WildWill wrote:

QUOTE:
Dover85p wrote:

QUOTE:
Safety gear? You mean like "sleeves"?! WTF!

:laugh: Ben, Yes Sleeves were option Back then.

But like I said I wore Leathers, and I only went down one
time at Manor Downs in three years of racing there 69-71,
and that was in the 200cc Class.

Hey Ben I saw a Post where you said you were coming to Waco This weekend.

Mind Me asking what you will be riding?

Look forward to seeing you again.

Willard Kelley
aka
Wild Will
Sponsored By: Tom Laird Of L A Racing, Lincoln Nebraska
James Morelandt of Bluebonnet Cycles, San Antonio Texas

Hell safety equipment, I was amazed when I wanted to actually go racing in 1968 I actually had to buy a helmet???? Wooses

JP45c wrote:

QUOTE:
Will,

Yeah, that's it! Thanks for the photo posting help.

As for the fancy tuck and roll seat, I just went with whatever Neil sent me. Got all the components for Christmas 1971, just before I got out of the Army. I lived in Savannah, GA back then. Helicopter pilot assigned to Hunter Army Airfield.

Made my Novice points in 1971 on a Bultaco. Could not say too much about motorcycle racing 'cause the Army was a little nervous about that kind of thing, back then. Kind of a low key program. Raced many of the East Coast venues - FL, GA, AL, NC, MD, NJ, NY, PA.

Never made Expert. Crashed at the Forida State Fair later in 1972 and broke L3 back vertabrea. Went back to college, quit flattrack racing in 1973 and got serious about family life.

Raced enduros all over the Southeast for 28 years. Started back on the dirt track in 2002 at Mid Carolina Speedway in South Carolina. LOVE IT!!!! Now, "I wouldn't give you a dollar for all the knobby tires in Georgia".

I do mostly AHRMA and other Vintage now on a BSA B50 and a 750 Trackmaster Triumph. Sneaked into the AHRMA National Championship in 2008 in the 70s SINGLES 50+ class by going to all the Nationals and running near the front, just behind the real fast guys. Kind of the good attendance award for my "Also Ran Program". Finished 2nd in the SUPER SENIOR. I'm older than you are (64+).

I enjoy all of your stories and comments. Truth be known, I am from Texas, too. Born in Kingsville, raised in Houston. Kingsville may not be the cowboy capital of the world but there are a dang lot of cowboys there. My Grandfather went to work every day at his construction company wearing boots and a hat and a sports jacket, to cover up his pistol. I never knew him to be without the pistol.

I am proud of where I am from and have family all over, from the hill country to Corpus Christi to Houston. If you know any Parkers or Whittenbergs from around San Saba, Llano, Fredricksburg, etc., I'm probably kin to them. Also kin to some of the Comanches around your area. But, I have lived in South Carolina for a long, long time and you couldn't drag me back to Texas!

I just thought that your BSA was so close to my YAM that they must have been the "standard package", back then. I think I called Neil Keen and said somthing like, "I made Junior, what do I do now?"

Best regards,

John Parker
45c Greenville, SC

Thanks for The Kind Words John and the Bio. I enjoyed reading it.

You mentioned San Saba. That is where my Father was born and raised.
Small world huh?
Hope to meet you some day and we can tell some family stories.

By The way, I use to race with some Parkers, but they were from the Killen Area. Gary Parker, and his Father, Jack I believe.

Later John,
Willard Kelley
aka
Wild will
Sponsored By: Tom Laird Of L A Racing, Lincoln Nebraska
James Morelandt of Bluebonnet Cycles, San Antonio Texas

WildWill wrote:

QUOTE:
JP45c wrote:

QUOTE:
Will,

Yeah, that's it! Thanks for the photo posting help.

As for the fancy tuck and roll seat, I just went with whatever Neil sent me. Got all the components for Christmas 1971, just before I got out of the Army. I lived in Savannah, GA back then. Helicopter pilot assigned to Hunter Army Airfield.

Made my Novice points in 1971 on a Bultaco. Could not say too much about motorcycle racing 'cause the Army was a little nervous about that kind of thing, back then. Kind of a low key program. Raced many of the East Coast venues - FL, GA, AL, NC, MD, NJ, NY, PA.

Never made Expert. Crashed at the Forida State Fair later in 1972 and broke L3 back vertabrea. Went back to college, quit flattrack racing in 1973 and got serious about family life.

Raced enduros all over the Southeast for 28 years. Started back on the dirt track in 2002 at Mid Carolina Speedway in South Carolina. LOVE IT!!!! Now, "I wouldn't give you a dollar for all the knobby tires in Georgia".

I do mostly AHRMA and other Vintage now on a BSA B50 and a 750 Trackmaster Triumph. Sneaked into the AHRMA National Championship in 2008 in the 70s SINGLES 50+ class by going to all the Nationals and running near the front, just behind the real fast guys. Kind of the good attendance award for my "Also Ran Program". Finished 2nd in the SUPER SENIOR. I'm older than you are (64+).

I enjoy all of your stories and comments. Truth be known, I am from Texas, too. Born in Kingsville, raised in Houston. Kingsville may not be the cowboy capital of the world but there are a dang lot of cowboys there. My Grandfather went to work every day at his construction company wearing boots and a hat and a sports jacket, to cover up his pistol. I never knew him to be without the pistol.

I am proud of where I am from and have family all over, from the hill country to Corpus Christi to Houston. If you know any Parkers or Whittenbergs from around San Saba, Llano, Fredricksburg, etc., I'm probably kin to them. Also kin to some of the Comanches around your area. But, I have lived in South Carolina for a long, long time and you couldn't drag me back to Texas!

I just thought that your BSA was so close to my YAM that they must have been the "standard package", back then. I think I called Neil Keen and said somthing like, "I made Junior, what do I do now?"

Best regards,

John Parker
45c Greenville, SC

Thanks for The Kind Words John and the Bio. I enjoyed reading it.

You mentioned San Saba. That is where my Father was born and raised.
Small world huh?
Hope to meet you some day and we can tell some family stories.

By The way, I use to race with some Parkers, but they were from the Killen Area. Gary Parker, and his Father, Jack I believe.

Later John,
Willard Kelley
aka
Wild will
Sponsored By: Tom Laird Of L A Racing, Lincoln Nebraska
James Morelandt of Bluebonnet Cycles, San Antonio Texas

Willard,
My Grandmother on my Dad's side was a Parker.

Jim Henry

Bultacoslider wrote:


Hell safety equipment, I was amazed when I wanted to actually go racing in 1968 I actually had to buy a helmet???? Wooses

[/quote]

Bill Kasson who owns Kasson Yamaha in Austin, and owned that Speedway Bike that Robby Holbert rode, showed up at his first race in the sixties without a Helmet.

My Dad loaned him one so he could race.

In The fifties, my Brothers Ed and Olen. didn't get a Helmet until they started to race.

Will, I found this in my picture collection...

Crume, where did you get that picture? It is from 1972.

Crume wrote:

QUOTE:
Will, I found this in my picture collection...

Cool Photo, and Rick Merlo Hasn't changed Much, except now he mostly runs a Number One Plate.

RM53 wrote:

QUOTE:
Crume, where did you get that picture? It is from 1972.

Honestly I don't remember Rick. It was just something I saw while surfing the net and I copied it because I dug the bike. I had it for a few years (I see that I saved on my hard drive February 23, 2005) and when I saw the picture Will posted, I thought I should post it.

Same hair style. No change for Rick thes days.

Hey I still have that jacket AND it still fits, sorta.

His looks haven't improved a bit.

Jim Henry