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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125622
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~ NATIONAL
ENDURO FOR GREEVES
Speedway
Impression
By Jerry Greer
COSTA MESA, CAL., June 13 - There
was all the excitement of a Premiere
Movie. Covered stands, good music, and
t lito go - v....~ . _
Story by Boyd Reynolds
Photos by Reynolds and Sportphoto
Gaiaiag a National tilk for the lint time,
the Pennsylvania State Championsltip became
bill time with almost 400 riden gathering at
the ICJUIkIe Community HaD on June 8 to give
alO at this Ihon.ruged contest.
Superviled with the pJecision of a
stoc:kbo'drn meetiJlg, the spectaton weIe
canied to the rough spots in school busoes,
thus eliminatina the massive dirt road traffic
jams that occur at most large enduros. The
poomds UOUDd the Community HaD weIe
propedy roped off for camping and parlcing,
and auxiliary policemen WeJe hUed to control
the crowd. Local police officials from each
Yillap the IUD traversed were ready, williDg
and able to help control the loca1 auto traffic.
Coomecticut Rams rider DIIYid Latham
dropped o~ 15 points to gain a surprisins
win and push out the big National
competition. Riding a Greeves, Dave rode in
the usual stYle that makes him a consistant
'lriDDer in New EDPand. This was a mud run
and the Rams are mud rjders.
u. .... get InID U. ection. one Powder Puff entry _ming to help her _Ie _ion.
Current point leader John Penton kept his
slim lead with a 968 score behind Jack
McLane who grabbed a third with 976. They
were separated by about 12 points before the
contest, but McLane made a slight gain on·
Penton.
The run was centeJed around thJee or four
rough sections which were all geaJed to slow
down even the most proficient riden. A hiD in
the moming proved to be too much for
almost everyone, including the top Qass A
contenders. In the afternoon, it was a swamp
that oozed with black mud and deep water
amona the fallen trees and dirt hummocks.
Located in the anthricite coal country around
Scranton, the championsltip wound up one
hiD and down another and was a rugged.
contest for even the most experienced. Jack
McLane fini!hed with a broken swiDging armand many other broken machines were left by
the trail side with a variety of problems from
flat tires to blown engines.
RESULTS:
Champion: David Latham, Conn.
Rams M C, Greeves 985.
Winners go with
Bell ... like
Cal Rayborn
Daytona Winner
1968 & 1969
r-;u~~;--ol
,
a tasteful explanation of the program for
old fans and first-timers lllte the Mayor
of Costa Mesa and the fatrgiounds d1rector.
It was Class A Speedway, FIRST
CLASS-"A" Speedwayl One of the riders
in the pits looked over at the stands full
of real people and summed it up. "Neat."
The new track Is roughly 200 yards
long; perbaps better wording would be
"The track Is rough AND it Is 200 yards
long. For tbose reasons the riders, who
are st1ll adapting to the bikes, had to try
adapting to a track totally unllke the one
at Whiteman stad1um which Is 300 yards
long and smoooothh, baby.
Cec (pronounced Ces) Platt, Australian Team Champion 01. New South Wales,
was nown to the U.S. for a month of
racIns. He'll then ga to England for d1vision one riding. '!bat means be'S eligible for a sbot at the World Title. He'S
also used to riding 440 yard tracks, oot
200 yarders.
HandIcap beats were wigglY affairs
with riders trying to adapt to the sbort
track, Cec Platt not among the least.
The fans couldn't tell the difference
though, and gave wild ovations for the
first pokey beat.
In beat two Sonny Nutter came from the
80 yard peoal1y(halfway around the track)
and took secood in four laPs. No mean
feat. The fans went nutsl Me tool Yelling,
claPpIns, etc., and these were first-time
spectatorsl
Cec Platt got of! hard in a heat and
proceeded to work on the handle bars
right wbere be fell, not realizing that
the event would continue. (Unlike Australian events.) Wben he saw them coming
back for the number two laP he dove over
the fence Uke a rodeo clown being chased
by the bull. He's a little jumpy around
Americans with their new toys, I think.
We're learning, Cec. Greg Haserot went
down hard too, but the fans really cheered
bim wben be eventually walked off the
trackl
After consklerable nounderIns in b1S
prior hat, old Trick Rick got on the
bubble in the fourth scratch beat and
really, I mean realty zoomed the fans
minds. He was making wild, wild full
lock slides starting 20 yards before tile
turns, gains all the way through the same
way, then terminating eacb slide with a
standing-up straightaway wheelie. 1be
transitions were beautiful. It was b1S
most impressive. ride this year, and be's
made a buncb cit them.
SoDny Nutter did the same thing in the
next scratch beat, but witbout the wbee1ies. He dusted the competition in a manner that wou1d have brougbt tears of joy
to a vacuum cleaner salesman. The fans
were drunk, really potted, with excitementl Everybody was ego identIfYInsl
Tben, in the middle of the program, it
June 29
,
:SADDLEBACK ~ :
Class A Bantam Weight: 1. Bruce
Sutton, 945, (sachs); 2. Lloyd
Levinsky, 934, (Pen); 3. David Fisher,
932, (Sachs).
Class A Medium Weight: 1. Robert
Fusan, 978, (Yam); 2. James Smith,
977, (Gre); 3. Jack McLane, 976, (Hon).
Class A Lite Heavy: 1. Dutch Bliss,
979, (Tri); 2. Norman Ford, 978,
(Husky); 3. Ronald Boo me, 975,
(Husky).
Class A Heavy Wt.: 1. Dave Barnes,
953, (BSA); 2. Gordon Potter, 923,
(Tri).
Class B Bantam Weight: I. Fred
Terry, 765, (Zun); 2. George Davidson,
756, (Hon); 3. Dennis Nubauer, 745,
(Hon).
Class. B Lite wt.: 1. Dennis Hughes,
896, (Pen); 2. Michael Curry, 981,
(Pen); 3. Thamas Rossi, 889, (Pen).
Clas,s B Medium Wt.: 1. James Scott,
952. (Yam); 2. Louis Smith, 950,
(Yam); 3. Wm. Kain, 945, (Yam).
Class B Lite Heavy Wt.: 1. James
Fogle, 953, (Husky); 2. Joe Arceci, 931,
(Bul); 3. Terry Lutes, 922, (Husky).
Class B Heavy Wt.: 1. Harry Penn, 5th
check, (Tri); 2. William Sutton, 2nd.
check, (Tri).
Buddy Class: Cullison/Richardson
(Pen). Team: Latham (Gre), Peck (Tri),
Boonstra (H-D). Best Club: South
Jersey Enduro Riders, 23 entries.
District Six Champion: James Smith,
977. Powder Puff: 1. Pat Barnes (Bul);
2. Bonnie Elston (Bul). Senior Class
Winner: Edgar Kauffman (Yam), 868.
(Continued on page 15)
More Bilres In Baja 500 Ran Koni
SlIoclu Tllan All O,lIer Males Cornbined
tSCRAMBLES,t
,
,
t
t
t
t
l
* Prize
money for fastest time in all c1a.sses
* No competition Hcens-
* Giant 3-foot trophies
* Prizes for all classes;
* Entry fee only $5
* All new track
* 1st event at 10 a.m.,
1 trophy per 5 entrants
* 3 big Jr. & Sr. classes
Sponsor."
es necessary
gates open at 8 a..m.
'y t•• fl. P'ae. to Ii",
t
t
,
,
~~p~~!:~c~~E.~st~~!~- Jt
yon Rd., turn right 1~ miles to entrance opposite state fire
station. )
~~~~~~~~~
Doug'as/MeClur' Top Winn.r Of Toug. 8a;a 500
The steady riding team of DouglasiMcClurk raced their KONI equipped 350cc
Ducati to