Pocono, Pa. Talladega, Ala. main receives $3000
Winner of junior/expert main receives $4000 Winner of expert main receives $10,000 Total Contingency $85,000
1/2-MILL NATIONALS
May 2 Cumberland, Md.
August 15 Jennerstown, Pa.
June 5 Louisville, Ky.
June 20 Terre Haute, Ind.
June 27 Columbus, Ohio
July 5 San Jose, Calif.
July 31 Corona, Calif.
September 25 Gardena, Calif.
October 23 Oklahoma City, Okla.
Winner of junior main receives $3000 Winner expert main receives $10,000 Total Contingency $117,000
ONL-MILL NATIONALS
August 8 Livonia, Mich.
September 12 Nazareth, Pa.
September 19 Sacramento, Calif.
Winner junior main receives $3000 Winner expert main receives $10,000 Total Contingency $39,000
KAWASAKI “GRAND NATIONAL’’ CHAMPION
The professional rider who receives the greatest number of AMA Grand National Points while riding a Kawasaki will receive $5000. Total Contingency $5000
The AMA Grand National Champion earning all total points on a Kawasaki receives $25,000.
Total Contingency $25,000
INTER AM MOTOCROSS SERIES
Winner of any senior international event receives $3000
Winner of senior Inter-Am 1971 series (overall winner) receives $10,000
Total Contingency $208,000
BONNEVILLE SPE LI ) W E L K
Total Contingency $34,000 value Winner of any one of the 69 classes who establishes and retains a new world record for 1971 on a Kawasaki receives a new 1971 Kawasaki 1 00-cc G4TR, value of $500.
NEW WORLD SPEED RECORD
For establishing a new world speed record for two wheeled motorcycles certified by AMA and holding this record for 1971, Kawasaki will pay—$35,000
NORRA (BAJA) Baja 500 First overall winner receives $5000 First lightweight motorcycle $ 500 First heavyweight motorcycle $ 500 Baja 1000 First overall winner receives $10,000 F;rst lightweight motorcycle $ 1,000 First heavyweight motorcycle $ 1,000
Total Contingency $18,000
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AFM ROAD RACE SERIES
Overall high point champion for 1971 receives $6000
All points must be earned while riding a Kawasaki
Total Contingency $6000
A AM R R ROAD RACE SERIES
Overall high point champion for 1971 receives $6000
All points must be earned while riding a Kawasaki
Total Contingency S6000
ACA ROAD RACE SERIES
Overall high point champion for 1971 receives $6000
All points must be earned while riding a Kawasaki
Total Contingency $6000
NHRA AURA DRAGS
First "stock street" Mach III Kawasaki turning 1/4 mile under 12 sec. receives $1 500 First "modified" Mach III Kawasaki turning 1 /4 mile under 1 1 sec. receives $2000 First fully modified "drag bike," "gas open" or "fuel open" Kawasaki Mach III turning 1/4 mile under 10 sec. receives $4000
MINT 400
First overall winner receives First lightweight motorcycle First heavyweight motorcycle
Total Contingency $6000
NIXON BREAKS LEG
Gary Nixon broke his left leg while cowtrailing and will not be able to ride in this year’s 200-mile Daytona road race.
At the end of the 1969 season, Nixon broke his left leg, just above the knee. Unfortunately, this recent break is located in the same place.
Doctors have placed another pin in the Triumph Team member’s leg, and there is every indication that he will return to racing before the end of the season.
Nixon, a two-time national champion, last won Daytona in 1967 and was favored by many, after his recent Lou-
$5000 $ 500 $ 500
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don road race victory, to win the 200-miler this year.
STREET HONDA TAKES 2ND
Production racing is done on stock machines, right? Well, sort of. For the most part, production racers are stock, but most have been polished, balanced, blueprinted, and super-tuned.
Obviously, you just don’t ride your street bike with 15,000 miles on it to the race track and compete. Everyone knows this—except for an Australian named Craig Brown who recently rode his street Honda CB750 to 2nd place in the Castrol 1000 six-hour production race.
Craig’s total preparation for the event consisted of removing his fairing, changing the handlebars, fitting a set of new K81 road tires, changing plugs and adjusting the points.
Besides his 2nd-place finish, Craig recorded an unofficial lap time of 63.9 sec. during practice; a total of 386 miles were covered during the event.
So why did Craig do it? Well, he was simply tired of people telling him that Honda 750s don’t handle well because of their size. Obviously, Craig proved his critics wrong.
Incidentally, Craig has no plans of making a career out of racing, and, to add insult to injury, he rode his machine home after the race.
VW-POWERED DRAGWAYE
Eleven years of development work have now paid off for British engineer Clive Waye, as he currently holds the ACV-FIM standing start quarter-mile record at 9.69 sec.
Although this is not as quick as
Borris Murray’s recent 9.03 sec. quarter-mile, it is, nonetheless, quite fast, and the 12-ft.-long Dragwaye is a totally unconventional machine.
Waye first thought out the girder-like design back in 1959. The driver is perched over the rear 4-in. slick, and the spindly front wheel, 10 ft. away, is operated by an intricate series of linkages.
Power comes from a modified 1300-ec Volkswagen engine which uses many Porsche parts. No horsepower claims have been made, but the unit revs to 7000 rpm. Machine weight is 3 25 lb.
It should also be noted that British sprinters make their runs alone on the drag strip. They race solely against the clock and not against each other, as in American drag racing.
BELL-TOPTEX CONTINGENCY
A grand total of $18,300 in contingency prize money is being offered by Bell-Toptex Inc., manufacturers of Bell helmets.
Winners and runners-up of AMA National Championships events will be paid $10,200. In all of these events, $200 will be paid for 1st place, $100 for 2nd, $50 for 3rd, and $50 for the 1 st-place Junior.
In addition, $3600 will be paid to the winners of the Trans-AMA motocross events, providing they are wearing Bell helmets throughout the event.
At the end of the 1971 season, the AMA Grand National champion will be presented with an award of $1000; the FIM 500cc and 250cc world road racing champions, the 500cc and 250cc world motocross champions, and the world
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speedway racing champion will receive $500 each, contingent on the fact that Bell helmets were worn throughout the season in those events that counted toward their respective championships.
Finally, anyone who sets an ultimate world motorcycle land speed record in 1971 will be paid $1000 providing the record still stands at the end of the year. A Bell helmet must be worn throughout the record attempts.
AMA INSURANCE
Effective January 1, 1971, all AMA members are covered by $1000 accidental death and dismemberment benefits in connection with a motorcycle at anytime throughout the world.
This probably makes the AMA the only association of its type to provide life and medical benefits to all of its members, whether they are professional competitors, amateur competitors, or non-competitive riders.
This insurance coverage is applicable whether the member is riding as a driver or passenger, off or on the road, or while spectating at a motorcycle event.
In addition, all members participating in AMA-sanctioned amateur road or off-road competition receive up to $10,000 medical coverage that will pay 75 percent of all medical expenses in excess of $25.
Benefits of $5000 are received for accidental death and or dismemberment for all those participating in AMAsanctioned events.
These benefits apply to all categories of sanctioned activity, whether of a road or off-road nature. No additional fee is charged for any portion of the AMA blanket coverage, and it does not conflict with or cancel any other insurance that the AMA member may possess.
AMA membership fees, however, have increased from $2 to $7.
HALLMAN IS BACK!
A relatively unimportant motocross race this spring produced some interesting news. As it was the first good motocross meeting of the year, most Swedish top names came, except for Arne Kring, who broke an old injury while skiing the day before, and Rolf Tibblin, whose machine was stuck in England due to strikes.
Torsten Hallman, who has recovered from his spine troubles, is a hot name for Yamaha in 1971, but still nothing seems definite. But for this event, he pulled a brand new 400-cc Husqvarna out of his shop at Uppsala, 50 miles north of Stockholm, and went to the track. No running in, no preparations, but two brilliant heat wins—1st in the 500-cc class, then in the 250 and 500
allcomers race. Only Torleif Hansen on a prototype 250 provided any serious opposition.
Torleif Hansen has been in the Swedish army for some time now, but will be a civilian in time for the World Championship series. It was expected that the temperamental Torleif would not be ideally suited for army life —“wonder if we don’t get a Swedish deserter in the U.S. when the motocross season starts over there” —but his officers have surprised the press and others by their enthusiasm. “With a hundred Torleifs, I would be perfectly happy,” his captain reports.
Anyway, Torleif will be a fine contender for the 1971 title, and he has a new bike. Basically, it is similar to the old Husqvarna 250, but there is a new, rotating cage transmission with five speeds and a slimmer, lighter tank.
The Husqvarna development staff is working on lightening operations, testing carburetors and ignition systems. There was a concentric Bing on Torleifs mount at its first showing, but that may change.
In the 250 heat, Torleif took the lead shortly after the start, and kept it until the engine stopped. After a while, he found that the air filter cover had vibrated against the fuel tap and closed it. He managed to restart, and finished 5th.
1970 ACA TEAM POINT STANDINGS
SHORT TRACK & TT
K&N ENGINEERING ............. 2303
DRACOS MOTORCYCLES .........613
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DON'S CYCLE ONTARIO ..........430
ALLEC BROS. YAMAHA ...........348
IRV SEAVERS MOTORCYCLES .....269
SUZUKI OF ONTARIO ............ 196
SOUTHLAND CYCLE ............. 187
ELSINORE RACEWAY ............ 183
DON VESCO RACING TEAM ....... 178
BILL BUTLERS FUN & FAST ....... 176
ROAD RACE
OCELOT ENGINEERING ..........547
EVANS CONST. & VESCO TEAM .... 466
MEL DINESON ...................223
BANSHEE TEAM .................214
YAMAHA INTERNATIONAL ....... 132
ED KELLY CYCLES .............. 103
SID CHAMBERS ENTERPRISES ......99
GVSSPORTS CENTER .............76
TENNIS SHOE ....................67
FLURO TEK, INC..................65
MO roc ROSS
SAGEBRUSHERS M/C......... 194
ORANGE COUNTY HONDA .........67
ORANGE COUNTY CYCLE ..........36
KAGAYS ........................33
AMERICAN JAWA .................21
CHAMPION MOTORCYCLES ........20
PACIFIC COAST HONDA ........... 17
SUZUKI FUN WHEELS ............. 16
STEVE'S BULTACO ................ 15
R&D SPORTSCYCLE ................4
NORTON VILLIERS ................3
UNICORN MOTORCYCLES ..........3
HOCKIES MOTORCYCLES ...........2
EL TORO SPORTS CENTER ..........2
PRECISION CYCLE .................2
BATES CONTINGENCY PROGRAM
Bates Industries, a leading manufacturer of motoreyele aeeessories and eustom-fitted racing leathers, has announced a $25,000 contingency fund for American Motorcycle Association championship events in 1 97 1 .
The fund includes a $5000 contingency award for the Grand National champion, $1000 each to the winners of the 200-mile road races at Daytona Beach, Fla. and Ontario, Calif., and prize money as far hack as 3rd place for all National Championship events. It also included the National Championship Hillelimbs, and the Trans-AM A Motocross events.
Interested riders should contact AMA headquarters or Bates Industries for details.
