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/125467
A VEIY HAllY HOUND By Dick Wright CHECKERS M.C. CHECK CHASE AND HOUND RED ROCK CANYON, OCTOBER 9, 1966 The Checkers laid oUlthe Iype of course for which they have become fanous. II's long and l'Iughi a real challenge fir man and machile. Everyoae who finished deserved som e kind If aa award for his delermiaalion. Loa Pelersoa, No. 7 Open Expert, who is IB-years..ld an~ bas been riding for Iwo years, was able 11 take tile aver-all win among SIIle real hoI competiliol, as there were 250 big-bore entri es, and il seemed thaI every hoI shoe in Districl 37 was on Ihe slarting line. It was a banner start at the bot- tom of a wide open sandy hill. The Checkers got the race off to a clean beginning and it was nice rolling to the first smoke bomb. The first loop of over forty miles had a mixture of all kinds of desert terrain. There was a four-mile sand wash that you could fly low through in fourth gear, arid if that wasn't fast enough for you, you made a sharp right onto a wide fire road for another four miles of all-out fourth gear. Once you were off the fire road you headed toward the hills and hit some uphill fire roads, which are always a blast. The downhill picked by the Checkers M.C. was a real challenge. It was a long. rocky, granite trail; you couldn't panic on the brakes and lock them up because it was very steep andjustlike riding on marbles. and it was off-cam ber to the right with about a fifteen foot drop-off. The first loop was so long that a lot of riders ran out of gas. Tbe second loop was not for sissies either. It was sixty miles of long sand washes. a couple of long downbill grades, and four water crossings about eighteen inches deep. - Lon Peterson checked into second spot behind Dick Vick about ten miles out of the first gas check. Lon caught up with Dick when Vick missed the lime and over-shot the course by a couple-hundred yards. They dualed in the toolies for the next five miles. and finally Lon was able to pass Vick. but in trying to maintain the lead. Lon crashed into the bank of a sand wash. After picking himself up he found a better way of getting out of the sand wash. he got back on the trail and finally caught up to Vick a little before one of the long. steep and sandy downhills that was a real shocker. At this point Vick was tiring. as he had missed a couple of runs and was not in shape. so he took the hill cautiously rather than drop the bike and be too tired to pick it up on the hill. Lon took this opportunity and turned it on coming down the hill. He was able to build up a twelve-minute lead by the time be took tbe cbeckered flag for a well deserved win over all. Bob Belt, No. 6X, must bave been really moving on his Greeves 250, as he came in fourth over-all rigbt bebind tbe fast company of Dick Vick. second place finisher No. 12, on bis Triumph. and third place finisher Jack Byers. No. 28, also a Triumph. The Shamrocks M.C. of Sunland really came to this run ready. willing, and able to race. as they had about 8 riders in the first fourteen finisbers, which speak s rather highly for the caliber of riders in their club. Everyone agreed that it was a rough two loops. but the riders who kept going and finished all agreed that it was a real good day of racing. Trail Bike Action Report The Trail Bikes Class had fifty entries, and the Checkers really gave them their money's worth by having them ride the first loop of over "forty miles of open desert terrain on a course that was a real blast for a trail bike. It had everything that you would want to get into in a race: long, fast sand wasbes; rocky, granite down-bill trails; and last fire roads. The way they handle in this lUnd of rough terrain is one of the big reasons why trail bikes are so popular. Jack Morgan. No. 13. on a Hodaka. a consistent winner in his class. led the race from start to finish. but he was being pushed most of the way 1lY Earl Roeseler. No.!, on a Zundallll and they came in to the finish line only three bike lengths apart. Pete Foster. No. 279. on a Hodaka. got a well-deserved third place and was only about five minutes behind the leaders. This was a good ride for him considering it was the first time out on his new stock Hodaka. I know be was really getting with it as he and I were rubbing elbows for the last 15 miles. Pete was able to hold on to the third spot by getting up on top of and into the deep sand 3rd gear in the last sand wash. More and more riders are getting interested in the trail bike class hecause the competition is becoming much keener, which of course adds to the interest of a competition rider, and this run was no exceptioo. You really bad to get with it and stay in the high gears to keep pace with the leaders. The Checkers M.C. picked a good area to hold the run. It was a new course, and the start and finish area was well set up. Also. this run. as usual. pulled a lot of campers out the night before, which is always enjoyable. and everyone had a good time. There will be some good bench racing about this run as it was a long. hard go. UNOFFICIAL TRAIL BIKE RESULTS 1. Jack Morgan 2. Earl Roeseler 3. Pete Foster 4. Dick Wright 5. Bobby Steffan Hod Zun Hod Hod Hod ........ NAnONAL MOTOR SUPPlY CO Largest stock on West Coast rne:~fries Invited QUALITY MOTORCYCLE ACCESSORIES ALSO IN STOCK NEXT TIME TRY ~. ..: CYCLE CITY u ;;; ... 19 E. Wyomlne, Las Veeas ..J Competition Riders Welcome Local Racine Intormatlon Write or Phone 382·8156 U >- U ... c c '" c ~ ~ ~ z c • Be'ow, Dick Vlck com.. to the finish line aft., belne passed by the winner Lonnie Peterson (Shown at bottom). UNOFFICIAL OVERALL "RESULTS Lon Peterson Dick Vick Jack Byers Tri Op Ex Tri Op Ex Tri Op Ex Bob Belt Gre 1st 250 Ex Buck Smith Tri Op Ex Mike Patrick Tri Op Ex Gary Preston Tri ()p Ex Whitey Martino BSA Op Ex Ed ScheicDer CZ 2nd 250 Ex Rod Pack Tri Am Bruce Vaughn Tri 1st 500 Nov ~. ************** it it it ************** Gates Open at 6 pm. Firsl Race al 8:15 pm. Under 8 Free with Parenl This new Raceway is IlCaled jusl3 m.iles N":'b of lhe .san Bent' .dino Freeway on Rivergrade Rd. In the City of IrWindale. - - - - o ...:l 6 Turns Saturday Nite Oct-15 $1.00 <> CJ t; PHONE: 213 633·5178 15710 Garfield Avenue, Paramount, California 90723" 1/2 Mile 2 Jumps- Jr. 8-12 S ~'l:fJ~/:fl{l} : AlA TT Gen. Alb. $2.50 '" ..Q ~ - GABRIEL SAN BRING THIS AD FOR A 50C DISCOUNT. GOOD THIS WEEK ONLY ... ... "",' VALLEY RACEWA Y it ~ ~ DISTRIBUTOR fOR T.T. STEEPLECHASE RACING First 56..wnlay NkJItt , EacII Mow'" "RACING STARTS AT 8 p.m. •