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/125469
A number of changes greeted riders at San Gabriel Valley Raceway last Saturday night. The most outstanding of these was the change in the course itseIr(lengtheued, with two sharp tums added). The track was watered and the novice winner of the uight was Honda mounted Mike Linthicum, the third novice winner in that many weeks. Linthicum led from wire to wire with Dan Reed and his Enfield chasing him all the way. After mnuiug clear orr the course while trying to make his bid for the lead au this one-groove, Prado-like course, Reed horsepowered past Sprague and took back second, before running out of laps. Point leader John Sprague followed up with a third place ride this week. Larry Wilburn and Don Harris grabbed tbe next two places on a Bultaco and Honda. '!be current West Coast fiattrack champ, Marty MacDonald. tried the IT oot was cancelled in the semi-main. Amatew yellow platers started off with a ban g and a pile up on the first lap in the first turn. Rich Tborwaldson came out all right and restarted. but Jack Konle bad to retire for the night because of a leg injury. The second time around Jim Berry gra bbed the lead as he did before the restart. Butcb La,nguth followed close behind as the battle for the lead started. Rich Thorwaldson passed Languth and started aIter the leader Berry. The spill he took didn't seem to hwt Thorwaldson as he took the lead never to give it up. Gary Bailey took over the third spot after Languth went down near the end.• Dewayne Keeter took fourth while Randy say followed up on his Beezer sin gle. This didn't seem to be Eddie Mulder's nigbt as he only captured a third in his heat race and lost his chance to go to the trophy dash. This almost lost him the point lead when Gene Romero came within two points of the lead, winning the dash. The e x per t final followed the amatew pattern with a fall on the first lap dropping Elliot Schultz (on an Enfield Single) down on the first turn. Mulder. cheating perfectly, was leading off the line. After the riders were reassembled the starter seemed to lose control of the show. Clutches got hotter and so did tempers. Finally the white platers got going. In the first lap it was Romero. Dan Haahy. Dusty Coppage. Eddie Mulder and Chris Draayer. This is the way it stood for mos t of the way. Then in the final change of the evening, Dan Haahy, who has a habit of stealing the attention of the crowd. managed to steal the lead from Romero on the second-to-Iast lap and he kept it until the checkered flag. Prior to this time Draayer overtook Mulder. Chris was unable to hold the position and his balance as he fell on the !:lst lap. Mulder moved into fourth ~nd VanLeeuwen into fifth. And there Nent Mulder's point lead. The trophy dash was another upset with Jack O'Brien taking his first win in many moons on his BSA. He led the two-lap r ace all the way with Van Leeuwen in second, Mulder in third and Dustry Coppage in fourth. Changes. upsets and thrills are the order of the night every saturday at san Gabriel, with plans to run the races Sunday aIternoon into the winter. The owners are going to alter the course until the best pattern is found. (Results on page 16) Now~Bill SAN GABRIEL Photos by Dennis Greene By SCott Eastburn Krause has a NOMADS MIC - TT SCRAMBLES - PRADO PARK 125cc AM-EX 1. Rollie Clark 2. Paul Hopkins BULTACO BULTACO 1. Jeff Runyun 2. Brad Stanley 200cc AM. MOTO 1st So Columbero 2, Jle Kennetham 3. Chuck Wllite CYCLE FOR EVERYONE A lull Greeves line and lIVe have just added BMW Our all nellV parts and Accessory Department is ready to serve you. B. sure to Bring Your Service Problems to our Tril,tmph Specialist Boll Bai'e," (Na". #33 bper'). 200cc EX· BULTACO BULTACO 250cc EX. BULTACO BULTACO BULTACO 1. Dwayne Lundberg BULTACO 2. Ron Moore BULTACO 3. Pete Antesta BULTACO 250cc NOV. MAIN 1st Carl Patrick 3. John Sprague BULTACO BULTACO SINNERS MIC - TT SCRAMBLES - BA YMARE 125-175-200cc EX. 1st Jim Pecorilla 2. Fran Nestor 125-175 AM. BULTACO BULTACO 200cc AM. 1. John Riggen 2. Tom Warren 3•. Pat McGuine 4. LalTJ Nolan 5. Roy Prince SULTACO BULTACO BULTACO BULTACO BULTACO 1. Wade Zimmerman 2. Dave Stroman 3. Craig Cove 4. Eric smifb BULTACO BULTACO BULTACO BULTACO SMALL BIKE·SWEEPS. 1st John Riggen BULTACO 3. Jim Pecorilla BULTACO 5. Wade Zimmerman BULTACO BULTACO-WESTERN ~.II lor ,our . noaro.l BuIlI·To-Go Oo.lor TR 7-2400