Rollie and Margaret Free attended the 1980 Bass Lake rally, and at that time, Nick Pierce owned Rollie’s Black Lightning. Nick drove out to California from New England with the bike, and Tom Andrus took some photos of Rollie reunited with his record setting machine.
From John Hanson:
“Tommy Auger, a long time Vincent drag racer, has lost his long running battle with cancer. I was fortunate to become friends with him after Dick Busby told me the Lightning I was restoring was the one Tommy rode to so many wins. Even with throat cancer we learned to communicate all things ‘Vincent’ and drag racing. He was a great inspiration and will be missed. RIP Tommy”
Here is a picture of Tommy on the restored Black Lightning, taken at the 2006 NHRA Hot Rod Reunion, where Tommy was the “Golden Age” award recipient.
The date of the picnic as reported in Mitch’s section review in MPH is incorrect.
The date in K17 is correct, the picnic will be SUNDAY July 31st starting at noon.
This is a great opportunity for the section to give back to the members, so we would like to see as many as possible participate. The food and drinks will be provided by the section.
The picnic is also the time of the year when we decide who will receive the Dick Busby memorial trophy, awarded to the people’s choice winner for the most desirable Vincent. There are no judging rules, the bike does not have to be stock, or original paint, or the cleanest, or even the best looking. One way to look at it is, which Vincent would you most like to take home?
If you are planning to attend, please RSVP to Jody Nicholas so we can get a head count to know how much food to buy. Jody’s contact info is inside the front cover of K17.
Hope to see you there.