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/125488
r----------~-- .BETTHE DESERT KINGS By Roxy Rockwood THE FINISH LINE REED PRICE Reed Price will be carrying tbe number 1 Open Class number plate in the desert in 1967. He is 31 years old, married, and has an ll-year-old daughter. Rees is a native of California, a member of tbe Victors M.C., and has been riding only ~ years, changing over from the 250cc class to the open class in September of 1965, and earning #25 in about 3;2 months. He was made Expert in January of 1966. and led in points from about March of 1966 on until the end of the year. Reed does most of his own tuning on his 1965 Triumph TR6, with some good speed tips from his friend Dick Vick. It took about a year and a hall a dozen races for the Long Beach indoor events to really come of age but last Saturday night proved that this new type of racing is here to stay. The action bordered on the fantastic in the vast majority of the more than 20 races and most were not decided until the tinal half lap. For the second straight time another large crowd paid the riders a '2,500.00-plus purse which will more than insure all the top talent being there again this Saturday night, January 14th. AIl three main events produced a dillerent winner on a dillerent brand of equipment. Ralph White won the l00cc tinal on a Honda 90, Jack O'Brien won the - B- 250cc tinal aboard a Harley Sprint and Jimmy Odom (Watch this boy) took over '400.00 in winning the big bike feature on an X-6 SuzukL Honda, H-D, Suzuki - the Long Beach show has balance. Eleven different brands of machinery were ridden by the racers who filled the three main events, all 250cc and under. The entry list was the second largest ever for racing under the roof and this was only the first time with the new licenses. It didn't take the northern Calif. riders long to catch on to racing indoors with the four recent events UP in 'Fri~co at the Cow Palace. They came up with four different main event winners and all four were here last Saturday. All four will be back again this week for another shot at the local gold. Dick Dorresteyn was here for the first time on the Suzuki squad but some last lail bad luck kept him out of one ?f the 1lllUn. events. He started dead last 10 tbe sem and was comng through tbe pack like a bot knlfe in a pound of butter but was blocked out on tbe final turn. Dick Mann showed up riding H-D as a teammate of Men Lawwill'So Tbey ran one-two in tbe dash before Mann, wIIo was also mailing bis first ~e.arance at Lone Beach, came back to £iolsh fourtb in the big one. "ben was tbe last time Mana was seen on a Milwaukee product? 1958? . Enougb cannot be Sald for amateur Jimmy Odom who rode like a smooth veteran and won the feature on the last lap over red bot Gene Romero. Odom starts his second year as a professional but has a long way to .go to complete ane full season of raCing. He mssed most of last season, as a novice, with p. busted Ifg· He's the rider who made a shambles of the novice TI class at Ascot last vear and is the best to come out of Dist. 36 in many a moon - he's also the best publicity plug for Suzuki since young Walt Fulton won the Daytona novice road race in early '66. The 100cc class caught on with the ans and produced some of the best racing of the night. People are getting used to watching the little jobs and a couple of their heat races were faster than the 250' s. Fans see the pro's all year long in all types of events on 250cc machines and larger but only at Long Beach will you see the veterans turning it on with an 80, 90 or 100cc rig. The aturday afternoon practice sessian that allows any and all riders four full hours of lappine tbe fast concrete oval again drew lareer numbers witb 70 licen ed and no....licensed riders on hand to by tbeir equipment and pOlish up for tbe evening races. Once again tbe entire Lone Beach show, from practice on tbroogh tbe racing events was accident-free, tbanks to all those bay bales. We did, however, quit counting spills after the first 100 bit tbe hay. There will again be a Saturday afternoon practice this week with the doors openlng at 11 a.m. and concluding at 4 p.m. Tbe regular sign-in time for tbe nlgbt of racing is from 5 to 6:30 p.m. If you baven't attended a Long Beach indoor race pick UP on tbe one this Saturday. You won't be sorry. Race time is slated for 8:00 p.m. Reed lives in San Clemente near tbe hills and puts in a lot of practice time. He feels that he can still do better, as he bas been riding only a short time and with more exPerience be sbould still be able to improve. -I would like to get more overall wins· says Reed. Reed has bad a very phenomenal success in the short time he has been competing in tbe sport. and we wish him cootinued good fortune in the coming season. . BOB BELT Bob Belt, tbe DeW 25Occ: . . . . . . of tbe deseIt, wI1l be CU1'1fIIc IIIIlIIber plate #IX for 1967, He is a 35o:Year-oid . .Uve CaUfom1an, bas b _ ..med for tbree years, and is a member of tbe SaD Gabriel Valley MoC. BOb is GelIenI1 M_cer of steens EDliDeeriDc and bas been ridinc competiUoa for twelve years. Bob bas a lot of eaeourac_81t fJom bis wife Lee. She likes to CO to the desert and will ROt let him lay oR and lake it easy. He bas been . . ill tbe top tea for tbe lallt three years, bolcIDC numbers 6X. 9X and 5X, but this year he decided to go for #1, IIIld made II. r-. .... II!.. if a.. r-. CD ~ .... .... ~ _ ~ .~ ~ ~ :i!: ~ tJ >... u The race Bob enjoyed tbe most was winning tbe State Championship Hare Scrambles by Ibe Buzzards on October 16, 1966, taking first place overall. He has not bad to do much tuoine on bis new 6reeves Cballenger, and owes part of Ibis lack of trouble to tbe inspectioo and tightening .. tbat bis good friend Fritz Moeller does to his bike after each race. We asked Bob if he bad any speed secrets for winning in Ibe desert, and wilbout besitating bis answer was ·The handling and suspension in Ibe rough stuff is a big Cactor in tbe desert, and my Ceriane forlls have really done tbe job for me.Bob likes riding in tbe desert because you get a loneer ride for your IIIOney. We elQlect tbat he will be COIo& [or #1 acaio next year and we wish bim continued success. '. HODAKA 1st JACK MORGAN 1373 pIs. 2.d E. HODAIA 10ESEL~1 • 650 pIs. 3rd FRANK MORGAN 636pl5. HODAIA DESIGNED & IMPORTED BY PABATCO AREA DISTRIBUTORS ,,, SOUTHEIN CAUfOIN'A BELOW IEIN COUTY UNE. 'N NOITHEIN CAUfOIN'A ABOVE IEIN COUNTY UNE • H.A. NELSON PHONE 1 17 GLENDALE, CAL (213)243 LEAVITT POWER TOOL P.O. BOX 214287, SACRAMENTO, CAL (916)635 - 6970 ..