Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

Cycle News 1966 09 29

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

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• WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 29 tllrougb OCTOBER 5, 1966 VOLUME III NUMBER 38 • SflcrflmenfD Runs True TD FDrm • 8 W EIS " 8 YEARS (Pictorial begins on page 22. Results, page 21) Nix Nabs National • The sacramento legend keeps going with eight years of racing history and eight diff~rent winners. Joining the illustrious line of 20mile champions last Sunday was Oklahoma's Fred Nix who carne from way back on the ·last mile to win his first National ChamPionship in the closest finish ever recorded in west coast national racing. Tlle slick Sooner from Lawton, Oklahoma powered Qy sammy Tanner ten yards from the finish line to win by half a length before a roaring record crowd of over 15,000 fans. It also shot him into the top ten in the final national standings. He was 17th going into the race, which was the last AMA national of the year. Nix ran a close second to defending champion Mert Lawwill in the heat race but came back to lead the first seven Illils in the 20-lap final. Markel edged across the line hy Inches to lead the 8 th lap but it was Nix in front by inches over Lawwill and Markel the next round. "Flea" ReallJ Flew! • The lead changed hands eight times across the finish line during the hotly contested event that saw sammy Tanner come from way back during the openin g laps and overhaul the leaders to take the lead on the 11 th mile. Nix again was In front the next three lal;ls, but it was Tanner again at the end of 15 miles and starting to move away. Lawwill got off the groove twice on laps 14 & 15 to put him out of contention for the win. He had to battle back late in the race to re-pass Markel and Gary Nixoo to finish a closing third. The start of the final lap had Tanner in front by eight lengths over Nix. Fred scored down the back chute to pull closer going into the final turn. Tanner appeared to go in too hot and went wide with Nix pulling up end for end down the final stretch. The two were side by side 50 yanls from the checkered nag with Nix going to the inside the last ten yards and making it to the front right at the finish. Seventeen of the twenty finalists were still around at the finish. Don Hawley fell off early in the race with Neil Keen and Gene Romero l;Iulllng in with engine troubles. Rome ro had fifth place locked up wben he dropped out on the 14th mile. Carter Tops '-leur Stars • The Amateur final was nearly as close a finish with John Carter coming from way back to pull up even with Gerry seguin as the two started the last lap. carter shot to the inside of the first turn with Seguin giving the fans a thrill with a wild sliding spill. Carter then powered in for his first big win. Sequin later righted himself and walked back to the pits, receiving a large ovation from the crowd that had earlier watched him post fast Amateur time and win his heat race. • 'VIH31VIN a31va SSV'3 aNOJ3S Above: Flying Freddy NIx, Harley-Davidson mounted, squHked by Sammy Tanner to cop top gold In Sunday's 2O-mlle National at Sacramento Fair Grounds, Points Race to Markel Orange County with 19,152 and San Diego County with 17.370. San Bernardino and Alameda Counties are neck and neck with 12.743 and 12,702 respectively, Still uncounted are the nonregistered, sporting machines, which may surpass in number the 285,000 licensed for the road. Pos. New TT rrad for AMA Pro's FolloWing are the final AlIA points standings In the nation for 1966: Rider Brand 1. Bart Markel H·D 2. Gary Nixon Tri 3. Sammy Tanner BSA 4. Eddie Mulder Tri 5. Chris Draayer H-D 6. Men Lawwill H·D 7. Roger Reiman H-D 8. Buddy Elmore Tri 9. Ralph White BSA&Mat 10. Fred Nix H-D 11. Cal Rayborn H-D 12. Dick Mann BSA&Mat 13. George RoederH-D 14. Babe Demay H-D 15. Gene Romero Tri Rich Pts. 428 361 241 220 212 187 175 166 159 149 147 144 117 111 102 d Ramblers Host Vetter-Schmidt Benefit Dance The Richmond Ramblers Clubhouse at Point Richmond, California will be the scene the night of October 8th for the greatest dance of the year in the area••• and for a great cause. The benefits are for the aid of Rick Vetter and Joe Schmidt, the boys who were gravely injured at the Springfield National. Great doorprizes have been donated by Yamaha International, Cycle Imports of San Mateo and Tom Clark's Cycle Specialties. First prize will be a '66 Yamaha, and a Bates seat, Bell helmets, jackets, gift certificates and money prizes will brighten the evening. For Further information, contact John Pires at 897-1281 or Lance Pres. tige at (415) 761-2294. The report of the accident in Cycle News was erronious where it stated that riders went wide to avoid fallen Jack McNairy. McNairy was in back of the field and went down himself to avoid the fallen man, .. ...1_ _ \ John Carter, the grinning Amateur winner at Sacramento Sunday, 285,449 M/C'S EG. I C LIF. California motorcycle registrations as of August, 1966 were 285, 449, according to the latest Dept. of Motor Vehicles report. Last -May only about 245,000 bikes were registered in the state. Cycles now represent 2.65 per cent of the total vehicles registered, out of 10,759, 380 in the state. Los Angeles County leads with 102,504 motorcycles, followerl by Will Tice, owner of the new SanGa~ riel Raceway at Irwindale had announced he is ready to go full tilt. His new track, located just off the San Bernardino Freeway, will host the TT cycles onsatulday nights,October8th and 15th. The race will have a guaranteed purse of $2500.00 with added purses to the winners of the Expert, Amateur and Novice main events. The course has two jumps and many fast sweeping turns along with grandstands that accomodate 6,000 fans. Oval racing is also planned for later in the year or early next season. The track will run weekly cycle shows in 1967, aiso. Fans planning on attending the OI;)ener the 8th should take the San Bernardino Fearway east, then turn off at the Rivergrade tum-off and go north just a few blocks to the new raceway. Starting time on October 8th will be at 8 :00 l;I.m. SAFETY PROBLEM LOOMS ASBIGGEST T H R E A T : y c h u c k c l a s ton 'I don't see why the trend can't continue indefinitely if we can do something about these accidents, 'aleading member of the industry said recently. "I'm afraid if we don't do something about it soon, Washington will.· He didn't have to spell out exactly what the Senate committee investigating traffic safety would do about it. We both knew, whatever, we wouldn't like it. Never has the motorcycle business and motorcycle sport enjoyed such high profits and prestige In the U.S. Yet, we could lose everything overnight if the same anger that congress is currently venting on the automobile industry were directed at the two-wheel trade. Surely our industry will rise to the chal1enge and thwart our enemies with the same vigorous determination that they lavished on the "l;Iroblem element,· which threatens us from within. In other words, politicians and newspapers will have a field-day at our expense... if we don't do something about the problems ourselves. There is a way out of our dilemma . which I hope to propose within a few weeks, but it requires giving, and that is something fairly rare in the motorcycle industry. At least we can pinl;loint the areas in which need our attention. Legislation: we need laws to protecl. u from other drivers, especially car drivers. One of the first things that should be requited is a side-view mirror on every car to help eliminate that fatal "blind spot·, The same California state office that issued printed cards with every vehiCle registration last year erroniously adVising that motorcycles are banned from all forest trails should issue a similar card advising motorists how to keep from hitting motorcycles in traffic. Special ha7..ards to cycle riding mu t be danger-marked until they can be eliminated, even if state vehicle tax money has to be spent to do iL And there are many other things that need being done to get California ready for the real motoTcycle hoom to come in the future. Cycle News will 'keep you advised of progress in this matter or lack of same. 50806 'J!I!:J 'q3eas :tuO' 'PAIS qj)!as 3Ut, 'N Ln9 SM3N 31JAJ

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