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/125630
~ ~ as c... '" ~ ~ ::i!: ~ U >. U MERGER OF TRADE ASSN. & SAFETY COUNCIL NEARS Barring lD1foreseen bangupS, tile old Motorcycle, Scooter & AIDed Trades Association and tbe new Motorcycle Safety Council will merge this year. The Safel;v Council represents t1rms distributing about 90% of tile motorcycles sold in tbe U.s. M.S.&A.T.A. membershiP has decl1ned, tbrougb h1gb cost and inaction, to about 40%. The merger will for tbe t1rst time untte virtually all of tile U.S. motorcycle business under one protective association. H, Joseph Hope, President of tbe M.S.C. and Ivan Wagar, President of M.S.&A.T.A. are working out f1nal details for tbe merger. Plans for tbe new association, unnamed as yet, call for permanent offices in Wash1ngton D.C. and Los Angeles, intensive safety and public relations campaigns, rider education programs and otber activities. Va'n'ine Donates To Me.oria'Motocross The Sideback Association is haPpy to announce that Valvoline Oil Inc. bad donated 3 cases of oil to tbe Al Burnett Memor1al Motorcross at Bay Mare Oct. 12tb. Of spec1al interest to tbe 2 stroke riders will be tbe 2 stroke oil that Valvol1ne bas just released to the public in convenient plastic I qt. bottles. Tbls 2 stroke oil was tested and developed by a leading motorcycle manufacturer and its racing department; Information on mixtures and technical information will be also given out with tbe oil. The motocross event will also include an exh1bitlon by the Association on the motocross track. Gripslers. Nighl Scralllbies AI Elsinore By Maureen Lee ELSINORE, CALIF. Aug. 9,1969- Trying to escape tile hot AugushwlLther, the Gripsters M.C. tbrew their point run at night at tile Elsinore track. Even if tbe weather did stay more than luke warm it wasn't stlffl1ng so everytblng turned out fine, and it looks like night runs are going to tile popular way to get through the summer dog days. At every scrambles there are the usual complalnts but the Gripsters tried like mad to abide by the rules and checked witb District rep's when not sure. They even had a new referee, and if you've ever been a referee at a run the first time out is a bit nerve rackingl But this gentleman was clearly visible for all to see and find in a striped sbirt, a welcome change from some clubs that act like tbey don't even know who tbeir referee is. A darn good job he did, too! Funniest complalnt we heard all evening was against the starter. Rider: "That starter is sometblng else!" Us: "What's the beef?" Rider: "you can't dope bim out, he doesn't even move before he drops tbe flag." And that, young man, is from what good starters are made. With just over 140 bikes showing up the club selected to run through tbe ultral1ghtwe1ghts first and tben mix tbe 250's in witil tbe big bores 'and it worked out flne. Ron Powell on a potent little Kawasaki took the 100 Amateur-Expert Main with a neat battle going on between Troy McKee (Hosaka) and Steve Nichois (Yamaha). Troy had the upper edge for quite a while but got pipped by Steve right at the end. Dale Hopkins on a Suzuki came f1y1ng in for fourtil followed by Dick Sweaney on a Kawasaki. There was quite a crash in the esses approacbing the jump in tbe first 175 class but tiley all got up and walked away although tbree of tbem ended up in the lnfield. Bob Hardison was picked up and brushed off and went on to take first overall on bis Yamaha over Craig Cove (Ossa), and Ed Steffan (Yamaha). Once the ultral1ghtwe1ghts were flnished and tbe lightest of the lightweights, practice started for the big boys and the 250's. If there was any snarl for the evening from riders it was over combined practice. However, me tb1nks some of the Open brigade were a little embarrased to flnd out the 250's were giving them fits out tbere speedwise. But as always, tbe tightness of a track is tbe true answer. There were very few big bores and most had to be moved up a class to adhere to the Novices rider witb Novices etc. rule. The big boys even lost one when Jim Maupin tweaked an already sore ankle and he and his Triumph had to retire. The 21" throngh Open classes in the Amateur and Expert classifications provided the most excitement for tbe hundreds of spectators lining the bills around the track. In tbe Amateur go it was Jimmy Stein on a C- Z back out scrambling again after a lay-off who just blew 'em all in tbe weeds. Even Rick Marquis who certainly isn't a slouch around that track looked a little dazed after tbe first moto. We alllmow how fast that Honda of bis goes. In tile second moto Marquis got going and Stein did a "dumb thing" on the far reaches of the track and dropped back to fiftb but by the checkered flag he was in second after by-passing tbe determlned efforts of Bill Bartells on a Harley. By the third moto both Marquis and Stein Imew this was it but it was Bartells who took the lead and hung on for a bit. Soon Stein and C- Z were out in front. The bit we liked best about that class? The sound of Craig Cove's Mojave and Tom Slrnpson's Metlsse on the back sections where tile rocks make an echo chamber. In the Expert dlv1siOll Tony Denius (Harley-Davidson) took tbe lead and just proceeded to wail. It looked like notblng would stop b1m from taking home one of the tropbies award right tbere at tbe track. Then tblngs started happening. John Sprague (Triumph) was right after bim followed by Terry Dorsch (Triumph) and Jim ConnollY (Greeves). Tom La Fortune and bis Triumph moved up past ConnollY and tbere was Denius flying a way up front when suddenly bis hand flew up and with care he pulled into the infield. The rear cbaln bad broken. "It was a brand new one, too," he gloomed after it was all over. Sprague,..who bad passed Denius just before when Tony went wide on tbe first turn, buckled down to work witb Dwight Harlow (BSA) taking over the second. Terry Dorsch, who had been going so well, retired with bis Triumph spitting blue flame out the head when one of the header pipes came off. Mike Cbamberlaln (Triumph) slid in for fourth ahead of Jim Connolly. Randy Ellis (Bultaco) took tbe lead in the 250 Amateur and looked like he was going to be the trophy winner but Ron Powell on a Kawasaki had other ideas and these two really put on a race to please the fans. You'd have thought a purse was at stake! Another Kawasaki ridden by Ron Ringen came in for fourtb followed by Bob Hardison (Yamaha) and Jay Wahl (Bultaco). Larry Taylor and bis Bultaco had a special reason for winning the 250 Expert and win they did! His number one rac1ng fan is just out of the hospital but wasn't allowed to make it out to tbe track. Danny Carleton (Ossa) looked awfullY fast in the heat and really gave it a try in the maln but couldn't keep up witb tbe determined Taylor. Brad Stankey (Yamaha) got by to take the second place with Willie Hockie on another Ossa taking fourtb bebind Carleton. All in all it was a good nights' racing even if the turn-out was down a little BUT lots of people give up racing in tbe summer, if only because they just need a breather. (Results on page 26) ROAD RACES AFM Road Race - Aug. 3, 1969 Orange Co. Inter. Raceway 115cc Jr. G.P. Class 1st George Miller - Bridgestone 115cc Production Class 1st George Miller - Bridgestone 115cc Sr. G.P. Class 1st Stan Smith - Bridgestone r)b,_..;..----'-~ SCRAMBLES Aurora Speedway - July 26, 1969 Portland, Oregon 100cc A Main 1st Alan Mundt - Bridgestone 2nd Rick Graves - Bridgestone Huntington Beach TT Scrambles July 21, 1969 200cc Class 1st Gary Wells - Bridgestone fOR THE NAME Of YOUR NEAREST DEALER SO. CAL. McCULLOCH D'ST. 'NC. (213) 772-2108 NO. CAL. COAST McCULLOCH (415) UN 3ยท5520