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/125590
The wild sidecar s, as spectacular on the hard s tuff as on dirt, went directly to a ten lap (19. 5 mile) main ,' EmergIng with the long green was the smooth team of Dean Hummer and Keith Gulbransen. They came out of Grandstand corner in a thre e- wheel drift every lap. . A s teady ride to second was chalked up by Ascot winner Dave Roesch. His dirt outfit was held down on the corners by Mike Goodnlte . Next main up was Heavy Production. It was won overall- notbypre-racefavorite George Kerker - but by new Norton Commando rider Jerry Gr eene , agraduate of the 350 class . Kerker was seen in the pits after the race with a flat front tire, pouting. Other class winners included Jim Chen, grabbing 350 honors on his Honda . The ti nal non-international class ... s the a 125- 175 and Jr. 250. Fir s t overall was up-and-comi ng Ken Greene, Jr. He was mounted on a Po wer Res earch Special (A Tohat-Stone). Scott Falls The nag dropped to start the 250 International. Around came Pat Hynan leading the tlrst lap parade, as though the world depended on his making up for his poor start in the heat. Hynan led on his Yamaha for two laps of the 29.25 mUe event, until favorite Mike Lane s lipped his Yamaha into the lead on the third. On the fifth lap a driving Dave Scott pr essed into second and tried to catch Lane . He slowly " gained until, withi n striking distance, he fell tryin g to take Lane on the outside of Sandy Hook. Meanwhile, Hynan ~ dicing with a seven-man pack for fourth place. Ron Pierce had grabbed third and the n second after Scott's fall. In a bunch came Don Vesco, Don Emde, Tom Rockwood, Joe Hamilton, Dave Alee and Steve McLaughiin. Master of the s ituation was T om Rockwood. Moving UPL but in vain af te r a bad start, was Mike Duff. He ran the fastest 250 lap. The 350 was an an ti-climax butitprovided tans with a look a t the super Yamaha 350' s. Ron Pierce led until he coasted dead on the fourth lap . Mike Duff (Yam aha) won. Behind him , England' s Dave Sim monds tried in vain to catch up on a 350 Kawasaki loaned by P ower Re search. Simmonds' r ide in the 350 was better than his 250 effo rt, though the 250 had problems all day . P ursuing ·Simmonds came Canada' s Ti m Coopey, Yamahamounted, who nabbed thi r d place with a s teady r ide. The "big" one, a 15-lapper (29-3/ 4 mUe) for 351-1000cc machines was the last even t of the day. There were no foreign riders in i t. Track favorite Don Vesco (BSA) was looking for the big win, and blasted into the lead on the first trip around. Calilornians all - T ony Murphy on Norton takes the Insi de 01 Dave Allee on Honda, l ollowed by Mike Dull on BSA Inside 01 Ree Pri dmore on Norton, with Dan Harms In back on Ihe lar outside on H-D. This event, the 3 51 to 1000cc In ternati onal was t aken by Don Vesco on BSA. Ree Pridmore got up and continue d aMer this hard lall. Later he di scovered his brake assembly w as broken so he retired. AT RIGHT: Jack Simmons eoes around Pridmore's bik e. He II nlshed second. Mike Lane wlnn lnelhe 250cc Inlllrnational. Jerry Greene took the heavy production national on a Norton Com;"ando. Behind him here Is Don Vesco who l ater won the 1000cc In ternationa l. In hot pursuit on the Initial lap was Norton-mounted George Kerker, followed by Dave Burchards (Yamaha 351), Phil Makanna (Norton 745), Byron Black (Kawas aki 356) and Jerry Greene (Norton 745) . Moving up, after ge tting a slightly better start than his two bad ones in the 250 and 350 was Mike Duff. Fr om out of the dusk, with a hearty twist of the throttle, came heat winner Jack Simmons , who moved into s econd at the nag with his trusty Nor ton. A race-long scrap saw Duff grind the trio of Tony Mur phy (499 Norton), Don Harms (Har- Dav 750), an d Dusty Coppage (490 Triumph), who were scrapping along with Lee Pa tt er son (Har-Dav 750) . It ended up Vesco, Simmonds, Ker ker , Duff , Harms , Murphy and Coppag e. With all that big Iron thunder ing around, it was r eally an im pressive race. (Res ults on page 16) That's Dave Allee playlne 1azy traffi c cop. He cot up to fi ni sh. Ridgerunners Moto-Cross Sant a Cruz, Ca l iI. No v. 10, 1968 100cc A.l Ex . Cla ss Is1 Jack Jenson - M/B Pat Hynan on Yamaha leels the exll arati on 01 a short-li ved lead In the International 250. Rl eht behind I s Don Vesco on the same make, eventual slxthil lacer. Winner Mike Lane Is seen comInc up la st. He passed them both on the thir d lap. M B SPORTCYCLES· 311 E. ALEXANDER: AVE., TACOMA, WASHINGTON 98421