Not sure where I read or heard this but didn't some of those 6 Day racers get higher pay than baseball stars back then ? If so, good for them - they deserved it.
Jamie, if you're ever in Denver look me up and I'll be happy to buy you dinner !
John Price
Denver, CO
-----Original Message----- From: Jamie Swan [mailto:jswan@optonline.net] Sent: Wednesday, May 15, 2002 9:16 PM To: classicrendezvous; kawika@austin.rr.com Subject: [CR]Was L.I Trivia, now Alf Letourner
dave dickerson wrote:
"RACING BEGAN AT ONCE ...Things got really fast later on. On May 17,1941, Alfred Letourner zipped to 108.92 miles per hour behind a racing car at Bakersfield, California. Letourner rode a gear of 256.5, combining a microscopic six-tooth rear gear with a fifty-seven-tooth chainwheel which equals 12/144 1/2 inch pitchgear (1-inch pinch). On July 19, 1962, Jose Meiffret of France reached a fantastic 128 miles per hour behind a car on Germany's Autobahn." (1)
i also have enjoyed reading the msgs from Jamie Swan,
thanks, dave dickerson, austin, tx
Letourner was a big star at the Madison Square Garden Six days as well as setting the World Motor paced speed record. When he died Al Toefield and his cronies put up a plaque in his memory in the boat house in Central Park... Vito (Perucci) old me that later in Letourner's life he was sort of "down and out". He used to come to watch the various bike races around N.Y.C. and Vito would always buy him lunch. He gave the monster chainring to Vito as a memento... I can't remember ever buying Vito lunch (a few beers though) but he gave the chainring to me! I haven't given much thought to who I'll give it to but you guys are welcome to buy me lunch any time.
Jamie Keeper of the Sacred Chainwheel Swan, Northport, N.Y.