1955 Harley-Davidson Brad Andres Win Daytona Beach Florida 200 - 1-Page Article

Description

1955 Harley-Davidson Brad Andres Win Daytona Beach Florida 200 - 1-Page Article
Original, Vintage Magazine Article
Page Size: Approx. 8" x 11" (21 cm x 28 cm)
Condition: Good
Brad Andres, H-D, Wins Daytona 200
Harley-Davidson Riders
Finish 1-2-3 in Florida Classic
RIDING HIS FIRST race under his new Expert Rider
classification, 19-year-old Brad Andres streaked home
the victor in the 200 Mile AMA National Championship
Motorcycle Races on Sunday, March 13th, at Daytona
Beach, Florida. The San Diego (Calif.) youth was riding a
Harley-Davidson KR, which was tuned by his dealer-father
Leonard Andres. Brad set a new record for the distance,
averaging 94.57 mph for the double-century grind. This
erased Goldsmith’s 1953 mark of 94.45 mph. Finishing just
30 seconds behind the winner was Harley Davidson mount-
ed Jimmy Phillips from Pasadena, Calif. Just over two
minutes behind Andres, and finishing 3rd, was Johnny Gib-
son, also riding a Harley-Davidson, and from Duarte, Calif.
A clean sweep for Harley-Davidson by three Southern Cali-
fornia riders’
The early leader was Paul Goldsmith, who took the lead
on the 3rd lap, and built up an impressive lead on his
Harley-Davidson by the 31st lap. Goldsmith was taking the
south turn and the beach straightaway very high, riding
right along the ocean’s edge. On the 31st lap he miscal-
culated his sand and surf margin, hit the water and went
down. Eddie Kretz Jr., who was riding right behind Gold-
smith, took to the surf also, to avoid hitting the downed
Goldsmith. (Next month’s issue will feature sequence
photos of this double spill). Both riders remounted and
again entered the competition. Goldsmith’s bike suffered
a pair of bent forks, and he retired four laps later. Kretz
went on to finish 13th. Out of approximately 90 entries, a
scant two dozen were still running with the drop of the
checkered flag. Andres’ scorching pace allowed him to lap
the entire field, excepting 2nd and 3rd finishers. And res,
the hard luck kid, finally got a break!
In the 100 mile race for Amateur riders, held on Satur-
day the 12th, a Harley-Davidson rider also brought in the
Milwaukee colors for a 1st place. Doing the honors was
36-year-old ex-Ai.r Force Captain Dan Richards, motorcycle
dealer from Little Rock, Arkansas. Richards chalked up a
new record speed on his ’55 KR model, at 92.43 mph, al-
most two miles an hour faster than Norton-mounted John
Miller’s 1953 ride. Columns, Ohio’s Charlie Best finished
second behind Richards. Best was riding a BSA. Lloyd
Mann, of Bausman, Pa., was 3rd on a Triumph. Richards
was the first Harley-Davidson rider ever to win Daytona’s
amateur race.
Results:
200 Mile AMA National Championship
1—
Brad Andres, San Diego, Calif ____ Harley-Davidson
2—
Jimmy Phillips, Pasadena, Calif. Harley-Davidson
3—
Johnny Gibson, Duarte, Calif. _____ Harley-Davidson
4—
Mike Dottley, Birmingham, Ala __
Triumph
5—
Hugh McAfee, Redwood City, Calif. ______ Norton
6—
Walt Fulton, Little Rock, Ark. ..........Triumph
7—
Dick Mann, Richmond, Calif.
BSA
8—
Tommy Morris, Jacksonville, Fla. Harley-Davidson
9— Albert Gunter, Monterey Park, Calif_______
BSA
10—Buck Brigance, Charlotte, N.C____ Harley-Davidson
100 Mile Amateur Race
1—
Dan Richards, Little Rock, Ark. ___Harley-Davidson
2—
Charlie Best, Columbus, Ohio__________________BSA
3—
Lloyd Mann, Bausman, Pa.
Triumph
4—
Dick Dorresteyn, Richmond, Calif. ________Triumph
5—
Mathew Oliva, Inglewood, Calif.
Triumph
6—
Jim Nicks, St. Petersburg, Fla. ___________Triumph
7—
Jacques Dupont, Wilmington, Delaware ___Triumph
8—
Dave Ball, Towson, Maryland
Triumph
9—
C. P. Johnsen, New Orleans, La. ... _________Triumph
10—B. Molyneaux, Corpus Christi, Tex. Harley-Davidson
Ernie Trotter, Indian rider from Phoenix, Arizona, leads an unidentified
pooch in an unsanctioned match race at Phoenix's South Mountain
Speedway. Trotter won! Photo by Walt Beachler.
The Italian Lambretta Motorscooter is one of several scooters from va-
rious nations to be shown at the International Motor Exhibition in New
Orleans from May 6th to 9th. This will be the first foreign automobile
show in the South.
The 350cc Works racing machine from Horex. Engine is an overhead
camshaft vertical twin, and delivers 38 hp at 9000 rpm.
The Grand Prix styling on this BSA was carried out by its owner while
stationed with the Army in Germany. It was photographed at a recent
Torrey Pines (Calif.) road race by Leon Callaway.
14694-5504-02