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/125500
- ::;;,;1;,.. Geree HolI.d'1 face IIIoWI lb.. be Is aII... t to 10.. It IS e_••• wlan. D.le Gr. . . (a$oF) alia', slzel ~ the I'tudon. Sbrtled e"",esslOD OD ..;...,....... TrlDllpb-1llounted JIll IIcCrxUn (U) paints ...t lbe pIVper line to 650 Exp.rtl brl .,.cb.t (11) aid John Fr._ (42-LI. IIcC~cUn kept tbD Iud from lurt to DDIs'" FRESNO SCRAMBLES Fi ally Happel... IN MADERA Report" Pholos by JobD Ramos Fresno Motorcycle Club members recenUy lost their hometown race track, due to rezoning of the property_ Undaunted, they scheduled their March 19th scrambles at the Madera County Fairgrounds. On race day - after week-long intermittent rain - the skies were clear and the weather mild. •• but the race track was too wet. SDc:oad pIx. wi Rldulrd ar- (7::!! md f.llow 650 All. cOIllPDlllor au .. IVde bautlfall, Ioe Ton bad lb., _en t • tUIl Del,,! HIS .n,on. told tt.w lb. VIctor IIcuel.. lIotor Corpl II UIllne .ppllcMlonl? S'- ~ llIowed lb. . .stof tbD tIIa . . . . . . .r ..... PJs "'''-bnaublllty-w. . .II.-ut by wlDIllae To the rescue came the Madera Braves M.C. saving the day for over 100 riders and six times that many spectators, the Braves donated their race track and eouipment to tbe Fresno club' for $1.00, and even prepared the course tor them. Sucb sportsmanship spurred everyone on. •• to an exciting day ot ...,cing. All classes from 90cc 10 6:M1cc were represented, with close contention in each category. In the 90cc 'Novice Main, rider #75v led going away until the last lap•••wben a disastrous hole appeared in his piston. Bridgestone-mouoted Jerry Clark, wbo bad been running second, took first ahead of David Miller (Honda 90). Two riders led all tbe others in 90cc Amateur action. stan Anderson was never beaded,. oot runner-up Ed Short tried bard and kept the outcome in doubt to the checker. Both men were lOOuoted on 90cc Hodakas. It was Montesa, Honda and Ossa playing tollow-the-leader in tbe 175cc Novice Main. Bill Ezernack came out on top, bolding ott the challenges ot Mike Middleton and Dick Plowman. Nip ADd Tuck The 200cc Novice/Amateur Main turned out to be ODe of the best races ot the afternoon •• , and they were all good. Leaping into t!le lead at the start was Arnold Tull (Bultaco), and he stayed there for three laps, witbstanding the pressure applied by fellow Bultaco riders Dick Lathrap and Guy Smitb. Finally Lathrap nosed ahead, and so did Smith; all three men were still running very close. Witb only one lap remaining, Lathrap went wid e, Smith zipped by and went on to take the win - a welldeserved victory indeed. Hard luck rider oC the 250cc Amateur/ Expert Main was H-D mounted Don Harms. After leading tor three laps he lost his chain. That left the race up Cor grabs between Bob King (Bultaco) and Tod Sloan (Montesa), wi th King eventually taking the advantage. Harms. a never-say-die type, managed to get his chain back on and finish seventh. There was no doubt about the winneT oC the 250cc Beginner'S Main - Rodney Morton led confidently Crom start to fin; sh on his Montesa. (His serene attitude may stem' Crom the Cact that he come" from Tranquility, CalilOrnia•••bonestty.) Good rides were turned in by all three front-nmners in tbe :lOG Novlce/ Amateur Main. Trimnpb-mounted ........ie Mayes beld out lor the wiD abead ot GaIY Gibbs (TrllIIIIPh) and Wayne Chase (H-D). 61 IIbs did a fine job consideriDg he bad no practice (because of trouble finding U1e track), and Chase was impressive on tbe sbort co...se with bls big Hadey. Missed A Shift In U1e 441 cc combined Novice/ Amateur/Expert event, a hard-fought batUe took place between Wayne Sumner and Tody Emler, both On BSAs. Though Emler led tor 4'h laps, Sumner was never more than five teet behind, and when the leader missed a shift, that was all it took. He wasn't leading any longer. Rick Elisarrasas (BSA) got UP tor third. Leading all U1e way, Clinton Howe sewed lIP tbe 6:M1cc ovice Main on llis ADd only the week before, it was Clintcn wbo was sewed up. He ,ell and cut his band at Bakersfield, requlriD g stitcbes. TrillllJP/J riders Ricban! Brown and Ron Clawson rode hanl '01 second and IhIni. Eager Jerry Landry jumped the flagman and led tor two laps of the 650cc Amateur Main, tben Cell. Although he remounted and finished seventh, cooler heads took the front-running positions. Keith Thomas, smooth and steady. did a beautiful job oC winning, and Richard Brown held ott Ron Clawson for second. They all rode Triumphs. At tbe start ot the 650cc Expert Main. Jim McCracken pushed his Triumph into the lead, and stayed there. But plenty of action was taking place behind him. John Fraser and William Hill became invol ved in a fierce private battle tor second, so involved in Cact that wily Earl Bachant managed to whiz them both at the finish. Ttl......... Hooray FDr The Braves Thus ended a most enthusiastically-fought program ot races and, again, thanks to the Madera Braves M.C. It couldn't have happened wiUlout them. (Results on pace 16)