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#1 T54

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Posted 10 May 2010 - 02:16

Some pics I took in the day and just scanned. I was in the infield, taking pics with my friend Christian Lacombe of Moto Journal.

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Edited by T54, 10 May 2010 - 02:25.


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#2 philippe7

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Posted 10 May 2010 - 02:48

Brilliant pics , T54 ! Thanks a lot

From the same day, would you have any of Pat Evans (#51 ) , Kiwi John Boote that we are just discussing on another thread, our forum member Murray Sayle ( Kawasaki ) and , for fun, Patrick Pons on the 250 TZ borrowed from Randy Mamola ?

A scan from the relevant issue of Moto-Journal :

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#3 T54

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Posted 10 May 2010 - 03:09

Philippe,
Yes I do, as well of Patrick Pons, Takazumi Katayama and others. I just discovered a box of 8 X 10 prints in my vast accumulation of stuff. I will post them on this thread as soon as I can.


#4 MoMurray

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Posted 10 May 2010 - 03:43

Some pics I took in the day and just scanned. I was in the infield, taking pics with my friend Christian Lacombe of Moto Journal.

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Thirty four years later and still the coolest cat around. Taken at Atlanta in '09.

Mo


#5 philippe7

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Posted 10 May 2010 - 05:49

Philippe,
Yes I do, as well of Patrick Pons, Takazumi Katayama and others. I just discovered a box of 8 X 10 prints in my vast accumulation of stuff. I will post them on this thread as soon as I can.


:up: Very much looking forward to seeing them ! Some nice identification work / games in perspective .....


#6 picblanc

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Posted 10 May 2010 - 07:50

Great photos, look forward to seeing the others thank you Philippe T54. :wave:

The difference between Kenny & Gary's style!!

Edited by picblanc, 10 May 2010 - 07:51.


#7 T54

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Posted 10 May 2010 - 18:23

Another already on file:

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I still have the gloves and the boots he wore that day.

Edited by T54, 10 May 2010 - 18:24.


#8 philippe7

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Posted 11 May 2010 - 08:37

Encore ! Encore ! :clap: :clap: :clap:

#9 picblanc

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Posted 11 May 2010 - 08:55

Great photo, & lovely mementos of Patrick with the gloves & boots.

#10 T54

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Posted 13 May 2010 - 00:14

A few more as I am scanning them step by step.

Masahiro Wada on the works 750 Kawasaki:

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Pat Evans on the Dahmen/Don Vesco's 750 Yamaha:

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Pat was my friend and I was unfortunately the last person to talk to him on this Earth at Imola on the grid. Here is another:

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Another friend I lost: Patrick Pons on the Sonauto Yamaha:

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One of my favorite shots of that race: Katayama on the works TZ750 trying hard to reconnect to Roberts:

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And Pat Hennen on the Water Buffalo...

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Privateer and local ace Mike Devlin at work on his customer bike:

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OK, now a bit of fun: a local sponsor:

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Motorcycle races in California always brought their contingent of interesting folks such as this nice young thing and her house pet:

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Someone parked THEIR pet in a no-parking zone, but who is to argue? Not me.

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I have some more from the 250cc race but no time right now.

Edited by T54, 13 May 2010 - 00:18.


#11 philippe7

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Posted 13 May 2010 - 01:06

Excellent, Philippe ! :up: More, More !!!!! :clap:

A rare pic of Kamikaze Wada on the Kawasaki - he usually fell off before anybody had time to snap a shot :)

Any pic of Murray on a similar machine ?

That was Katayama's only significant race outside of Japan that year, I think . He was back in Europe full time the following year.

Patrick Pons had taken his usual Sonauto-Gauloises 750 to California but for the occasion he borrowed a very young Randy Mamola's TZ for the 250 race . You may have a pic of him on that bike in traditional Yamaha International yellow livery.

Michel Rougerie was also there with the 250 HD he used in Europe for the Grand Prix and the story goes that Gary Scott and the other Harley riders were not too amused when they realised the differences betweeen the customer 250's they were equipped with for the AMA races, and Michel's real factory machine !

#12 T54

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Posted 13 May 2010 - 01:47

Philippe, here you go:

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No pic of Murray that I could find as a print, but I have the negs if I can find someone to make the prints at a reasonable price nowadays!

Two portraits of people you should know:

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First lap of the 250cc, busy traffic in Turn 12... :)

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Katayama on it:

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One who REALLY was not wasting any time, Yvon on the KR250, eh!:

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Hope that you enjoy...

T54

Edited by T54, 13 May 2010 - 01:48.


#13 philippe7

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Posted 13 May 2010 - 05:22

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The only ones I can say I "recognize" are Katayama in 4th position, Don Castro in 6th and Patrick Pons in 7th.

Based upon their AMA numbers , #44 could be Jeff Marsh, #77 Mike Devlin ( also pictured on his 750 so that one must be right ), #59 Tommy Byars and #76 Richard Chambers ( not Steve .... )





#14 philippe7

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Posted 13 May 2010 - 05:26

A while ago, Murray had told us about his rides at Ontario... I find it appropriate to copy it here

Hi Philippe

I rode twice at Ontario Motor Speedway, both times on a Kawasaki. In 1974 I rode on a private H2R belonging to Hurley Willvert, this was the bike he rode onto the podium at the Daytona 200, I think this was 73 race. The bike steered great and was very stable and had a lots of grip from the rear tyre. It also had no feedback when the rear tyre did eventually slip. I only had only one slide all weekend and it was early in the first race and I crashed off it at about 160kph/100mph and strained my ankle enough to not ride the second leg. Suspect the bike was also beyond repair for the second leg, sorry Hurley.

In 1975 Gregg and I each rode a Kawasaki US supplied KR750, these had been tuned by the local team and this meant they had a very narrow working powerband, not some much how narrow is was but the sudden transition onto the power that made it interesting to ride. At below 6,000 it was very flat, and above it came on very aggressively, the throttle was more like an on/off switch. This made it hard to gear the bike to get the best out of the engine.

At this time I had been riding the H2R in Australia and this was my first ride on the KR750. On our TKA Neville Doyle tuned H2R the bike had modified 38 Mikuni Carburetors from a SC500 Yamaha, and the engine was relative flexible with good mid range torque. The US KR750 was the exact opposite.

The H2R is a shorter stroke than the KR750's 68x68 mm and the H2R redline was 500rpm higher at 9,500 rpm the KR750 stopped at 9,000 rpm. So the US KR750 had about 45hp at 5,999 rpm and 80 hp at 6,000rpm and then was all over by 9,000 rpm. In 1975 I managed to finish both legs and 6th overall on the KR750.

In 1974 I was number 4, so their have been some early images from the 1974 race with a Kawasaki rider on number 4 now we know who it was. If I remember correctly for 74 I was either the first or second Kawasaki rider in Qualifying only to have it go pear shape early in the first race.

Murray



#15 picblanc

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Posted 13 May 2010 - 08:04

More stunning photos,

Dont know the older guy with cigarette, but younger guy looks like Suzuki team boss Mervyn....White? I think was his surname?

#16 philippe7

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Posted 13 May 2010 - 08:31

Well, the younger one I wouldn't have recognized, I thought he looked a bit like Chas Mortimer , but didn't know what Chas would have been doing there...

The older man is of course the famous "Pop" Yoshimura .

#17 stuavant

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Posted 13 May 2010 - 12:32

Well, the younger one I wouldn't have recognized, I thought he looked a bit like Chas Mortimer , but didn't know what Chas would have been doing there...

The older man is of course the famous "Pop" Yoshimura .

Great pic's. Fantastic. Could the Chas look a like be Mc Lachlan or whatever is name was ( "big mouth"). Wada must have taught Abe to ride..exact same style

#18 T54

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Posted 13 May 2010 - 13:41

That's Merv Wright, Suzuki's team manager.

Could the Chas look a like be Mc Lachlan or whatever is name was ( "big mouth").


McLaughlin. Steve. :)

#19 GD66

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Posted 13 May 2010 - 14:09

Wada must have taught Abe to ride..exact same style


Bang on, Stu ! Add a mane of hair and you're right there !


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#20 T54

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Posted 13 May 2010 - 15:10

First lap of the 250cc race; #44 is Dale Singleton (TZ250), #77 is Mike Devlin (TZ250), # 46 I am still trying to rake my remaining brain cells, as well as for #59 and # 76.
#34 is Katayama, #11 is Don Castro (semi-works TZ250) then Patrick Pons. #39 is Hurley Wilvert (TZ250).

#21 picblanc

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Posted 13 May 2010 - 17:15

More stunning photos,

Dont know the older guy with cigarette, but younger guy looks like Suzuki team boss Mervyn....White? I think was his surname?



I was close then!

#22 Coupe Kawasaki

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Posted 13 May 2010 - 18:34

I was close then!




Yes Mr G. That's Merv as he appeared in the TV documentary on Bazzas crash. :wave: :up:





David

#23 philippe7

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Posted 13 May 2010 - 19:13

Could the Chas look a like be Mc Lachlan or whatever is name was ( "big mouth").


McLaughlin. Steve. :)


"Big Mouth" was certainly Steve Mc Laughlin . But there also did exist a Mc Lachlan, not sure if he was from the US or somewhere else....and it's funny those two should be mentioned now, since only yesterday, as I was watching the documentary about the76/77 Marlboro Series, the commentator mentioned a "Mc Lafff...." something as finishing fourth of one race and I thought to myself hey, never new that Steve Mc Laughlin did the Marlboro Series . And yesterday night I was reading (again) the latest Rhys Jones book and he mentioned a Paul Mc Lachlan as finishing joint fourth with Stu in that year's overall standings.

#24 fil2.8

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Posted 13 May 2010 - 20:06

And yesterday night I was reading (again) the latest Rhys Jones book and he mentioned a Paul Mc Lachlan as finishing joint fourth with Stu in that year's overall standings.


Philippe , :wave: i'm fairly certain there was/is a Paul Mclachlan , he raced in the uk IIRC




#25 T54

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Posted 13 May 2010 - 20:37

But there also did exist a Mc Lachlan

I am sure, but "motor mouth" was/is Steve McLaughlin...

That's him right here:

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#26 exclubracer

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Posted 13 May 2010 - 20:47

I am sure, but "motor mouth" was/is Steve McLaughlin...

That's him right here:

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Not too often you see a Beemer sunny side up like that, eh?

#27 fil2.8

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Posted 13 May 2010 - 20:48

I am sure, but "motor mouth" was/is Steve McLaughlin...

That's him right here:

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:eek: :lol: :eek: best thing to do with a BM , I reckon :up: a great pic :up:



#28 exclubracer

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Posted 13 May 2010 - 20:51

:eek: :lol: :eek: best thing to do with a BM , I reckon :up: a great pic :up:

:D

#29 philippe7

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Posted 13 May 2010 - 21:18

Philippe , :wave: i'm fairly certain there was/is a Paul Mclachlan , he raced in the uk IIRC


Ok, I did a bit of homework and it appears that Paul McLachlan is not from the USA , but from New-Zealand - mentioned in the article below ( written it seems by the same Mr Stevenson who wrote the John Boote story ) as having owned the machine that became Rodger Freeth's famous winged TZ750 , and also mentioned a short while on the forum by Stu as having been a guest at John Woodley's 60th birthday .
http://www.motorcycl...t...7266&No=135
Sorry for diverting :blush: , back to Ontario Motor Speedway

#30 T54

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Posted 13 May 2010 - 23:33

I am really surprised that you did not pic Merv Wright's mug immediately :eek:
Merv was Suzuki's team manager for many years...

Also: Steve McLaughlin
Steve McLaughlin, one of the early stars of the AMA Superbike Series, will go down in history as the winner of the very first AMA Superbike Championship Series race held at Daytona International Speedway on March 5, 1976. McLaughlin won this seminal event riding a Butler & Smith BMW R90S in a photo finish over BMW teammate and eventual series champ Reg Pridmore. As impressive as McLaughlin’s racing career was, he is even better known for being one of the true visionaries in the history of the sport. He was a driving force behind getting the AMA to grant national championship status to Superbike racing. McLaughlin also later became the father of the World Superbike Championship, which launched in 1988.

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Picture courtesy AMA

Edited by T54, 13 May 2010 - 23:33.


#31 philippe7

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Posted 16 June 2010 - 10:01

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A picture I found on the web, from the same race . Some ID work to do here !

#3 is Gene Romero of course, #51 is Pat Evans, #34 Katayama , #26 Cliff Carr and #5 Patrick Pons . That's for the obvious ones.

I'm pretty sure #39 is Hurley Wilvert, he still wears his Suzuki leathers since he started the season as a factory Suzuki rider, but he's riding here the private 750TZ that he later tok to Assen to run ( and feature well ) in the F750 World Championship race .

Behind Romero, Steve Mc Laughin's helmet and Phil Mc Donald behind Steve ( plenty of Scots there....)

To the left of Wilvert should be either Takao Abe or Masahiro Wada on a Kawasaki - that green-white helmet was one of them, can't say which for sure . To the right of Wilvert is another Kawasaki rider, who could be one of the aforementioned japaneses, or Gregg Hansford, or our own Murray Sayle , or Mick Grant or Yvon, but the helmet or number don't really fit for those last two.



#32 GD66

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Posted 16 June 2010 - 15:06

A picture I found on the web, from the same race . Some ID work to do here !



To the left of Wilvert should be either Takao Abe or Masahiro Wada on a Kawasaki - that green-white helmet was one of them, can't say which for sure .



Looks like Wada carrying that same #79 he sported in that pic above.


#33 Msoli

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Posted 17 June 2010 - 17:11


Hello T54, I was wondering if by chance you have anymore photos of the AMA road race held at Ontario, or by chance wondering if you have photos of any AMA road races between 1975 and 1978. The reason I ask this question is because my father lived California and he photographed motorcycle road races from 1975 till 1980 along the west coast, but unfortunately we lost most of his photos in house fire. So thanks again T54 for bringing back good memories of motorcycle road racing in the seventies. :)

#34 S Evans

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Posted 07 August 2010 - 01:31

A few more as I am scanning them step by step.

Masahiro Wada on the works 750 Kawasaki:

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Pat Evans on the Dahmen/Don Vesco's 750 Yamaha:

Posted Image

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Pat was my friend and I was unfortunately the last person to talk to him on this Earth at Imola on the grid. Here is another:

Posted Image

Another friend I lost: Patrick Pons on the Sonauto Yamaha:

Posted Image

One of my favorite shots of that race: Katayama on the works TZ750 trying hard to reconnect to Roberts:

Posted Image

And Pat Hennen on the Water Buffalo...

Posted Image

Privateer and local ace Mike Devlin at work on his customer bike:

Posted Image

OK, now a bit of fun: a local sponsor:

Posted Image

Motorcycle races in California always brought their contingent of interesting folks such as this nice young thing and her house pet:

Posted Image

Someone parked THEIR pet in a no-parking zone, but who is to argue? Not me.

Posted Image

I have some more from the 250cc race but no time right now.


T54 Those are great pics. I bet Mike Devlin would like to see that picture of him. If anyone has his contact info please let him know or I will try and find him.