Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

PIERCE WINS BAKERSFIELD OPEN EXPERT Open Expert wi nner #211 Ron Pierce has the situati on well In hand. By Ernie Winslow Photos by Jack Light Matchless·mounled Mike Keen (28) thrust hi s machine under #212 Mike Middleton's Triumph and won the Open Amateur event. BAKERSF I EL D, Cal., A ug. 10 - Ron Pierce, the latest hotshoe sponsored by Custom Engi neering foun d his wi nning form this weekend. Friday night Ron made the trip to the Hanford race !rack and proc eeded to trounce the riders f r om th e F resno area. Th e next night the boys showed up In f orce at Bake r sfield to av enge thei r wounded pride. To add insult to injury Ron and the yellow and purple T r i u mph took their measure again. The consolingfactfor th e northern riders was Pierce was the only Bakersfiel d r ider to make the Open Main. Lanni e Mays and Keith Th omas of Fresno, also Tri umph mounted, waged a terrific fight for second place wi th Mays emergi ng the victor . Bob Leppek on his bl ue and white " Ham m' s Special" unloaded in the back chute and when the dirt and knobby tire tracks wer e wash ed off, Bob was f ound to have a br oken hand and will be si delined for about six weeks . - Matchl ess Makes I t The Open Amateur bas h f ound M i ke Keen and his potent ' Matchles s slipping under Triumph rtder M ike Middleton in the right-hander to snatch the victory. After much gear- m issing and lY-.ngi g n around by th e othe r riders Bobby Owens of Portervl1le and Bakersfield's Jim 0 ' Hara fo und a narr ow opening on the last Beal lhe bush cutry; on on aKws ki a aa lap and caine squirting through the pack to win the trophies in the Open Novice class . Art Swortiiguer and one of the hardest running Hondas in District 35 had such an easy time In the 350Cc Novice go Art had time to smile and wink at the cameraman. Larry Garron (Bultaco) and Ray " L egal Eagle" rmger (Husky) finished second and third. The lightweight Expert aifair found Randy Smith (Bultaco) edging Mike Lane on his Yamaha single. All the riders In this Expert class deserve a trophy every race as they stage some of the most competitive programs throughout th e season. The fierce duel between Stan MUls and Steve Davis continued in the 250Cc Amateur class. F irst place in the last fe w races has been decided about 10 feet from the finish line. Stan was the winner this time but Steve and his Bultac o will be out f or revenge next race and try to even up th e score against the Mill's Montesa. Easy W n For Johnson i A fiel d of thirty riders were on hand f or the lightwei ght Nov i ce pr ogram and f our trophies were awarded. Jeff Johnson and the Royal Enii ei d turned in such a smoo th perfor mance i t was hard to believe that Jeff Was engaged In a rac e not a Sunday r ide . The Am ateurs better be on their toes as this will probably be one of Johnson' s few remaining r aces as a Novice . The other trophy winners were Ken Green, Jr. ( Kawasaki), Steve Col by ( Bullaco), and Myram Kitchen(Yam aha) . In th e 200cc Amateur/Expert race Ji mmy Maxwell held off the late surge of Expert F r ank Roseberry to save th e Sprockets the price of a trophy, Maxwell Is one of the better Amateurs in the District as proved by his previous wins against 250cc Amateurs . The Novices foun d the Bridgestones were the ma chines to beat as they have been In th e last four races . Gil Robbi ns on Gr iff' s Motorcycle Bridgestone turned in another easy victory and more than likel y slid himself right in with the Amateurs. A lso Bridgestone-mounted was Don Ba co t in second place . The 125cc Amateur/Expert conte st was once again " r ing around the rosey" with the Roseberrys, Joe and F rank, doing th e r i ngi ng. These two continue to hav e the fastest Kawasakis In this part of the slate. Joe again defeated F r ank and the top Am ateur was Dana Tho mpson aboard a ver y strong Suzuki . Th e 90Cc Novices were out in fu ll f or ce wi th Ken Green Jr. picking up one of his two trophies f or th e evening. Ken was also r i di ng a Kawa saki. Second place went to Ron Powell on a Yamaha. Art Carter again picked up gold at Sprockets Park with a third place trophy. (Results on page 20) CYCLE-LAND SPEED F ST E 175 BUSHWHACKER Hitlhe trail on this powerful machine and you've got the rough country licked . B ushw hacker' s muscular two-stroke rotary valve, single cyl inder engine churns out loads of to rque and gutsy strength to get you Ihrough the roughest terrain . C limbs 40" slopes like a mountain goat.And an electric starter gives you fingertip starting ease no matter where you are . Complete Ka wa u k l builds m olOlCycle. '''' ~pl. trail gear i n c l u d e s sk id plate, spark arrester, upswept pipe, kn obby tires and powerful brakes ! Equ ipped w ith S uperlube for automatic gas/o il m ix. 120 ROAD RUNNER ••• Another Kawasaki that beats the bush country. Road Runner furn ishes th e h ighest power-to-weight rat io i n it s class. Puts you up on top even if it mea ns clim bing a sliff 40". • who know what its allaboul. ATe you Ihe Kawasaki k ind? W a free in ",und trip ticket fortwo by air toAustralia in Kawasaki's "-iJ "LAND DOWN UNDER ~ SWEEPSfAm"· Register at your local dealer now Ihrough Octob er 31. ~Baki MIltDrr:yclcs Precision engineered do d man ufac t ured by Kil was"ill A" Cf aft Co.• Ltd., JlI{)iJn-Unsur passed 12 mo., 12.000 mae warra nt,. . See 'I0uf dealer Of write Amffican Kawau'; Motore1e~ c o»; P, o. BOI( 2066. Gardena. Caitt . 902J7. or £r strrn K. w.sakl Motore1c~ Corp , Drawer f . Avenel, Ne w Jersey 07001 . CHI CO, Cal., Aug . 17 - The re were 39 nor th state riders turning up sa turday night fo r th e weekiy flattrack events at Cycle- Land Speedway. When the dust settled after the 250cc handicap main, there had been only.one ac ci dent to mar the 19 heats and Mains. Joe A nlno of F remont, Novice HarleyDavidson r ider, went down and was hit In the back during the 250Cc sem i. Anino was taken to a local hospital; however, no reports on his condltion wer e available tmmediatel y . Winning the final race were Manfred Heyrend, Orovl1le, and his Yamaha 250, who led the entire time . Right on his heels , but unable to catc h Heyrend during th e eight laps was Ray Vatne, North Highlands, on a Harley. Bob Vaughan, Oroville, took third spot on his Honda . There was a real upset in the 250cc handicap Main when Di ck Turner, Expert from Red Bluff, couldn' t get his r oaring Honda around Tom Jones of Chico, who was riding a Yamaha. Turner had to settle for second place (an unusual spot f or him), but he did manage to win the 200cc scratch race. Coming in third was Mike Rockwell, Oroville, on his Yamaha 180. With a 15-year (it's now 20) handicap I n the 100Cc Main, Francis Ladara of Gridley won the brass and a kiss from Or oville' s A da Keyes, trophy girl. Walton Burris, North Highlands, onaMoto-Beta was second and Denni s Mayhew of Willows was second. Ladara and Mayhew both r ide Hondas , There are six more of the popular races in this summer's season. (Results on page 20)

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