Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

DOUBLE THREAT AT SOUTH GATE B )' Mik e C a palite W1th the weather giving its complete co-operation on February 23 for th e first time this year, Trojan Raceway was able to get off its i nitial double event of 1968. As th e year gets underway, weare seeing th e return of many of last years r egulars , such as 1967 250cc champion Lee Stumpenhaus and one of last year' s ACA regulars from Orange County, Eddie Mc Gregor. It awears that th er e wl1l be a l ot of r i ders commuting between the two tracks now that points earned at either track by an A CA competition card holder will count to ward the champion- ships at the end of the year , so a r ider has a chance of becoming Champion of the Year it he were to diligently r i de both tracks . With the T T bei ng the fir st pr ogram to run off, the 100cc class was upset by Ray Vanderpool up from san Diego on a Yamah a who decided to do a little cherrypi cking and enter ed In th e Junior class . A s he made a clean sweep of hi s heat and the T rophy Das h i t was apparent that here was a r i der who should be in the Senior class . But can you i magine his embarrassment when he was beate n i n the Main Event by a true Junior r ider: Gary Scott from Baldwin Park on a Honda triumphed in the Main for Juni or r iders with Vanderpool comi ng in second. Thi r d place was L l oyd Quintard from Long Beach on a Kawasaki wi th Hodakamounted Ri chard Ray coming across in fourth.. The 100cc Senior T T Matn Event was another repeat for hotshoe Gary Balley who seem s to have this track down pat. Second place was Jimmy Raym ond on a Honda wi th third goi ng to that up and com i ng young rider Dl.1e Hopkins on a Hodaka. Th e r esults of this Main Eve nt m ight have had a different note had it not have been fo r a spill in the first corner by hard-riding Mi k e Lane from Bakersfield on his Hodaka . Mike is a constant up- front compe titor and he i s a smooth r i der also, but he got a little overanxious in the fir st corner and l ost it. As he was by himsel!, and it was not an accident ca used by another rider, the race was not re- started, but Mike remoun ted and rode his best to catch UP, but the distance was too great, and he had to settle for sixth place. The 250cc Main saw a battle going betwee n Gary Bailey on th e Greeve s, Eric Ole sen on the Bultaco and L ee Stumpenhaus on a Bultaco, After the dust had cleared and the flag had dropped for the finish, it was Gary for the wi n, but Lee had made a bid f or sec ond as he came out of the l as t co r ner and he moved up on Eric r i ght at the line for an almost photo - fi ni sh, but he di dn't make his bi d quite soon enough as Eric beat him across the line by about a foo t. Fourth place went to Robert Potts on a BSA, showing a marked i mprovement ov er his last two efforts here. ., After a short intermission to allow the riders time to r emove thei r brake operation sy stems, the shor t track program starte d out with th e 100cc heats and 250cc heats and move d r i ght into the Main Events. As the l O Occ riders lined up f or the Main Eve nt , yo u co uld see the look in M i ke Lane's eyes as he was determined not to make the same mistake that he did in the T T main , and to pr ove it, he went on to win the Main with Jimmy Raym ond on a Honda running in sec ond and third going to Ray Vanderpool . Four th place went to l loyd Quintard on his Kawasaki. The 250Cc Maln Event went j ust about as expec ted as Lee Stumpe nhaus again proved the man to beat as he too k the win on his Bultaco wi th Eri c Olesen, also Bultac o-m ounted, taking second and Dlnny Jones coming in to make a 1-2-3 sweep f or Bultaco. Randy Ellis added to the gl ory of Bultaco by making it four i n a r ow. For an i nteresting and exciting F r i day night, r em ember a complete t wo-race pr ogram at South Gate. Pits open for practice at 6,00 p.m, and the races start at 8: 00. c ~ 5 III C ., C c:I E III S Q .c Il. Crouchin C low but flyi ng high, Honda-mounted Gary Scott (355) took Jun ior Class 100cc honors In the TT portion of Tro j an Raceway's fl rs t ACA double event of '68- Scott beat out the more experience d Ray Vanderpool, up !rom San Diego, and the determi nat ion shown here expla i ns why. Over the j ump comes #99 Mi ke Avila, ri ding Hodaka In the renee class. Here's Jim O'Neal (M) cavartl ne alone on hi s Bult aco. (Results on page 16) Suzuki akes -i' I • T BY! .,.. SUZUKI U. S. Suzuki Motor Corp. 13767 Freeway Drive Santa Fe Springs, Calif. Preston Petty and the new Suzuki TM250 M oto-Cro ss Scrambl er again lead a field of well known Moto-Cross riders Sunday, March 3, 1 at the Castaic Mo to-Cross all the way to 968 victory and once more displ aying the handling and power of this superb moto-cross machine. SUZUKI MAKES IT VICTORY - SO MAKE IT SUZUKI.

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