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/125565
co .... the first time Crippa had ridden the beautiful little custom and he captured seco nd. Hodaka jockey Doug Maloney showed continuing riding improvement by securing third position. Slory and Photos l{y Bill Harmer :::: Q '" ..., ~ [.:J Z [.:J c:l ;:.., U Threatening overcast sides did not dampen the spirits of the contestants nor the spectators attending the Hi Boots M.C. T T scrambles at their Dehesa, Calif. course, Sunday, June 9. There was a great deal of anticipation surrounding the Open Expert class as ' Al Finan had recovered from his recent injuries and his mount, Earl Roloff's fast Triumph, was ready. Jim Harmon was riding Roloff's big Norton and Wayne Hosaka was scheduled to ride Mike Garrett's hot BSA Gold Star, replacing Don Matthews who has hung up his leathers because of injuries. 1967 point champ Myron Carter was back to repeat his last week's win. Finan got off the line first, in the first moto, with Carter close behind. Harmon was back in ,the center of the pack and moving up at the first turn whi le Hosaka as a result of poor flag work by the starter was l ef t behind. At the end of the first lap however, he had passed all but the two leaders, Finan and Carter. On the last lap Hosaka put on a spec tacular show of driving and squeezed out Carter for the second position. The second moto also was marred by a sloppy start which found some riders facing the wrong direction when the flag dropped. Once again Hosaka came from last to finish second behind Finan, and Ji m Harmon sldllfully herded his Norton through a lot of traffic to third, ahead of Carter. After the second moto at l east one of the owners protested the start, and it may have done some good, becaus e the final mota got off pretty even with Finan taldng an early lead. Hosaka threaded through the field to pass Alan the last lap to win the heat with Finan and Harmon coming acr oss 2nd and 3rd. Myron Carter had to be satisfied with 4th. Harrett, Hoy Hassle In the Open Novice con test John Harr ett, riding a 305cc Yamaha, did a beautiful job by defeating the bigger 4strokes to capture first pos1t1on in the point stan di ngs while Triumph-mounted John Hoy and Sean Walsh on a Matco Gals Go, Too motes, because Earl Barker, on his new In the Powder Puff moto series, Carol Chiara nailed down first place on her hot tuned Hodaka but 13- year-old Debbie Reon gave her some busy moments with her sldllful riding . II she had a more efficient mount she could probably give Carol a better battle. It was good to see Carol Gooding, back from a successful winter campaign of desert com petition, take the third place .'trophy • As usual, the Hi Boots M.C . had their race course in top condition and with the exception of a little ragged nag work on a few starts, the program was flawless and the general opinion of competitors and spectators alike was one of satisfaction. Everyone is looking forward with pleasure to the July meeting at Dehesa. (Results on page 20) Yamaha DT-l, seemed to always be out in front. Few realized that Barker was plagued by carburetor' frouble and didn' t run in the second moto. He won the first and third easily, however. Harry Hayes, riding a Harley-Davidson Sprint, upset the 2 -strokes by capturing second while KawaSaki rider Vic Hannan displayed talent in taldng third: The 250cc class was outdistanced by Bultaco pilot E. Murie who was given constant pressure by Larry Collle (Kawasald). Wayne Clark sldllfully herded his Yamaha to third position. Surprise upset of the program was in the lOOcc Expert motos which saw Hodaka-mounted IJoy Davis take first place away from old master and favorite Jim McGuire, also on a Hodaka, wliile Harry Hayes on a Suzuld gave them both a fright by riding to third in a slam-bang series. Randy Cushman rode his Yamaha beautifully to win the 100cc Novice Main but perhaps the most interesting rider to land in the money was Eric Crtppa, riding the Van Tech Yamaha which is owned and prepared by Dick Sims for his son, who is now in Vietnam . It was NASCAR Stock Car Champion Ric hard Petty now Joins USAC Kl nl A.J. Foyt as a OucaU motorcycle ri der. Other f amous auto racers who own and rl de Ducatl s Incl ude Joe L eonard, ex-U.s. Cyc le Champion , Dennl s Hul me, W d Grand Pri x Champion and Indy winner orl Marlo Andrettl. W Petty and Foyt Is Chri s ith Economakl , edi tor of Nation al Speed Sport News. Into the sweeper 10 250cc Novice winner #51 Jim Chit wood (Vamaha), second pl acL llnl sher #80 Jack Sweeny (Bullaco) and #85 Lyle Law (Moniesa) who wound up third. were a constant challenge and finished 2nd and 3rd. An interesting sidelight of this event was the entry of l5-year-old Jim Leque riding Gary Gilmore'S 250cc PurSang. Gary had ridden it in the 250cc Novice class so Leque by necessity had to ride it in another class. There were not enough entries to make a 500cc event, which left only the Open class for him to run in. In the first moto, he rode masterfully and finished about a halflap ahead of the next machine. The stop watch indicated that he was lapping 2/l0th of a second faster than the winner of the 250cc Expert division. He was protested by a frustrated Triumph rider fo r riding out of class. Gilmore was also disqualified from further motos in the 250cc Novice competition. The 250cc Novice motos were dominated by Jim Chitwood who piloted hi s pretty little Yamaha sldllfully to earn top s tan din g. Bultaco- mounted Jack Sweeny showed continued improvement by squeezing out Montesa rider Lyle Law for second money. Brown Bests Barker of Gr ant Brown, to the surprise of many the spectators, was declared the winner of the 250cc Expert series of WINS STARDUST 7-11 America's longest and roughest cross-country event zn MILES Of SAND-ROCKS-DUST AND HEAT ONLY 2S0cc GARY CONRAD and RUSS DARNELL-THIRD OVERALL TWO 250's FINISHED-BOTH HUSOVARNAS 1st ON A STANDARD SPORTS MODEL 2nd 2S0cc LARS LARSON and JOHN KENYON Sagehoppers Molo-Cross June 2. 1968 250 Am/Ex. Class MORE RECENT HUSOVARNA WINS am Ram s European S bles Antelope R blersMotO:Cross cram June9, 1968 3rd Steve Siricklin May 30, 1968 2SO SOD·Open Ami Ex. CI ass 1st Am. Class Bob Kulek Open Am. Class 1st Larry t:-awson 2nd George Etheride 1st J.N. Roberts SOQ-Open Ex. CI ass 250 Am/Ex. Class 1st Larry Lawson 2nd John Kenyon 1st Larry Lawson 2SO Ex. Class lSi Bud Hedrick lsi Russ Darnell 2S0-0pen Sweepstakes 2nd Tom Senner lsi Russ Darnell San Bernardino M E .C. uropean S cr. June9, 1968 250 Nov. Class 50Q-Open Am. Class 1st Carl Marshall lsi Lynn Fortner SOD-Open Ex. Class 250 A~. Class lSI J.N. Roberts 1st Bill Walters , 2nd Gary Conrad Lost Angels Hare Scrambles June 16, 1968 500 Am. Class lsi Lynn Fortner-2nd OVERALL SOD E C x. Iass 1st J.N. Roberts-3rd OVERALL YOU TOO CAN OWN ASTABLE MATE TO GARY CONRADS AND RUSS DARNELL'S WINNING 250T SPORTS MODEL <, AMERICA'S fINEST ON THE ROAD Off THE ROAD MACHINE .. SEE THEM AT YOUR LOCAL HUSQUVARNA DEALER '- Med International, P.O. Box 3511, San Diego, California Phone 114460-4289 •