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/125562
VIEWFINDERS GRAND PRIX story by Maureen Lee CI) t.:J Photos IlY Maureen Lee, Bill Pettigrew and John Shedd t.:J The Viewfinders Grand Prix Ell: ~ c:3 wa.s, in our estimation, the most G beautifully run event we've ever seen. That was our opinion and the same opinion was held by lots ofothers who were there who wentout oftheir way to tell Viewfinder members or one of Cycle News people the same thing. And the truth is that this was only the second race the club had ever thrown, buttheir organization was terrific. The co u r s e ? Whee! Three- miles around, the WesU&ke VHlage, Callf . track had something for everyone on May 25 and 26. The starts were Le Mansstyle and alter getting going, the riders had a long s11ghtly uphill straight before the first turn which neatly eliminated any ptla-ups with too many riders hitting the same time. After that It was up and over the gorgeous countryside with terrain of sandwashes, gull1es , a 200-foot down-hill and a mud wash that was spectacular to say the least! If you were good you could miss most of the goop by traversing It from side to side but the whole thing culminated In a mud and water hole that you had to hit with a really steep up-hill immediately following. Blast up there and you had to ride through a barn. ' That's what we said, a barn. The course then went through part of a movie set so It was out of the barn and down the " main street" to where the checkers were seated comfortably on the porch of the hotel. The finisher flagman was in complete command there with the radio headquarters r ight behind him and on down a straight to a bridge with no rails on either side and a nice drop off Into a lake on the far side. (A sk Preston Petty about thatl) Then down Into the sandwash and up and away again around the whole circuit. Eighty-nine 100cc Novi ces started the program on Saturday and when they hi t the mud creek It looked 11ke Slaughter Canyon! They were all over the place ! The ones who finished really deserved high .praise. It was an Hodaka with Don Afflack aboard wearing Rams M .C. colors who won, and with a broken arm yetI Don, on a Roehr Brothers Van Tech Hodaka went down between the first and second laps and aithough It hurt 11ke heck, Atflack didn't know It was broken , Trlumph-mounted Gene SmIth here shows the way out of mudhole and on to IIrst Open Expert, Oad, Buck SmIth, rot a third In same class. . .. .c.•~ Number One scrambles ace, John RIce, IInds mudhole a worthy opponent, John went out wIth clutch problems. BARN STORMER MAY 25,1968 TT SCRAMBLES AQUA BARN - RENTON, WASH. TROPHY DASH - ED ELLIOTT - M/B A MAIN1st MARK NICOLAI- M/B 2nd ED ELLIOTT -M/B B MAIN 1st CHUCK BRANSTTER - M/B Oi stribIlted by MIS Sportscycles 311 E. Alexander, Tacoma, Wash., 98421 until later... We snagged one rider, #63 Doug Wagner on a Loblto and tossed him a few questions. CN: "What's It like?" Doug: " If you finish It, you deserve It." CN: "How about that 200 foot downhill?" Doug, "Not bad, but you sure can't hit your front wheel brake!" CN: "any complaints?" Doug: " No, this Is great. It's dusty In places and I was alrald there might be a guy down and I couldn't see him, but this is great." CN: "How about that wash and the mud hole ?" Doug: "It was tough but I made It up that hill twice clean (I.e, without help) ." CN: "And the other times?" Doug: ffAaahhmmmmmmt'· And that's how It went all weekend, and we didn't hear one serious complaint. Our Impressions? That 100 Novice start, all 89 riders with eyes glued to the banner held on top of a movie set "house" and then the dash across the grass and onto their machines ...it might have helped some of the Novices especially if trials tires atleast had been suggested on theposters ...Gary Bailey and Jack Morgan the Hodakaaces alter Bailey's A'mateur- Expert win shakIng hands as they pulled off the course, their quotes later In the story •••the Powder Puff class composed mainly of the experienced Desert Dalsys but with three members of the Powder Puff Association on scrambles machines giving It everything they had...DaIsy Jan Dltson with a great lead built up on the fir st lap but then bogging In the mud hole ailowing Sandy Terml n to gain ground and once Sandy got by she really showed her tremendous riding ability ••.Rose Martino getting up that awful hill perhaps better than any of theotbers...Eulene Longfirst scrambles girl through and up the hill In good shape, only to crash In the long downhill and hurt her arm so she couldn't continue ...Mary Harnish going for nearly two laps without one fail •••then her bike qult•••Diane Connolly the only scrambles gal to finish but hanging on to the end... the cutest of them all Tina Petersen sitting with arms folded at the bottom of the hill trying to look relaxed while her dad and brother Lonnie worked to get her ' Taco going again alter she 'drowned out ...the young 250 Novice Husky rider who slid Into the barn si deways and nearly became the " esi dent of stall Number 1... r the tremendous lead Steve Scott (Bultaco) built up In the 250 Expert only to break a chain way out In boonles leavtng Preston Petty (Suzuki) and Steve Hurd (Kawasaki) to ride it out for first and second ... the old-fashioned cemetary across the Viewfinders made and erected for J .N. Roberts lettered " J .N. Died here, May 24, 1968" alter J.N. did, not literally of course...he went like a bat out of $%& Sunday...who was the Checker on the Triumph who really led the 21" class home ?...looked like Terry Jetton to us••• and to all the commentators on the hill , Triumph does make a 21" you know ... first 21" Novice Mike Harrison (Ducati) coming up that hill with a style that bodes a warning for those who are ahead of Steve Hurd ( KawasakI) leads Gal)' Bailey (Greeves ) across brIdge located over dam In ml~course.