Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

Cycle News 1968 01 19

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

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The Other Side ~ ;:; ~ C '" g .:; tI) 01:: ~ [oJ ....:l U >.. U On the other side of the fire road, the So. Cal. M.C. had set up a three-mile course that had more fourth-gear stuff in it, but also two good uphills and one dandy downhill. The first race of the day was the 250cc Amateur-Experts: Larry Bergquist was the winner on his new Bultaco, and he was really moving in the flat-out boondock part of the course. Gar y Cole, #5x, was second on a Husky. Next came the combined Open and 500cc Novice event, won by Lynn Fortner on a 360 Husky. The com blne d Open and soocc Ama- : teur-Expert race was up next. steve Hurd, #1 on the Nor ton Twin grabbed an early lea d, but Ron Nelson on his Montesa was able to pass him on lap thr ee, only to drop out a lap later with mechanical trouble. Hurd was back in the lead again , but was then challenged by Jack Byers on a 500cc Rickman Triumph, looking s mooth and charging fas t. By the sixth lap, Byers was in command and went on to take the win. Hurd pulled in second, with Bill Bogner, #170 on a Matchless s ingle , takin g third and first Amateur . The 100cc Novices were up next and, as usual , there were a pack of them. Wayne Garrett, #S118 on a Hodaka, led it all the way to take the win. The 100cc M.C., a new club, showed up en masse and looked good in this race. The 100cc Amateur-Exper t event was next. At the drop of the banner everyone roared down the 200- yard straightaway, which looked like a drag strip. When they hit fourth gear just before the short, hilly sectio n, Wes Anderson, Jr ., #4 on a Hodaka, was In the lead, with Dick Wright, #9 on a Moto Beta, In second. Anderson went on to build up a good lead and come in for a welldeserved win. There was so much lapping going on that we were not able to determine second and third place a t this early date . The last race of the day was the 250 Novice, which went to Randy Burak, #435 on a Greeves . MEET THE RACERS: STEVE HURD Story and Photc by Dick Wri ght Like a true champion, Steve Hurd made up his mind at the first of the year to go all -out and do the job on the other Experts in des er t racing. Steve is a very unassuming young r acer, so he didn' t do much talkin g about it: but when he got on the starting line in the different des ert events he changed into a competitive tiger , ready to charg e into the first turn with the throttle full on until something or some one gave, and, more often than • • ( Above: The lOOce starting line, showing Just a part 01 the 130 riders wilD were eager to co lor the first race 01the day on the San Gabriel course. B.low: Later on, over the So. Cal. portion of the terrain, Wayne Garrett (5118) won the 100cc Novice race aboard a Hodaka. This was a well-organized race meet: Each course had a solid strip of lime on eac h side of the course so that it couldn't be missed. In fact , this could very well set an example for some of the smaller and newer clubs. With the new twentypoints run rule, the riders will go to the good runs , and the clubs that have been having bad runs, with poorly set up pits . that are dangerous , and poorly limed courses with an unneccessary amount of r ocks, will now have to improve their races . This, in turn , should improve desert racing itself. ( I not, this put him right up there in front. Hurd had twenty 500cc Class wins, twelve seconds , and thr ee overall wins . He was the leader in the point standings in the first .quarter, then dropped to second behind J.N . Roberts at the halfway mark, so he knew then that he had his work cut out for him. As Fate would have it, the number one spot was still In doubt right up to the last race of the year: Sunday, December 17, 1967; a dual European scrambles. Steve really spent a lot of time preparing his Matchless G-8 5 500cc single, as he does his own tuning at his shop in Montebello. In the first ra ce, he got a bad start and ended up fifth, figuring that he had blown his chance for getti ng #1, so he decided to try out his Norton P-ll twin in the second race just for fun. He gr abbed the lead at the first turn and went on to take the 0 v e r a 11 win, picking up the Numbe r One Plates at the sam e time by only 10 points . This is the stuff Champions are made of! • . TTRA EVERY SUNDAY OPEN SATURDAY! FOR PRACTICE 1/2 Mile Course ·$1. 25 Adml sslon $2 Entry F•• ............. FIRST RACE starts at ••••••••••••• ~at.red & Mainta ined Track Surfac• ..10:30 . .......... ••••••••••••• Concessi DRS, Camping, etc• ••••••••••••• ADMISSION: $1 per bike People Free ••••••••••••• SUNDAY SCHEDULE: Practice 8 to 10 a.m. BAY MARE TRACK For Informatio n Write: Bay Mare Track P.O. Box 371 Somis, California Here's Steve Hurd, a determined young man Indeed. Competin g throughout most 011967 on his trusty 500cc Matchless single, winding up the y.ar aboard his Norton P·ll twin, Hurd look ov.r the coveted Number On. plate by a mere 10 points at seasCII's end. But that's .nough. VENTURA

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