Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/103757
DEHESA, CALIF. April 13, 1969 - BSAmounted Don Matthews of Imperial Beach and Yamaha pilot Carl Byers of San Diego shared honors for outstanding riding before some 1400 enthusiastic fans here today. Matthews won both the Open Expert race and the Lucky Yamaha Sweepstakes. Carl Byers (Yam) won the heated 250cc Expert fracas as .well as the added 250Cc Short Track special on the HI-Boots M.C.'s newly built 1/5th mile oval. With an unusually large list of entries. the Open Expert contest was run In two heats. Matthews went to the front early and won decisively. Norton mounted, Jim Harmon got ott the line poorly, worked his way around 1967 Champion, Myron Carter (Triumph) and at the finish was threatening Kawasaki pilot AI Finan who was 1968 Champion. Jim, who just made Expert status last season. seems to have lost his awe of the older Experts and really gets In there and mixes it UP. The 250Cc Expert class Included some of the "hungriest" racers ever to line up at the same time. Any one of the starters was capable of winning and at the start of the third moto, either of two riders could have taken the whole thing. Earl Barker. riding the Earl Rolotttuned DT-l out of South Bay Yamaha. and Carl Byers on a similar machine staged a hub to hub duel with the lead changing hands not less than four t1me~. Final flag found Byers slightly ahead. Hard-riding Kawasaki ace Larry Collie pressed the leaders throughout the entire program and looked very impressive winning third place. L.ft, faulll... flighl of Don Matth.ws. C.nter, Carl (D) By.rs, Earl (15) BarIl.r. 3rd plac. Larry (10) Collie roll on In South Bay lurn. Right, D.bbi. Reon, Girl Champion really j.ls. Byers 1n' Matthews Champions Of Dehesa Wayne (55) Hosaka cocks his weapon to o_lak. Carl Byers whll. Jim McGulr. sels up th.... tr.... pole-shot. Because of Increased demand. the HiBoots M.C. has built a beautiful 1/5th mile flat, short track. The first race was held today for bikes under 25OCc's. Jim Chitwood riding out of Don Vesco's showed that he has reallncl1nation towards flattracklng by taking second honors. Ray Vanderpool deserves special mention for finishing third on a little 100Cc Yamaha. The largest Powder Putt field of the season was featured by the slam-bang style of 15-year-old Debbie Reon. It It hadn't been for her telltale long tresses, she could have been mistaken for a boy as she tooled her dad's Hodaka to victory. Hodaka-mounted Shirlee Newsom outdistanced Kawasaki rider Lori Fuller to take second. lt took three heat races -and a semi to decide the entries In the 100cc Novice Main hassle as a record number of entries signed in. Pressed by crowdpleasing Yam a h a pilot, Sal Peluso. Brldgestone rider Scott Duncan captured first honors. Hard-riding Do~ Maloney on his hot Hodaka narrowly edges Yamaha mounted Bob Sullivan for third place. In a small but exciting field of 200Cc motorcycles, Bultaco rider, John Swinko overcame the continued threats of Bob Darnell (Kawasaki) to capture the top honors and young Bill Collie showed great riding talent by finishing third. The 100cc Expert class was as usual a hoUy contested event, highlighted by the spirited riding of the three leaders. The spectacular broad slides of Wayne Hosaka on -his li We Hodaka pald off as he turned back defending champion Jim Mc Guire who was also Hodaka mounted. Carl Byers was never far behind as he brought his Hodaka in for third point honors. Lucky Yamaha sponsored a sweepstakes race for the top two finishers of each class. They donated valuable merchandise prizes and a lovely San Diego State college co-ed was trophy queen. The Open class riders started about 150 yards behind the 100cc entries with the other classes dispersed In between. In the three laps alloted, it took very spectacular riding on Don Matthews' part to catch and pass Ray Vanderpool who was about to win the event on his lOOcc Yamaha. John Harret, riding a 250Cc Yamaha finished third. The long program did not end until nearly 5 p.m. but the record 134 entries and the 1400 fans were happy. With the exception that small children were observed running across the track during actual racing, the Hi-13!>ots can be proud of their program. (Results 011 page 20) < '( ./././ ././././ ././ ./ ./././ ./ ./././././././ ././././ ./././././././././././././ ././ ./ .//.~ Z_/./ ./ ././ ./ ./ ./ ././ ./ ./ ./ ././ ././ __ ./ ./ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ mOforcycl~e':::;:==i: ~ 't:J",," A_hl~'dl 'P",ued4, ~ ~ ~\~',.c, ~ ~ EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT SAUGUS SPEEDWAY ~ ;;,\ ~ ********** EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT Off San Fernando Rd. at Whiteman Airport131120 Pierce Street, Pacoima ."'1 ~ ( ~ !~~'~~'~hnA~,!!~~!~~~~~ ~I'L ~ ~********' ~ 8:30 P.M. s T••• Gil•• 91" ~ ADULTS $2.50 ~ liDS UNDER 12 fREE ~ fREE 'ARrlNG ~ FEATURING GEMINI AMERICAN'S LOVELY KATHY \ ANDREWS PLUS ~ THE USUAL TURNOUT ~ OF STARS. ."'1 ~ ~ " HIT FREE - m 1h :: ~ _ ~ g i= ~