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/125512
ELSINORE SCRAMBLES UNDER THE LIGHTS by Don Wallen 139 riders fought it out for class wins at Elsinore June 24th with two or three hundred of their friends, wives and kids coming out to watch .them. Dead Heats Aplenty. Proof of the keen class competltion is evident in that there were two near dead heats and two dead heats. When this happens, there is usually a special match race for two laps between the two winners. In the 200 Novice class, D. Voll and -PapaGeoff Mazon settled their grudge as Mazon came home first, but not by far. In the 500 Novice match race between D. Burkman and A. Hindelang, Burkman emerged the winner, but again. not by a wide margin. Big Bike Basb The way the entries were stacked dictated that the 350 's, 500's and Open Expert riders run together, and run they did! J. Bailey on a hard charging Beezer gave C. Cargo quite a battle because Clutch was on an all-new machine this week. Open Expert M. Chamberlain rode hard as usual until his primary chain broke, wreaking mechanical havoc to the cases of bis Triumph. A. Ellis, on a Honda, did quite a job for his third place, riding consistently all night. 250 Novice and Expert This class showed a reduced field and the return of Troyce Gayle. who has not been riding much lately and who was out for a ride on a newly purchased Husky. Gayle entered both classes this week and rode well in both, winning the Novice first place trophy. A new rider in tbis class, at least to Elsinore (and not without some showmanship) is D. Kanagae, on a Bultaco Pur sang. Kanagae is and has heen one of the fallingest riders seen here for a long time. He was able to hang onto it long enough to win his first heat and finished the race with a wild underslide which put him down. I~ has to be said that when he makes It through the sweep- ~ er it doesn~t a!Jpear that anyone Cl could stay With him. . S Stuff and Tblngs ~ It cannot be stressed enough to :;: say, -Lets Race Safely-. Often. when the red flag goes out, the riders try to dodge the flagmen without E slowing too much. Riders should ob- 3 serve red flags. Of concern also are ~ pit racers. The speed is 5 mph in ::I the pits. In a place as big as Elsinore there is plenty of room away Touchelt Eilinore clasl Is undoubtedl, the IOOcc Clasl, with more than 70 IICn-lns recorded from the pits to make that important for the June 24th race. warm-up run. 6 (Results on page I ) a- = * * NIX NIXES NIXON ON COLUMBUS HALF-MILE ¥ ¥ Freddie Nix, the Lawton, Oklahoma ace scored his second National win last 'Sunday on the half-mile at the state Fairgrounds in Columbus, Ohio. Nix had early lap challenges from current high point national leader, Gary Nixon. Nixon and Nix both battled on even terms until the seventh lap when Nix started to pull away and go on for his second big win in his third season as an Expert. Grand National champ, Bart Markel, tried for a front spot on lap eight but got off the extra-narrow groove and dropped from fourth to fifth with Dick Mann moving up a notch at the finish. Roeder, Keen Sbatter Records George Roeder and Neil Keen took time trial honors. Both broke the old one lap mark set by Caroll Resweber back in 1961. Keen was the first and scored a one lap trip at 26:67. Roeder, the next to last man to time trial, came up with the best of the day, and the record, at 26:63. Heat race winners were Chris Draayer. Keen and Dick Mann. Draayer developed engine troubles right from the start in the Final and finished in last place with no points. Varnes Takes Two The .Amateur final was won by BSA rider Ed Varnes. He now becomes the first Amateur this year to win twice. He also won the Amateur Final at Reading, Pa. National the end of May. The day started with rain in the morning but it cleared up and there was good weather for the afternoon races. Many expected the track to be in better shape tbis year after last season, when it was deemed the worst on the National circuit. It was not to be because the groove was very narrow and it was once again a folIow-the-leader type race. The Columbus National was the third half-mile of the season, and of the three, only the Reading track was suitable for a National event. Louisville and Columbus left much to be desired for National competition. IT'S A MATTER OF RECORD LEADS THE FIELD GARY NIXON-CURRENT AMA NATIONAL POINT LEADER