Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

~BUSHMASTERS HANG UP MOTOCROSS BOOTS By Rich Walden BEAUMONT, CAL., May 18,1969- 1be fire season was ott1cla1ly open but the rrass was still green so the Forestry Dept. looked the other way wbile the Busbmaslers threw their lsst Motocross do the season. Tbese fun nms by the B"8bmasters are growing bigger each time; thls time, with two other M0tocrosses and a GraDd Pm running the same day, 116 riders competed In four classes on an entirely new 1-1/4 mile course. The Bushmasters cbange the course for each Motocross and thls was the best of all. Tommy Cook took tile lead at the start do the tlrst lOOcc mota followed by Gary Little, Mike Brown and Don Watkins, Jr. watkins moved up to third the next lap and the fourth lap be moved Into second and went after Cook's Yamaha. Cook was havtDg trouble hI ndUng biB Yamaha (the next .daY be found bls frame-was broken) and 'couldn't stave off yOUDg Watkins' quick I.S.D.T. Sachs and gave away the lead In the sixth lap. watkins then opened up biB lead to win eastly. In the second Mota, Don watkins was fpml!tar with both the start and the course and took the lead immediatelY, followed closely by BrIan K1ng, Robert ForUer and Gary Little, all on Hodakas. Not one of the leaders changed position until the very last lap wilen Little got crossed up and Tommy Cook went by to tIn1sb fourth. NOIlll Benham won a VW}' fast Steen's the second 12See MolD on Yamaha. In the last lOOcc Moto watkins took the lead tram the start followed by Dale Walter, also on a Sachs, Robert Fortier and Gary Little. Little blew it In the second lap and Brian K1Dg and Frank Valletuoco both picked ott waller. Cook had moved up tram tweltth place to take the fifth position from Waller In the fourth lap and they fln1shed like that. Rich walden took the lead In the first l25cc Mota on biB Malcofollowed closelY by Larry Roeseler and Norm Benham, both on Yamahas, and Walter Sharp, on a Sachs. Benham and Sharp both charged by young Roeseler and went after the leader. Halfway through the first lap Benham got the lead wilen the brake pedal broke d.f Walden's Malco and be went for a ride in the brush. 10 the second lap Sharp took the lead tram Benham and Dirk wambold and Larry Cook moved JBSt LarrY Roeseler • Hard charging Cook was runn1ng a stock Yamaha and was down several borsepower on the competition but made up for it In the turns and the rongb arees, and by ~ three he had moved up to third, Tbii fifth lap Cook got by Benham's very fast Yamaha and went after Sharp but the two laps remaln1Dg weren't enough to catch the more powerful Sachs and Sharp took the win. Benham was out to win the second moto and took the lead at the start followed by Larry Roeseler, Earl Roeseler and LarrY Cook. It looked almost like a genuine European motocross wilen Benham went by in the lead wearing a real MarUn!' sweatshirt. By the third lap Larry Cook had moved up to second followed by Walter Sharp, wIIo had come all the way from eighth place. Benham had a really big lead and wun't about to give it to anyone and took the win after eight laps. Ossa 1lI0unted Denny Groo..r leads Tom MURl's Husqv_u and J IIll Wilson In the 250ce lIotD. Earl Roeseler took it easy In the tlrst two motos but be went all out in the third and showed the others what It was all about, taking the lead trom the start, he just ran away from Benham and Sharp until the sixth lap wilen he bit a bump so hard that biB glasses came ott and be had to get a spare pair to continue. Norm Benham now had the lead followed by Sharp and Cook. The points were close enough between these three that wlloever took this moto would win the race. Benham let it all hang outtor a lap then hung out too much and wilen he picked himself up Sharp and Cook had gone by. Cook galned rapidlY on Sharp but not quicklY enough and Sharp took the win. Jlm Wllson led from the start of the first 250cc Moto followed by BruCe Dunford, Don Grieve and John Bailey. Wilson never rellnquished the lead and the race was for second place with Grieve passing Dunford in the fourth lap and Dunford regalnlng second the following lap, One lap later Grieve and Bailey both passed Dunford and held on until the fln1sh. In the second Moto Grieve's Yamaha was first from the start with Wilson, Balley and Jimmy Thomas close behlnd. By the third lap Tom Muto had passed Thomas and was closing on Balley. The fourth lap Wilson took the lead trom Grieve and Mutograbbed third away from Bailey. Muto closed on Grieve In the remaining laps but was unable to pass and fln1shed about three feet bebInd. Once again Grieve took the lead at the start of the third Moto. Denny Groover was second with Tom Muto and Jim Wilson hard after blm. It was the fourth lap before Wilson managed to JBSS Groover and Muto. The fifth lap Wilson took the lead and Muto passed Groover. The next lap Muto took second from Grieve and held it to !be finish. Jim Wilson took the lead in the first lap of the 500cc Mota on bls Greeves with GarY Jones' BSA close bebInd. Butch Broman was third ahead of Milt Hayes and Ed Abbott. Lap two and Abbott moved Into third. Then, in !be third lap, Jones drove bls Victor ahead of Wilson. Two laps later Wilson once again took the lead and went on for the win. GarY Jones' BSA out-dragged the other machlnes at the start of the second Mota and he was never JBSsed. Frank Castro was ho1d1ng down second followed by MIke Stoner and Don Byron. Ed Abbott came trom last place to take third In the fifth lap where he fln1shed behlnd Jones and Castro. In !be last 250cc Moto Dave McCord was hauled off to the hospital with a broken foot and the start of the last 500cc moto was held up a few minutes until the ambu1ance returned. Agaln Jones took the lead at the start with Wilson and Don Ross right behlnd. The third lap Wilson took the lead from Jones and Abbott moved Into third, where they remained until the end. (Results on page 16) frial', Aldersol Jr. Top By Jack Ross LANCASTER, Cal., May 4, 1969 - Sands dampened trom the previous night's raln provided fast dust tree racing conditions for riders at the May 4, Hare Scrambles beld by the Greybounds M.C. at the Ponderosa lnn. Bardabl 011 presented contingency awards of oil to the first eight fIn1sbers in each class wIIo displayed Bardabl decals on their equipment. Open class entries totaled 126 riders eager to win the 63 trophies awarded to this class. Bill Friant of the Prospectors M.C. led wire to wire with an impressive lead over the field. Having trouble keeping his goggles clean, Bill rode the entire race without them. Bill then packed up his Husqvarna and drove the five miles .a, POlderosa Action over to the Smoke Bomb Gaetz race to enter and grab two first overall wins for the day, Steve Holladay on an MZ took second to be followed in by Art Dever's Husky and the Harley of Bog Ragdale. Eighty-two Trall class riders llned up for their start immediatelY after the Open Class to race for 41 tropbles and eight slx-paks of Bardabl. WesAnderson Jr. new.across the packed sands aboard Barry Eisenberg's potent Hodaka to fln1sh first trallblke and third overall with the Open Class despite the handicap of the second trallbike start! Cordis Brooks of the Bardabl sponsored Brook's racing family brought his Hodaka in second ahead of April winner Monte Lee and Jim Sheeler. (Results on page 16) Husqvarna & Penton Complete line of Torsten Hallman Racing Equipment Largest Stock of Motorcycles & Parts in the Los Angeles Area ALSO Suzuki, Zundapp, M.Z. & Mentesa lIatMt4le'4, (213) 415-4541 2 CYCLE CITY Moto-x Accessories & Equipment 10673 W. Pice Blvd., West Los Anqeles. Cal. Turner Expansion Chambers Specialist in tuned exhaust for most two strokes. Port, Polish and five porting, also complete hop-ups for Hodaka. 6025 Maywood A.e. BId. 11, Huntington Park, Calif. Tltr.. blocks off Slauson 589·7717 Hours 10-4; Mika Cycle Ranch Scrambles Des Moines, Iowa May 18, 1969 100cc class 1st John Kite XC100 Grand Prix (inclUdes 650cc) 1st John Kite XC100 M B SPORTCYCLES· 311 E. ALEXANDER AVE., TACOMA, WASH'INGTON 98421 eUL.Tr:lCC For Your Nearest "Built ·To-Go" Dealer Call TR. 7·2400 or PO. 9-0441

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