OzVMX Forum
Clubroom => Vintage Track => Topic started by: Curly3 on July 14, 2009, 09:43:38 pm
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Hey Col, I remember a guy named Cork riding an Elstar and he went pretty hard.
He wasn't real tall if I recall.
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Thats him Curly. The 350 did leak a bit of oil and seems he was always covered in it hence the nick name " the little greasy fella" amongst those that knew him.
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Hey Col
I think he went up to an Elstar Cole at one stage and I remember him putting the wind up a few A graders at Amaroo Park until he disappeared into the scrub at the start of the main straight, or did I mean curve.
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Curly, the little greasy fella went from the 350 BSA to a Godden. Never did have a Cole Elstar.
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That's a big step up.
I'm pretty sure he got a close up of the greenery at Amaroo.
Are you going to Nepean in a coupla weeks?
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Curly, Corkie got close up and personal with the greenery at most tracks he rode at. He was always good value to watch. Unlike a lot of the quicks around on frames at the time that used to road race the bends stand it up and fire it up down the straights. They probably did most of the winning but I reckon were boring to watch. Yeah my plan is to get out to Nepean for a geek so I'll catch up with you their. So do you know for sure the dates and if it is a two dayer what day/s will you and Carl be their.
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Col, I hope it's a 2 day meeting because I'm planning to go up on Saturday and camp overnight. Carl's become a bit of a "sook" these days and will only be coming out on Sunday.
Sounds like you've been in touch with Mr Cork.
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Unlike a lot of the quicks around on frames at the time that used to road race the bends stand it up and fire it up down the straights. They probably did most of the winning but I reckon were boring to watch
Kevin Fraser and Trevor Hunter made that kind of slider riding an art form. They were as boring as batshit but it won 'em a lot of races. I always wondered why they actually rode "sliders" when their style of riding was more suited to a chookie.
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Roger that Firko
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firko
i dissagree with you on the riding style of T.H. i have personaly known him for about 40 years.there is shots of him sliding his hagon jap in this very forum.
cheers
jim
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I agree Firko and I've known both of them just about all my life. They both were pretty much a contradiction of the term "Slider". Fraze has an impeccable record in the smaller classes, mainly on the Mackenzie Bully and T.H. could have ridden the occasional Bigun, but they both proved that there is more than one way to F@#&%k a cat. They were both class riders none the less, in fact I've always been impressed that they were so quick on bikes that didn't naturally match there style.
Hopefully they're both at Nepean.
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Jim, I dont think anyone is doubting Trevor Hunters ability, his results over a long and successfull Dirt Track career speak for themselves.
The point I think firko and I were trying to make is that spectacular he was'nt.
Without naming them you could probably put another three or four Australian Title winners of that era in the same basket. Actually that particular riding style on the oiled and packed down hard Dirt Tacks of that time was probably the way to go. From a spectator's point of view though give me a guy having a go three or four wide on full throttle and full lock on a big bend any day.
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Having said all that, the most dominant riding on Aust dirt tracks to be seen ( my opinion ) was early 70's at Granite Park Seymour.
Geoff Curtis was so far ahead he won the Senior ( 500cc ) title with a flat rear tyre for half the race and only missed the Unlimited title because of a broken chain.
Watching GC come down the hill & back onto the start straight full lock was amazing.
Mind you a pretty handy rider in Keith Davies went on to win the major.
I'm getting itchy palms just talking about all this.
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curly
in you opinion is it best to go 3 or 4 wide to pass or try underneath and push the other rider off the drive area of the track.i always thought that going wide as spectical as it might be was the wrong way to go.
cheers
jim
i am like carl only going to nepean on sunday come and say hello.
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Jim, no one went for the inside line more than Carl, hence his nickname The Spear. It's pretty much a matter of horses for courses and what suits the track conditions on the day. As a spectacle there is nothing better than a Slider, Full Lock, Full Noise and the more the merrier. As Col said the oiled tracks were a lot like bitumen and suited a more direct style of riding and it certainly was interesting watching both styles go at each other.
Prime example was Terry Poole & Fraze at Amaroo Park in the Aust Titles, they got the jump and battled it out together while the stylists struggled in the pack.
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Hey I've made C grade, that matches my achievements in my competition days. It was very shortlived through injury.
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i think TH has a very neat style with out going bananas, and he does manage a very neat slide when the need arises, not like me who is known to be a bit erratic, [thats why i resisted road racing]. i think this comes from originally racing swing arm hotted up road bikes on dirt from the start where i always took tight lines [except when i ran off the track] unfortunately i can't be there this weekend because of family committment, but looking forward to the nsw champs at the end of the month. cheers wally. ps seems to be big interest in this weekend ,had a call this morning from someone in Qld wanting details and also several merrylands old boys from up there enquiring about the NSW tite event.
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Learnt they hard way that going wide around is not always the best idea, Romsey 1979 Qualifying Final was trying to sneak a couple places and was having great success going very deep into turn one from the main straight, worked well a couple of times and was getting good acceleration out of the corner just wide of the brown dirt until I hit a smallish grass hidden pot hole that derailed the chain. Couuldnt believe how long it was to get back to the pits having to keep the rear wheel off the ground as the chain was fully locked around the swingarm and sprocket. Still have the Godden weslake today with the chainmarks etched into the yellowing nickel plate. Brillant to see the likes of Gary Flood full noise on his dad's bulties on his return from England after his dabble in speedway also the likes of Gary Adams and Gary Chasemore a sight to watch. Tim can you remember Terry Rooney and the mean green kwaka machine, old man Walker and the boys. Swung with Peter Tolley and Doug Cotterel and scared myself witless as the corner speedway seemed so fast, probably due to the fact i didnt have the throttle. The back straight was always a battle hitting the bumps the reverse way from the solos always seemed to pich you left towards the scrub. Romsey was just action city
NQ Rosco
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Probably just put myself in the divorce courts.
I dragged the Elstar out of storage today ( post photo's soon ) and inspired by the nostalgia, I then proceeded to buy a 2 valve Jawa engine on ebay.
This engine will go well with a Hagon Sandracer &/or a sideport speedway frame I have also kept in storage for at least 25 years.
It must have been the intoxicating wiff of Methanol that I rec'd at Nepean last weekend.
God help me.
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(http://i29.tinypic.com/103ick6.jpg)
This is my first attempt at attaching a photo ( courtesy of my 16yo daughter ).
Hope it works.
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STEVE
did you see billy powells hagon bsa at the 50th
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thanks for the pics
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I did see that 250 Jim and it was in good nick.
There was a suggestion from a rival competitor to this bike, that it was in fact a "BIGUN".
I stripped her down last week and can confirm that it is & always was under 350.
The first small step was to remove the gear lever and with a tool box full of metric spanners I had to scrounge around for an AF to fit.
The first spanner I found to fit was engraved with my dads initials, so the spirit of old Curly is with me.
Note to Ian, the nut on the handlebars also has a lot to do with how good a bike goes.
I have more photos and will attach them as the project evolves.
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Shit I started this off nearly five years ago, time to resurect this topic.
Since Saturday the frame has been dismembered ready for sandblasting and re painting, I've made up an adjustable jig to help de lace the wheels and set up for re assembly to retain the original off set.
Picking up the B40 powerplant this weekend from brother Carlos who has had it for 4 years without lifting a spanner so I'll be attemprting to do the engine myself.
Photo's to follow.
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(http://i57.tinypic.com/2j2t6b6.jpg)
(http://i57.tinypic.com/16iicfb.jpg)
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Bloody nce job on the jig Steve, you'll be able to true the wheels in that as well. Good old unistrut, one of man's better inventions, as far as I'm concerned.
Pete.
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Unistrut is fine, Pete but where would we all be without the ubiquitous Milk Crate, eh ??
Foss
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G'day Foss, I had my Elstar frame painted Blue. (to match my milk crate). ;D
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Did Curly ever finish this project?