Rod Murufas, USA

2009-march-15

Dear Sirs,

I enjoyed visiting both your websites and recalling the faith I had; developed in Ossa engineering during my 1971 road race season in
southern California.
I set 3 track records at Orange County International Raceway (road course) in 1971:

a) Production 250 cc
b) Super Street
c) Thumper class

and I was 1971 California (AFM) 250cc production road race champion.I accomplished this without traveling and racing in several races in
northern california since I was busy going to college.

In case you are interested, I've include some pictures.

Rod Murufas

Posted to the OSSA motorcycles group at Yahoo!:

Hello everybody,
I finally figured out how to get a photo posted to the group. Jeez, what a Brain-Teaser. Anyway, it is a photo from my era and area of road racing and is of an old friend, Rod Murufas. This shot is of Rod on Orange County Raceway in So. Cal. and he is entering turn 5. It is probably in 1972. He was AFM 250 production champ that year, if memory serves.
The man was incredibly fast and a real gentleman, too boot. He had raced a Bultaco Metralla MK II, a Montesa Impala Sport and the Ossa. He said the Montesa was the best handler but it was the slowest. The Bultaco was the fastest but was seizure prone and the handling was just OK. The Ossa was the best combination in his opinion. He raced it for a few years and then moved up to some
Kawasaki triples but never had the same success that he did with the Ossa.

Enjoy the photo and notice the riding gear that we lived with back then. We're lucky to be alive.

Jim Souders