Ahhhh.... 750 Commando....always loved those machines!

Paul

Cool shot C.D. A friend of mine just bought a 1967 featherlight frame bike with the high sidepipes and clip-ons. It's very much a "rat bike" but looks great. I will post some pics at a later date.
Speaking of 1973, I bought this in 1972. That's my father checking it out when I first brought it home.
And to keep the bike theme going, these are a couple of friends of mine in the early seventies, who rode for the guy who imported the first Ducatis into Canada, Keith Harte.
I was working for Keith Harte's brother part time in his machine shop when the bikes started arriving.

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GREAT photo Tony of the boys with the Ducati and Yamaha !
Both were absolute best of the time.

Do you recall a racer , last named __?__ Pope, who rode the wheels off
of a booming 750 Desmo Ducati? I watched him at a race I was at
about 1972/3 in Alma, Canada. A race course laid out through
a few blocks of town. Other Canadians I met that weekend, the Hornblower brothers , both Yamaha mounted.
I raced a 250 Desmo (pictured here) and a 750 Norton (not my street
bike). I was just starting out as a Novice, but the Open GP had Pope on the Ducati, Tara McKensie(sp) on a 750 Honda, Jim Allan TZ700 Yamaha,
and a cast of other real scratchers of the day. Great memories.

I raced a few times at Sanair, and that was always a treat to get away from the routine of Loudon, NH., Bridgehampton, NY., .

I later took a vacation from my day job(Mercedes-Benz Tech) to wrench for my best friend Mike Baldwin
during his first full season on 500GP in Europe 1985.
I helped maintain his 3-cyl. 500 Honda in europe, and we came home for
enough of the US AMA National races to win the #1 plate again also
the same year. Hectic packing and traveling, driving, non-stop.
Another experience I'll never regret. I would take an early morning jog (before my knees wore out) around SPA, LeMans, Jarama, and Mugello
before the practice began.

Alma, Canada race event in the city



_________________
1976 BMW 2002 #2743711(sorry I sold it 12/25/06)
1986 BMW R65 650cc twin 19k miles
1964 BMW R27 250cc single 15K miles
2002 BMW 325xiTouring 29k miles
1984 MERCEDES-BENZ W123 300D Turbodiesel-188k miles fein-DIESEL

I guess Alma is in Quebec, judging by the b.g. signs.
I don't remember ? Pope, but Mike Baldwin certainly rings a bell.
Maybe this is ? Pope on the other Ducati, as I don't know who he is., with Glen Clarke with the trophy.
THe two guys in the first pic are Les (with sling) and Glen Clarke, who later started a shop called Brutune Racing. They built a few championship bikes, I can't remember for who.
THe other shots with Cris Econonaki was the Canadian GP around mid seventies. Glen was in the race, albeit at the back on his own Yamaha OW 31... does that sound right? (The blue bike with the guys standing around it)
I didn't know you had such an illustrious racing career!

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WOW ! Memory lane

Yes, Alma was a few hours due north of Montreal -

and this photo is a great event !

on the front row for a Formula 750 GP at Mosport is:

#27 Skip Aksland, #4 Johnny Ceccato, #17 Yvon Duhamel,
#2 Kenny Roberts, and Mike Baldwin won this event on his privateer
#43 OW 750 Yamaha -



_________________
1976 BMW 2002 #2743711(sorry I sold it 12/25/06)
1986 BMW R65 650cc twin 19k miles
1964 BMW R27 250cc single 15K miles
2002 BMW 325xiTouring 29k miles
1984 MERCEDES-BENZ W123 300D Turbodiesel-188k miles fein-DIESEL

C.D., were you at that Mosport event?
I tried to post a picture of Duhamel sitting on Roberts bike a couple of minutes later being interviewed by Cris Economaki, but it wouldn't attach. Baldwin might actually be in the picture too.
I knew about Cecotto, and his bike/car carreer, but not his connection to BMW.
Obviously we were cheering for Duhamel, and our friend Glen.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Cecotto

.....did Keith Harte have a narrow, tight trimed beard ?
I seem to remember a 'sailer', rough neckh looking sort
managing some riders.

That Mosport photo you supplied of the starting grid was
a Formula 750 World Championship, the last round of the season.
Cecotto did win the championship in 1978. That dark weekend
began with the crash and death of Avram Guldoski in practice.
The track was a nightmare as far as no runoff, ARMCO barriers.
It was reported that because of the dangers, Roberts chose not
to try too hard. MIke Baldwin won both 25 mile heat races, and the final
50 Mile race.

the finishng order of the 50 Mile race was:
1. Mike Baldwin
2. Kenny Roberts
3. Yvon DuHamel
4. Skip Aksland
5. Johnny Cecotto
6. John Long
7. Steve Garvais
8. Gary Collins
9. John Clark
10. Martin Hall

also entered and finishing in the heats:
Gary Mieklajohn
Jorg Sorenson
Conrad Urbanowski

I traveled with Mike after this event, in October 1978 to IMOLA Italy
'helping' again with the Yamaha TZ750, where he again won the final
race against all the european stars of the day .

I worked for a season (1986) for Bob MacLean racing - maintaining
Kork Ballington's NS 250 Honda. We won Daytona 250 GP, and most og the other AMA National 250 races. Kork has a new book out about his career, and apparently I appear someplace in the photos.

many, many , many stories.

Creighton
_________________
1976 BMW 2002 #2743711(sorry I sold it 12/25/06)
1986 BMW R65 650cc twin 19k miles
1964 BMW R27 250cc single 15K miles
2002 BMW 325xiTouring 29k miles
1984 MERCEDES-BENZ W123 300D Turbodiesel-188k miles fein-DIESEL

Just for the record, I took all the photos I posted. My first published pictures were motorcycle racing shots.
I think Keith Harte did look like a german sailor, if I remember correctly. I think he's still around and known as a bit of a Ducati guru.
So I guess my friend Glen Clarke doesn't show up on your list of finishers for that 750 race.
He had a couple of bad crashes in his career and decided he was a better builder than rider.
Speaking of Mosport, it is a great course with a ton of history.....but you're right it has had some safety concerns.
Saw the 6 wheel Tyrells race here and Niki Lauda and all the guys of that era....great memories is right.
Another friend of mine held the Formula Ford lap record here for a few years, I still remember doing a tire change to rains on his car, just before the start of a race, which he won.
He's currently the team manager for the Aim Motorsports/ Barrick Gold #61 Rolex Sports car. Now he has some great stories........