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/125462
MDtDfeyele Miff/eles! • S.Ii.as Elts . 'a."ers 8e.efit TT • MIRACLES are wrought by God. who sometimes guides the hand of man to make wonderous things come true••• • So said the program for the Fifth Annual Cerebral Palsy Benefit T.T. Scrambles in Salinas and so it is. The ~ miracle here is the care and rehabilitation training provided for the many children who are victims of the dreaded disease. cerebral palsy. For many years the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Lodge 614 ~ of Salinas has helped these unfortunates with their California Elks Major Project, Incorporated and for the past five years the Salinas Ramblers Motoren cycle Club has promoted a TT SCramble in conjunction with the Elks and ~ donated the entire proceeds to the Cerebral Palsy Fund. This thirty-two year ~ old club has provided an example of what a group of motorcyclists can do to CoJ help their fellow man and given us all a means of helping them to do it. ...:l Over 10,000 fans showed up at the fairgrounds to watch 427 racers fight U for the gold and glory Sunday, August 28 in 72 degree weather under clear skies. The racing was sensational and hard-fought. Only one rider was injured during the day. Eddie Uedkert fell in his heat race and after having his leg placed in a full cast from foot to hip, he returned to watch the rest of the racing. Eddie had planned on entering the Air Force after the races--he was all set to leave at 9:00 that night. co ... § • G After tbe dllst bad settled, the money counled and $3,000 in bills paid, Marvin Heath, President of the salinas Ramblers M.e. presented a cbeck for over $6.600 to Robert Tbomas, Exalted Ruler of the Salinas Elks. ext year tbe club bopes to make the races a two-day affair. Lightweights started the day's racing with the smallest displacement class entered. the 200cc machines. At the start Novice Vernon Traburg riding an Ossa took the lead with a large group of contenders behind. Vernon held the lead for the entire race but a battle was going on behind him until the sixth lap when Paul Roberts and John Bridge moved into second and third aboard their Bultacos -and stayed there until the flag fell. Vernon Traburg is an up-and-coming Novice sponsored by Ossa Western Incorporated one of the West Coast distributors for the very fast Spanish 175. Another lad sponsored by Ossa Western look the 200cc Amateur/Expert battle after leading it all the way. Mark Brelsford jumped into the lead at the start with the eventual second place man Barry Brown lost in the pack and third place finisher Bob Cad waller in third. Barry moved up into third on the second lap and a lap later Cad waller pushed his Bultaco into second. On lap five, Brown and Cadwaller changed places and motored on to the finish in that order. Moving up a class, the 250cc Novices needed two tries to get a race going. On the first start seven riders piled up on the glassy 2nd turn but all restarted. After the second try, two riders hit the wall with no injuries but one bike was allshottohell. John Evilsizdt pulled away into the lead from the start and was never headed but a battle royal was raging behind him. Second place changed three times and third slot was .held by four different riders. John took an easy win but SCott Dieffenbaugh and Merlin Fester did some wild riding to earn their placings. The 500cc Novice bash was another race needing a r~start. Two men went down in the first turn causing the starter to call the pack back to the line. After the second start. Guy Burk took the lead for a little while. On the second lap. Donald Castro moved into second from his third place starting position and young Ray Clausen. a local dealer. pushed his BSA into third, During the third lap. Burk and Castro changed places and Clausen passed them both to take the lead. The leaders held those positions until the seventh IIlP when Burk and Castro switched again. Three laps later. when the cbeckered flag fell it was Clausen, Burk, Castro--BSA and a brace of Triumphs. Triumph-mounted Rick Otto was second off the line in the Open ,Amateur go but took the lead in the first turn dropping Charles Lamonto to second. Two laps later, Duane Spence powered his Triumph into second spot from the number s,ix slot. From then until the end of the race nine la.ps later, Lamonto and Spence fought it out for second and th,ird hut Spence was able to hold Lamonto at bay. In the Open Expert class favorite Joe CardO!1:a ran off with the gold for the second year in a row. Joe had won his heat race earlier and in the Main he took the number one spot on the second lap and held it for the rest of the race. The man he passed to take the lead was John Lamonto. Joe, who is §1Lonsore,d by Cycle City Stores of Fremont. was never headed after he took llie lead but he didn't have it easy. John was pushing him all the way. Racing was not the only activity of the day. A drawing was held for a Harley-Davidson M-50 bike donated by the areas Harley-Davidson dealers (who else?). The winner of the bike was Rick Wallace of Fremont, a HarleyDavidson rider! Something was happening all day long at this event. Besides the actual racing. there was a contest for the best-dressed competitor. Triumph-mounted Sonny McCollough of Greenfield was the man in this event. The Wheelie contest held between races was taken by Gary Dillard who kept his Honda's front wheel in the air longer than any of the other contestants. Nearly everyone enjoyed the day. One Southern California club sent fourteen members for a total of 5.700 miles and were sorely disappointed that the Man-Miles award went to a nearby road club. This competition club put a lot of effort into preparation for winning the best appearing competition rider and bike., but the contest was held the night before because of the serious time problem that the sponsors faced. Although this club had some complaints. they want it to be known that they intend to race the Salinas Benefit TT in 1967 because they believe in the cause and they enjoyed this year's racing. It was a good day's racing for riders and spectators and crippled kids. Uthe event continues to grow as it has in the past,it may soon become known as the sportsman race of the year. e Above: A few of the 10,000 fans watch a group M,~,;:;;, of 250's prepare for baltle. Below left: Pete Wormwood, I Cerebral Palsy victim, astride the H-D awarded to Rick Wallace on tbe right. Below right: Number two man In the wheelle contest sIIows his form In the event won by Gary Dillan!. .....~t;: ... • • Above: Ossa mounted lIark Brelsford Is here on the way to his 200cc Amateur/Expert win. Below: SOnny IIcCollough accepting the trophy for the best appearing rider and bike. • (Results on page 16) lIonty Darling temporarily holds off John Riel In the 350cc Expert. 10. lbese two $Oullllfll California riders, like many others, made the trip to Salinas for sweet chlrlty. ..