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/125625
on a S.S. HodaJca, followed very closely by Jack Morgan and Terry Clark. Dave Ekins was running tenth. Coming through the pits after the first loop, Wright still had the lead, but stopped for gas wblle Ekins who was now second didn't take on gas and took over the lead. Morgan was running a close third. These three riders traded the lead back and forth until they all got lost. Ekins found the lime and came in for the win. Morgan was second; Terry Clark had moved up to third and Wrightftnished fourth. Ken Buckspan took firstAmateur on a SS Hodaka and John Speakman was first novice on a Van Tech SUZuki. Crestline M.C. Hare & Hound SlDppinl for las cool Jeff Wrllnt an early lead at Stoddard Wells. Wrllht finished fourth behind Dave Ekins, Jack Morlan, and Tefl')' Clark. Photos & Story by Dick Wright STODDARD WELLS, CAL. July 13, 1969 - Hard charging Steve Staats took the 70 mUe Crestline MC desert race in two hours flat, rld1ngaHarley-Davidson. To make it a perfect day for Harley, Dave Ekins won the l00cc class, in a close finish with Jack Morgan. The race was over two, thirty five mUe loops in a figure eight. The banner dropped at 9:00 a.m. and all the blgb1kes took off over fast, open territory to the smoke bomb but the bomb was on a rocky hill. Then the course made a left tUrn and headed out across an open valley. The leader at the smoke was J.D. KeDdsVogel, a 250 novice. Steve Staats was running tenth. The main pack took the pass to the open valley and didn't come through the' smoke bomb but took the straight shot to the course. 11 was obvious to all of us on the rocky hill that the course should have taken the shortest and most direct route so the problem would never have happened. The leader through the pits was Gary Conrad, Husky mounted. Second man in was young Tom Poteet on a Bultaco. He pulled into his pits with a flat reat tire and had to throw in the towel. Mike Patrick had flat tire and Larry Bergquist was running third on a Bultaco. A lot of the rider s got lost on the second loop, but Steve Staats was able to find the time quickly and pull into the ftnish in first place. He was pushect hard by Bruce Dunford on a Husky. Dave Lewis was close tehindon his Greaves. Gary Griffin was fourth on a Bultaco. Jim McClurg had his best race to date taking fifth overall and first 250Cc Amateur. Mike Burk grabbed first open class. Bob MacLaugblin rode his 125 Sachs to tenth overall and first in class, followed by J.D. Rendsvoge1 taking first 250 novice. Whitey was the first 500 novice in on his Malco. Morris Norman took the 500 Amateur gold and big Ernie Nogos11c was the first open novice rider. The leaders in the lOOcc class, wblch. started ten m1nutes after the big bikes, rode toward the smoke bomb so everyone follOWed and didn't take the straight shot. First man over the hUI was Jeff Wright Grand Opening 1tew. "Z)t4t ~"e" 'DepMtceld UL.T~C= "1970" Campera MK11 No purchase necessary - come in and register July 14th - Aug. 16th - Drawing Aug. 16th Lonla..ch & Los Ancel.. ~ I ~••. Beach Cities " I_ ,,'" • ... III 1i Newport Freeway MOTORCYCLE CENTER Phone (714) 684-4747 14th St 0" Ramp Aboye, Steve Staals made It a o",eep for Harley-Dayldson with an oyera" win. Below, an unldenUlled rider shoots toward the lime in the lower rllht hand comer of photo. After the race, Staats was sitting at the finish line pointing to his broken rear hub. He said that they didn't danger mark any of the bad spots and that he got off on a couPle of them breaking the hubon the last endo. "They should have lined the smoke bomb uP with the course and followed the natural terrain," he said. "Then everyone would have gone to the bomb." "1 was running tenth and dropped way back after I came around and ran into the grouP coming uP the valley." (Results on page 20)