Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

~ 8 01SE 00 se .... C:> ~ '" '" ~ TT iCali fomians Come Through nu V) .. li ttle midnight 011 making the Burres machine right, Van Leeuwen, who flew In as Coppage did the night before, was on the Gene Curry Triumph, and also up from California were san Francisco's H-D ace Mert Laww11l, plus three Amateur go-rasters, Mark Brelsford, Jim Ric9,!Uld Bm Jamison• BO ISE 6-STAR TT: = VAN LEEUWENPROFE SSIONAL WAY LEADS THE :.. Californian Ron Bolling set the pace on Novice day, Saturday, with the fastest time and heat race win. Sunday, the fastest fifteen of the original 64 Novices ran for their share of the gold and again Bolling put It on 'em had. He also won Nationally ranked Skip Van Leeuwen shook 0[[ the hex that has kept him from winning the Expert first place money at Boise , Idaho, and copped the $50 trophy dash, hisheat race, and the thrilla-minute Expert Main Event, Sunday, April 7. ~ o o With the top Expert riders refusing to ride Ascot, many of them came to the Boise 6- star TT, which always runs In April and offers lots of dough. Dusty Coppage was there aboard the Beaverton Triumph; Jim adorn appeared on a finelooking rig and took thlrd in the Main after curing carburetor problems that threatened all afternoon. " Sonny Burres rode his usnal fine look- .nc Ing Triumph with much credit going to " one Paul Bancroft of Boise who burned a 3. THE MAELY FLAT SPECIAL RACING BOOTS. 8" high. la c ed. weia: ht 2 Ibs. per p air $1595 • plus c.o.e . postage K~~s~~£a~Y~ \) . Route 2, B 75B, ox Corona, Calif. ii . - ,,,,l I rll flit "" " wit , wurr $25. pl us C.O. D. & Postage Send boot or carboard culllut Start of the Expert Mai n Event: front row from left , #69 Sonny Burres, #18 Mert Lawwll l, #59 Skip Van Lelllwen. #65v Dave Clarke; #32 Du sty Coppage. Sonny Burres, Nati onal Number 69, set fast Ume of the day on hi s Tri umph, broke the track record to boot. the Trophy Dash, turning times that the Amateurs and Experts were hard put to beat. BSA-mounted Jim Rice, riding one of the better-going Birmingham machines, showed the Northwest people why he Is highly rated In California by coming hack strong In the Maln to take away the lead, not once, but twice, from Mark Brelsford, Trophy Dash winner. Brelsford, traveling with adorn , grabbed the lead and held 11 for several laps while dogged by Rice whoIn turn took over on lap eight. On the next lap Brelsford drove out of the big half-mile corner and retook the lead on the up-hlll stralght, only to lose It again to Rice who must have had a burr under his saddle as he was not to be headed again . R. Cook, Ike Reed, and B1ll Jamison fought many laps before Cookgot loose and into a solid third leaving the other two, while back In the pack things Just sort of settled and awaited the checkered flag. With a good even start the Experts blasted off, all except poor Mert Lawwlll who snapped his chaln as he had done In his heat race. Mert was given time to repalr, but the tremendous torque from the Harley had broken something else so the show started again, minus one M. Lawwlll. Sonny Burres got the scratch as he had been doing all afternoon, and led the host of Experts on their merry chase. Van Leeuwen, never more than a few feet behind, was followed by Coppage, Dave Clarke, Don McLeod, Ron Hoppe, adorn, and the restn.ln the hack-field places were changing all the time. adorn came up through the bunch one by one and took over third by nalling down Coppage at the right-bander, McLeod fought with Clarke and Hoppe, Clarke finally getting away, and Washington's EmllAholaslipped slowly hack to end up In aflna1 ninth positron, MEANWHILE. Skipper put the gas to 11 and got the better drive out of the big half-mile sweeper and grabbed the lead from Burres at the starting line. He went on to stretch 11 out a bit and the race settled down. With two of 28 laps to go Burres worked free from traffic and nothlng separated him from that first place money except Van Leeuwen so up he came. Receiving wide-lead signals from his pit, VanLeeuwen slowed and Just kept pace. Or so he thoug1lt. One lap to go and still unaware of the charging Burres, Skip had that safe hundred yard lead and cooled It across the finish line with Burres at top rpm no more than 30 feet behind! "Never wanted 11 that close," sald Skip later . Burres came so close to catching the unsuspecting Van Leeuwen that 11 was almost a heart-breaker. And Sonny had the fastest time of the day, collecting the $50 fast time money along with the new track record. And here's the wi nner of the gol d and the glory, Trl umph-mounle d Skip Van Leeuwen. The Owyhee M.C. of Boise really put on a good race. The track was In its best shape, crowd control was better than ever and Owyhee president Allen McIntire extended your reporter his best. Quite a load rests on his shoulders during race week. Just wish he could control the weather. Would you believe it snowed three times during the afternoon's events and the ole' sun came right hack out to chase it away? Well it did, and made for a good day's racing anyway. (Results on page 16) ORAUGE COUNTY IN TERNATIONAL RACEWAY April 1, 1968 Suzuki makes -i' I • 1 r' VICTORY! 2 st 500 Grand Prix Qass RON GRANT VACA VALLEY RACEW Y March 31, 1968 A 250 Grand Prix Class nd ELLIS BOLE r' . 175 Production Class sf SUZUKI 13 7'7 Freeway Drive Santa Fe Spr ing8, Calif. 2 CARL WHELAN . . 1 250 Production Class U.S. Suzu ki Motor Corp. RON GRANT nd JOE TONE , DAVE CALLER' st 1 500 Production Class D BURCHARDS .

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