Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

'. .' - .. c ¥ • REAL "HARE SC LES" AT ELDORADO SPEED y By Bobbie Kelly SACRAMENTO. Cal•• July 19 - A new type of rac1ng took place on the Eldorado oval Friday night, and you probably beard the sbouting clear down in the southern part of the state. Just a short time before practice was to begin a lone Jack rabbit decided to make i is appearance in the pit area. Result? Mgr. Betty Clark's dog took chase and off they fie..... past the starting line. into the first turn. up the bank and halfway down the parking area. Then a sudden turn by the bunny. and for a while we all thougbt it bad made iis getaway. but the dog turned just as fast and back up the road toward the pit area the two raced. By this time everyone was jumping and yelling for the dog to catch the rabbit. but again tile rabbit made lis move and ducked under a fence beading for th e open field with tile dog right beblnd it. Luckily the rabbit found a culvert wi th a pipe and into it he scrambled. There tile pooch stood. tongue banging from tile side of his mo uth, walting patiently for the rabbit to dare come out of the pipe. but it jus t wouldn' t acco mmodate. Too bad some one didn' t bav e a stop wateb on the pair as we are sure that some speed record would bave been broken. The two racers receiving trophies for the best appearing bikes tonight went to winner Mike Corcoran (250 Bultaco) and second place Jerry Spaln(200cc Bultaco). Pat Rooney dominated the l OOcc NovIce Class as he took the lead In his heat and held it all the way, as he did when It came to the final even though he was given a Handicap start for his previous wins. Second place man in the Main, John Grant, did the same as Pat in his heat, took the lead from tile first and stayed there to the end. A fair warning to the other l OOcc Novices would be to watcb these f ellows and see whattlley are doing to keep up their consistent wins. Vicker Victor Milan VIcker and his 200cc Kawasaki bave chalked up 6 straight wins in his class now, and if Ih1s keeps up we are all wondering where they are going to put Milan when It comes to the dicap starting on the Maln Evenis. (Maybe be will bave to stay in the piis for the first couple of laps or so me thing.) Milan held first place all through his heat. but going Into the Maln with a big handicap it took him 3 laps to get to that leader spot. Once there. however. he wasn't about to let go of tt. Cal Simpson Jr. grabbed a first in his heat and tIlen went on to take the 250ce Novice Main Even win as well. Actualiy we could almost bave bad a race of the Simpsons alone as we didn't just bave Cal Jr . and Sr. here, but also two Simpso n cousins out there racing also. If they bave anymore in the family interested they ought to get them all out at once and put on a spec1al race all their own. The 200cc Amateurs and Experis were combined wi th the 250cc Amateurs due to the lack of racers in these two classes. Not only In the Maln did the two top wi nners hold their own but in the heat they held the first.two places throughout the race. Both Mike Ellis (20Occ Am.! Ex.)and Joe Henry (25Occ Am.) have to race wtth a good 15- yard handicap in the Main. but they didn't let that hold them back as it only took them 4 laps before tIley made tIleir hold on their respective first place Main Event stands. When it came to the 250cc Expert beat race. George Carter held first place throughout, and in tile final it was only in the first lap that he did not take the lead: After that it was George all the way to the end. Here is another of our weekly handicap fellows who will soon be finding the clubs wondering where to put him if he keeps up his weekly winning streaks . Plus Geor ge gave tile fans a display of what the fans bave in store when races begin on the short track 'M' Scrambles course . Looks llke there will be some real action there with big bikes included in these upcoming rac es. (Results on page 16) upon on the fioor of the Sports Committhing we all seemed unanimous on was the idea to haft a separate numbering system for the l OOcc class, in other words just llke the desert traIl bikes do. It would certainly even things out more regarding the number one lightweight piate and it's understandabl e that the 250cc class has been unhappy over the present point system lately. There are so many tiddlers out now on a Sunday that the winner of the 100 class always gets more points than the 250, and it's gotten to the point where some of the r eal point-happy boys are rtding two classes whether they want to or ~t because they can't get a good shot at a single digit number by oniy riding the 250 class. There are also some sugges tions to increase the beavywe1ghtclasses again. Remember when the heavyweights were the thing to watch 00 a Sunday? We bow respectfully to the people who keep on saying. "So what, it's the 100cc class that's keeping the scrambles going. They hring in the most money." Bui then we point out that It·s tile heavyweights who used to bring in the paytng spectators and spectators also put bread in club treasuries . Bui we know this - we'd sure bate to see happen down here what has happened in Salinas. There. some scrambles are lImited to 200cc's and over so if you don't ride a full -size motorcycle you can't always compete, Would some club In that area drop me a line c/o Cycle News on that, letting me know why the rule (too many lOO's?), and also if this Is only done at cer tain scrambles or all the time and do you separate scrambles for the trall bikes? Our rtders would be interested In finding out if it works because we've been threatening down here for a long time to go to the system of llghtwelgbis only or heavy weights only, but we've not really taken the step yet. One club did try Ii with heavies 0II!y and while the riders had a blast the ' host club lost money, so we'd apprectate any suggestions from you . tee. One We lost one more point run Sunday, courtesy of Mother Nature this time as Adelanto was rained out. Who saId it doesn't rain in California In the summer time? So some of the troops cut over and rode tile Ponderosa and John Rice got himself an 18th overall on his 'M' Honda with a Pirelli on the front and a K-70 on the back. We bet he bad some interesting momenis in the sandI The Hunter-Rice grudge race Is set for August IOtb at the Perris track during the usual Saturday night scrambles. Says John. "I'm glad the old man ebose Perris for his sake but I kind of wish It wasn't a night race because he doesn't see so good any more." Says Jim, "I'm jusi going to bave to shut him down good once and for all so he'll stop thinking he's so good. l've forgotten more about racing tban he's learned yet." We don't Intend to miss this one and suggest that you get there early and pick a good spot by the fence. This will be one night when It will really payoff to go and spectate if you don't ride. We guarantee you'll see a race you won't forget for a while. We just hope the boys don't lose control of themselves on the track and get carried away. It could end up with one of them being carriedawayllterallyl The second scrambles referees meetIng was last week presided over by Ron Sloan and Sam Crooks and shame on all you clubs who didn·t get your rep to that meeting. You all complain about what a hold the deser t clubs bave on the District and It's no wonder theybave. Theypart1clpate more. Anyway. six clubs were there - the Sinners, Dirt Dlggers. Gripsters, Jack Rabbits, 4-Aces and the Powder Puff Association and we got a lot of work done. Next stop will be a proposed llst of changes and improvemenis for throwing scrambles whieb will, of course. bave to be discussed and voted eUL.T~CC FOf Your Nearest " Buill'To-Go" Dealer Call TR. 7·2400 or PO. 9-0441 BEATS TH EBIG TH REE AfM ROAD RACE· CARLSBAD JUL Y 21, 1968 115 GP Class Is' MIKE VELASCO· BRIDGESTONE 2." franl SlIIith . la wasali 3r" Ron Litt'efie'd . Hon"a 100 Produc,ion Class Is' MIKE VELASCO· BRIDGESTONE 2." lell, Erans . Yamaha 200 Produc,ion Class Is' ROGER WOOD· BRIDGESTONE 2nd CHRIS· MOORE· BRIDGESTONE 3rd Ed Ligh' . Yalllaha SPROCIET PARI· JUL Y 13, 1968 200 Alii/Ex. Class I s' GUY SMITH· BRIDGESTONE 2nd RON TOBEY· BRIDGESTONE 3rd Ar' Car'er . Bu"aco 200 Nor. Class Is' GIL ROBBINS • BRIDGESTONE 2nd JA Y DAVIS· BRIDGESTONE 3rd TOIII Pollard· Bu"aco TROJAN RA CEWA Y. JULY 18, 1968 100 Jr. TT Is' DAVID HAM· BRIDGESTONE 2nd Tro, Mclee . Hodala 3rd Dan H aze' . Ya lll aha SEE YOUR NEAREST BRID G ESTONE D A E T D Y! E LR O A fOR THE NAME Of YOUR NEAREST DEALER SO. CA L McCULLOCH D'ST. 'nc. (213) 112·2108 . NO. CAL. COAST McCULLOCH (405) UN 3·5520 . '0 " ~ '" :: l:l... ~ '" .... ~ ~ g; ~ ~ CI) ~ Z QJ >oJ ~ U

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