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/125563
- MEMORIAL '" co ~ c... DAY HILL CLIMB e [oJ <: [oJ t3 )., AT SADDLE BACK PARK Slory Ill' Maureen Lee Photos Ill' Dave Gooley. Dennis Greene and Maureen Lee U I t was a beautiful hi ll, 280 feet to the top wi th a coupl e of bumps en route that made thin gs really .interesting for the 'ri ders! Only one man mad e it up and over at Saddleback Park on May 30, and he came all the way from San Jos e to ride the event. Frank Durso on a beautifullyprepared BSA made it on hi s fi rs t run' i n the Open Sportsman class but coul dn' t do better .than a 40' and a 57' i n his two succeedi ng attemp ts . Still, he took home the huge trophy for Best of the Day and ended up wi th a third place tie in the Hooligan wi th a run of 90' , still the only man to make the top. Sideline enterlalnmenl was provided by Mel and Bob (last names unknown). Machines from 0-200 were classed in the Trail Bike division and used a hill immediately to the right of the big one, the course going up in a series of steep switchbacks, the r iders running against the clock. Joe Ambrose (Bultaco) who won the 100cc class had two no-times by the end of three but his second time up the hill did I t and Joe won with a time of 37:27. Yamaha r ider Butcl:! Behn took second with a best time of 38:15 on his last run. The trail bike class was as much fun to watch as the big boys on the big h1ll. Some of the r iders would banzai off the line and then wheelle over backwards when they hil the first Incline which was a llttle steeple. Others would make It past that but come to grief on the next stretch and maybe end up in the bushes , but the crowd which kept growing larger and larger all through the day gave all of them plenty of encouragement. The 175cc winner was Quentin White (Bultaco) with a top time of 31:80 which was faster than the 200cc winner, Larry Silva (Bultaco), another san Jose rider who posted a time of 37:75. Mter a lunch break when the catering facilities had to work full blast, It was on to the big h1ll. Dick Oxlord lrom Bakerslleld lakes Ilrsl allempl al hili. PhotOgraphers scrambled llkemadasthe big Harley slewed around, wildly burying everyone in clouds of dirt. The dirt cloud was so heavy you couldn't see what was going on inside of It but It was rather terrl.tying for a fe w seconds to not be able to see a thing but Just KNOW that people and "things" were sllding and flyi ng by you on each side as they lost their footing up higher and to wonder it that Harley was going to come down, tool It didn't, and no one was hurt; Just a few shaken nervesI As we mentioned before, Frank Durso made It up and over in that class with Dick Oxford taking second with a second time up run of 120'. Triumph rider Jim Kelley, who got third, did It with a 53' run, also on his second out of the three tries that each rider received. Lamb Leaps Another Harley with Clltt Lamb aboard took the 250cc Sportsman class with a top run of 78' with another of the Bakersfield Brigade In second ; Mel Cunha on a Honda did It with a best cllmb of 67'. Bakersfield again took home the gold in the 350cc class with two Honda riders. Clay Catlett had the best footage of 140' even after he had one no-run and Roger Voyles took the second with a top climb of 85'. The 500cc class f ell to Chuck Miner t Oxford Over••.•:~n d Over! Besides the group from San Jose there was also a contingent from Bakersfield including Dick Oxford who had a mighty Impr essi ve look ing h1ll-cllmblngHarley-Davidson. On one run Dick started too tar to the right and came unglued about the 70' mark and spectators and ( BSA) who was beard earller saying he wished he had bought out his Goldie after he had seen that h1ll. But neither " F eets" or his Beezer lacked forpower and style and after the first two runs of 60' and 52' Minert made 100' on the third try. Later in the day he won the Hoollgan with a cllmb of 109'. Mel Cunha took the 500cc second place with a top run of 86' and Lee Wright (Triumph) ended third with a try that ended just 5 feet shorter than Mel's 86' . The Hoollgan threw everyone in who wanted to ride It. In the 500cc class It was Minert the winner and Cunha second with 100'. Frank Durso tied with Curt Horsl (Triumph) for third, both with runs of 90' . It was a good day but the number of entrants could have been much higher, although some of the pre-entries didn't show up. The spectators were numerous and were brought in by truck from the main parking lots up closer to the highway. The riders who did appear really put on a show and everyone went home happy. With all those lovely h1lls at Saddleback we hope to see many more hillcllmbs In our own bacll;yard and also hope that the promoters who ran this one, MIke and Bev Capallte, will throw some of them. It was a gasl (Results on page 20) Joh~ McCown and Kookle repeatedly rode up and down hills to the amusement 01 lhe crowd.. Quentin While (Bullaco) look advanlage 01 his age and welghl to win Ihe 175cc class. Also selling lasl lime lor Ihe trail bike cia ... It's nol Bonnie and Clyde , bul Clyde and Po lly. Try ing to gel back In the saddle al Saddle back. '. • _ •.!.... n Overall winner and only one 10 make 1110 the top was Frank Durso (BSA).