Historic Racing: a Retrospective Part V

Catalina GP 1957:

Historic Racing: a Retrospective Part IV

Catalina GP, 1955

Today in History: Evel Knievel Jumps the Fountains at Caesar's Palace December 31st 1967

While in Las Vegas, Nevada, to watch Dick Tiger fight a middleweight title fight, Knievel first saw the fountains at Caesar's Palace and decided to jump them. To get an audience with the casino's CEO Jay Sarno, Knievel created a fictitious corporation called Evel Knievel Enterprises and three fictitious lawyers to make phone calls to Sarno. Knievel also placed phone calls to Sarno claiming to be from ABC-TV and Sports Illustrated inquiring about the jump. Sarno finally agreed to meet Knievel and the deal was set for Knievel to jump the fountains on December 31, 1967. After the deal was set, Knievel tried to get ABC to air the event live on Wide World of Sports. ABC declined, but said that if Knievel had the jump filmed and it was as spectacular as he said it would be, they would consider using it later.

Knievel used his own money to have actor/director John Derek produce a film of the Caesar's jump. To keep costs low, Derek used his then-wife, Linda Evans, as one of the camera operators. It was Evans who filmed Knievel's famous landing. On the morning of the jump, Knievel stopped in the casino and placed a single $100 dollar bet on the blackjack table, which he lost, stopped by the bar and got a shot of Wild Turkey and then headed outside where he was joined by several members of the Caesar's staff, as well as two scantily clad showgirls. After doing his normal pre-jump show and a few warm up approaches, Knievel began his real approach. When he hit the takeoff ramp, he felt the motorcycle unexpectedly decelerate. The sudden loss of power on the takeoff caused Knievel to come up short and land on the safety ramp which was supported by a van. This caused the handlebars to be ripped out of his hands as he tumbled over them onto the pavement where he skidded into the Dunes parking lot. As a result of the crash, Knievel received a crushed pelvis and femur, fractures to his hip, wrist and both ankles and a concussion that kept him in a coma for 29 days.





Happy New Year!

Paul's Bloody Nose For Sale!

Paul from the Deathtraps MC is selling his Pre-Unit Chopper, the Bloody Nose. Bid early, bid often, she's a gem and has raced all up and down this great state over the last handful of years. Some super rad period mods make this Thunderbird a super scoot. Check it out here

and here

Throwbacks Wrench Party - Day 1

What a weekend. We got a lot done, and yet we still have so far to go on Vorhese's Triumph. A good time was had by all.


Friday.



Our friend Francisco lent his truck to get Vorhese's heap out to GV from the Bay. Alongside Vorhese's preunit rode his friend's mostly original 1957 preunit. After a 4 hour drive (it should be around 2-1/2) through horrible traffic full of people trying to get to the powder-covered mountains, Vorhese rolled into Grass Valley and greeted everyone. We had some 'za and hit the garage.



Friday was mostly setting everything out and going over a game plan. After Pops got over laughing after looking at my welds and Troop did an overall inspection, we made a to-do list. A big one. (That's what she said.)

And christened the start of the weekend.


You might notice how great some of these pictures are. The good ones are courtesy of Sarah Butcher of SB Photography, a friend of the crew who stopped by and snagged a few of us acting like regular buffoons.

That night we got the basic mockup together and started talking things out. Since Vorhese took the suggestion to change to a shorter rigid section everything he'd done to that point had to be redone. Despite all the "wasted" work everyone agrees it was the right decision. Everything just fell into place, proportionately, stylistically, and functionally.




The rest of Friday was spent just drinking. We'd pay for it on Saturday.

Look forward to installments covering the weekend's work over the next few days...