Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

tunes the bike, was going 10 have 10 do some fast work 10 straigbten the pegs and other Items to get it ready for the next race. 'Ibis 19-year-old tiger really rides a hard race. The next race we made 011 this course was the last one of the day: 'Ibe 250 Amateur-Expert go. Bob Belt, #lx on a Greeves, grabbed the lead, with Bill Friant, #35x also on a Greeves, pushing him real hard for the first two laps. Friant was able to pass Belt on the third lap in the rough, rocky section and go on to build up a good lead and eventually take the win. Belt held on to second, pushed hard bY third man Gary Cole, #3x on a Husky. Spoke Benders Course Double winner Howanl Beacb II bere closely pursued, nat out In fowtll e-, by 2nd placer Jolla Gaetz, bolb on Trlump/ls. Sinners and Spokebenders Stage Dual Dese t Duel Story and Pbotos by Dick Wrigbt Three riders took double wins in last Sunday's dual desert event held at Hi Vista, nDrth of Lancaster, Calif. Young Howard Beach, on a Triumph, just back from a two-month layoff with a broken shoulder, zapped the Experts on both courses in the combined Expert and Amateur Open and SOOcc event on December 10. Bill Friant, (Greeves) did the same job in the combined 250 Expert and Amateur event. Dave Ekins, Zundapp-mounted, also turned the trick in the combined Expert and Amateur lOOcc event. The two courses were set up 200 yards apart on opposite sides of the fire road, At 8 a.m. we went over to the Sinners' course to see the first race on their schedule: the 100cc Novice. There were 106 eager riders on the line ready to take on the rough, rocky, two-mile course. On the first lap, a lot of riders got lost due to a shortage of lime, and there was so much lapping going on during the race because of the short course, that we were barely able to keep track of the winner, Bill Gomen, #325 on a Bultaco Lobito. second place was #199 Jeff Wright on a Hodaka. The comhined Expert and Amateur 100cc class left the line after ooe false start. Dive Ellins, #999, had to work his way up from back in the pack, but once he got the lead he really turned the Zundapp on to build up a big margin. The next race was the combined Open and 500cc Expert. After three trtes, the banner finally dropped for a good start, Left James ("'1'-1) Martino, (I) takes an aa altemala _Ia around Gene Dempsey. Martlao, BSA YlctoMllounted, won lbe 500cc class In bolb dub's e¥llllts. Above: (351) Bill Friant lad off a Greeves SWHP In lbe 250cc class. Rlpt Op.. Novice winner Bob To"*" took a Te"s Trlumpb to victory In the ble numb. class. and at the road crossing they were really mOVing, with John Gaetz, #12 ana Triumph, and Howard Beach, #33 also 00 a Triumph, hitting the big Jump at the same time, full on in fourth gear. If you didn't see It, you wouldn't believe it, as both of these guys were four feet In the air, going 70 miles an hour! Steve Hurd, #35 on a Matchless, who is trying real hard for #1 rider for 1967, came over the jump and went through a big bush 01\ his front wheel, but beld on and rode it out. Gaetz and Beach diced back and forth throughout the entire race, until Gaetz hit a road crossing too fast and did a spectacular hand-stand on his bars and was just barely able to stay on. Beach, then, was able to make a clean, fast pass and go on to lead It for the last three laps. Gaetz came in second, followed by Jack Byers, #3 011 a Triumph, and James Martino, #8 on a BSA single, took fourth and first 500cc. The first Amateur in was Jeff Foster, #62 on a Triumph, taking fifth oyerall. We got a look at BelIch's bike after lII& . I'llal; and It loobd like Dad, wIIo 'Ibis was a full three-mile course with rocks kept at a minimum, but with lots of good, open boondocks and plenty of Ascot-type jumps. We were able to catch the finish of the 250 combined Amateur-Expert race, won by Bill Friant, #35x on his fast Greeves. Gary Cole, #3x was second on his Husky, and Bob Belt, #lx, pulled in third on' his Greeves. There were a long line of 100cc Novice boys, over 120 in this class, which is one of the fastest-growing in the desert, and is the reason why we were unable to keep track of the leader. In the following race, the combined Amateur and Expert, Dive Ekins was again the winner. Frank Wheeler really looked good on hls new Moto Beta. He got off to a had start, but moved up to fifth, doing big wheel1e- jumps all over the course. Bob Tondro, #303 on a Triumph, also looke(l real good, winning the combined Open and 500cc Novice race, and mailing the turns like a flat-track rider in a full-on slide. The race everyone was waiting to see was the second Open Expert and Amateur go of the day, which was flagged off at 2 p.m. They all got off to a good start with a big roar, and laPPing the course in seven minutes was Howard Beach, #33 on his Triumph. We watched him hit a series of deep dips which had been dug out from all the previous races, and he did three lock-ta-lock cross-ups from side to side, still holding it full anI He hit the big sweeping, bumpy turn, and made It down the straightaway, never letting go of that big handful of throttle that he had. Right behind Beach was again the hard-riding John Gaetz, #12, and next through the check point was James Martino, #8 on the BSA single. They were followed by Jack Byers, 1t3 on his Triumph. Beach led the entire race by a hundred yards, with Gaetz pushing his Triumph hard in an effort to catch him. On the last lap, Gaetz was lapping another rider and went wide, trying to jump a big pile of boulders, but didn't make it. The bike went straight up, and Gaetz landed on the rocks. At the finish, It was Beach by two hundred yards, Jack Byers in second, James Martino in third, and Steve Hurd, #35 on the Matchless in fourth. Ron Fry, #38 on a 360 Husky, lost out In his duel with Hurd and pulled in right behind him for fifth spot. (Results will appear when available)

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