Monday 16 July 2012

"J. N. ROBERTS - DESERT RACING LEGEND" [BY 'ELRODRACING' ON POOTUBE] . . . . 100% CERTIFIED DESERT RACING LEGEND, YOU NAME IT, HE WON IT . . . . MULTIPLE TIMES . . . . THE MINT 400, BAJA 500 AND 1000, RODE ISDT, FEATURED IN 'ON ANY SUNDAY' AND 'DUST TO GLORY'.

AS A KID MENTAL FOR TWO WHEELED MOTORSPORT, THE NAME J. N. ROBERTS WAS ONE I WAS FAMILIAR EVEN BEFORE THE RELEASE OF BRUCE BROWN'S 'ENDLESS SUMMER' INSPIRED 'ON ANY SUNDAY' . . . . WE'D GET STALE, OUT OF DATE FOOTAGE OF SHIT LIKE NASCAR, NHRA, FLAT TRACK AND EVEN THE LEGENDARY BAJA 500, AND LATER, THE 1000 . . . . I RECKON THE AUSSIE T.V EXECS HAD TWEAKED THAT THE AVERAGE 'ORSTRYNE' BLOKE WAS RIGHT INTO ANYTHING TO DO WITH RACING CARS AND BIKES . . . . THESE U.S SPORTS SHOW BLACK AND WHITES WOULD GENERALLY PLAY ON A SUNDAY LATE MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON AND I'D BE RIVETED TO THE TELLY WATCHING TOTALLY ENTRANCED AND THAT'S WHERE I FIRST HEARD OF ONE J. N. ROBERTS.

Roberts' career over the second half of the sixties and into the early seventies was in-fucking-credible in terms of victories in the most highly regarded races of the day, he won outright the Mint 400 and took out the Baja 500 and its big daddy offshoot, the 1000 on multiple occasions . . . . he'd go onto to represent the States in two ISDT's that I know of, became a stuntman of some note and also appeared in 'On Any Sunday' and the mid two thousands gem, 'Dust to Glory', the guy had seriously oversized nads and talent to back them up . . . . I'm sorta positive he kept racing on a part time basis up until the eighties . . . . how fucking cool is that shit ???? And along with Malcom Smith and some bloke called McQueen, was also partly responsible for getting the Husqvarna brand the profile it was deserving of back in the day.

The video I've stolen from the PooTube is nothing more than 'J.N' on board a Husky, on the pin and charging through the dusty minefield that desert racing is, tussocks of grass, shrubs, rocks, stones and gibbers, logs, rabbit holes, loose sand, creek beds . . . . what else have you got ??? There's also a hell bit of heavy twangin, bass slappin, snare rollin, trainkeeps a comin rockabilly as a soundtrack, it's only a minute sixteen in length, but sweet Jesus, it's a wild and crazy ride !!!!

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