Bailey Wins
At
Firecracker
•
By Maureen Lee
SADDLEBACK PARK, Calif. JulY 4, 1969.
Gary Bailey 011 his 250 Greeves burned
like an Independence Day rocket and beat
some of the best racers EuroPe bas to
offer, showing the improvementAmerica
bas made in motocross riding.
One rider from the Monterey area ended up with a total investment of $38 in
gate and riding fees by the time he hit the
starting line, and he wasn't the only one.
But, at the end of the day, expressions
changed when quite a bit of that money
was paid back to the riders and some of
those checks were very nice. Ask Gary
BaIley!
Excitement was high as the 250 International came to the line for the first
rOll!ld. The Europeans were introduced
first, the Husqvarna team conststed of
Arae Kring who -up until one week ago
was'leading the current 500 class World
Motocross Championship, Stig Petterson
(Olle's younger brother), Alan Clough and
F"-" Sigmans. Then American Eagle
riders Dave Smith and Ray Jordan from
England. Up came the Americans and the
whole grouP was there; Bailey, Silverthorn, Rapp, Kenyon, Peterson, Baker,
etc. Even Jim Nicholson on a C-Z, still
gaining strength from his freeway crash
injuries, was riding.
Off. they went with Bill Silverthorn
(Husky) taking the lead and really keeping it turned on, then Arne Kring arrived
on the scene and took over. SoOIl it was
Bailey in second but on the blue flag
(next to last) laP Silverthorn passed him
back to take second. The rest of the pack
came streaming through with the bluesbirted Husky riders peppered through
the Americans, and there were haPPy
smiles among the home-towncootingent.
Second round, Kring took the lead with
Call1orni a
botllered tile
01" TIll,
Europe_,. bave
he.
Is a soft e._s1on cumber.
