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Author Topic: 1971 a Race to Remember!  (Read 5464 times)

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Offline alan

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1971 a Race to Remember!
« on: July 05, 2007, 04:14:08 AM »
A funny thing happened yesterday!  Most of you know that I recently retired have been trying to put things in order.  I have been building my shop and a new office in my house.  So yesterday, I was filling up my bookshelves in my office and I decided to move my old racing trophies to there final resting place.  The first trophy I pick up was, 3rd place 4 July 1971, how funny was that exactly 36 years ago!  I picked up my phone and called my old friend that owned the track and ask him if he remembered handing me that trophy 36 years ago!  What a hoot! 

I received the Yamaha plaque for teaching the public how to ride motorcycles in conjunction with the El Paso Police Department.

1971 was my only racings year, I went over a jump flat out on my 1971 501 Maico and lit sideways and ripped my knee out of joint and did not walk for 2 years.  I never had the racing edge again, just too much pain I guess!

But, I will never stop riding....................

Alan

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Offline doordie

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Re: 1971 a Race to Remember!
« Reply #1 on: July 05, 2007, 07:24:56 AM »
Alan,that?s look nice! 8-)

1971 were I bicycling. :lol:

(I?m proud of after many years racing manage to get
overall win in iceroadracing on old bikes.) :-D

//do.or.die
« Last Edit: July 05, 2007, 07:26:30 AM by doordie »
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Iceroad champion 2006,still 2007,even 2008 without a single race!

Offline KXcam22

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Re: 1971 a Race to Remember!
« Reply #2 on: July 05, 2007, 04:31:35 PM »
Nice collection Alan.  You should be proud of those "dust collectors".  Whenever I try to get mine out the family just rolls their eyes and acts like i'm a bit touched.  Nice memories to actually talk to the track owner! Cam.
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Offline MadKaw

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Re: 1971 a Race to Remember!
« Reply #3 on: July 05, 2007, 05:10:54 PM »
I was born in 1971...wasn't quite riding yet though.
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Offline Hillclimb#42

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Re: 1971 a Race to Remember!
« Reply #4 on: July 06, 2007, 01:01:06 AM »
 Wow, they had motorcycles back then? :lol: That is cool hardware. Alot of races are paying back money to adults here, but I prefer hardware. The seasoned riders prefer cash, but their mantles are probably full. I would like to reflect on my recent accomplishments in the next 20-30 years, but thanks to the trend I may only have stories. The state championship races and the occasional "Fast Time of the Day" are the only hardware anymore. My teammate and I are collecting DVD's of each race and hopefully will be as rewarding as a shop alter. :-D Good to see that they mean something to you. I hope that they never get old and memories of the glory days never fade. Nothing on the planet is more fun or challenging. Good job, CHAMP!!!!!!!!
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eprovenzano

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Re: 1971 a Race to Remember!
« Reply #5 on: July 06, 2007, 03:50:56 AM »
I was riding in 71.... I didn't race until 2 years later...   Yes I fondly remember the long travel suspension (3 - 4 inches ) we had back in the day... 
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Offline alan

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Re: 1971 a Race to Remember!
« Reply #6 on: July 06, 2007, 05:18:04 AM »
I hope no one got the wrong impression about this post.  I certainly was not boasting.  It thought it was just so ironic that the first trophy I picked up was dated July 4th on July 4th!  These were the days before the movie ?On any Sunday? and yes, there were dirt bikes!

That was a great year; if my bike stayed together, I was on the podium.  Check out this picture, how do you like my boots?  He He!  I think if I had not crashed I probably be dead.  I was not ready for the 501 power and I was riding way over my head, but I was tired of getting my butt handed to me by the guys on the new Suzuki 400?s.

The track El Paso Moto-X-Park was a tuff track with hard dirt to soft sand to silt and loads of jumps and changes in elevation. When Steve McQueen was in town with Alie MacGraw filming Getaway my friend Bill that ran the track met them and rode the track with McQueen! He has always been one of my Idols, because he did it his way!

As far as the comments about suspension in those days, we didn?t have any!  I rode one of the first Proto YZ250 mono shock?s when if first came out and I remember being amazed by the difference it made.

And Yes, It does suck to be old! :x :oops: :-(

Alan :-D :-D
« Last Edit: July 06, 2007, 07:40:24 AM by alan »
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eprovenzano

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Re: 1971 a Race to Remember!
« Reply #7 on: July 06, 2007, 05:31:52 AM »
No you are not boasting, you have something there to be very proud of...  I know I'd be proud to show those trophies.  Hell I'm amazed they survived all these years without 1.) getting damaged / broken, and 2.) not getting thrown in the trash.

I just have one question...  I remember how difficult it was to start an early 70's CZ 250 (left side kick start).  I can't imagine kicking over your 501.  I never could get used to the left side kick starter
« Last Edit: July 06, 2007, 05:35:26 AM by eprovenzano »
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Offline alan

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Re: 1971 a Race to Remember!
« Reply #8 on: July 06, 2007, 05:53:55 AM »
The 501 was an easy starting machine, lots easer than my KX5!

Funny you should bring up the left right thing! If you look at the picture with all the trophies, you will see the 2 green ones on the right end. Those were the same day 250 and open class. I ran a Yamaha MX360 in the open and a Bultaco Pursang in the 250 class! So it was 6 moto's back to back 250 then open, my mechanic had the Yamaha on the line when I came in on the Bultaco! Problem! Yamaha left shift, Bultaco right shift! So when I hit the first corner off the line in the open class I would jump on the shifter instead of the brake!

I did pull a first in the 250 and a second in the open class that day! Like most of us at that age I was bullet proof!

Alan :-D :-D
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stewart

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Re: 1971 a Race to Remember!
« Reply #9 on: July 06, 2007, 06:11:03 AM »
cool  it s great to see this stuff  .. back in the day..
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Offline demographic

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Re: 1971 a Race to Remember!
« Reply #10 on: July 08, 2007, 06:36:11 AM »
I was just but a glint in my fathers eye in 71 and wasn't born till jan 72.
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Offline KXcam22

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Re: 1971 a Race to Remember!
« Reply #11 on: July 08, 2007, 07:13:12 AM »
Oh the days!!  I usually raced 250 and open but in 1977 I raced Montessa 125, 250 and a 360 in the open class.   We either ran 2-30 min or 3-20min motos and a one moto GP at the end of the day, which translated to 10 motos. Lots of race-day help from my Dad and friends. Went back to just 250 and open the next year as it was too much work keeping 3 race bike running (especialy montessa's). Cam.
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Offline maddoggy

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Re: 1971 a Race to Remember!
« Reply #12 on: July 08, 2007, 09:46:48 AM »
alan, cool to rewind sometimes back to the glory days. great memories, thanks for sharing them. who knows, you just may end up with some kind of new trophy in the future. your never too old to have fun and compete. MADDOGGY
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Offline alan

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Re: 1971 a Race to Remember!
« Reply #13 on: July 08, 2007, 10:59:05 AM »
Quote from: maddoggy on July 08, 2007, 09:46:48 AM
alan, cool to rewind sometimes back to the glory days. great memories, thanks for sharing them. who knows, you just may end up with some kind of new trophy in the future. your never too old to have fun and compete. MADDOGGY
The only trophy I could is the oldest guy on a KX500! He He!
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Offline alan

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Re: 1971 a Race to Remember!
« Reply #14 on: July 08, 2007, 11:02:24 AM »
Quote from: KXcam22 on July 08, 2007, 07:13:12 AM
Oh the days!!  I usually raced 250 and open but in 1977 I raced Montessa 125, 250 and a 360 in the open class.   We either ran 2-30 min or 3-20min motos and a one moto GP at the end of the day, which translated to 10 motos. Lots of race-day help from my Dad and friends. Went back to just 250 and open the next year as it was too much work keeping 3 race bike running (especialy montessa's). Cam.
Cam, I loved my 250 Montessa I did a lot of porting and polishing on it. I could beat any 250 around on that thing! I finally blew up the motor on Nitro Methane! :lol: :lol: :lol:
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