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/125501
District J7 - SC1MMBL.E~ g ~ • Q> 1:10 os Q" r-. co ~ ... ChtlmpionshlP 1: ~ ~ ~ ~~ fit Elsi/lfJre ..J U ::... u Photos & story By Maureen Lee Wasn't that a bash on Sunday for the District Championships! The Gripsters M.C.. host club at Elsinore, are just about the best organized club in the whole District. F'r instance, their flagmen know what they are doing. Aid was there instantly without any dilly-dallying around. You weren't left wondering when the heck your next heat came up, and our local idiots who like to race in the pits instead of on the track found thel!l" selves face to face with a series of Gripsters who left no doubt in anyone's minds that pit racing just isn't the accepted thing to do. The only beef we had personally was that elastic starting tapel I always think that elastic is only for holding UP various items of underwear. All day I had visions of being throttled around the neck and snapped back into the pits while my bike made the first tum riderless! Kudos aDd Credits Bill Cody in the 125-175cc class aboard a Bultaco really got with it to take first place. You'd think he'd have been pooped out from his tremendous ride the night before at San Gabriel Valley TT on a Suzuki when he demolished the Novice class! Bow about Dan Cadton? Be took the 250 Amateur class aboard his Greeves Tony Mason leads the gaule 01 SUcc riders Into the nrst tum with everyone dialed all the way. in spite of serious challenges by a pair of Bultacos manned by Williams and Stricklln, then be popped onto an Ossa to win the 125-175 Amateur Main and then back onto the Greeves to win the Small Bore Sweepstakes whicJt included the wimers of all events up to 250cc's. Quite a day of racing, we'd say. The 250cc Expert class was a bit of a cliff-hanger. Jim Connolly won the first heat on his Greeves with Keith Mashburn (Greeves) second and John Rice (Husky) falling down. Second heat John R. was first with Connolly dropping to about fifth and Mashbum again taking the second. Meanwhile David Ham (Mantesa) had been building up a nice little average of points, so there was a chance for more than two of them. But it was John R's tum to pull rabbits out of hats and he won one of the beautiful trophies. When the Gripsters advertised on their posters ·Championship quality trophies·, they meant it. We've never seen any better and they even had one of the big ones for the winner of the Powder Puff class, Eulene Long. Drag Racer? Speaking of the Powder Puffs (Puffers?) did anyone check out the doll with the Bell Star helmet and the long black hair to the waist who appeared on the line on the first mota? He (pardon us, she) might have gotten away with it if some of the gals hadn't laughed so hard and if he had a little more shape. We are not going to men tion names bu t whoever bet that rider $10 he wouldn't do it, he did itl And to the rider, if you tty it again, pad yourself out a little next time, ducks! 50cc Tiger Returning again to the Small Bore Sweep how about that young Tony Mason on his 50cc Yamaha? He led that thing fighting off the big 'uns of his class until finally Dan Carlton nailed him. The big bikes charged out after the Lightweight trophies were awarded by a very pretty trophy girl, and unfortunately some of their riders got their lumps and we do mean lumps. Well, so Dan Carleton, I!le hot one In the lightweight class goes up and over the Jump. okay, Elsinore flatters the small bikes (it's a gas on a 100!) but the Gripsters chose that track for a couple of very important reasons to hold the Championship. We are scrambles rider, right? That means we ride scrambles tracks and lately scrambles have shaken down to just one or two tracks, one being mainly Prado Park. AS lovely as Prado is. it doesn't make a scrambles rider out of you and the Gripsters felt that by having the Championship at a track which wouldn't favor anyone and that includes the guys who go like mad at Perris, they would truly have a fair race. We heard arguments tbroullbout the afternoon that the track was unsafe for the bie bores and we amait that it did get hairy at times, but DO one else is turning on that throtUe but you and you (Continued on page 20) ."'SJfICE 10 OWN A go with the /eadep 2165 E. HU 1I8G108 DRIVE DUARTE, CALIf. (213) 681-0255