Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

By Maureen Lee JJISTRlCT 31 DETAILS ." ~ [oJ ~ ~ u This week ",,'11 discuss 1;IIp 25~ rider >, assessment we are all paybig, In case U those of you who don't belong to clubs wonder whil.t the thing Is all about. The citizens of Mojave, Calif, have been trying for years to build a small bospltal, but money Is sbort In that relatively unpopulated area. Recently, due to the lack of facilities, the doctor shortage became acute, and the town still needs $5,000 to start bullding. District 37 decided to contribute that amount so they can start work on the bospltal. For this donation the District w11l receive shares In the hospital. The Board of Directors settled on a fee payable by all riders In every brancb 01. sportsman racing (desert, motocross and scrambles) to replace the money In the District b8Dk account, but the fee w11l be cut ott at the earliest possible moment. The money bas to be replenished because the District bas expenses every year and throughout the year. Rider application blank, decals, number plate stickers etc., have to be Paid for and there Is always a big outlay 01. casb before riders start applying for riding numbers and the money "builds back up again, We've beard a little groaning from riders, "I never ride desert, why sbould 1 have to donate to a bospltal out there?" If you can't see the point, then we'll spell It out. We may be scramblers and not desert riders, but we're all competition riders and as such we need all the good publicity we can get, Mo'jave has always welcomed the motorcyclists and after this ettori we have the whole town with us. But besides the publicity value, as a person It makes me feel good to know I'm putting some money Into a hospital that will be saving lives some day, and the need out there Is acute. So pay 'up your two-bits happily and think kind thoughts! The desert group needs all the belP they can get to hang on to their right to use the desert. Just think wbat'lJ happen if they ean't hold runs out there and the guys all start coming to the scrambles! I'm sure you big bore riders don't want J.N., Steve Hurd, Bergqulst et al. In your classes. You've got all you can handle right now In the way of competition, and 1 sure as beck don't want to have to chase Rosie Martino, Lyn Wilson and Jan Dltson around••.! have enough problems now! Throw Jack Morgan and Eddie Crowell elle., into the 100 Expert class and It would be like wow! So once again, think kind thoughts! 25~ Jack O'Brien gets a bIg handful In front of hot heat race field. BAST BESTS SPEEDWAY BLAST By Carol Sims Photos by Dennis Greene PACOIMA, Cal., Marcb 23 - A grandstand full of excited Class A speedway fans had a very pleasant Sunday afternoon of race viewing at WhIteman Stadium but Steve Bast had the best time of all. The young Eso-mounted charger won every race he entered, and that includEld his heat race, a handicap semi, the Trophy Dash and "A" MaIn Event. Turning back such notables as Jack O'Brien, American Speedway Champ Rick Woods, Sam my Tanner, John Carter and Norm Elledge In registering his wins, Bast showed precise form and stylish enthusiasm throughout the day. Over 30 top ranking riders of the fuelburning 500cc Esos and JAPS partook of the short oval racing fare conjured up by Promoter Dude Criswell, The progressive program consisted of 8 heats, 4 semis, the Dash and 2 MaIns, all of which ran off with a minimum of delay. In the pits, an Interested spectator was Steve McQueen, who acted as honorary starter for one of the preliminary events, (HE had some Interested spectators, too, especially among the female contingent.) It never took Bast more than a lap to gain the lead In any of his races, and In the "A" MaIn he won out over Woods, The big winner Ste.e Bast slams the gate on the gil)' they call number one, Rick Woods. RESULTS Sun" March 23, 1969 By Carol Sims 4-LAP HEAT RACE WINNERS Jack O'Brien, Rick Woods, Ramon Perez, Samny Tanner, Sonny Nutter, Steve Bast, Norm Elledge 4-LAP HANDICAP SEMI WINNERS Jack 0' Brien, Ramon Perez, John Carter, Steve Bast 4-LAP TROPHY DASH I. teve Bast Eso 2. Rick Woods Eso 3. Jack O'Brien E 0 4. Sammy Tanner JAP Time: 1 :00.:10 B MAIN EVENT (4 laps) 1. Sammy Tanner JAP 2. Don Hawley JAP 3. Greg Haserot JAP 4. Larry Heinselman JAP 5. Harlan Bast JAP 6. Paul Con serriere Eso Time: 1:00.86 A MAIN EVENT (4 laps) .1. Steve Bast Eso 2. Rick Woods Eso 3. Jack O'Brien Eso 4. orm Elledge JAP 5. Ramon Perez JAP 6. John Carter Time: 1:00.63 Sammy Tanner (rIght) discusses his justcompleted stunt stint In mD.le ·Changes· willi 111m actor blkef.. SIe.e McQueen. O'Brien, Elledge, Ramon Perez and Carter. The "B" Main was a star-spangled affair that saw Sammy Tanner come hack from an earlier slide-out to take the lead in the first turn and go on to well deserved and emphatic victory. Don Hawley had a hack-and-forth hattle with Greg Haserot for runner-up spot and finally grabbed second for good on the last laP. Following Haserot In were Larry Helnselman, Harlan Bast (can't hardly run a race without a Bast in it) and Paul Conserriere, whc slid down but returned to do further hattle. Next outing at WhIteman for the exotic sliders is tentatively scheduled for the middle of April. (The Cycle News Calendar of Events will keep you UP to date.) And other tracks are coming under consideration for future races, too. judging by the turnout of spectators for this one, speedway racing Is fast becoming a welcome Southern California habit. IIlI ••• 7........ ~D.J)J'C£'lJ1.7it11 American Team Races Apri'13 Ron Nelson and John DeSoto, the nucleus of what is growing to be a large American motocross team In Europe, have arrived at the Montesa Factory In Spain after a number of preliminary hassles. First test for the Americans will be the Spanish "jinx race" on April 13. Torsten Hailman and Joel Robert claim they don't want to win the Spanish because whoever has won It in the past never won the world championship, It Is said to be a Southern California type course and Ron & John, as well as fellow Americans-In-Europe Russ Darnell and Steve Scott are expected to do well In It. A PROTOTYPE OF THINGS TO COME Too big for a mini-bike but to little for a full-size lOO? And you want to race? Check the above picture carefully and note the frame especlaily. It's low, It's ligbt...!t's the shape of things to come and maybe a new 50Cc class, We got the scoop at Perris, Kapus Stretches Victory String WOODLAND, Wash. - Gary Kapus, the l7-year-old Kawasaki speedster from Portland, Oregon again cleaned house at the Woodland M.C. TT-Scrambles here two weeks running. March 9, Kapus won everything but the scorer's pencil, taking the 10OCc, 200Cc and 250cc A main events on Kawasakis tuned by Joe Dobbins Imports. Gary also scored first !n the 200cc Trophy Dash. The 350cc class belonged to Bill Cook (CZ), who also took the 250Cc and 360Cc Dashes. Dennis .Mlller (Triumph) won the Open Dasb and the Open Main went to Bob Fuller (Triumph). Dale Hixton, Yamaha mounted, won the lOOcc Trophy Dash. Then on th.e following Sunday, Kapus collected the 100, 200 and 250Cc Dashes, as well as the 100 and 200Cc Mains. Ike Reed (Suzuki) was 2nd 100 Expert and Dick Anderson (Bullaco) runner-up In the 200 Main. Jimmy Smith (Bul) beat Kapus In the 250 final. The 360 feature and dash went to Bill Cook (CZ) with Smith runner-up on a BU1, Bob Fuller (Triumph) doubled with an Open Dash and A-Main win, followed in the final by Honda mounted Jerry Kovo. Starters, Get This A new idea we'll pass along to starters who are plagued with Itcby racers on the line ...at the San Pedro M.C.'s go at Elsinore they tried thls ...1f you jumped you got moved back two places in the results. To save hassles It's necessary to have more than just the starter make the decision that a rider jumped, but the thing is It does save time, and we all know how scarce time Is at scrambles. So, to stop all those minutes of horsing around while an event Is black-flagged and re-started (sometimes twice) the club decided to try this method on the twitchy ones and It worked. Any comments?

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