Cycle News

~ j: . . . . . . • .... .... ~ ARE YOU GETTING . ~. ~ ~ ~ ~ lo:I ...:l ~ u • : • . . . . . . . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • : • • I EVERY WEEK?I • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • : • : SUBSCRIPTION OFFER ONLY: rSEND~E50WEEisl 1 OF CYCLE NEWS I FOR AS LITTLE AS 1511: PER COpy 1--- Please send me Cycle News for one year via first class mail 0 S12,50, I I (Ple••e check one) enclose check Of money order 0 (or) Please bill me laterO h: CYCLE NEWS. 80''''. h. C.lif. . .801 ----~.-.~~ ~-- California's best known destruction derby, called the annual 100 lap TT by followers of two wheeled racing, bows in this coming Sunday afternoon at Ascot Park. Over 100 amateur and expert riders will fight for the chance to destroy their equipment and beat themselves to a purple pulp. The entry list, instead of getting smaller with each of these motor-busters, contlDues to climb. A few years ago it was hard to find forty riders who were willing to enter a race that only guarantees exhaustion for one and all. Now there are three times that many on hand. About sixty of these combatants have had only one warmup race on big bikes, that was last month when all the first time amateurs rode the big jobs for the first time on the long course. This could he the reason why so many will be out for the event. ·What you don't know won't hurt you·. Just about every motorcycle finance in town will have a representati ve at the race-rooting for their customer's machine -to stay out of the 100 lap final. The main reason they start 33 riders is so that there will be somebody around to cross the finish line one hour and twenty minutes later. It helps to be a flattracker as the front runners usually run the last 25 to 40 laps withoot hrakes. These are only street production machines, you understand. Triumph will be on hand with a few hundred riders and a couple from BSA. Norton and H-D. The non-Triumph riders, if they don't know already, will find out how General Custer felt at the Battle of the Little Big Horn. The hest way to train for this bottombuster is to go out the night before and get smashed so you are good and numb for the next afternoon. We know of a few riders who train that way, not only for the 100 lapper, hut for all events. The race will not be televised locally like two previous events this year. That way at least 32 guys can go home and tell their friends they had the race in the bag until their number plate fell off on the last lap. The guy who wins the race Sunday will probahly walk out of the track wi th a thousand bucks in his pocket and a $1500.00 repair hill from his nearest dealer. About the onLY time an,Y of the ama- teurs will lead any of the hot experts is durin g the riders' parade, before the race starts. Full Novice Program Saturday To spice things UP the novice riders get not one but two days of TT racing on their own little short course. A bout 100 of these will gather on Saturday afternoon to race and tben the 20 best from Saturday can do it all over again on Sunday - in front of people. There is talk of putting no less than twenty novice riders on the track all at the same time on Sunday. Twenty new riders on ligbtweights on the short course may prove to be rar more exciting than 33 guys on big bikes on the long track. You might look for Ascot's first tidal wave on both lakes are sure to be filled with riders and machines on lap one. Ascot scores another first: Lifeguards at a motorcycle race! After this yearly exhibition of bikebending with at least 33 draft potentials being re-classified 4-F, sanity will return with the regular season TT's running the first Saturday night of every month. The main events will be run for only 15 laps and those who do not make the show will be around to race and be classified as I-A. Carlsbad R.R. Coming A week from now the third sportsmen road race of the year runs at Carls bad. Many of the ·Shoes· will already be on their way to Florida for the Daytona races so the door is wide open in the 250cc and big bike classes for some new front runners and winners. All riders who ride in the Carls bad March 12th event will he assi gned permenent racing numbers for the rest of the season. They will go out on a firstcome-first-serve basis so all sportsmen who want a low racing number are urged to be on hand. Pit gates for Carlsbad open at 9 a.m. and close at Noon. Racing starts at 1:30 p.m. Practice from 10 a.m. to I p.m. All sizes of equipment may run. There will again be a street bike production class for 250cc and under machines. HEY NEW RIDERS-There is still time for new enduro enthusiasts to get a few trailing weekends under their belts before the big Shamrocks Enduro coming April 2nd. Althougb the trailhike (under 100cc) course is fairly easy (as enduros go) the cluh recommends that new riders planning to enter have at least three long ·trailing parties· before they ride the enduro. 1 Favorite Desert Funground I 1 I I I I I 1 II I .", eo,. .... I '"- , , ..,,,,"',' I I ,..,.. ICily I I - ················································1 Lz~~.;; . ;;;;;;;;..; ;. ;.;;;;;;..; ; .I . Please send me Cycle News for one year via Air Mail, • , , 0518,50 By Roxy Rockwood ~ Want Fame? Glory? Trophies? SUBSCRIPTON BLANK----I Please send me Cycle News for one year via 2nd class mail 0 51,50, -,iifFiRisifu1if........ ... If you are looking for a place to learn or practice desert riding skills, take the Bakersfield Freeway to the Palmdale turnoff (Hwy 14) and follow it to Tips Restaurant. Across the street from Tips is a large, rockiess sand wash, perfect for practice, desert fans report. Racing School Resumes MaL :18 Well, the politicians finally have things straightened out in Pacoima again. This means that the road racing school is hack in operation. Over the past several months, I've received countless letters and phone cails from individuals who were interested, but unfortunately our hands were tied until things got straightened out. Surprisingly enougb there were about 20 people east of the Rockies who wanted to come. Anyway, we have the use of Whiteman Stadium again. Our first school session will be Saturday, March 18th. Also it may be worth mentioning that if the turnout is large enough we have the perogative of using the track every two weeks instead of just once a month. If enough people turn out on the 18th, then what we will do is have the beginning class one Saturday and the intermediate and advanced class two weeks later. However, as I said before, we'll ha ve to wait and see. Any rider interested need only bring his bike (any bike 50cc on uP. Street bikes preferably) helmet, goggles, gloves and boots. We'll take ca.e of the rest. The cost will be $10.00 per day. So far every rider who has attended our school has gone home pretty tired, so you get plenty of track time. Starting time is 9 a.m. and we leave at 5:30 p.m. The address is 12930 Pierce Street, in Pacoima. Tbe track is located at Whiteman Air Park on the comer of San Fernando Road and Pierce Street. If anyone has any questions, call (213) 785-2421. BOB BRAVERMAN Van Nuys

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