,
THE FIRST TIME HAS CHARMS
by
stan Co nee
CO>
....
II>
oc
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Although I have reportetl a couple of IIare scram1lles in the past, I had
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Hare Seramllles. I figured U1at IIare scramIIles were .... the old mel, lIIe ex- ....
a;
ser_lers
have lost their reflexes ... claarger i,stiad and lIIe guys ....
NlO wut to do a little fast cow trailing. Db -e, I katw lbat SIlIIe If tile '"
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top desert boys went near fI. .ut all tile way, but they were the exceptil. ::l;
ratber than IIIe rul eo Man, was I out of line!
Photos by stan corree
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As I stood straddling the front tire of
my Rickman Mensse(250 variety},awaiting tbe signal which would send us off
on a seventy·fi ve mile jaunt through the
Kern hills, I looked up and down the
long line of scooters beside me. Tbe
majority of tbem had big, nasty looking
knobbies or a set of trials universals
and I began to have some doubts about
my K-70's. Most of the riders wore goggles ins tead of visors - more dou bts (I
tbought visors were the only way to fly).
WhY didn't they wear them? I noticed a
lot of sweat shirts or sleeves instead of
full leather jackets. I checked tbe
weatber and it didn't look like it was
going to be tbat bot.
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Drag To First Tura
Before I bad time for more observations, the gun sounded. My GOd, what
do I do now? I leaPed on tbe bike and
stabbed the life into my engine. One jab
and it fired. I dumped it in gear and began the drag to tbe first turn. First turn?
That smoke bomb was three miles away!
I stayed wi th the Pack for a wbiIe, tried
to pick my way through tbe chuck boles,
tried to go fast, and attempted to point
in the general direction of those burning
tires. It was impossible! I glanced around
and noticed no one else seemed to be
slowing down or showing the signs of
coofusion I felt. I dropped in behind a
Triumph rider wbo seemed to know what
he was doing and thought I would follow.
No chance Pal, tbis guy must have unscrewed his bead when be left the line.
When he pulled out a little, I told myself
I would just follow his dust. Would you
believe he was going so mucb faster
than I was, his dust was out of sight
before I could get settled?
As we bit Ibe smoke bolllb, I _de a
quick oollllt and estimated my posWoa
to about tmllr overaU, We dropped into a
DaDOW ravine and started a 1_, wt....e
desceat into a SlUIeIy caoyOll. As I came
out OIIto Ibe sand I remembered to eet
up OD toP as quickly as IIOlIlIi ble and aot
too IDDY rideB . .ssed me, We came ..
a steep b1lI to a '*yliDe ridp and toured
alOIIe .. roarfll lor a ecqaIe allIIiles .....
Iben dropped back into !be _ely area.
Tbe trail leading down was strictly !be
lock-em-.. and creep do... type, At
least I thoullbt it was lllltil AI Oillan
(whOlJl I bad seen stopped alOBl !be
course a mile or so back rtDae someIblaC) came by me on the rear I1re caine
like hell, I figured -Why not?'" and released the binders. To this day I am DDt
sure how I DIlde it down Ibere ..... cot
stopped for the first check, Alter !be
cbeck, lIUncs weren't too bad. We crossed
over SOllIe pretty steep b1lls and !bea
bit some good dirt road. I bad a co-.le
or chances to ease orr and reJax.
As I neared the bome check, my front
fender came loose and I stopped for a
quick removal. I was told I was fourteenth
overall. How Or why [don't know. I thought
hundreds of riders had passed me. As I
deParted on the second lap It dawned on
me that I had just gone fifteen miles. I
made up my mind I was going "to finish
the next four loops and that no one was
going to pass me. Things didn't quite
turn out that way.
A. Ii D dsbi el d?
As I ran along tbe skyline road, I
glanced far ahead of me and noticed a
rider. I mentally made a note to gobble
him UP and set sail. I was gaining 00
him. He was mine. Move over leaders
here I come. AS I roared past the bike,
my peripberal vision caught the glint of
his windshield. WINDSHIELD? I turned
around and looked - beadlight, taillight
license plate, full fenders. I stopped, be
stopped, -What are you doing over here?'"
he asked. -The course left the roed
about a mile back.- I thanked him and
turned around, venting my aggression by
trying to throw some dirt on the poor
guy. I got lost.
As I neared the proper Iomorr I _
ticed three or rour bikes droppine orr or
the road in a . .ck. I burried to catch ...
I figured H they gut lost, we could cry
on each olbers shoulders durine the post
race bench session, Luckily,tbeybad DO
problems remaining OD Ibe course. I
bung behind them for Ibe remalatne loops.
I did a lot or wishing Ibe last couple or
rounds. I wished I had a pair or Ibose
cnccJes to keep Ibe rocks and dirt out or
my eyes, I wished for a set of I1res with
just a shade more bite, but, most of all,
I wanted to get rid or lbat damnabI e bot,
lealher jacket.
At the end of it all a friend asked me
how I liked hare scrambles. I didn't hear
bim, I was busy checking the schedule
to find out where the next one was going
to be beld.
I must aPologize for not telling the
story of the fast guys. All I can offer is
tbe results. I was tied un that day.
(Results on . .ge 16)
ILSO
S
Tbe Kem county Trailblazers ~
vertised their hare scrambles as ninetynine and rorty-rour one hundredths pel"
cent pure fun and it proved to be just
that. The course wasn't easy IlY any
means, but fun It was. It had good long
sand washes, sbort bills, steeP bills,
flst-out roads, the whole baIl or "ax.
Harry Wilson led the chase from the
start and he never seemed to cool it.
Cal Bottom settied into second a short
ways back, just ahead of Jack Lambert,
the first 250. DoUI Wilson was strung out
a littie farther back, - ahead or 500cc
Novice Jack Monger.
Altboullb there were only fifty entrants, none lacked entbusiasm. Wben
the banner droPped, the field seemed to
forget it bad seventy-two miles to go,
The cdurse marking was excellent and it
was impossible to get lost. Each tum or
change in direction was marked with a
red arrow and danger signs "ere easily
read. The last three or four miles were
almost all sandwasb and the hig bikes
really started to widen the gaP. By the
end of the second loop the final results
were pretty mucb established. It was
just a matter of who would fall out with
mechanical trouble. Wilson kept going
strong all the way and breezed in to take
the win. Fifty-five year old Joe Krugh
rode a new IOOcc Bridgestone to victory
in the trail bike class, ahead of Hodakamounted Martin Mitcbell.
(Results OD . . ce 16)
