From Ralph White 2016:
Hi
Not sure whom i am talking with
i know of you ... but we have never talked
Used to race with and against ...Sam Williams on and off the Lester team...many moons ago
Used to race with & against Lang as well
Still have one of the mono shock chassis in my office
Its my retirement project ... to put it back on the road
Never won the 24 hr at ledges...finished second twice...led it a few times
Ran several private entries
Won a bunch of endurance races as well
I was not aware that Sam had passed away .. and am deeply saddened
Sam was a fantastic person
gentlemen and a scholar ...so to speak
He sent me a video of the ledges 24 hr a few years back
I will have to look up his wife and send her an email or something
Just been to busy with life...that sucks...
They used to live by a small lake in Ohio...
The area used to be an old amusement park area
(roller coasters and such i think he said)
Great pictures of the period and the bike
It was indeed.... way ahead of its time
The first time i rode it created lasting memories
I crashed it once at rockingham or charlotte in a 24 hr at night in the rain (wera event)
Going into the banking at the end of the front straight
Slid it all the way around the bowl ... no damage done
Picked it up and brought it into the pits a few laps later for a couple of tweaks
Later that day ...was racing against the American Honda entry for the lead...
Apparently we set a lap record...that stood for a number of years...
or so Sam told me
Always envied lang for going to France...(should have taken me)
A Canadian fellow named Paul Turbull ..crossed your path many years ago
He worked for Bell Helicopters out of Montreal
He bought one of your frames from you
Not sure if he worked for you or not
Looked allot like John Lennon
Anyway...small world
Thanks for the trip down memory lane
Any pieces to the puzzle i can offer from a different perspective .. Let me know
Safe Cycling
Ralph / T.O. Cycle Salvage Inc.