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/125523
-.-.-r.-.-r.-.-.y.-.-."--.-.-.-."--.'.-,.-.-.-r.-.-.·_-.-.'....'.'.',.'....-'.'r.'.'.'I1.'r.':.-.-.'.-.'.'.'.' . F L P CKET GHT SCRAMBLES .r.',,.'.'.-•.•'.-.'.'.''''.-.-.-.-.-.'.'.-.-.'.__-.-.-.-.-.-.·.'A-.-.-.·.-.-.-.-.·.-.-.·.·.·.·.·...-.·.·.·.·.·....'".By Stan Coffee The last Saturday night race of the Sp ro ckets season in Bakersfield, CaliL proved to be an exciting one. Upsets were the order of the day on SepL 2nd. The Open Amateur-Expert Main belonged to Bob Leppek all the way. Leppek, an Amateur was chased by Jeff Sperry and Butch Turner for the first couple of laps. Turner dropped out and Ie ft Sperry a clear shot at Bob. Jeff gained ground, but not enough. Leppek took the flag two lengths ahead of the "Big 01' Hog.George Holland brought his Triumph to third ahead of Skip Saylor's oneof-a-kind Kawasaki. The Open Novice Division was down on entrie's com~red to previous meetings, but all was not lost; a new charger was discovered. Jimmy Spiker was very impressive all the way. Jerry Philpott of Lodi and Mike Joyce of Palmdale ran hard after home the Novice trophy.) Ed Young of Santa Monica was the third man in and the second Novice. Bultacos Sweep 250 The tw~fifty Amateur-Expe rts put on one of the greatest shows ever. Amateur Don Hughes pulled off a beautiful start and built up a commanding lead by the end of the first lap. An Expert from Visalia, Freeman Coulter, came out of the rock he has been hiding under for the past couple of years and grabbed off second ahead of another Expert - Frank Roseberry. Frank was aboard Hughes' old Bultaco and had trouble getting used to it after riding four-eycles so long. Rick Blake followed Roseberry across the line to take the second place Amateur trophy-and Don McKay finished fifth to complete the first Bultaco 250cc sweep in Bakersfield history. By contrast, the 250 Novice main was completely void of the -Bul." Avery Hensley guided his Montesa to victory ahead of last month's winner Tom Brimage, who sat astride a Ducati. Keith Carlson finished third on a -Husky.- Stan Sweaney grabbed fourth on his Montesa and fifth place Dick Davis rode a Ducati • .Among the two hundreds, everything proceeded as usual. Bultacos swept the first five positions in both the Amateur-Expert and Novice finals. Mike Lane gained back his supremacy over Randy Smith for the upper division win and - Dirty Ernie" Winslow got the job done in the Novice class over Steve Bray. Rosebe[[y's "Saki" Goes The ne w g'o-fast bike among the Bantamweights is the Kawasaki 120. Joe Roseberry took his little "Sakito a super-fast win in the ninety Main. Joe earned the big number one two years ago in the bantam division, but hasn't ridden a little one since (you may remember that fast Benelli at Asco\). He made his return ride a good one. At the start of the last lap Joe passed Mike Lane on the straight to take the lead. Mike got a little excited and went over the berm - the hard way - on his head. Amate ur Ron Tobey was right behind him, but he cleared the wreckage and took the first Amateur trophy. Ron was also Kawasaki mounted. They go like "Gang Busters... Dynamic- Darrell Smith got his first ride on a ninety and made it a winrung one. Darrell jumped to the lead immediately and never looked back. By the end of. the races he bad stretched his advantage to several lengths and still looked as though he thought someone was right behind him. Dana Thompson finished' just ahead of David Matthews to nab the second place trophy. Although the entry Ii st was small due to the heat and suspected rainfall, everyone had a great time. The next go-round will be daytime action, October the first - see you there. (ResuHs on page 16) Spiker the entire distance, but the young man from Bakersfield looked great. Return Of Kamikaze Jake! .Alvin Griffith is back! .After a long layoff, .Alvin (Kamikaze Jake) Griffith has returned to the track aboard his ancie nt (in appearance only) 500cc Beezer. Clare nce Pitman didn't give Jake time to relax during the Main and took' home second place and the .Amateur gold. Lannie Mayes of Fresno and the "Fellows Flash" Wayne Westbay finished third and fourth respectively. The 30.50 Novice division trophy was taken by former lightweight contender Orvis Stacy aboard a very fast rlSA. Orvis outsped last month's winner Wendyl.Aragon of Bakersfield and Bob Ward of West L.A. Ron Spillman once again made it look easy .in the three-fifty NoviceAmateur final. Ron led from flag to flag and didn't have any trouble with the second place rider - yours truly. (I salvaged some pride by taking CYCLELAND .****** ******************* ***** SPECTACULAR By Carolyn Richards Only 22 riders were on hand Saturday, sept. 9, to participate in the weekly flattrack events at Cycle Land Speedway. Usually twice that many competitors sign up at the popular Chico, Calif. track. In the' 100cc Main, Oroville's steve Goff zipped to victory with ease on his Kawasaki. Taking the checkered next was Dennis Mayhew of Willows, while Francis Ladara of Gridley was third. Both second and third placers were mounted on Honda 90s. Turner Tops After a spectacular pileup (where no one was hurt) and a re-start in the fast, rough 200 class, Dick Turner of Red Bluff and Mike Rockwell of Oroville came in first and second on their Honda 160s. Bultac~mounted Dennis Chandler, Central Valley, was third. Richard Airozo, Willows, showed the four-man 250cc class his dust the entire eight laps. Sacramento's Perry McLain really had to fight with Redding's Ken Norberg to stay in second for atrophy. Wheelie Time As an extra fillup, a whee lie -::ontest was held. Mayhew handily won this event when he took hi" Honda around the whole track. When the super-riders (those with the greatest handicaps because of first place wins) came out for the 1OOcc Scratch Dash, Oroville's Little Cyclone Joe Allen won. In the 200 dash, Turner won his second trophy of the evening. Norberg, broadsliding his Ascot the whole five laps, won the 250 go. . (Results on page 16) &; '" .... gj ... ~ e: ~ ~ ~ CI)