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/125609
OI.'NT SHORT CHANGES B,rES Cage leads parade out of taWIl, but In the race It was bikes In front. Las Vegan Bill HIli piloted this experimenlal Suzuki, more for fun than for man'. But who cares about the bikers? Not the Mint. Stunt director Bud Ekins was a victim of the stunt the I.D.R.A. pUlled. EaUng all thai dusl for small change. No wonder bike riders were angry. The Overall Winner, Mike Patrick (Yam). Above: he was stroke, Below, J.N. Roberts compleles a lap, way ahead of the bUUies, but like the rest of the bikes, Ignored bY cage-oriented cameramen. Left, we can't be sure with ali this dust and sunbut that looks like Mike Patrlck_ or is It Phil Bowers? The overali winner, anyway. raw, blistered hands._ and for what? Husqvarna & Penton Complete line of Torsten Hallman Racing Equipment Largest Stock of Motorcycles & Parts in the Los Angeles Area Ahal The old plug-wrench-In-th..boot-trlck! ALSO Suzuki, Zundapp, M.Z. & Montesa 11atu,t4le 'd, By Chuck Clayton Photos by Dennis Greene LAS VEGAS, NEV. - March 24 & 25. After banging through the Nevada desert for 400 miles on a glorlfled hare scrambles Monday and Tuesday, the motorcycle racers won the Mint 400, only to find that they were losers, after all. Advertised as a cross-country race with $30,000 in cash prize money and $26,320 in merchandise and products, the bike enthusiasts paid their $250 entry (same as the cages) fully expecting to share equally in the same distribution. Only the" fine print and tricky wording of the entry blank and last-minute press handouts showed that the house had arranged the odds in favor of the cages, at the expense of the bikes. The overall winner was, of course, a motorcycle (Yamaha DT-l) co-ridden by Mike Patrick and Phil Bowers. They shared $1,500 total prize money, plus some merchandise awards. The first cage, a Volkswagen dune buggy, got $6,000 and the second place 4- wheeler got $2,000. Patrick stalked up to the race officiais and handed back his check. They then read the fine print on the entry blank to him, with vocal emphasis that helped straighten out the ambiguity of the wording. So much for the Mint 400••• a waste of time as far as the motorcycle press and bike rider s were concerned. It was sponsored by Del Webb'S Mint Hotel in Vegas and by the International Desert Racing Assoclatlon, not to be confused with the Natlonal Off-Road Racing Association, which is a good group. N.O.R.R.A. puts on the Annual Baja Run and the Vegas 7-11. And they don't try to cheat the bikes just because motorcycles always win. (Results on page 20) (213) 415-4541 2 CYCLE CITY Moto-x Accessories & Equipment 10673 W. Pica Blvd .• West Los Anoeles. Cal. there isn't a man in the ~ world who can live without it SYMBOL lor QUALITY (S] SACHS Dealer Inqulfles InVited Imporler and Western 01 sill bulor IS: HERCULES OIST. LTD. 1812 Colorado St. Santa Monica. Calif. 90404 PH: (213) 451-8728 -