1963 Riverside Grand Prix Racing - 1-Page Vintage Motorcycle Article

Description

1963 Riverside Grand Prix Racing - 1-Page Vintage Motorcycle Article
Original, vintage magazine article
Page Size: Approx. 8" x 11" (21 cm x 28 cm)
Condition: Good
RIVERSIDE GRAND PRIX
OVER THE TOP — Photographer Bill Norcross caught this trio of riders in a 3-way
dead heat as they peak one of several crests on the Riverside (Calif.) course. From
left: Joe Scalzo (Honda), Mike Garrett (Norton) and Bill Murphy (Honda).
HARD TO believe. Practice laps
clocked by Buddy Parriott at
Riverside a few weeks before the Feb.
2-3 AFM meet there, were almost out
of the question. Nearly too fast.
His flat-black Norton Manx prac-
tically dug up the pavement of the
mostly fast 2.5-mile course. Times of
1:45 to 1:47, meaning averages of 90
mph. Still, that was practicing; maybe
he couldn’t go that fast in the race.
Feb. 2-3 at Riverside opened the sea-
son. It’d been a long, two-month wait
since the Vacaville races. Close to 70
machines, all the way from 750cc to
50cc showed up.
And Parriott was the end. He won
Sunday’s 30-mile sprint main event by
almost a minute, his winning nevei'
contested. He hit a 1:47 lap and aver-
aged 88 mph, looking cool all the time.
He admits it—he really “digs” River-
side.
They were all there to race him, too.
All of Parriott’s ultrafast compatriots
—Al Krupa (Norton Manx); Don Ves-
co (G-50 Matchless); and John Mc-
Laughlin (Manx).
Parriott didn’t race Saturday, as is
his custom, and Krupa didn’t show up,
either, which allowed Vesco and Mc-
Laughlin to finish 1-2. Vesco had his
usual G-50, but McLaughlin was on
Tony Murphy’s Manx, a little older,
slower, than most of the other hot
set-up 500s. McLaughlin’s two regular
Manxs, all prepared and ready, just
sat, waiting for the Daytona USMC
race the following weekend.
Saturday was tame, really, with a
“slow” average of 83 mph by Vesco,
and fast lap of 1:52 by McLaughlin,
who was practically the last rider to
get started.
However, here was Sunday: Krupa
shot his red Manx into the lead for
the opening two rounds, with Vesco,
Parriott, McLaughlin, and Ivan Wager
(AJS 7R) somewhere behind, going
thru traffic. Traffic there really was,
too, with something like 50 machines
on the course at once. The 50cc’ers
weren’t running; they’d had their race
Saturday, won by John Honda on a
Tohatsu (!).
So it was the Isle of Man-raced
Krupa out front. But Parriott took
over. His motor was probably the fast-
est on the track, but that isn’t the
point. It was Parriott. He was high-
flying, rumbling up the 100-mph esses,
lapping slower machines that were a
continual menace.
He kept pulling away till the 18-lap
contest ended, lapping everyone up to
fourth place. Vesco was 52 seconds be-
hind in second, then Krupa, third, one
tick behind Vesco. McLaughlin was a
distant fourth, then the 350 class win-
ner, Wagei' on the 7R, who stroked all
through the contest, his class win never
in doubt.
And, about classes, the 250 division
was something else. Norris Rancourt,
with the No. “1” plate on his 250
Parilla; newlywed Ron Grant, without
a Manx, on a Motobi instead; and
Tony Murphy, riding his neat-looking,
but practically stock Honda. They
were the “big three.”
Rancourt was surprising; he wasn’t
as fast as usual, or his machine wasn’t.
Something. Because Grant beat him
Saturday, winning the class. Norris
was second, Murphy third. Eight sec-
onds, only eight, separated the three
at the end. They had it out all the way.
Sunday, everyone was going to do
the other in. Rancourt: ‘T had mag
trouble yesterday, but that’s taken
care of.” Grant: “Hey, the Motobi is
going even faster today. Like a bomb.”
Murphy: “I’m gonna go all-out to beat
Ron.”
And the outcome. Grant made one
of his patented perfect starts, leading
the division. Then Murphy passed him,
and Rancourt followed. Murphy was
too much, outdoing himself, lapping at
1:57, faster than he’d ever gone be-
fore, sailing up into seventh place,
and occasionally sixth, hounding one
of the 350s. But Rancourt, getting the
feel of things, finally passed Murphy,
and was gone, winning the 250 class,
finishing sixth overall, behind Wager’s
AJ. Murphy was an elated second in
class, Grant third.
The 125 division went to Dan Jones’
Ducati with Mary McGee’s Honda
third. Pretty good, and Mary, this
time, wasn’t lonely. Carrol Hall, who’s
father owns and maintains Rancourt’s
Parilla, rode her 125 Parilla both days.
“Fun!” she said.
So the new season is on!
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