Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

Abo••: Winner Coppa I. (32) and Jack Simmons wer.thls close until the ch.ck.red flal. Left: Fr.d Edwards, a n.w no.lce, took second. Dlst.37 scramblers looked mllhty professional In exhibition rac•• 1968' s undeteatable Skip Van L.euwen picks up bls mounL H. didn't Ilk. the new cours•• Below & rlpt .....11. Klnl Bob Grove rod. 14 mil. on r.ar "'''', for .aluabl. minibike prl.. COIltrlbut.d b, Lonl Beach Honda. --- - WIMln, sld.hack t.am of Waldo & Burn.tt h.ld off other 3·wh••I.rs In th.lr first TT Ascot Lilch BenefiTT by Maureen Lee GARDENA. Cal. Jan. 1. 1969 _ Variety was the spice of Ascot's New Year Clyde Litch Benefit TT with one, two and three wheel races all going on the same track. The day featured the new TT track; It brougbt mixed comment from riders. Most of them Uked It; It certainly looks good from the stands spectatorwise, but there are a couple of turns that can get a rider tnto trouble. Coming off the line the circuit goes around Into the or1g1ilaJ. first turn, but Instead of ducking Into the series of turns around the lake goes stralgbt along beblnd the pit concession stand. Then It sweeps left to bring riders behind the jump. around the lake onto the old section of the course, over the jumP then stralgbt down to a left balrpln at the furthest end of the track against the crasb wall. You could call that turn THAT TURN; this was where most riders experienced dlfflcultles by not gearing down enougb going Into it, and flooding out or tall1ng to get enougb power to pull them out clean. The day's program started after the ducks scooted back Into the water to avoid getting their heads wet from the sprlnkler truck (obviously the other elld doesn't matter), aDd 12-year-old Gary Wells from Las Vegas had given a wbeelie exh1bition on his m1n1b1ke. Two Novice beats came next; the tirst was the Pbotos by Denn1s Greene most eXCiting. Fred EdwardS (Yamaha), who carries higb point Novice Keith Mashburn's last year's number, got into a good one with Bultace-mounted Ted Sloan, followed by W1ll1e Heck1e (Ossa). After Sloan went Into that left-bander and k1l1ed the engine, Edwardslostnotlmeat all In putting plenty of space between the two of them, althougb Sloan was able to bold onto secolld. The Amateurs had similar experiences on that turn. First beat R. W. Ring k1l1ed it there as did Don Dudek who was UP with front runners; but Keith Masbburn In his first Amateur ride took over the lead on the turn aDd pulled away from them all. In the second Amateur beat It was Dave Aldana (BSA) who grabbed off the lead, and Jim Thomas who k1lled It. Skip's Bad Day The Experts talred better on that section; It was Dusty Coppage(Trlumpb) who set the fastest time for beats. During the running of the semis Sk1p Van Leeuwen came to grief. Sk1p signed UP late. couldn't get a transfer out of his beat and on the left-bander from behind the concession stand got Into a slide; then be sUd aDd slid until a tire got In the way and down be went, out for the day. The race was b1ackflagged when Carl Patrick also went down on the same turn and was put In the ambulance. Bob Grove Is Wheelie King! The contest to determine the Wheelie King of Southern Cal1fornla was a novelty high11ght. Bob Grove, an expert trtals rider on a Bultaco Sherpa el1m1nated a dozen well-balanced competitors to win the title. His prize was donated by Long Beach Honda. it was a $150 KIng-O-Lawn min1blke. Trtals aDd moto-cross star Jim Wilson walked his Greeves to second place. dropping the front wheel some 100 feet sooner than Grove, who went a full 1/4 m1le down the straight and around the south turn. Sidehacks & Scramblers The sldehacks then took the spoWght, with a fast, exclt1ngexhibltlonracedominated by the new team of Waldo- Burnett, riding a Harley rig out of L.A.H-D. it was their first TT, too! Southern Cal1fornla's toP ten sportsmen scramblers sbowed their sk1llnext, by putting on a very professlonal-look1ng exhibition race. The win and the Cycle News tropby went to Terry Dorsch, with Terry Mortarty second aDd Dave Aldana third. Their over all time was very close to that of the pros. Jim Rice (BSA) was the only first-year Expert to make the main, f!n1sh1ng with a credible fifth over -all. Dusty Coppage grabbed the lead with Bob Bailey (Trlumpb) sec 0 n d aDd Gene Romero (Triumpb) third. Dallas Baker and Eddie WIrth were two more riders who came to grief on that good-old hairpin letter. trJ. Gene Romero and Jack Simmons (Nortlln) got Into a real scrap for secolld place, passing back aDd forth until Butch Landgoth arrived on the scene; tben, on the yellow flag lap, both he aDd SimmODS passed Romero. The Amateur main got a l1ttlewUdaDd wooly. David Aldana (BSA) led ott, aDd dldo't loose his lead. Keith MasIIburn (Triumph) came UP to make a challenge, only to miss the turn. Jim Thomas seriously challenged Don castro but Castro held on to his eventual second over -all, even as later In the race Don Dudek worried away at his rear wheel. Best race was between Thomas and R.W. Ring. Thomas was determined not to be passed; he and Ring bumPed, Thomas slid out Novice winner Ted Sloan led from start to finish with Fred EdwardS safely boldIng down second. Willie Heck1e bad tb1rd sewn Up, then slid out, leavtng a close go between Karl Krlest, RaIldy Smith aDd Neil WInston. Sm1th had to pull out all stops to get that spot. Volunteers All Had the r ace been a regular professional show Instead of minimum-purse benefit, the promoters would have lost money. As It was, with officials, ushers, ticket sellers, announcer and publicists donating their time, and with the track rent contributed free, over $1700 was given to Clyde Lltch. There were 1234 pa.ld admissions. Sunday TT's will continue IIDtil the warmer month, always I'UIIII1ng on the first Sunday of each month until switching to the Saturday nigbt schedule. (Results on page 16)

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