Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

~e -J " R _ (20) _de his first raelnClIlIP"ar..ce since a serious Injury at Tular.. Here he Iuds Clyde Lltc:h (95.) and Randy Say (17.) In the 250 nuL Uteh lIIol< 3rd. Say .th, RoDro 5th at the checker. Butc:h Cord. bas .... tulMd to xllDll aft. an DlIfortaaate aeeldint that s1dell.d hi. for _ 11_ .. O .\j. ~ HICh-flylne Evel Knlevel did his stuff lor the first time ever Indoors. And he _de It over till c.rs! By Maureen Lee The winter indoor racing seasoo got underway SaturdaY, Dec. 2 at Long Beacb (Calif.) Arena. Some of the razzle-daZZle was missing (no band to play the sc figbt song as the racers came into the arena) and there was no sanctioo of any kind, but it turned out to be a good program and a lot of excitement was generated by the appearance of Evel Knlevel. One of tbe showiest starters aroUDd, Chuck Murray,· had charge of the flags with Red Ludford the referee as the 125cc class appeared to start the program. Gene Romero, back out again for the first time since bis serious injury, took the first heat on aHondaandKelthMashburn the second beat on his Lobito with the fastest beat time. Tom Rockwood on one of the new little 125cc Barleys took the third heat with the third fastest time. Rick Woods (Ducati) bad tile fastest 250cc heat with a win after a re-start as some of the troops went dowD in the first turn and Clutch Cargo was .-tile to re-start, but Rick blew 'em all olf proving again that there is no substitute for experience. He, Gary calIdns, Keitb Mashburn et al., have bad a couple 01 I. - ' •• .. ~lC" Crowded eo_s _d slick slll'faee .de f . pi'" 01 spills bid 110 lolDrles ....lted. seasoo's racing sbort track with the A.C.A. prolessiooal group aDd it &bows! After tile nmniDg of the semis in wbich Roo Kruseman (Triumpb) set tile fastest Ume of tile Digbt with 1.22.94 in tile second 250 semi, lUlDOUDcer Rosy Rockwood took over the mike in the Infield to lUIDOIIDCe balf-time entertainment. Two ramps bad been the dominating IBctor in tile Infield all evening and now the space between them was tilled with 10 cars and trucks including wbat appeared to be all the vehicles belonging to Long Be8cb Honda. Evel Knievel was introduced and did a demonstratioo of wheelies, thenswttched to his "jump" bike. Using a nm wbich included a path leading straight through the outer lobby into the arena and then out the rear doors, Knleve1 took several trial nms and then jumPed clean as a wbistle to the cheers 01 tile crowd. TIle '1'rqlby Dasbes came nen with Keith Masbhml IaJdng the 125 class aDd Lee Wehrman (Mootesa) the 250 after a real scramble 00 the first lap between Lee, Clyde Litch, M1.te Boal and Rick Woods. Gene Romero was going great in the W1_r 01 the hotly contested 250cc lIaln Event was Dueatl-mounled Rick Woods (26&) whose ACA short track Dlperl.eo paid 011 to the tune of $200. So Ihalted was Koleval's jumplnc space that Ills path Mpo at the lobby tumstlle.. ended 00It side the rur doors of the Lone Beach ArDu. Tal.ted Keith Mashbum (100) ..d his Bultaco took first In both the 125cc Trophy Dash and lIaln Event. Full field 01 125cc rl den take off lor I-Iap little hike Mal. Ev..t. A_C thDse vlslhle a.. Narm Elledee (65), Art Barda (96), Roo Ta)'lor (119), Tom Rockwood (101), wi...... lIashhum (100), Gary Bailey (75), Gary Calkins (101) aDd Steve Sc:oIt (15). 125cc main but had to pullout around the tblrd lap. Keith Masbburn, riding really controlled, bung onto bis lead to the finish. in spite of Randy Say's attempts to get him. Norm Elledge (Bultaco) and Gary CalIdns (Yamaha) madea real race out of the third and fourth place spots. The 250 Main turned into the most exciting of the evening. Rick Woods grabbed off the lead with Lee Wehrman rigbt on bis tail. Clyde Litcb, Ron J

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