Saturday, February 15, 2014

Early '80s Daytona

A couple of people have recently sent me photos from the 'Good Ol' Days'.
Mike Gontesky sent me this photo that Sam Blanton took at Daytona I'm guessing 1983:

That's the late Karen Hornbecker  and, on the extreme left, Sandy McPherson, two of the angels of road racing.  Sandy's still at it.

Steve Sanders took these from a trip to Daytona with Team Obsolete:
Dick Mann wrenches on the front wheel while chatting with Frenchie Arnaud, a friend of T/O and brilliant machinist.
I don't know who the fellow on the right is.

I look like I've been caught in the act.

My 350 Sprint between two Matchless G-50s with an AJS 7r behind.  I believe that's that's Kurt Liebman in the foreground and John Wiman on the left.  That looks like my brother Doug who I'm talking too.  This is 1984 and probably at Roebling Road before Daytona.
Frenchie and John Wiman chat while Kurt Liebman looks on.
On the grid with Kurt Liebman, OLS BMW, Marco Polo, T/O G-50, and Phil Mahood, T/O 500 Triumph 7 Mar., '84

This is me riding a Ducati TT1 (well, oversized TT2, 706cc) in the BoTT race on the Tri-oval at Daytona passing a nasty oil spill.  I finished 5th, 9 March, 1984.
Rob Iannucci.  I'm not sure why he has the champagne as I certainly didn't win anything that year.
Bill Burke sent me this photo which I'm guessing is 1985:
On the pre-grid with G-50 1709.  I believe that's Rob Iannucci talking with Bob Barker on the left, Don Blair with his back to us and Linda Swanson on the right.  My guess is that this is from '85 as the G-50 fairing has all the stickers form the '84 TT.

3 comments:

  1. Cool! Love seeing photos of the day! Glad your still out there doing it too.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Cool pictures Dave, thanks for posting them. Reminds me of looking through some of the old issues of Classic Racer when the American scene used to get more press.

    Andy

    ReplyDelete
  3. How did you not end of with one of those G-50's, i know they are worth a mint, but they have to the most handsome of all the 50's singles! I like manxes, gileras' and goldstars', but those matchless thumpers are definitely more pleasing to this eye.
    Brian

    ReplyDelete