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/125624
SAN JOSE NATIONAL TO JIM RICE ISA By JIm CIdn1 Left, IIlddl.: Mark Br.lsford leads G.,. IU1on, Dick lIann and Chuck Palmeren _nd a San Jos. corn•• Abov.: Smilln' Jim and IIhs Santa Rosa eet Int....l.w.d. Good Times Com in , To Pacific Northwest By J. Lacey SAN JOSE, CALIF. July 6 - First year expert Jim Rice, of nearby Palo Alto, Calif. pulled the biggest uPset of the year as he swept to a convincing victory SWIday afternoon in the 10 mile national at the Santa Clara County FalrgroWlds. The rookie Rice, last year's second ranked Amateur, moved from his outside front row starting slot to pass National Champ Gary Nixon on the back straight of the first lap and was never challenged as he finished 200 yards in front of Nixon, who repeated his second place finish of last year at this track. Th1rd went to San Francisco's Mert LawwUl with the veteran Dick Mann fourth after a tremendous ride from the back of the pack and a crowd-pleasing duel with fifth place finisher Gene Romero. Abov.: Dav. Aldana leads Don Castro. Bailey Beats Europeans The Amateur main event was the thriller of the day, with young Don Castro taking the win by half a wheel length over the National point leader, Dave Aldana. Castro rode a first class race, trading the lead several times with the determined Aldana, with the last lap being a wheel to wheel duel right to the wire. The expert final event was run of! without incident, with the thtrd expert heat providing the scare of the day. Diminutive Shorty Seabourne unloaded in turn three right under the wheels of Ike Reed on the second lap. The race was restarted after Seabourne, who received a severe shaking uP, left the track under his own power. On the fourth lap of the restart, Reed fell of! again by himself in the thtrd turn, putting him out of action for the rest of the day along with Seabourne. Marshall Becker lost two laps when he fell on the 5th lap of the amateur final in the thtrd turn also. Last year's San Jose winner, Bart Markel saw his chances of tying Joe Leonard'S all time National Championship victory mark vanish at the start when he was caught with his machine in neutral at the wbite flag. Try as he might, the best the Flint, Mieb fiyer could do at the finish was seventh. Promoter Bob Barhimer hadanexcellent crowd, and the track was in SuPerior condition. (Results & Point Standings on page 20) By Chuck Clayton SADDLEBACK PARK, CALIF. July 4 - Gary Bailey, 25, became the first American to beat the Europeans at their own game of motocross,' defeating a star-studded cast of SWedish and Belgian champions with his tired 250Cc Greeves Griffon. A crowd of about 3 000 at the 4th of July Firecracker international responded so lustily to his perform~ce that, "I cotild hear them cheering over the noise of the motors," said Gary. "It really inspired me to turn it on." Early in the day Bailey predicted victory. For a change he was only ridin.g one class on the unfamiliar course. He usually competes in three classes to build uP strength and endurance. In the first of two 30- minute motos Bailey met defeat the hands of fellow American Bill Silverthorn, who raced the 'European motocross circuit last year. Bailey will make his first European jaunt this fall - a prize for winning the recent CMC Golden State Ser ies. After the first moto Gary coofided to fans, "I know what I did wrong. Now I've got it figured out." . . . On the start Bailey was part of the tangle quarreling for f.rst pos.tion. Two leaders lost it in the mud ("I love the mud!" Gary exulted later) and Bailey had the lead. He clung to it carefully, holding Swedish star Sig Petterson at a safe distance With skillful cornering, horsepower and a line through the course that nobody else seemed able to follow. .. . At one point halfway through the moto, the Swede moved uP to ~lk1ng.distance but the American turned it on and held it. What about Bailey's racmg ability? We asked Petterson after the race. "He's good," the Swede admitted. "I said I'd do it and I did!" smiled Bailey. ' "It had to haPPen sometime," grinned team manager Edison Dye, whose Husqvarna motorcycles had suffered defeat. "It's good publicity. Now Nick (Nicholson, sponsor of Bailey and local Greeves distributor) will have to run a big ad!" Hall.a. Ha.ls A' Colorado In'erna';onal LAFAYETTE, COLO. July 6 - Swedish many-time world champion Torsten Hallman won both motos of the 500cc International class .. by a mile" on his Husqvarna at Cold Creek Raceway in this Denver suburb Sunday. First American in the 500 class was Jim Wilson or California c,:, a Greeves in 6th place. Gary Bailey, fresh from his Saddleback win over the world champions, gatbered a third place and first American in the 250cc International motocross. A crowd of 6,500 witnessed the event. (Results on page 20) OnlyBULTACO Sleve's Sullaco Open 6 day. a week Mon. & Fri. 9-9 others 9-6 7627 Van Nuy. Blvd. - Van Nuys, Cal. (213) lBO-6300 Professional racing's national trail has now turned West for the first time in 1969, remaining here until the end of July. California fans are treated to three different events, one TT, one half mile, and one mile, wbile the WashiDgtoo/ Oregon folk settle for the single Castle Rock TT. One week after the Agajanian promoted 50-lap Ascot TT chase, the circuit moves to the North West, where, at Castle Rock, Wash., the Mount st. Helens M.C. put on their yearly 3o-Iap TT National for those all-important Natiooal points. Their program will consist of a Novice event on Friday with the Amateurs and Experts timing in on Friday and racing on Saturday. Both are night events. On the Thursday before Castle Rock the Sidewinders M.C. of Portland, Oregon hold a 4-star-plus TT on their h1llside course outside of Portland, beginning at 6 p.m. Many of the traveling California crew, including many National Numbers, will be trying to top the regulars that night, to gain a few more points, make a few extra dollars, but mainly getting their gearing right and acquainting themselves to the tricky track, thinking ahead to the night after Castle Rock when Sidewinders throw TT racing at its best, this time a 6-star ($1500 plus) purse. Also included at any Sidewinders event is an automatic $20 to any NationalNumber who makes the Main Event. On their Sunday, July 20 race, a $100 guarantee goes to the winner of the Castle Rock National if he can come to Sidewinders and either win their Main or place second. $50 is promised to the second place finisher at Castle Rock if he can come down and duplicate his second, wbile If he wins, he'll get a $100. In early August when the winter winds begin to blow in the NW and the sounds of screaming engines has all but died away, we will recall National Month, 1969. With all the talent to be visiting the NW area, the National point-chase getting ever tighter, and all the many, many wonderful people who come from near and far away to take in these events, July promises to be a fantastic thirty-one days. ClmRTTI You get a modified cylinder, high compression head and modified piston in your race ready 100XR. AlXlIIAJ'E JCCFSSlIIIES ..