Bakersfield was the place to be Sunday, April 21 If you were an avid cycle
spectator or more so If you were a rider
who likes a fast track with plenty of
competition and enough fender-banging
and tank-slapping to keep you on your
toes (or on som ething else If you weren't
careful).
Butc h Turner was once again unbeatable in the Open Expert class and the
way he and his Triumph handle the job,
Sprockets Park might more aplty be
called Turner's Playground. Ron Pierce
turned in a tine ride aboard Custom
Engineering's Triumph to pick up the
second place trophy. Don McKay outlasted the rest of the Amateurs mixed in
with the Experts to nail the win down in
that class .
SPROCKETS SCRAMBLES
Slory by Ernie Winslow
Photo by Jack Light
The Open Novice class was a battle to
the last moto-cross with Mike Middleton's Triumph holding off Midge Griffith
and a beautifully prepared Norton out of
Gri!f's Motorcycle. There has never
been any doubt that papa Alvin puts some
of the hardest running rigs on the track,
but when one comes out as clean and
sanitary as this one, a lot of people
thought that Al might have changed his
standard of all for go and who ever
heard of a racer looking pretty. But not
it was a typi cal snor tin' Norton.
Ron Spillman was back on a Ducati
this race and showed fine style as he
made his move from way back In the pack
and slipped by Orvis Stacy and his BSA
on the last lap to win the 350-500 Amateur affair.
The 500-Novices all decided to get to
the tlrst corner at the same time and
tried to use the same groove with some
devastating results . Of the six bikes the
only one that did not wind up In the pile
so
was a l ucky fellow who missed a shift ~
coming ott the line. Ed Swortflguer dug
his durable Honda ott the bottom and on ~
the restart tlgured the best place to be Cl..
was way out In front to eliminate these
silly game s and that's just where he ~
stayed to take a ver y hard-earned trophy. ~
Pete Willis had pretty much his own
way as he l ed the 350 Novice boys
around the track all day to add one more
for the trophy case and lots of praise for
a tine running Ducati; Jim Campbell of
Porterville was second 'riding a Honda.
As usual the 250Cc Expert go was one
of the closest races of the day. George
Omo Jr. fought hard the tirst motocrosses to have two wins going for him
the third time up only to lose the gearbox on the line. After the points were
added up Ron Pierce and Custom Engi neering's Suzuki had the tirst place
gold with George still coming out second.
Bakerstield Motorcycle's new hotshoe
came through with flying col or s in the
250Cc Amateur dash for glory . Rick
Newhy and his blasting Bultaco took the
measure of Yamaha-mounted Jon Docker
and Steve Davis also on a Bultaco, Docker and Davis put up one of the hardest
bat tles of the day for second.
Three trophies were up for grabs In
the 250cc Novice class with Howard
Howell on a tine handling CZ taking
number 1. Jett Johnson moved up from
the 90cc class to ride one of Mel Dlneson's Royal Entlelds and snapped UP
second. Gil Robbins and his Ducatl held
off the rest of the pack for third.
Rick Blake and his Bridgestone took
the Expert honors in the 200Cc event
with Art Carter of Fillmore on a Bultaco
grabbing top spot among the Amateurs .
Ron Tobey sewed up the 200cc Novice
race with his usual ease and flawless
riding style . Ron also received a very
tine trophy for hi gh point rider for the
year at Sprockets Park in the small bike
class .
Sprockets Open An teur/Exp ert winner Butc:ll T urner Is al ready almost aut of camera ylew an his Triumph, fallowe d by eyentual tItl rd plac e rider
#29 AI Grlf flth (Narton) and #97 Ron Pi erce (Triumph), who wound up secand.
Suzuki
makes
-t'
I •
T BY!
Frank Roseberry picked up the goodies
In the 125cc Expert sortie with Dave
Sprayberry taking the Amateur honors.
Both were Kawasaki-powered, Dale Medford and a balky Hodaka finally got together (Dale had a nice quiet talk with It
in the pits) to hold off a strong surge by
Ron Typer and his Moto-Beta for the
Novice awards In this event.
(Results on page 20)
TT Scrambles Mesa Speedway - April 21, 1968
1st DON EMDE - SUZUKI
250 Expert Class
Riding for Floyd Emde MIC Sales , San Diego
TT Sc rambl es - Sproc ket s Park - . A pri I 21, 1968 .
1st RON PIERCE - SUZUKI
250 E xpert Class
Riding for Custom Engineering - Bakersfield
P rofessional Half Mile - San Jose - April 21, 1968
1st ELDON HINKLE - SUZUKI
Novice Main Event
Riding for Cycle Haven - Stockton
Elsinore TT Scrambles - Apri l 27, 1968
u.s. Suzuki Motor Corp.
SUZUKI
13767 Freeway Drive
Santa Fe Springs, Calif.
1st DAVID ALDANA - SUZUKI
100 Expert Class
Riding for Irv Seaver MIC Sales - Santa Ana
Salinas TT Scrambles - April 28, 1968
1st DAVE PESTONI - SUZUKI
200 Novice Class
Riding for Cycle Center - Salinas
