Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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Carlsbad Grand Prix By Ray Cooper CARLSBAD, CAL., July 6, 1969 - A cool overcast morning with justa hint of moisture in the air greeted an almost sparse group of riders and "watchers" this morning. Each class was led aroWld the three and a half mile course and then got one free lap before the starters flag fell. They were told that they would be on tt scouts honor" not to cut corners, which was later rescinded and said to turn in the guy who wasn't a good scout. No one was turned in so they all must have kept their honor. In the l25cc Jr. Expert it was the very rapid Tom Rapp on a Bultaco who set the pace and led trom the first lap Wltil the ninth when Jr. rider Dave Burnett also Bultaco mOWlted came around in first. ThIs only lasted for two laps as Rapp decided that first place was really where the best riding Is. Lap eleven saw Rapp back in first with a very determined Burnett dogging him all the way to the finish. Jim Warner held third from the beginning to the thirteenth lap aboard a Sachs. Larry Turner on a Penton got arOWld him at that point and held on to gain a third overall and a second in the Jr. Warner taded from there on to the end, taking an eighth In the Jr. and about tenth overall. The places from fourth to the tallenders changed many times. Bill Urban on a Bultaco was very good while he lasted He was in fourth spot on lap one but dropped to next to last place on the next laP. Then through some very fast riding Bill worked UP to and past Gary Little on a Hodaka but didn't come aroWld for the thirteenth lap. Al Baker broke an exhaust pipe bracket and was sidelined shortly after the start. Expert D. Gualdo on a Yamaha was In fifth at the end of the first lap, held that position for five laps, then passed Larry Turner for fourth spot which he held for two laps Wltil losing two places on the seventh and three more on the eighth. Then on the tenth lap he came rOWld in sixth and held to the end giVing himself a second In the Expert. Al Baker led of! the flrst.lap on a Yamaha but dropped the bike just short of the start-finish line In the 250cc Jr. Expert. Before he could get golngaga'lnhe was five places from last. ,Tom Rapp was just a short distance behind, and assumed the ·lead on his Bultaco and went on to lap everyone up to tenth place at the end of about 43 minutes running time. M Greeves otorcycles Kawasaki Westminster Sport Cycle Hodaka Montesa Guy R. Louis (714) 893-7057 7574 Westminster Ave. Westminster, Cal. a must or every serious enthusiast CATALOG & 3 &--------3 F---------3 F----- fo.'••• Rapi.d Tom Rapp held off a zame bid by Dave Burnett far a win In tile 125 Jr.-Expert class. Then Al Baker fOWld a groove that was faster than many and was back up to second place at the end of five laps, for what was perhaps the quickest five laps of the day. Merlckle "Bob", on a Yamaha was third now and Carl Iveson on a Husky and Dave Smith also Husky, swapped fourth and fifth spots repeatedly. Ed Martony, riding a Yamaha, had been In second on the second lap but was picked off to third, fourth and finally sixth' after ten la.Js but gained back to fifth by the end of the fourteenth lap, taking a third in the Expert. When 4B minutes had rolled aroWld Tom Rapp had lapped all but the first five places - - Baker looked to be clcsing up slightly. Foster on a 250 Malco had dumped it three times, the last time In a sand pit - - too tired to push, he dropped out after eleven laps. Rick Norris dumped his Montessa and It loaded up on him. He finished sixth Jr. and ninth overall. John Kenyon, the only 500 Expert rider to enter, led from start to finish on a CZ. By the end of six laps I t was Doug Morton in second spot on a Grecves, Wayne Thornton thiI'd, on a Malco, Jim Hamilton was fourth after seven laps, on a Malco. Patrick John De Benedetti, won the Jr. event ricfmg a Maleo. After fourteen laps De Benedetti had lapped all but Kenyon, Thornton and Raul Escamillo, who was disqualified. Raul was In second on the third lap then dropped to ninth on the fourth. Then they say he changed to a 250cc machine and worked back up to 4th spot on the last lap, evidently not knowing that this wasn't allowed. Jim Hamilton' on a Maico retired somewhere on the seventh lap after riding fourth and fifth after a tenth place start and managed a twelveth Jr. finish. _ Ned Bixby. Montesa mOWlted. started r'a seventh, lost a couple of spots but by lap nine was back up to seventh again where he stayed through lap twelve and ended up with a fifth. Robert Berdyck, CZ rider, jumped from tenth on the seventh lap to fourth on the eighth, which still has the scorekeepers In a daze. He managed a third Jr. (Results on page 20) Most Powerful MAleC PIWrORMANCE MANUAL ~~y~imichrome -SUddenly I :JIlt j \i. /1' '.i' ~ New! Equipment and modifications for Hodaka, Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki. Suzuk!, Bridgestone, Sachs & others. rCBhr:rOB. VAN TECH 317 North Victory Boulevard, Burbank. Calif. 91502. (213) 842·4847. FONTANA, CAL., July 12, i969 - Remember how you felt the time your headlight blew out late one night and you almost ran of! the road? The only thing scarier would be if you were of! the road In the first place, which In effect Is what happened to several riders Saturday night at Fontana Raceway when the flood lights went out during the flnal250 moto. Relying on memory of the course and starlight the front runners were still trying to race Wltil they reached the start/finish line where they were flagged off for a restart. In true "rain or shine" tradition Bill George, who was leading, wanted to keep on racing. Bill needed the win to clinch a trophy and later he said he was ready to race In the dark rather than lose his lead in a restart. Sanity prevailed however, and with the lights working again Bill came back to win anyway. The course was again plunged into darkness during the last 500 Jr. but It happened on the last lap so Ron Dugan took the checker illuminated only by the headlights of the ambulance that was parked nearby. Just as the green flag was about to fall on the All Comers race the circuit breaker tripped again leaving the riders on the starting line. Knowing repairs would take just a few moments, the crafty starter quickly told the riders that the race would commence just when the lights came on. Engi,ll.es revved In the darkness and when the switch was thrown the riders Instantly burst into the first turn. Novel idea, that. To no one's surprise the riders fOWld themselves riding blind again after dew laps. By now it was a real circus. Flagman Stu Peters stepped In to prevent catastrophe but just as he waved down leader 1'erry Nicholls the lights clicked back on. Nicholls kicked his Malco down a gear, and they were of! again•. Despite the black- out problem, the evening was filled wi th good racing. The 125 class was one of the best. Mike Prichard, Wayne Garrett and Rudy Benites diced all three motos and finished 1,2 and 3. The CMC has another night motocross scheduled at Fontana Raceway the 26th of July. The lighting problem was fixed before the SWlday drags the next night so It looks like the CMC will have a good one. (Results on page 20) Cooper Motors 2815 W. Olive, Burbank,Cal jiJl1 $2.00 B . est Handling West of Mississippi .:... .~. IIi,., .o'ocross By Terry Pratt $hines Simlchrome is a honey CCleans quick as a bunny OMPETITION Tube SSt CHEMICALS Can $2.9l 704 WashIngton Ave•• Iowa Fall' Iowa CULVER' CITY CYCLE 839-9000 ~WI1? 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