Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

It's Patrick after Roberts out Dusty Desert D.uel cut short - co,' Oil alter the smoke- bomb go the Amateu rExpe rt trail bike s. Story an d Photos by Dick Wright riding Bultacos . The third and last race on the expert course started at 1 p.m , Mi ke Patrick grabbed an early lead, just turning that Norton on an d handling it like a lightweight through the tight course, to bring it in for his second win of the day . J .N. Roberts was running a close fourth on the first lap, but had to retire from the r ace with a fiat tire, bringing an abrupt halt to the expected duel between he and Patrick. Steve Kirk, #27, was second on a Montesa, and took the first 500cc expert win, with Ron Fry , #6, following in thi rd on a Husky . Wayne Peterson, #61, was first amateur on a 500 BSAVictor. Chuc k Raudma n, #893, pulled in on a Tri umph for first open amateur. EL MIRAGE DRY LAKE, c ai., Dec . 8Iron-man Mike Patrick made lt aperfect day by ta king the 250cc class on a Yama·ha in the morning, and then s huttin g out everyone in the open expert class on his Norton in the af ternoon. The Prospectors set up two courses of six mlles each, with r aces one hour long . Amateurs and experts would run separately from the novices . The fi r st race of the day in the a mateur-expert class was for trail bikes. Sixty -four riders took off at the drop of the banner , heading for a narrow sand wash about a mUe out from the s tar ti ng line. A series of r ocky hoop-de-docs and another narrow sandwash took the cou rse onto a long , dusty trall which led ba ck to the pits . Te rry Clark, #395, r iding a Hodaka tuned by his Dad, had bullt up a good lead by the fi r s t lap, followed by Wes Ander - Endos Meanwhile, on the novice cou r s e, the going was much r ougher, as it sported a Mike Patrick, 250cc wlniter, puts everyth ing Into It and keeps hi s eye on those rock s. bing an early lead on the Ya maha , The leader on the lef t- hand trail was Husky mounted Gary Cole , #5K, a cc ompan ied by Danny Kline , #7x, on a Greeves. Pa trick won the drag race to the narrow mouth of the sandwash, and the n held it on for the full s ix laps to take the overall win, Phll Bowers , #139x, was second In, also r iding a Yamaha. Seventh overall Dick Breker , #597x, was also firs t a mateur . Jim Fi tzge r al d, #153mx, took second amateur. Both were Jack Froelich , rider no. 2, kicks up the good earth on his Little Wol l. 100- yard downhill of waIl- to- wall black Phil Bowers kept It turned on, was second In the Amateur-Expert class. ... .. s on Jr , #4 on a Steen S.S.Hodaka. Clark continued to widen his lead an d was able to r elax ; doi ng some fan tastic wheelies at speed. He kept up his fast pa ce all the way to the chec kered flag , with Anderson and Jack Fr oelich , #2 on a Bultaco, in close pursuit. Jeff Wright, #76, took firs t a mateur and sixth overall on a Cr owell Intens1!led Hodaka, followed by Randy Classen, #68 on a Hodaka, and Don Reynold s, #56 on a Sachs, taking second and thir d a ma te ur, The combined amateur and expert 250' s were up next. Mike Patrick took the trail to the r ight of the sandwash, gr ab- One way to do It: ride In your own pack alone so you don't eat someone else's dust. vol cani c rock, The novic e trail bikes were the firs t to attempt this obs tac le cour se . The winner, af ter much cu s sing and fighting through log jams ca us ed by a few spectacular endos, was Al Benton, #401, Next in line were Earl West, #351, and Ralph McCarthy, #645, All three had r idden Hodakas . The 250 novices were off next , with the checkered flag going . to La r ry Burns, #102P on a Hus ky, af ter the very rough s ix laps. John Calvert, #178mx onaBultaco was s e cond, a nd Yam aha -mounted Bill Gaines, #98Ox, Was third. Th e las t race of the day on the novice course was the combined open and 500 class . Ernie Coyne, #177, rode a ve ry clean and consistent race on his Hus ky, avoiding all the fallen riders on the r ock hill to ta ke the overall win . Richard Stanworth, #812, was second on a Triumph . Nature has dealt the desert r iders a cruel blow with persistent dr ought, as the dust Sunday was the wor st that 1I's eve r been to the guys in the back of the pack. (Results on page 26)

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