1965 Willow Springs Race Rosamond California - 2-Page Vintage Motorcycle Article

Description

1965 Willow Springs Race Rosamond California - 2-Page Vintage Motorcycle Article
Original, Vintage Magazine article
Page Size: Approx. 8" x 11" (21 cm x 28 cm) each page
Condition: Good
Willow Springs Road Race:
By JIM EDWARDS
LEANING through the turns at Willow Springs
requires much caution. Turns are sharp but well
banked.
TOP HALF MILER — Dan Haaby of Sacramento,
Calif., the nation's No. 1 Amateur dirt track
half miler with the AMA, tries his luck at road
racing, finishing 11th on a Yamaha.
Eric Dahlstrum riding a 350cc Honda Superhawk
PHOTOS BY AL MELANSON
EDDIE MULDER tries his hand at road racing.
One of the nation's top AMA T.T. stars, Eddie
plans an all-out assault on the overall champion-
ship next season, and is brushing up on his road
racing. He finished a respectable seventh.
ROSAMOND. Calif. — Champions Ron
Grant and Tony Murphy battled each other
from the starling line to the checkered
flag during the 100 mile 500cc Grand Prix
race held at the Willow Springs raceway
November 8. Grant was the winner crossing
the finish line less than a wheel length in
front of Murphy.
Eric Dahlstrom worked his Honda up
through the slower traffic to win the 30
lap, 75 mile, 350cc event Sunday, giving
Ron Grant a taste of second place.
The Grand Prix race ended a two-day
meet which featured five events with more
than 150 leading riders competing. It was
the first venture of the newly formed Amer-
ican Cycle Association, a professional
motorcycle racing group which is open to
members of all nationally-recognized clubs,
and was held on the 2.5 mile, 9 turn race
track near Lancaster, California.
This motorcycle racing weekend was also
the second part of a six-week “Road Racing
Americana”, a speedfesl which will feature
not only motorcycle races, but various
other contests such as drag races and sports
car events.
DODGE CITY CHAMP
Englishman Grant, who now lives in
Ukiah, Calif., was the 250cc winner at the
Dodge City classic this year, while Murphy,
who resides in La Puente, Calif., is the
American Federation of Motorcycles cham-
pion. Riding Norton-Manx 500’s Grant and
Murphy were lined up in the third row of
the starting grid for the important 100 mile
race.
In the 30 lap, 75 mile, 250cc Main Event
held Saturday afternoon, Murphy had
pushed his Yamaha ahead of Grant’s Pa-
rilla, and the Englishman was determined
he would even the score by winning the
100 mile race. As the starter dropped the
flag these two riders shot for the front of
the pack. Before one lap was completed of
this 40 lap event, the more than 5,000 spec-
tators sensed they were witnessing a real
test in riding skill. For mile after mile these
two riders were so close to one another
their cycles seemed to be one machine.
Most of the time it was almost impossible
to determine who was in the lead.
The Willow Springs raceway covers a
course over a low hilly area and no matter
where a spectator is sitting he can view the
entire track. Many of the sports car and
drag racing enthusiasts from events held
previous weeks were on hand to watch the
two-wheelers in action and it was almost
as interesting to view their enthusiasm as
it was to look at the race.
GRANT vs. MURPHY
Even when Grant and Murphy were lap-
ping the slower machines, only a few inches
separated their front wheels. When they
maneuvered through the turns they resem-
bled a “pair of fighter planes in combat,”
one spectator commented. If they were
going through a left turn, and Murphy was
on the inside, his cycle would inch forward.
If it was a right turn and Grant was on the
inside he would gain a fraction. But though
one or the other might gain on a turn,
when they straightened up the two bikes
would again be hub to hub.
We were standing near turn four toward
the end of the raqe and nearby were a
couple of sports car drivers. As Grant and
Murphy roared by we overheard one of
them remark, “That’s what I call racing.”
Though most of the attention was cen-
tered on the battle for the lead, further
back a dice developed between Norton
mounted John McLaughlin of San Dimas,
Calif., and Bill Boyd of San Francisco rid-
ing a Triumph. This was the first big race
for McLaughlin since his bad accident and'
though Boyd seemed to have the faster
machine on the straights, McLaughlin
would catch him in the turns. At the end
of the race, McLaughlin was riding in the
sixth position while Boyd had dropped
back to the ninth slot.
Another rider catching a lot of attention
was Triumph rider Eddie Mulder of Bur-
bank, Calif. Mulder’s machine was not
equipped with faring. Plus this, racing rules
stated both feet had to be on the pegs
while making a turn. Mulder, a top A.M.A.
TT scrambler, but a newcomer to road
racing, seemed to have a hard time remem-
bering the peg rules. He would slip into a
turn and the foot would automatically fly
out. He would jerk the limb back and place
it on the peg only to go through the same
maneuver on the next turn. Mulder finished
in seventh position. 4
Cycle on-the-spot-report
NO FAIRING for most of the AMA riders, includ-
ing this Triumph mounted dirt track star. Dusty
Coppage.
CHASE IS ON. Two riders in the 350cc class
battle it out.
HOT MANX ridden by Victor Villa finished third
behind Ron Grant and Tony Murphy in the 500cc
Grand Prix.
RESULTS
WILLOW SPRINGS U.S. GRAND PRIX
125cc and 175cc 50 Mlle .Race
1.
Rick Schell, San Mateo. Calif., Honda
2.
Lori Manly, Santa Rosa, Calif., Honda
3.
Dave Ijams
4.
Roger Calvert, Camarillo, Calif., Honda
5.
George Walker
6.
Myron Tracy. Lynwood, Calif., Honda
7.
Dick Churchill
8.
Dirk Woestenburg, Santa Barbara, Motobi
9.
Don Massie, Upland, Calif., MV Augusta
10.
Peter Schwierzke, Sacramento, Ducati
80cc 25 Mile Race
1.
Clinto Galbraith, Goleta, Calif., Yamaha
2.
Benny Cagle. Coachella, Calif., Yamaha
3.
Barry Johnson, Indio. Calif., Yamaha
4.
Myron Capalite, Huntington Beach, Tohatsu
50cc 25 Mile Race
1.
Yoshio Itoh, Lakewood, Calif., Suzuki
2.
Walter Fulton, Bass Lake, Calif., Suzuki
3.
Dallas Baker, Orange, Calif.. Suzuki
4.
Rick Schell, San Mateo, Calif., Honda
5.
Gene Wise
6.
Lee Westenhiser, Northridge, Calif., Honda
500cc & Open Class
1.
Ron Grant, Ukiah, Calif., Norton 500cc
2.
Tony Murphy, Los Angeles, Norton 500cc
3 Victor Vile, Pomona, Norton 50Qcc
4.
Eric Dahlstrom, Sausalito, Honda 350cc
5.
Al Whitney, Santa Barbara, BSA 500cc
6.
John McLaughlin, San Dimas. Norton 500cc
7.
Eddie Moller, Burbank, Triumph 500cc
8 James Deehan, Hollywood, Honda 350cc
9.
Bill Boyd, San Francisco, Triumph Open
10.
Ray Hensley, Arteta, BSA 500cc
350cc Class
1.
Eric Dahlstrom, Sausalito, Honda
2.
Ron Grant. Ukiah, Parilla
3.
Larry Grossman, Altadena. Honda
4.
Keith Smith, Ventura, Honda
5.
Robert Vineyard, Temple City, Honda
6.
Claude Russell, Santa Monica, MV Agusta
7.
James Wulzer, San Jose, Honda
8.
Gordon Jennings, Costa Mesa, Honda
9.
Brian Shires, Los Angeles, Honda
10.
Bill Wall, Seal Beach, AJS
13484-6501-04