Projects

Gary Scott's 1976 Yamaha TZ 750

Gary Scott was a 1975 Factory rider for Harley Davidson’s race team, he actually won the
AMA’s Grand National Championship #1 plate. Unfortunately, Gary and HD didn’t see eye to
eye on money and Gary would take his #1 plate with him for the 1976 season as a privateer
which was unheard of, who would quit Harley Davidson? Gary did.

With sponsorship from his friend George McDonald, Gary had an XR750 and a new TZ750 to
compete with. Gary had every intent of winning as many races as he could in dirt track and
roadracing.

The factory XR’s were quicker than his XR as they developed better cams, with friction
between HD and Gary, Harley denied his request to purchase the updated cams which he
needed to be competitive, this really ticked off Gary.

The solution was simple, Gary claimed Rex Beauchamps Factory XR750 engine after Rex won
the San Jose Mile race for the sum of $3500, it was now Harley who was ticked at Gary.
With the season closing in , Kenny Roberts and Gary were both close in points, George
McDonald purchased one of five C&J Chromoly monoshock frames that Erv Kanamoto had commissioned C&J built as only the Factory Yamaha riders had monoshock frames which held an advantage over the twin shock frame design.

The Riverside Calf event was the first race utilizing the new monoshock frame for Gary, where
there was no extra time for practice or setup prior to Riverside. Tensions were rising between the
Factory Yamaha squad and Gary Scott as the points were close for the Championship.

Gary and crew missed the start of his heat race as they didn’t hear it in the garage area, he
went out a lap down in the heat. Yamaha in turn protested Gary on the basis he shouldn’t be
allowed to race in the main event because he didn’t complete the entire heat race. The AMA
officials didn’t see it that way and tossed Yamaha’s protest.

The main event was won by Kenny Roberts who ran off from the competition that day on a
well tuned and fresh TZ750. In 1976 you had 30 minutes to claim a competitor engine, on the
29 th minute Gary paid $4000 dollars to claim Kenny Roberts race winning engine, why wait for
the 29 th minute? So Team Yamaha couldn’t counter claim the engine!

The Championship was won by the 19 year old Jay Springsteen, number 2 was Gary Scott and
Kenny Roberts in Third.

In 1978 Gary Scott was sponsored by Evel Knievel, this TZ and Gary had red white and blue
leathers and bodywork. At the end of the 78 season the TZ was purchased by John Bettencourt of Bettencourts Honda in West Bridgewater Mass, Johnny B rode it for a few seasons until he became a support rider for Honda in 1983.