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/125605
San Joaquin Valley's First Moto-Cross Run In QuagmIre Story and Photos by stan Coffee POSO PARK, Cal.. Feb. 9 - TIle Kern Cnunl:J TnI1bJazers sbIpd tile Soutbern Silo JmquJn ValleY's first motocross bere on a bent1ta1 bubd turn course but when those by DOW famous thUDller~ storms btt Oal1tonUa a tiDy Uttle wuh that bJsec:ted tile COllrlle turned into a twent;y foot wide rqiDgtorreDt. Tbe trail blazers Md a c:IIotee between tile kJug rolling baDked bIrnII and slllOClal ground and the b1ocld7 great QUICID1re that.deYe10ped on tile rouctt side. Much to the deUcbt of tile IDlUIJ spectators pr-t, they c:bolIe to smge their tb1ng 10 the oou. ~ promInent scramblers 10 tile area qu1eJcQ' retreated oot of their leatbers and joIDed tile lookers after tIIeir first wa1It aroaDd tile course: The brave 0Dll8 hl1llC 10 tIIere and 10 some cases proYed tbat a rider is a rider; reprdless of the lIerraJn. Most of tile r-.l c:Jus was sbowD by tile experienced grD\lIl from sooth of tile Ridp Route, but a few surprises deYeloped. Lon Peterson would lave gone home a double 1I'1nner bad it not been for Gary Conrad. Peterson, who was riding tile potent Matco suppUed by Custom Eng1neer1ng of nearby Bakerstleld, toot tile lead 10 tile first go-rouod and appeared to laye it sewed uP wben someone crossed CIYl!r loto bJm, putting bJm d01l'D. Conrad was rtcbt tbere and motored by to take tile w1n. 10 tile second bBsb Peterson once again mOYed to tile front. On tile last lap be grabbed a foottull of neutral at the bottom of a steep drop and guess who a (zapped b1.m 1" Conrad bad tb1ngs a Uttle easier 10 tile t1nal beat. Peterson repeated biB prl!'f1OIlS stunt earl7lo tile round and Conrad built uP such a lead be cooled it 10 tile late laps. District 35 desert ace (Number three) Bill OUver Dabbed tile tb1rd spot. Peterson bad tb1ngs a Uttle etlS1er 10 the 250 senior rounds, but be damn sure dido't breeze it. Dennis Keefe and Ste\re BaUaMy kept bJm busy all tile way. Keefe ended llP sec:mxt. just ahead of Holladay. Ray McCari3' and Bill Woods grabbed off fourth and tlttb. The 125 sentors were led by Sachs riders MJke Runyard and Lawrence Mulock. Ray Yinger pushed, pulled and plowed bts Bultac:o to a well desened tb1rd ahead of desert rider Carmon Monder. Bodaka pllot and s\lll8rscrambler Jeff Johnson was fifth. The old man T 0 McCullum, rounded out the top s'~ The Junior divls10ns naturally provided tile most enterta1nment. SeYeral riders obviously must have been oyercome with tile beat of the competition as tIIey often took short br~ 10 tile creek (wbat some people won't do for attentloo). Terry Dam took tile measure of the open grouP 10 tlne style. He led Mike Spier and Charles Gurnett wtIen the po1nts were tabuJated. CUtrGentry berded biB Triumpb through the bog for fourtb. The 250 Junior Dlvls1(11l bad to- be the createst mJsnomer of tile cmtury. Any- ODe who bas eYer seen winner Freeman Coulter or Secood Place man Norman Enderle witboot their belmeta on couldn't poss1bty c:a11 them Junior. Tbese two guys are truly ranked with tile graDd 01' men of raclng 10 the area. WUllam Duncan and JolIn Morris pushed tile old boys to victory. TIle starts _re sometb1ng to beJIold. 'l'birV three riderstryingtos~loto a mod bole t1fteeIl feet wide can reallY blow your mind. TIle ftrstlapoftheearl7 bat lett scooters tlouDdertne l1b erunJon at low tide. All 0981' tile bog. With· forV tlve 125 JunJors s1CDed it would lave been pure folly to run tIIem toptber; so it was dec:Jded tbat tbey would be spUt loto two crouPS and tile top eight would lave a fourtb beat for tile t1nal position. Darkness set 10 too soon tboucb and it was lett lIB two classes. TIle first group was dominated by tile Sacha mounted stacy Family, with anotber Sacha rider, Earl Allen, S8Ddwic:bed between tIIem. Orvis Stacy was tile eventual w1nner. Allen nudged Albert stacy for second. Bultac:o mounted Jlm Bodge and Bodaka p110t Gary CbapUn tied for fourth. The second group of 125 Juniors looked l1ke a benefit for Wayne Garrett. Be shows excellent style on biB Yamaba and wW be one to watch 10 tile fUture. Ron Ely rode bts potent new Matco to sec:0Dd 0981' tile smallest, and one of tile guttiest riders of ~ day, David Sprayberry. (Results on page 16) Above: =~. :.Ye HaUl., ued allfaste,Hu""s ., ~.. for a • ., ow: . . .eItI.. _d ;;t part eluraoca' uk•• ow. Ills 01 ... tIIIole, a few ,I""s pt ......, _ lila