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/125549
NICE WEATHER FOR DUCKS..TACOMA DUCKS THAT IS£ Slory a nd Pholos by "Ie Ehbutt The Tacoma Ducks Motorcycle Club had wea ther to fit its name Sunday, February 18, as 112 riders braved the torrential rains and mud- and waterholes a t the club' s fi rst 1968 even t. The consensus a mong the r ider s was that you had to be totally insane to take part In thi s Mota -Cr oss. But then, what does this say for the 560 spe ctators? At the hal!-v.'llY point on thi s fa ntastic course was a water-hole abo ut 60 fee t long an d fr om 2-1/2 to 4 fee t deep. Well, not really a water-hole as much as a mud- hole . It was believed by ma ny that the bubbles r ising from the quagmi re were rider s who had s unk co mple tely out of sight, but these proved to be com pletel y unfounded rumors , because as soon as al l the r iders had r e move d the mud fr om their faces and were identified, not one conte s tan t was missing! overall winner in the lOOcc Class was Bill Langley who rode his Hodaka like a professional, nearly carrying it through the aforementioned mud-bole, Second place went to Mark Nimlck on a Moto Beta and third was Roger Bille also riding a Moto- Beta. John Sylvester of Auburn, Wash. beat out Don Whittaker of Renton and John Watkins of Kent to win first place in the 200cc class . Don Lipp of Ta coma was fourth. The 250cc winner's trophy was taken home on February 18 by Dave Cillt aboard a Kawasaki. In second place was Bill Stuth r iding a Bultaco. Third to the checkered flag was Bob Ward on a Ka- Don Kerbey looks like he's trylnc to decid e It was worth It all or not. But, Don. It's CLEAN mud! wasaki. Hudlnc lllrouch lIIe I nfamous mudhole I s 2nd place 500cc l inl sher Gary Racon ( BSA). Debonai r Dick ' Chase comes out of the boC looking IIke .a mechanized swamp crealure. Fortunately no Impress ionable young chll dren sullered traumatic experlences._Just Dic k. Above left: Grimy Gr....s Coer seems undeterred by all the gooey coop. Above rlCht: John Sweatt, 21-year veteran 01 Port Ance les, Wash. pollee department started raclnc at ace 40. Is now one of the lDp Northwest scramblers. He took third In t he 500cc class, Greev.. mounled. Emil Ahola cap tured fi rst In the 500cc Class on a BSA Victo r . Although an excellen t rider , Gary Ragon was a distant second on a BSA. Thi rd place went to John Sweatt, on a new Gr e eves 360 Challenger. John, a motorcycle patrolman for 21 years in Port Angeles , started raclng at the age of 40, and now, 4 years later , is one of the top s cramblers and cross-country riders in the Nor thwest. National Number 80, Emil Ahola, as expected was the star of both the 250cc and 500cc Class . Fairly flying over the one-mile course, Ahola held nearly a hal!- la p lead when he encountered trouble with the new .25 0cc Yamaha single and was forced out . However, on his BSA Victor,' he won his 500cc heats by fan tastic distances. Incidentally, a t the riders' meeting, an idea was a dvan ced that, with his talent, Ahola should be . forced to ride a mlni-blke •••but nothing concrete came of the suggestion. With no intention of sounding like a hero-worshipper . I cannot help but a dd a few lines concerning this rider whom I believe to be one of the greatest scram ble rs and TT r iders In the busines s . The grace an d skill with which he perfo rms is poe tr y In motion. Riding with a sort of controlled aba ndon, he seems to bave an uncanny sense of any situa ti on such as a fal len rider, a s ha rp turn, a s udden jump, and with no s lackeni ng of the throttle, he handles the s itua tion, maybe by instinct or maybe by training and experience, but handle it he does . Many people would walk a mil e for a camel; I would walk many mil es to watch Emil Ahola r ide a moto rcycle. (Res ults on page 16) Into the fi rst turn of the 250cc CO and National Number 80, Emil Ahola, the nation's lDp IT rider. has taken over an Immedi ate lead with his new Yamaha 250 sincle, much to the chacrin of his already mud-splattered opponents. Ahola suffered mechanica l problems lat.... but came back to blast throuch the muck and mire to win the Tacoma Duck's 500cc class on a BSA VlclDr .