25 Years Ago July 1980

25 YEARS AGO JULY 1980

John Ulrich caught

streaking?! Well, past the camera at least. CW’s ex-Executive Editor was fully clothed—er, leathered up—for his Willow Springs Raceway track test on the “Aluminum Steamroller,” a 347-pound, 150-mph, Sportster-based, street-licensed roadracer constructed by rider Vance Breese and engine-builder Alan Sputhe. “No ordinary Harley, indeed,” scribed story author Peter Egan.

• With the AMA ash-canning its claiming rule in motocross, the factories were free to go all-out for the title. Works water-coolers were the result, the Honda RC125, Kawasaki KX125, Suzuki RA125 and Yamaha 0W43, the latter two getting the most wins that season with riders Mark Barnett and Broc Glover.

• “Alone in Europe” profiled Randy Mamola, then just 20 years old and still with a full head of red hair. “You have to take Mamola seriously,” wrote Ulrich. “Riding only half the 500 GPs, he finished the season ranked eighth in points in the most competitive World Championship class.”

Now retired from racing but still deeply involved in the sport, Mamola is best known for having been runner-up in the premier class four times.

That, and his wacky sense of humor.

• “If you like to watch racing movies, you’ll like this one,” opined Editor Allan Girdler In his review of On Any Sunday II.

“But it ain’t like On Any Sunday." Too true.

Matthew Miles