WildWill wrote:

QUOTE:
After winning all that Money in 1970, on the Kawasaki, If I remember right he was Sponsored by BOSTON KAWASAKI, Rusty was killed at His First Daytona 200 in 1971. It was his first Expert National, and I had picked him to win it. The crash that took his life happened at like 160 mph on the first lap of the 200 miler as they came off the tri oval.

Rusty's Front wheel came in contact with another racers rear wheel, high siding Rusty. I think the other racer was Kel Carruthers.

Willard Kelley
Aka
Wild Will From Stephenville
The Cowboy Capital of the World

Will:

I found this on Superbike Planet concerning Rusty Bradley.
http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2003-Aug/e/n030808a.htm

The Night Wild Will Really Turned Pro

This is one of my stories, about when I really turned pro as a Flat Tracker. No, now it wasn’t my first pro race, that took place nearly a year and a half earlier, at the Heart Of Texas Coliseum in Waco Texas, in 1970. I actually raced at two more AMA Class C Pro Races in 1970, blowing a transmission on the starting line of my Heat Race at the very first AMA Class C Pro Short Track ever held at the famous Ross Downs Track, outside of Ft.Worth in a suburb called Colleyville.

That race at Ross Downs was held the weekend of the Fourth of July, 1970. I later made my way to Oklahoma City, during the State Fair of Oklahoma. This was the trip, when I decided while at the races that weekend to ask my girl friend to become my wife, which she did and we have been together now over 32 years. I broke the rings in my Krum’s sponsored Ducati at Oklahoma City and so the only points I got my first year as a pro was the two points I got at my first race there in Waco.

It goes without saying there just wasn’t a lot of Pro Races in Texas back then, and you had to travel to get those valuable Transfer Points. In 1971 I didn’t even renew my Pro License until the fall that year when Ross Downs started running a couple of AMA Pro Races, one on the Thursday night before we ran Oklahoma City on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The Saturday Nights Short Track was rained out so I had raced in four more Pro Races, counting the trip My wife and I took to Baton Rouge Louisiana added to the three the previous year, made seven races when the last Race of the 1971 season was held at the Joe Freeman Coliseum, in San Antonio Texas.

Now I said this Race was when I really turned Pro. So let me explain what I mean.
I had been racing since 1961, that was a full ten years, and during that time I had won several State, Regional, and National Amateur Titles. Eight State, Two Regionals, and Two National Titles, at that time, actually.

In 1971 I was the Reigning AMA MPI State Champion. I had taken a pretty good lead in the 1971 Championship series until I fell and Broke My arm and three Ribs. During my absence from the series while recuperating, the Young David “Cricket” Craig, of Corpus Christi, had eat into my big lead and he and I spent the second half of the season swapping the lead in the Series.

He would led by two points, then I would led by three points, then back to him, with another two point lead. You get the idea, it was a close series and would go down to the end of the racing season, or so most thought.

Now as an Amateur Racer, I had sponsorships everywhere. I used to race out of four Different Motorcycle Dealerships, in Austin Texas Alone. But that sponsorship did not transfer over to my pro career. It seems a Win at a Local race is worth more to a Dealer than placing sixth out of 300 at Daytona.

I said Four Dealerships, Make that Five as the fifth Dealership gave me a 250 Bultaco Pursang as a pro ride. Of course I worked for my Sponsor at Texas Cycle Supply, there in Austin. That was Tommy Connor, who later became T.C. Racing, and sponsored Teddy Poovey and J.R. Rawls on the new Harley xr750’s, and also later Terry Poovey.

The reason I say this is the day I really turned Pro is because of the big decision I had to make just to be able to compete in it. I mentioned Tommy Connor. Well Tommy was also one of the promoters of the races and the series.

His partner was another of my sponsors, Mickey Tadlock. Well at this Pro race we were also running the amateur Points races for the Championship which I was battling Craig for. Connors, He comes up with this rule at the last minute, If you rode the Pro race that night, You couldn’t ride the Amateur Classes. So this became Decision Time for me big time.

Did I want to run the Amateur Classes for the points with a chance to repeat as State Champion, and get that Seven Foot Trophy. Or did I want to run the Pro Race and give up any possibility of retaining my title I had won the previous season, fOR a FEW BUCKS and a chance at those valuable Advancement Points. Well to make a long story short, I gave up my title and Cricket Craig got the 1971 Series Championship, and I lined up for the Pro Race.

Now that year had been interesting, with the Red Hot School Boy racer, Phil Darcy winning his heat race at the Daytona Novice Only Short Track earlier that spring, and then Darcy quit Racing and bought a new Z28 Camaro, and I guess he went cruising for chics.

After I went to work for Connors at Texas Cycle Supply, We went down and attended a NASCAR race in Houston, with some friends, and Darcy was one of those Friends. Connors and I did Our best to talk Darcy into coming back to the track which he finally did, and Darcy and I battled it out in the semi and main at that years Oklahoma City Half mile at The Friday’s race.
I finished fourth and Darcy was fifth right on my rear wheel as I remember it.

After the Oklahoma City Races, Darcy went on over for the Tuesday and Wednesday night Races in Tulsa, and I had to go back to work in Austin. While I was working Phil Darcy got the last of those points he needed to become a Junior, at those races in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

So when we squared off at this race in San Antonio, Texas Darcy already had his points to become a junior, and I didn’t. I guess you call it hungry.

Also at that race that night was J.R.Rawls, who had gotten all of his twenty Points to become a Junior, in a mere three weeks of racing in the Midwest, after turning eighteen years old. Roger Sterling was there. Sterling and I have had some neat battles when he was stationed in Fort Hood with the Army, and raced in Texas.

That was during the same time that Dan White of WHITE BROTHERS was also racing in Texas while he too was stationed in Fort Hood. Sterling, originally from Kansas, and now races Vintage Races out of Kansas.
( Edit: Roger has since retired and moved to Texas).

Sterling and I actually raced one another at Beckley’s race in Waco, at the VDTRA races this year. Roger beat me in the heat, and I beat Roger in the Main. Just like back in the sixties.

Also there were Paul Biggs, and Denny Horton, from Houston. Ricky Merlo, who by the way won him one of those VDTRA #1 Plates this year, was there in San Antonio and posted the third fastest time during time trials and made the Trophy Dash that night.

He would later wind up on the floor during his semi, but then so did everyone else in his semi. Lol. Merlo rode out of Austin then, like myself, and we were joined by Temple, Texas racer Steve England. A couple of more Houston racers were The great Winston Stelter, of Southwest Imports, and Richard Phillips, who originally was from my hometown of Brownwood.

The local riders of course was led by Danny Forky who rode one of my sponsor’s bikes that night; Mickey and Stan’s 185cc Suzuki Two Stroke Single. Other local guys was Jimmy Phillips, Hal Stockton and Ricky Brown.
Now I didn’t mention it but Winston Stelter, and I were running with the cheap Pirelli Look a like tires manufactured by IRC. Winston sold them and got Connors to try them on my racer. No one else seem to give them a try. Lol


I remember I went out for my heat after being disappointed about not making the Trophy dash, You know the Trophy girl, Points and all.
I blasted off in my heat and finished First followed by Houston riders Denny Horton and Paul Biggs, who by the way is the uncle of Kenny Biggs, who won Louisville as a Novice in 1974, and whom I race vintage flat track with now.

I think Rawls, Darcy, and Stelter won their heats also. In My semi, Rawls beat me off the line, and in the usual Rawls fashion, didn’t make any mistakes to give me a chance to get by, so I finished a close second and made it to the front row for the main event. I knew I had to beat Rawls off the line in the main some how to be able to win.

Stelter won the other Semi, on his trick Ossa, and lined up in the main between Rawls and myself.

We left the starting line in that main event that night, and Rawls led from his pole position start, as I got a good start but so did Stelter on his Ossa. I rode side by side for the first lap with Stelter, him on the inside and me on the outside, before putting myself solidly in second behind Rawls.

Like I mentioned earlier, I really needed to beat Rawls off the line to have a chance to beat him, but here he was out front with me right behind him. I finally just got right on his rear wheel and tried to put some pressure on him but nothing seemed to bother Rawls. Of course I don’t remember much that did bother Rawls on the race track. I don’t remember looking back at all that night, as I circled that little indoor at San Antonio, that is until the very last lap and then I took a glance.

As I was very busy circling around behind Rawls that night, we didn’t know what was going on in the middle of the pack, but it seems someone made contact with a hay bale on the inside of turn number three, and spread Hay onto the coliseum floor. As we drove down the back stretch, I saw the mess on the floor up in front of Rawls, and a crewman with a broom trying to sweep the hay off the track surface. I figured I would see what might happen in this scenario, as I drove in real close to Rawls as we started to enter turn number three.

As Rawls went into the turn, he ran over the broom which the guy was using and pulled the broom out of the man’s hands, and onto the Coliseum floor. This messed up Rawl’s concentration as he picked his racer up slightly and moved off of the pole. When he did this, That was the opening I was hoping for, as I went tight to the inside and got by Rawls for the lead. But it wasn’t over yet, not by a long shot.

Now Rawls was out wide as I passed him, but his straight a way was longer as he drove it in to turn number one and made up the distance he had just lost. As I led down the Back straight, I just had a feeling Ole J.R. was going to get a drive and try and stick it in on the inside of me going into number three.

I just knew it and sure enough as I approached my shut off point, I heard Rawls coming on that Bultaco of his, and charging up on the inside just like I thought he would. But hey I had a plan for moments like this.

As Rawls drove into that turn going way faster than he could make it, unless of course he had a berm to use. Well lets just say I wasn’t going to be that berm as I just picked my racer up as J.R. blasted in there and by doing so J.R. had no berm to use, as he went sliding down on the floor that night all the way to the wall.

As Rawls slide by me I turned left real quickly behind his sliding racer and drove down the front straight without Winston Stelter getting by me. The rest of the way was clear sailing for me as I held Winston Stelter off those last laps to take my first AMA Pro Race Main Event Win.

Following Stelter was San Antonio Rider Danny Forky, finishing third on a 185cc Suzuki running against the 250’s. That third place finish by Forky would be his best finish as a Pro rider.

After taking my victory lap with the checkered flag that night I pulled into my pits were my friend and Racing buddy, Bobby Hibbs was throwing my wife up into the ceiling of the coliseum, because they were so Happy.

Now after the race was over, Rawls went and filed an official protest, against the broom and the guy who was trying to use it. Rawls kept that broom that night as a souvenir, or as evidence, I don’t know for sure.

Rawls didn’t win his protest that night. I do remember reliving this night with Rawls about 12 years after it happened and at the time Rawls said he still had the broom in his closet. Last November I saw Rawls again at a racetrack in Wichita Falls, and he no longer has the broom. Lol

Well I finished the season of 1971, with 17 and ½ of the needed 20 points to become a Junior, so I was still a Novice in 1972, when the AMA changed the points to where you had to have 40 points to get to junior and 80 points as a junior to get to expert. So 1972 was like starting from scratch,. But I would earn the needed points in 1972 to make it to junior for the 1973 season.

Well that’s another of my stories and I hope you enjoyed about the Night I really turned Pro.

Willard Kelley
Aka
Wild Will from Stephenville
The Cowboy Capital Of The World

Larry Beall, NATIONAL NUMBER 87,
Learnimg From The Master

This story might not be so easy to write, but I will do my best.
This Story is about me learning from National Number 87.....B.B. That’s Before Brelsford. Of course that would be my Hero and First legend, Larry Beall. Beall wore the National #87 from 1958 to 1968. I first saw Larry ride in the late Fifties, and really don't remember another number before 87. It was always 87. I just found out this past winter, when I was visiting with Larry, that Larry never was a Rookie Expert. He went from Junior (they called them Amateur, back then) straight to a National Number.

I remember in 1964 when I got to race at the Kansas State Rally in Dodge City, waiting for Larry to show up. I always loved to watch Beall ride that throttle, and boy did he ride the throttle. I got to ride in the Sportsman program at Dodge City and got to pit with the Pros on the first Night, which was a Saturday. That’s when I first Meet Mert Lawwill, Darrell Doval, Al Gunter, Dick Mann, Paul Consiquerri, and Dan Haaby, to name a few.

I even got to help Haaby change his wheel between races. It was neat for a thirteen year old Kid, that don't remember ever wanting to do anything but race. It was like going to Motorcycle Heaven, and I didn't have to die to get there. As neat as it was, I was sad that night because ole Larry Beall didn't make it for the Saturday races in Dodge City. I found out later that Larry was racing at a big bucks race at the Devils Bowl back in Dallas Texas. That would be the old DEVIL's BOWL that was off of Loop 12 in Dallas.

Larry Showed up for the Sunday Nights Race at Dodge City, but they didn't run us Sportsman classes except on Saturday Night. So I got to see Larry but I didn't get to pit with him and he didn't get to see me win my class. I remember Larry locked up that Twin cylinder Yamaha at the Sunday Nights Races. It was probably one of the cranks that Allen Jackson was talking about at this years VDTRA Banquet. lol

In 1965 or 66, We got a flyer about a Race Indoor on polished Concrete, in San Angelo, Texas. Now I had never heard of this before but my dad thought we should go. The only problem was there was only one class, The Money Class. I was racing a S90 Honda then, and we went expecting I would have to run with Larry Beall, Jim Posey, and others.

After arriving at the races we found there were quite a few 100cc there so the Promoter Jim Hall, made us a class and paid trophies. So I didn't have to race with Larry that night. There were not a lot of pro riders that showed up for the first race on polished concrete so the show was over kind of early. They had a Radio Station doing a live Remote so after the races we went out and put on a show for the spectators.

As I got ready to go out, My dad told me to get behind Larry, and do whatever Larry did. I said, what? He said to get behind Larry and do what Larry does. So I always tried to do what my daddy said. I learned early, that if I did just what my daddy said, then I would usually win.

So I took off after my Hero Larry Beall. Now Larry was riding one of those new Bultacos and I got behind him and tried my best to do what my daddy said. What I didn't know was they were announcing this on the Radio, and I was about to give my first Radio Interview. But I am getting ahead of myself.

As Larry and I kept going around and around, the other riders were pulling off and soon it was Just us two on the track. Larry was laying that Bultaco down and dragging the handlebars. He wore the end of the rubber grip off and I saw sparks flying from his handlebars dragging on that concrete.

Now I am not going to sit here and tell you I drug my handlebars but I will say, I TRIED!

By this time the crowd was getting into this, and they were hanging over the rails cheering and screaming and waving, which only jazzed Larry Beall up even more. That was the first time I saw a racer, just doing his thing for the crowd and I had a front row seat.

Now Larry was putting on such a show, he decided to get real fancy and started riding through the turns with one hand in the air. So I tried it. I did it, but I wasn't as pretty as Larry was. About that time Larry was riding one handed going into turn one when he slipped. Now he didn't fall he just moved up the track some. When he did this, I grabbed my handlebar and went to the inside and got by Larry, to the fans delight I might add.

We pulled off the next lap, and my Daddy told me Later that Larry told him that he didn't even know I was back there. That he thought he was the only one out on the track. After this little show, I was invited up to the Booth and they interviewed me live on the Radio. So I got my first radio Interview because of Larry Beall.

Now at one time, Beall was a Yamaha Rep and set up a lot of Dealers in Texas. I heard Larry talking about he was supposed to be racing and instead he wound up working in Yamaha R and D in Japan for a lot of straight days. He traveled a lot for Yamaha. After Larry retired (so to speak), he would race sportsman races with us young ones in Texas. No matter what Larry rode, he always put on a show.

In 1970 Larry and I ran into each other, literally, at the Austin Aqua Festival. I was no longer a five foot tall racer. I had finally sprung to nearly six feet tall and I was Riding Krum’s new Ducati 250. Larry was riding Dan James, (The Austin Harley Dealer) 'The Purple Monster'. A very Big and very Fast Harley. It was in practice, because obviously we would be in different classes.

Before you entered the Front straight at the Aqua Festival, Which was Riverside Drive, there was a left sweeping turn around the coliseum. This is where Larry and I met up. I don't know how we arrived at that part of the track at the same time but we did. Larry was right in front of me coming out of the right hander just before the sweeper around the Coliseum.

Larry went out wide and I went the short way around. We met at the entrance of the front straight, but we got there at two different angles. I hit Larry so hard, it knocked him into the medium of Riverside Drive.

I slowed, looked back and watched as I saw Larry hit the curb, go up into the air, land on the front wheel and rode it on the front wheel for several feet, before running off the curb into the other lane, pulled a wheelie and rode the wheelie for 40 or 50 feet. To this day I don't think Larry ever shut the throttle off on that Harley. He flew down the wrong lane passing me and My little Ducati as he swerved through the intersection at the start Finish Line, to get back in the left lane which was the racetrack. That was the last I saw of Larry that day, he was gone.

In 1971, during my heyday at the old Horse Track outside of Austin, called Manor Downs, Larry showed up with that Big Harley again to ride in the open class. Now at that time only one Racer had beat me in the open class at Old Manor Downs. That list would finally grow to three in a two and half year period. Only two racers beat me there in the 200cc class. I rode Honda Of Austin’s (big) 350 Honda then, and it was built by the same guy that has the (big) 360 Honda I race the vintage races with now, and that would be Roland Wilson, of Kyle Texas, a former Motorcycle racer himself.

Larry blew up the big Harley that day so He didn't get a shot at me. In fact after he blew the Harley He rode my 250 Yamaha in the Grand Finale, but it was no match for the Honda I was riding. But during practice that day, Larry and my dad where getting me to drive off deep into turn one. Larry would stand by the track and I would shut off where Larry was standing with Larry moving closer to the turn each lap I came by. Now my daddy, God rest his soul, always loved to tell what happened next. As I came flying down that front straight a way, and got ready for turn one, I kind of thought gee Did Larry Move a little farther this time? As I reached the spot Larry was standing at and shut off, I found myself way deep into that deep cushion of Manor Downs.

I just did get that Honda turned before hitting the fence. When I got back to the pits, my dad and Larry were just a laughing up a storm at what Larry had done to me. I don't remember thinking it was so funny at the time, but I do remember it fondly now.

In the Mid Seventies Larry got his Pro License back. I never heard him say this but I think It had a lot to do with his son Larry Jr., was racing at the time and we got to see a father son kind of thing. Larry’s Number was 7n and mine was 6n, when we met up at a little track in San Antonio, the week before my first trip to the Astrodome in 1975. We called it an Astrodome warm up.

I was riding a 360 Yamaha in a Redline frame that Skinny Pierce borrowed from a Local Kid named Jimmy Johnson. Pop bought a new cylinder for it and had Red Dailey, of Oklahoma port the Cylinder. Larry was also riding a Redline but he had a Honda 350 four stroke in his racer. Larry beat me off the line that night and I had to work to get around him. I finally did but I couldn't shake this guy that was 16 years older than me.

I remember I planned on winning the Dome and I was pretty upset I couldn't pull away from Beall. Larry was 40 then, but I just couldn't get away from him. My dad then reassured me that Larry was still plenty fast and not to be concerned how old he was. So the week before the Dome I would go to sleep at night dreaming of Winning the Astrodome, but now Larry was in second at the Dome in my Dream.

The next weekend I didn't fare so well at my first Astrodome. After practice, The talk in the pits was about that old man riding that Honda, and how fast he was going. I remember thinking, Hey maybe daddy was right. After time trials we waited for the posting of the line up for the heats. Only the top 48 made the program. I was 5th alternate, and guess who was the sixth alternate. Yeah Larry Beall, We were right there together, there were just 52 that was faster than we were that day. Of course there were over a hundred riders that were slower than Larry and I that day at the Astrodome.

Yeah, I learned a lot about racing from Larry Beall. At the last race this year (2002) at Waco Texas, Larry wasn't there because he was attending a Funeral. I didn't ride because I am recuperating from Injuries. I got into a conversation with Ed
Beckley. They were showing a picture of Larry Beall Road racing with a steel shoe on. I said yeah, I did that once, actually twice, and Beckley said you did, and he laughed at me. I said yeah, if Larry did it I tried it. And that is really the truth ....

IF LARRY BEAll DID IT, THEN I TRIED IT.

I hope everyone enjoyed my little story of my first racing legend, Larry Beall

Willard Kelley
Aka
Wild Will From Stephenville
The Cowboy Capital Of The World

I am Bentley Hardwick's sister. Would like to hear from you.
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The Following Story is Number Ten in My First Collection Of Stories.
In 2002, I started A Texas Trivia here at flattrack.com which later grew to National Trivia and This Sturgis story came from
One of those trivia Questions.
_____________________________________________________

Sturgis 1975: Rawls, Kelley, and Kidd

The answer to the Texas Trivia, Sturgis 1975 question is:
1st Place- #93 J.R. Rawls
2nd Place- # 6N Willard Kelley
3rd Place- # 72 Mike Kidd.

Those were the Top Three Finishers in the Fastest Heat Race on the Saturday Half-Mile in Sturgis 1975.
As I said in My Hints….Two of the three riders won the two Half-Mile Main Events that weekend in Sturgis. One on Saturday and the other one on Sunday, The Regional. The third Rider, I said didn’t win anything, but did set fast time and broke the track record on Sunday at the Regional.

No one put all three riders together, though several of you had two out of three of the riders, and one poster declared hey two out of three ain’t bad.
So here is the Story on Sturgis 1975, Through My eyes of course.

It was a long way to Sturgis South Dakota, from Brownwood Texas, in more ways than just a lot of miles. I traveled up to Sturgis for my first time with my best friend, and fellow racer, Skip Marshall, a Novice racer from my home town of Brownwood, Texas.

At the Saturday Half-Mile, Rawls, Kidd, and Myself were in the fastest heat race of the day with J.R. Rawls the winner. I remember Rawls led the whole race, with me in hot pursuit. My Skinny Pierce Track Master Triumph 750 was running super, but I had missed how fast the track was that early in the day, and was geared a tad too low. I made a run at Rawls, but just couldn’t get close enough to make anything happen. I had been racing Rawls since the late sixties, and knew he had no obvious weakness on the race-track. If you passed J.R. you had to do it all on your own, because he sure didn’t give you anything to work with.

I don’t know if Mike Kidd was right behind me the whole race or if he had to come through the pack, because I didn’t look back until the last lap. When I did glance back, there was Kidd nipping at my rear wheel.

As we lined up for the Main Event, I felt confident, that I had a chance to finally win a Main Event, my Rookie Expert Year. We had changed the gearing on the Triumph and made a few minor adjustments, and I was ready to give Rawls and company a run for their Money.

As the green flag waved for the Main Event, we made a mad rush for turn one. I didn’t miss any shifts, and things were just fine. I found myself a close Third down the backstretch, but I was on the outside, which was real fortunate, with what was about to happen.

As we drove our flat trackers into turn three, Rawls was leading, but I was making a move on the outside, WHEN….. It Happened! That’s when the lights went out in Sturgis, My lights anyway.

Suddenly, it was total darkness, like the Sun Just went away. Like I said I was on the outside, so that kept me from getting caught up with the other riders. I left the throttle on that Triumph wide open as we headed down the front straight a way. At which time, I raised my face shield on my Bell Star to see what had happened. The oil filler cap located on the top of the frame, in front of the fuel tank had come off and sprayed me with oil.

I wiped or should I say smudged my shield with the back side of my left glove, then lowered it and stuck my thumb over the oil filler hole, to keep from getting anymore oil on me. Yes I rode all but a half a lap of the main event One-Handed.
Obviously I wasn’t competitive, riding with one hand, as the other riders started passing me one at a time through the turns. Now J.R. Rawls won the Main Event that day, but he didn't lap me. In fact, I didn't finish last either.

After the races several of us walked the track until we found the oil filler cap. After the pit crew cleaned all the oil off the Triumph, It was ready for Sunday, or so we thought anyway.

After the one-armed ride that day, My sponsor, Skinny Pierce asked me, “why didn’t you just pull off when this happened?” To which I replied, “Because I am not a quitter, and besides someone might have crashed and brought out a red flag. As long as I wasn’t a lap down I could restart the race.” Skinny just looked at me as he chewed on that cigar of his and said, “You are an Optimist aren’t you son?”

After the races we loaded up and went on over to the Short Track in the Mountain, where we had a fun time. We actually talked to the City Councilman at the races and found out that they work fifty weeks out of the year getting ready for these two weeks of the summer.

Sturgis was neat, as we went and hung out downtown and saw a lot of bikes. We wound up in the City park and met some nice people. Some local people actually invited us over to their house so we could take showers. We took them up on it, and we talked awhile about the history of the Sturgis Rally, then turned in for the night for some rest before the Sunday Regional Championship.

We awoke to the rising sun on Sunday morning and headed out to the race track to get a good pit spot. I was feeling real good about my chances today, and couldn’t wait to get on the racetrack. Little did I know at that time, What an emotional roller coaster ride I was in for that day.

Practice went well and uneventful, as we laid out the grove. After practice we lined up for Qualifying to see who would make the Program. Only the fastest Experts got to race, the rest would load up and watch. As my turn came up for my shot at time trials I knew I had to have a decent time so I would have a decent starting position in the heat race, which makes getting to the main event much easier.

Things were going well with me and the Triumph, and I didn’t make any mistakes, and felt like I could make the program with the lap I was making as I came out of turn four and was headed for the checkered flag, and I was going to take my first timed lap. When….The engine suddenly revved, and I grabbed the Clutch lever and glanced down and saw I had thrown a chain. I quickly waved off my time so we could make repairs and get another shot at qualifying. Thus began My Emotional roller coaster ride of Sturgis 1975.

Back in the pits, my pit crew put the chain back on, and I was getting ready to go back out for my last chance at qualifying, as time was starting to run out. Then they discovered what had really happened when that chain came off. The countershaft had broken. Actually on a Triumph, it was called a main shaft, as both the clutch and countershaft was on the same shaft. Anyway the shaft that had the countershaft sprocket on it broke. And quick repairs obviously couldn’t be made.

As I removed my leather Jacket and stood there with total heartbreak in my eyes, fellow Texas racer Gary Corpian, of Abilene, asked me what was wrong. I told Corpian what we broke and he quickly offered his Triumph for me to ride.

I am back in business, as we switched my Number plates to Corpian’s Triumph, and just got out on the racetrack as time was running out. I was the last rider to attempt to qualify that day, and I had never made a lap on the Triumph I was now sitting on.

It was really a neat Triumph. Track Master Frame, with a solo seat and pillion pad and a pair of Bart Markel handlebars, straight out of the sixties man. It had C.R. Axtell Heads, and it had some good horsepower. I got a little over a half a lap of practice on the Triumph before taking the green flag for my last chance at qualifying.

As I went down the back stretch before the start, I noticed right off that the Triumph was geared way too low for me. As I took the green flag, I was already over redline on the Triumph and I just didn’t see how this was going to work. As I drove into turn one, I only backed off the throttle to let the engine RPM’s down to a safe level. The Triumph tracked super through turns one and two and I wound up on the pillion pad due to those long Bart Markel Bars.

As I sailed down the back stretch, again redlining the poor Triumph, I suddenly thought this just might be fast enough to get in the program, then I could regear the Triumph before the heat races. I threw the Triumph into turn three, backed off the throttle, then got right back on it and picked up my foot and drove that Triumph to the Checkered flag, unaware of what I had just done.

As I pulled the Racer into Corpian’s pit, and started to remove my helmet, I started telling Corpian to take three teeth off the rear wheel, and I could go faster. That is when everyone started to arrive in my Pit Area. Rawls was the first to Congratulate me, then Kidd, Darcy and all the rest……It seems I had just set fast time and broke the track record at Sturgis. Then they announced it again on the P.A. System and I heard it for myself with my own ears. Remember that emotional roller coaster ride I mentioned earlier.

They started running the Novice heat races and hadn’t posted the Expert heat races on the pit board yet, and Gary changed the gearing on the Triumph for the heat race. Nearly all the novice heat races were run before they posted the Expert Heats on the pit board. But My number was no where to be found.

Strange, I just set fast time and broke the Track Record and I wasn’t even posted on the board, and no one seemed to have any answers either. I got a hold of the Referee, Legend Flat Tracker, Darrell Dovel, and tried to find out something. To no Avail, as his only suggestion was to wait until after the heat races and go talk to the scorers. I explained to Darrell, then it would be too late. I wanted in the line up where I belonged. Dovel wouldn’t let me cross the track because races were going on. The novice heats had finished and the juniors were on the track now, and time was running out.

So I told Corpian and the rest of the pit crew to have the bike ready at the pit gate, in case I was successful with my trip to the scoring tower. The scorers were on the front straight a way in front of the main Grandstands and we were on the other side of the track. I walked around the end of the track to get to the front straight. I had to go through the stands to get to the scorers. I had my leathers on as I made that long walk and spectators kept pointing at me and saying, “There he Is, There he is.” As I arrived at my destination, the last junior heat race was just beginning and the Experts would be next on the track.
I had trouble getting anyone’s attention, since they were trying to score a race. I finally got them to listen to me and explained my problem. I told them the announcer even announced it over the P.A. system that I set Fast time and Broke the track record. That’s when they each looked at each other like they had just realized that they remembered hearing the same announcement earlier.
The lady in charge started frantically looking through her stuff. While she was shuffling through her paperwork, There It Was, My Wooden Chip.

You see they used these wooden chips, and put our number on one side and the time on the other side. My chip with the fast time on it had gotten slide under some papers, and they wound up posting the time that I had waved off when the Chain Had come off during the time trial I waved off, which obviously wasn’t fast enough to make the cut.

By this time the first heat, My Heat, was lining up on the starting line, and no time was left. The lady apologized to me for her mistake, and I could see that it truly bothered her.
So it was just Human Error why I didn’t get to race the Regional on Sunday at Sturgis, Plain Human Error.

So folks that is why you won’t find My name in the Sturgis Record Book. But I did set fast time and I did Break the Track Record, BUT They lost My Chip.

Now Mike Kidd went on and won the Regional that day in Sturgis, and backed it up the following Sunday by winning the First All-Harley Main event at the Half-Mile National in Terra Haute Indiana.
Me, well I went and visited Deadwood S.D. Then Mount Rushmore before heading east for races at Granite City, Santa Fe, Pecatonica, and Terra Heute…..Oh The Life Of A Pro Motorcycle Racer.

Hope you enjoyed the Story from Sturgis 1975.
Willard Kelley
aka
Wild Will
From Stephenville.
The Cowboy Capital Of The World

Great, great story Will. I can't understand why they couldn't halt the program until they got everything straightened out and put you in the appropriate heat race. My memories of Sturgis '72 are of hitting the haybales with my twin and ripping the footpeg off at the 1/2 mi, trying to ride my twin on the TINY shorttrack, and watching Chubby Armour win that race on his twin!!
'Twist That Throttle'

THE HAVE AND THE HAVE NOTS
BUBBA RUSH AND WILD WILL

It was 1976 and we gathered once again at the Oklahoma City Fairgrounds for the last weekend of racing for the season. It was as usual, held the last weekend of September, during the State Fair. I had made everyone of the Fairs since my First race there as a Novice in 1970. The place has always been kind of special to me, maybe because that’s where I decided I would propose to my wife, whom I have been married to for 32 years. (39 in 2009).

A couple of months earlier that season, I had split with Skinny Pierce, and no longer was on a Triumph. I had bought me a Yamaha 750, in a Champion Frame, from Racer Tom Atwell of Houston, who built it. It had a Neil Keene top end on it, and I took it to Sturgis and Stockton, Kansas, where I put it in the Main Event. I actually led the Main at Stockton the first lap, then the Harleys started coming by down the straight one at a time, First Terry Poovey, then the rest. By this time most everyone was on a Harley.

After Stockton, I called Keene and he sent me a set of new rings, and told me a couple of things to do. I freshened up the top end with the rings and a valve job and showed up at Oklahoma City. The big Regional Race would be run on Sunday, but Friday they also had a Half-mile but it didn't pay the big bucks like the Sunday's race would. I put the Yamaha in the Main Event on Friday, not knowing we had just become part of AMA History.

While running in the mid pack of the main, I slipped off the narrow Oklahoma groove, not once, but twice. You just don't do that at Oklahoma City and finish up front. That Friday's race would become the last Half-Mile that was run with the old style Goodyears. The new DT II tires were out but in 1976 they were only used on the miles, for safety, they said. The Tires were not allowed on half miles. That was about to change. That same Friday night, The last National of the year, a half-mile at Ascot Park was run. For some reason the AMA decided to let the riders use the new tires at the last National of 1976. I never heard why, they just did.

As we arrived at the Fair Grounds Sunday morning, the pits were already buzzing with news a bunch of the National Numbers who raced at Ascot on Friday, had drove down for the Regional at Oklahoma City. Most Notable being Palmgreen, and the Sehls.
Dave Sehl showed up with a truckload, okay maybe a half truck load, of the new style Tires. He started selling the tires. I quickly found the referee, and was assured more than once that the new tires would not be allowed.

The morning ticked by, with more and more riders buying the tires. The story was, if enough riders put on the tires, then they would have to let us run them. Another story in the pits was they just wanted to practice on the tires to check them out for the 1977 season. I checked back with the referee several times throughout the morning, always being assured the tires would not be allowed. Finally, Practice had to begin, so the referee, let the new tires practice, but we were still told they would not be allowed in qualifying or the races, PERIOD.

During practice, I noticed an exceptionally wide groove developing unlike the usual narrow groove. Once entering turn number 3, Chuck Palmgren came by me on the inside. With the new tires, I noticed he didn't slide hardly at all, he just tracked around the turn almost effortlessly. Obviously the new tires were much faster.

At the riders meeting before Qualifying things heated up, Climaxing, I think when Palmgren boldly stated He wasn't taking the tires off his racer, Like it or not, so just start the Protests. If we ran under protest, no one would get Paid. At this point, is when the referee, told them to go ahead and run the Novice heats while He went and called the head of Professional Racing at the AMA, Bill Boyce, to get his input. (Or to pass the buck if you know what I mean) The referee finally came back with the word; Boyce said let them run the new Tires. SURPRISE!

We all took our turn at time trials and then waited for the posting on the Pit Board. The fastest qualifier was Harley Mounted Texan Bubba Rush, and he was quite a bit faster than the next rider. Down in thirteenth place was the first rider to qualify on the old style tires and that would be yours truly, Wild Will Kelley. Some how I had used the whole groove and managed to get into the program as only 24 experts made the program.

We lined up for the first heat Race, With Bubba Rush taking the outside. I line up behind him on the second row. When the green flag dropped, Bubba Spun the tire and got a bad start. I moved to the right and went by him on the outside on the way to the number one turn. I had beaten everyone on the back row, and had passed Bubba, which put me into sixth down the back straight, where Bubba came by me. I knew Bubba was the fastest this day by far and decided I would hook on to Bubba and go to the front with him, just like he had done me the year before at Daytona.

We drove around nose to tail several laps getting by one rider. I just shoved it in where ever Bubba went, lap after lap. What happened next is unbelievable, if you weren't in the stands to see what happened.

We were exiting turn #4 headed for the start/finish line, when out of the right corner of my eye, I spotted a plastic bag blowing onto the racetrack. It was a large; you know those 20-LB ice bags they use in the concession stand. It was blowing across the track and it went right under Bubba Rush's Harley, and was spit up by his rear wheel.

That’s when It came straight up like a cannon ball and wrapped around my helmet. It nearly knocked me off my Yamaha, but I was able to keep my right hand on the bars and keep the throttle on. But I couldn't see, and I knew Bubba was right in front of me somewhere.

My wife and mother were in the stands, and said the whole crowd got totally silent as I went down the front straight with that bag over my head. I finally wrestled it off with my left hand, just in time to find myself going deep into turn one, and I mean deep. Up into the marbles, sideways, lock to lock. I finally got it turned before hitting the haybales, and squared off the turn and drove down the backstretch.

Amazingly no one passed me. I hadn't looked back during the race so I didn't know how close anyone was. But I lost BUBBA RUSH. He had put a good 8 to 10 bike lengths on me during my little episode with the big ice bag. The next turn I just drove it off way to deep, trying to make up the ground I had just lost, and wound up worst than with the bag on my head. Another ride into the marbles, sideways again, but this time the other train of riders tracked on by and that pretty well ended my ride that day at Oklahoma City.

Now I know I was the fastest that day on the old tires, that made the program, I have heard that I was the only one to qualify with the old tires, I am not sure about that statement, but I do know it was quite a ride that day back in 1976.

I hope you'll enjoyed the little story.
Willard Kelley
aka
Wild Will From Stephenville
The Cowboy Capital Of The World

Wild Will Crashes Dave Aldana, Houston Texas 1973

Everyone knows about Aldana's reputation for his crashes. Don't you? It was pretty much played up in the filming of "On Any Sunday". On "On Any Sunday Revisited" Bruce Brown, boldly states if Aldana Hadn't crashed so much he would have been Number One.

I don't remember much about Aldana as a novice, other than he won the last race of the year at Ascot, beating Keith Masburn for the win and Becoming the only rider to accomplish that feat in 1968 at Ascot.

But in 1969, when Aldana was a Junior ( they still called them Amateurs then) He crashed out in several National events, and was caught on film. Now It is one thing to crash, it is entirely something else when it is captured on film.

I remember seeing Aldana's Crashes that year in one of the magazines giving a year in review type article. Aldana was showed crashing, in different positions. The magazine writer nicked named Aldana "Diving Dave". Does anyone else remember that nickname?

I met Aldana his Rookie Expert year, at what I think was His first Main Event win as an Expert. That was the weekend after Daytona, The same year they Filmed On Any Sunday. The race was held at Arizona and was promoted by the Famous J.C. Agajanian.

Aldana won that night (yeh He didn't crash) finishing ahead of National #1 Mert Lawwill. That was the Year Dick Mann won Daytona on a Honda, and he didn't have a ride at this race so Mert the Squirt loaned Bugsy one of his spare KR's.

Another of Aldana's famous crashes was at the Worlds Fastest Racetrack, Taladaga. I wasn't there but I remember the article saying Aldana Crashed out one of those BSA Triples at over 130mph, and got up threw his hands to the sky and proclaimed "I'M INDESTRUCTABLE"...That was clasic Aldana.

Now, I did personally witness one of Aldanas crashes that wasn't caught on film. It was Sedalia Missouri in 1973. They ran a Mile in the morning and we had a Half Mile that night. Well at the halfmile, they had watered the track down very good, and very wet, as Aladana was the first on to the track in Practice. The other racers were taking it easy and checking out the conditions of the track but not Aldana.

He went flying down the backstretch wide open, didn't check out nothing, He threw it into number 3 and the bike just left him. It was gone and Aldana was left by himself sliding in the mud. Of course Aldana just jumped up with a big smile on his face and pushed the racer off the track.

BUT.....ALDANA's most Famous crash just has to be ...The night Wild Will crashed Aldana. And it wasn't caught on film, (Thank God)

It was the Houston Astrodome 1973, and it took place between #3 and #4. Actually it wasn't at the Dome, it was really after the Dome. And 3 and 4 is actually the first two numbers of the Hotel room where the Post Race Party took place.

Now this was a neat party as I remember, hosted by Tommy Conner of T C Racing, then sponsor of Teddy Poovey and J R Rawls on the new (then) Harley XR750's. The party was really suppose to be to celebrate after Poovey's First Astrodome Expert ride, But Teddy didn't do well on the new 326 Bultaco his first year as he didn't have the new Bultaco dialed in for his first national ride as an expert.

The toast of the Party Became Buck Boren, who finished fourth or fifth in the National that night. Boren was an original Ross Downs Regular and was one of the Texas Wrecking Crew back then made up of Poovey, Rawls, Boren, and Odom.

Now before Aldana made his appearance at this party there had already been one crash. During our party, we had two rooms and took the door off between the two rooms and moved things around. There were a lot of people there to say the least, with someone stopping by all through the night. Next to one of the rooms we were using were some Yankee Business Men, in for a convention of some sort.

They had nothing to do with motorcycles and just came snooping around to see what all was going on. You know Nossy. Of course we were pretty loud and the hall was backed up with people, so they just kind of joined our party. We welcomed them in and showed them where the ice chest was, and they listened to the stories at the party.

Then we heard a rukus out on the balcony followed by a splash. My wife asked me "What was that"?

I told her "Sounds like someone just got throwed off the Balcony". It appeared that these Business men were keeping us busy, so their buddys could rip off the Wine and Beverages. They were passing it over the Balcony to their room when they were caught. I won't name no names here but the Big Texan, just chunked the Yankee over the Balcony. I never did ask him if he knew if there was a pool down there or not.

Anyway in a few minutes the rest of the Business men returned the stuff they had stolen and went back and locked their room.

Then Aldana showed up along with Fellow Californian, Rick Hocking. Of course as Hocking came up he lite smokebombs, and filled the hallways up with smoke. And you'll remember in "On Any Sunday" they showed Aldana hanging out of the van with the cops behind him and they say something to the effect Aldana is Wild off the track just like on the track. Well that was Aldana, never a dull moment. We had to hide Hocking and his smoke bombs while security looked for who set them off.

Aldana was sitting on the edge of the bed and got up to go get another beer out of the ice chest. Of course Aldana couldn't walk twelve feet without getting into three different conversations. After he finished his conversation, he turned and headed back to where he had been sitting on the bed. This is where I crashed Aldana....He tripped over my foot, and did a somersaute in typical Aldana Fashion. He landed on the floor with his head up against the side of the bed. He boldly held up that can of beer, and proclaimed, "LOOK I DIDN'T SPILL A DROP." Thats when I leaned over Aldana and looked at the beer can and I told him "Aldana you haven't opened it yet."....Everyone Cracked Up.

Anyway thats the night I crashed Aldana.
Hope You enjoyed the little Story.

Willard Kelley
aka
Wild Will From Stephenville
The Cowboy Capital Of The World

Still love this story Will...Bubba was always one of my favorites!

You NEED to print these out! i'd buy a copy!

Hey I was just wondering if you guys remember a Gary Bailey that raced back in the late 60's and early 70's?

cooperbailey19 wrote:

QUOTE:
Hey I was just wondering if you guys remember a Gary Bailey that raced back in the late 60's and early 70's?

Well Of Course I remember Gary Bailey. There were Two Of them, One was the Professor from Moto Cross Fame, and The other was a Fast Flat Tracker from New Mexico.

That's the One You speaking of isn't it?

Check out the Third Story in this Thread as Gary Bailey is in it.

It is Called: "The Night I cried at Daytona 1975".

Are you Kin to him? Do You know were he is at and What he is doing?

Thanks for Posting.

Willard Kelley
aka
Wild Will

He is my grandpa he lives in Ruidoso, NM. He just got done building a house up there he's been flipping real-estate.