| WCBR-Ducati 350 1965 Ducati #WCBR6.DM85 & WCBR8.DM88 Riders: Mike Green Bret Morshead Bud Riddle |
| In 1984 we ended up the proud owners of two big pick-up loads of Ducati's and parts. Long time AFM racer, Norm Nielsen, was cleaning out his garage (and other spaces)... He arrived at WCBR one saturday afternoon and unloaded the whole lot, good and bad. After hours of "keep it" & "toss it", I had most of the parts inside the shop. Before long 1985 was upon us... and it was then that we built our first 350 Ducati racer, yes, we built it from the mass a parts/junk that Norm dropped off (later we'd build WCBR7-200cc, plus a number of other machines we since sold). In 1985 Bud Riddle would ride the 350 on a number of occasions, sadly teething problems caught him out a few times, but when it ran it was fast! In May 1986 Bret Morshead would take over the controls, his first event would be the LaCarrera race across Mexico. Like me, Bret didn't want to ride the high-strung Ducati through downtown traffic, so we trailered the machines to the real timed start area. Fitted with two batteries and a toggle switch so he could cover the 150 miles without trouble, Bret left the start near the back of the field (done on purpose)... he went well for some 60 miles, until an ignition coil went south. Eight days later Bret would be racing at Sears Point during the AMA National... the CVRG had organized a vintage race. Anyway, before we went we fitted a twin plug/HC head (complete with new valves & guides), and bored another cylinder .080" over (class limit) for a few more sudds. Wouldn't you know it... as Bret left the pits and entered the track for the first lap of practice, the exhaust valve broke and bored a huge hole in the piston! Welcome to racing! In his next race, and AFM/CVRG event at Sears Point, Bret won the 350GP class. 1986 Season 5/10 350GP LaCarrera, Mexico DNF (Ign coil failed) 5/18 350GP Sears Point DNF (dropped valve) 6/8 350GP Sears Point First 7/13 350GP Laguna Seca DNS 8/31 350GP Sears Point 3rd 9/6 350GP Steamboat Springs DNF (Ign coil failed again!) 9/6 500Spt Steamboat Springs 2nd 9/6 AllComer Steamboat 3rd 9/14 350GP Sears Point 2nd 10/12 350GP Sears Point First 10/26 350GP Sears Point DNF (crashed: front hub broke in turn 3A) 1986 CVRG 350GP Champion, Bret Morshead. |
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| Right: Bret hussles the WCBR-Ducati 350 around the concrete section at Steamboat Springs, CO., 1986. WCBR6 Below: the end result of a dropped valve. |
| Right: Bret flies the 350 to its first victory, Sears Point, June 8th, 1986. |
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| Right: #96 Bud RIddle hammers the 350 Ducati through Sears Point turn 3A in 1985... |