The Big Three

Jerry,

Yes, I recall all of them especially the one with the three on the front cover. That was a day that I will never for get. Those bikes at the time were called the "Big Three" and the pictures were taken at a Studio in Hollywood California. I remember that I wanted to be the last one to show up but I think Russ and TC had the same Idea, as it was we all got there about the same time. The picture shooting was going along OK until we got to the point of the three together and then there was some discussion on who was going to be in the middle. We all three had our reason for who should be there but it turned out to be Russ because his bike was bigger and it looked lopsided when his was on one side or the other. Of course I had the only real legitimate reason to be in the middle. It was the only USA made bike there. HAAAAAAAAA

Anyway, it turned out to be a great day for me to be included with Russ and TC which were really getting hard to beat at the races. There was six Bike Magazines that I has front cover and that is the only one I have, the others seemed to have got lost in the shuffle.

Proof reading

Fastlane,

Yes, I did that too but don't recall ever getting to proof read a one of them. It might have been because I was hard to get a hold of because of the tour racing, I don't know. Most were close enough that it was OK but there was some I would like to have burned down the store. It's like the news media calling guys that race on the street, Drag Racers, boy do I hate that.

There is a Magazine in Brazil doing a thing about me right now that is suppose to be in the racks this month, I ask to proof read it and still haven't heard from them.

Cost, Cost, and Cost

I don't know Chris, any monies that is paid out seems it pretty much the same as it's always been, it's expected to be paid from the track. It ain't going to happen. I know that when I was racing there wasn't enough money coming from the manufactures . You can take the big performance Cycle as one example, the Harley guys have made them rich. I knew Sr. pretty good and was around in the beginning and watch that family prosper, don't get me wrong, that's the American way but still there was not enough done toward payouts to the racers. I can't complain, I never had to pay for any thing I ever used of theres. They're not the only ones that fit in that category, there was quite a few. Even the journalist that wrote the stories for the different magazine made money off our names, what we got was the glory, which I ate up just like everyone else. And still the more Ink you got, the more popular you were with the racing fans. So where does it end, the answer has been ask since Drag Racing started to be more professional and cost more money. I think that it has got to the point just like all racing, to do it you must be wealthy or have some really good backers.

When I was racing my motors hardly cost me a dime but if you wanted to buy one it would cost you seven or eight thousand dollars (back then). That's how some racers have kept racing and don't spend the money a lot of others do, the ones that have a name that's worth money in action and print spent less money. Today some of that has changed with crew chief, tire guy, blower guy, bottom end guy, head guy, etc.etc. I hate to be the one that has to pay every thing that makes a race team work.

It looks like every one is going to have to try and work with some track close to home and get some thing going because of cost. I see where the Harley guys were invited to run in Sacramento with the "Other" bikes, I seen a add someplace on it