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/125542
.... Q ~ til c, DEBESA CROWD-PLEASING INAUGURAL TT RACES • Story and Photos by Bill Hanner La. t Open Expert heat at Deh.sa found Trlumph'mounted AI Finan (6) tumlnl back #l lIIynln Cart" (Triumph), #28 Don lIIatthews (BSA). The order was reversed In flna' .lanclnls, how.v ... T he highli ght of the J a nuar y 14 inaugural 1968 TT ra c e s at the Hi-B oots M.C. Dehe sa course near san Die go, Calif. was th e heated and exc iti ng compe ti t ion i n the Open E xper t class. De spite maste rful rid in g that wo n him to p poi nt hono rs la s t ye a r. 1 7year-o ld Myron Garter. his T riump h bearing the ne w No.1 badge for the firs t time , was humble d i n thre e i nstances. T wi ce by Don M tth ew s o n a BSA a nd a once by Al F inan on Earl Roloff' s ne wly prepared Triumph. All things a ppeared equal i n th e skill departmen t but Ca rt er seeme d o ut-p o wered by the two veterans. In th e Open Novic e class, 17-year-old Jim Harmon t hrille d the c rowd wit h a scorching lead on a 600cc Norton only to s pill on the seco nd lap a nd watch the ra c e go to B. Barker. Another yo ungste r, 17-y ear-01d Dan E mde, moun te d on o ne of the new Suzuki 250cc sin gles, co nt inue d hi s winnin g s ty le in the 250 No vic e c lass ma de him a fa vori t e i n the 90 c c cl ass las t ye a r. The new j ump , which wa s designed oy Bel gian Champion J oel Robert fo r the Suropean s tyl e Moto-Cross was not to the liking of many of the contestants - even the P owder Puff rid er s wer e up i n the a ir ove r it. In s pite o f seve r al spe ctacular s pi lrs no on e wa s s eriously injured and the 1968 TT ra c e s on the Deb esa cours e ar e off to an e xciting new s eas on. (Res ults on pa ge 16) Walt PORTLAND INDOOR Axthe~Im~::~:~' Triumph-Suzuki Motors By J .K. 1049 West 5th Street Pomona., Calif. (714) 629-8642 .. YOUR AD HERE T'IrTrlIrrJI For a s little a s $5. Call: TOM (213) 423-0431 .LIULIUl&AJJ It was dose here, bu't 90cc Amat.ur/Expert winner B. Silverthorn (117) wound up ah.ad of second plac. Rick Vesco_ • More Flexable RPM, Range • Mo re Low End Torque • More Horse Power • Better Breathing • No Loading Up • Us e of Lorge Carb. • Boost Port Scoveng ing • Cooler Running Engine • Ult imate in Speed Tuning S.v.ntee"'y....old Don Emde (S7x), wlnn. of the 250cc Novle. division, I.ad. the fI.ld around the turn. Lacey For the second week in a row Cbuck Hodson and his rigid-framed Class A machine zapped the troops at the County Exposition Center in Portland, Oregon last Friday night, w1nn1ng every race he started. But not without a fight. Larry Parker (Montesa) again won the Trophy Dash, his heat race, and came within the last turn of winning the scratch final but it was here "Hoppy" Hodson and his Yamaha got under for the win. Parker had the fastest time of the evening though, taJdng the $5.00 bill, but no one broke Ray Carr oll ' s first night record of 11.33 seconds. For the racing fans these Fr iday night programs hold a .lot of action. Cliff MaJbor, who is instrumental In holding the indoor races here, has come up with two Main Events per night, or actually two complete race programs. Time trials are held, then begin the r egular short track races with heat races, semis , and a Main Event. Then everything is started all over again ; this time the handicap program , heats, semis, and again a final. Faster riders start to the rear of the slower ones , making It do- or-die to pass and qualify . Makes for some real good action. The handicap Main Event and final race of the evening promised to be a real fender-bender wtth Hodson, Parker, Carroll, and Richardson all on the 60yard line with not only each other to pass but the other riders, already spotted ahead . Down came the flag and off they went but somewhere Parker and Carroll bumped, killed their engines and could not re-start. Thus It was up to Hodson and the pressure was on to- se e if he could catch the fr ont two runners, Ron Smal ley and Ja y Lacey. Lap after lap he at e Into their lead until close to the finish he caught one and then the other, going on to an unblem ished night and so far, and undefeat ed season (se cond week). Indoor racing in Por tlan d, Or egon will be he I d every Friday night through March. Time trials at 8 p.m.; first races flagged off at 8: 30 sharp. (Results on page 16) <