Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

<:> .... '" ~ c.. ~ ~ e-i .... o. ~ oS g ~ = ;g Col. ...,J C,) G By SCoU Eastbum A near capacity crowd turned out on Saturday night, October 8th to see Eddie Mulder make a clean sweep of his heat, the trophy dash, and the main at the new TT track in San Gabriel. Two jumps and a slippery course provided some of the most exciting racing ever speno Races start on the paved oval on the outside of the course, then the riders take to the dirt for the remainder of the race. There will be flattrack races at this stadium but the date has not been definitelY set. The action started off with the Novices trying out the track for the first time. It must have been right for John Sprague because he won the first heat. The next heat race saw Dan Reed push his Enfield to the fastest heat race time of 2:24:58. Dan Kelly and Phil Todd took the remaining two four-lap heats. Time came for the amateurs to run and run they did wi th Jack Konle and Rich Thorwaldson taking the wins. The two Expert prelims were taken by Skip Van Leeuwen and the eventual winner, Eddie Mulder. The Novice main was won by Joe Roseberry who had grabbed a transfer position in the semi. His is the only Benelli in local AMA T.T. competition. This close race saw the next two places going to Sprague and Pete Willis, both on Bultacos. Rich Thorwaldson and Jim Berry were the men to watch in the tenlap Amateur final. Both of them have taken an Amateur national T.T. first and second. Luck wasn't with Berry that night as one cylinder quit on him when he was in position to take the lead from Thorwaldson. With half his engine power gone, Berry managed to hang on to third place letting Randy Say get by him for the second place spot. Showing why he is a three-time national T.T. champion this year, Eddie Mulder won the two-lap trophy dash with Skip Van Leeuwen, Dan Haaby, and Amateur Thorwaldson behind him in that order. The Triumph-mounted Mulder jumped into the earlY lead in the main with Van Leeuwen riding the whole race with a solid second. Dave Palmer held third place, but wasn't close enough to catch Mulder or Van Leeuwen. The real battle was for third with Haaby, Gene Romero, and Jack Simmons all trying for that spot. Romero took a slight lead over the other two, but soon Dan Haaby passed him on his BSA. The next few laps Romero tried to catch the hard riding Haaby but Dan poured on the power of his bike (which was running smoothly). He then tried to catch Palmer but time ran out before he could overtake him. First Times he Charm For S.G.V. • Photos by James Brammer Abovr. G.ne Romero gr-r-rowled to fifth place. Below: Amateur winner at the opener, Rich Thorwaldson, Harry Foster M/e's Number one sponsored rider. .rs..... Above: Who wins everY TT when the money's there? Ider's pride & joy. Here Eddie shows his perfect form coming off of one of SGV's two Jumps. . A Few Criticisms By the Racers Winner Mulder and Gene Romero were overheard saying that the course should be watered a little better and that the track has a lot of loose dirt on the top. The only other comment about the otherwise fast track was that the second jump is too near the turn. Races will be run into the winter as long as weather permits. This track hosts excellent racing and I thought it well worth the admission to see some of the action. San Gabriel Valley Raceway is within a 35-mile radius by freeways of the Long Beach Arena, Ascot Park, and the SOuth Gate Raceway; and Eddie Mulder will win more than before but the comparison stops there. San Gabriel is unique. It is a slow speed course with two jumps, two right turns, and round left turns for the ends, all within the infield of a paved Yl-mile oval for car racing. Riders found it very difficult to pass in the opener and very little passing was actually done. but you may assume that within a few races there will be passing for there is dollars for the man who does. The high intensity lighting used by this raceway perhaps has no equal west of New York's Broadway stage lights. The lights are aimed to completely light the race course in use and an excellent job they do. This glittery track with a weekly program ran in a very businesslike manner should be enticing enough to woo many of the capable scrambles riders into professional TT racing. There is a possibility for one of them to become the second best TT rider in the country. They will never beat Mulder on this one. (Results on page 16) .eto Good to seethe Gold Stars back in the steeplechases as Amateur Randy Say takes second on a Urot~rooter." Start of an Esperl race-for-gold features Jack Simmons In foreground on a 45-lnch Norton Isse. Rules are becoming less rigid In the ITs. Below: James Brammer's camera slows down the racers In this photo of Novice class action.

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