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/125631
By Dorma Earnest Photos by Paul Clark SANTA MARIA, CAL, August 10, 1969Motocross by the Lompoc Slo-Pokes is an exciting affair especially when it is run on the Santa Maria Speedway. The course is reputed to be one of the best in the West and drew riders from all over coastal Central CallIornia. Three riders from Coalinga all on 360 Maicos wrapped up the 500 Senior race Just like it was planned. Blll Oliver led Cal Bottum and Mike Spier across the line. John Mason and Vincent Clark both on ,Hodakas ran John Vince, Vince John, John Vince for several laps and left the rest of the field up on the ridge. It was John at the checkered with Vince right there. The only woman rider of the day, Carol Davis was fourth in all three motos bur a crash on a sand h1ll put her out for the day. John Hessick on his Maico showed blossoming Harvey Wynn the way to the finish in the 500 Junior go. Husky rider Phil Jacobson from San Mateo was the first 250 Senior and Mike Spier, who ride in two classes was second. It proved to be a long day for Al (Shakey) Davis as he got more tired with each lap and almost let Paul McDaniel get by him in the final moto of the 250 Junior class. AI'S Suzuki pulled away from Paul's Yamaha and Mike Beardsly took third and Mike Beanway was fourth. 38 riders crowded into the first turn in the 125 Junior .race. Greg Johnson sorted his Sachs out from the mob and came in first. Randy Piepforn was second and Sachs rider Milt Hayes from Oxnard took third. The 125 Senior division was won by Richard Allen aboard a Yamaha. He was followed by Mike David and Sachs man Bob Fortier. A Santa Maria racer side hills along the motocross course. Grandstands by the Eucalyptus Seating Company. I I E~ S--a At ti-e#tUe ~ In contrast to last year's sOuPy and unpredictable conditions on the Bonneville SaIt Flats the 1969 Bonneville Nationals will be run over a course that has optimum characteristics and will almost assuredly allow record machine builders to make changes in the books. Glenn DeedS, President of Bonneville National, made a reconnaissance flight to the vast white and reported his findings at a recent meeting of the 200 Mile per Hour Club. Deeds said that the area has received more rain this season than in the ten previous, However, he said the condition of the salt is much dryer than at the beginning speed week last year. Deeds explained that a graded uP road separates the course from the foothills that normally drain their rain water onto the salt. Although this dryness makes for a rougher course Deeds thinks that it might become an advantage because the course could accept 5 or 6 inches of unexpected rain without driviug the competitors home. Deeds sums UP the salt by saying, "It's in good shape this year. I think there will be no problem at all." The traditional 9 mile course will be shortened this year to 8 miles because of the requests of a private land owner at one end of the run. Another change is PEORIA, ILL. Aug. 17 - Daring Dick Mann, who has experienced more troubles this season than the boy named Sue, had everything under control this weekend as he backed his Friday night Santa Fe Short Track National win with a first place performance in the Peoria TT Championship. Switching to his rusty (but not always trusty) BSA for the steeplechase, Mann set the pace in the third Expert heat race, winning that for openers. Meanwhile, Battling Bart Markel had won his heat and set fast time, breaking his own record set last year (29.73 sec.) with a one-lap time of 29.51 on his HarleyDavidson Sportster. Oregon's new national number 70, Mark Wllliams followed Markel in. SkiP Van Leeuwen (Triumph) won the other Expert heat. Cal Rayborn, currently second in national points, shot to the lead of the expert final at the flag's wave and held the forefront for 13 laps. From laps 11 to 13 Mann, who'd held second since lap two, swapped the lead with Rayborn until he finally took it away for good on lap 14. Mann held it on to the end of the 20 lap contest. He also won the event in 1967. Rapid newcomer Mark Brelsford got off his machine on lap E) and retired. Dusty Coppage puiled into the pits with mechanical problems and was unable to finish. A glant- size pileuP on the jump during the second expert heat sidelined four riders. Roger Rieman, Sonny Burres, James (5w) Jones and Ron (5Ow) Hoppe all went down, but were uninjured. Estimated at 12,000 sweating souls, the crowd saw 36 Amateur class entries all qualifY, led by Tacoma's John Bromley (31w) with a 30.7 second lap on his H-D. Bromley also won his heat, as did Keith Mashburn (Tri) and 88c Robert David (Tri). Eddie Wirth won the Expert Semi. The weekend's racing did not greatly affect the national championship points standings, except to move Gene Romero back uP to third place and Mann, by virtue of his twin wins, into sixth. (Results and point standings on .page 20) the first five laps. He was followed by Rudy Gallndo and Jody Nicholas. Jody left the grid last but had third spot by lap two. On another of his fantastic rides Nicholas moved out of Galindo's slipstream and passed him coming down the straight on the sixth lap. Going into turn one he out-braked Emde and passed him on· the outside, taking the lead. The rest of the way it was Jodyfirst. Wilvertsoon retired with a locked rear brake. Not his day. A bit later Galindo too went out. Emde finished second, qulck Pat Hynan third, and Lance Keith rode a fast, smooth race to fourth. (Results on page 20) By Greydon Maechtle Photos by Doyle Gray CARLSBAD, CALIF., Aug. 17 - Sunday was a good day at Carisbad for both riders and spectators. A large field of entries, one of the best of the recent local road races, turned out for a fast day on the slick and slippery road course. Turns one and three were especially hazardous with lots of rubber and oil. A track official stated at the riders' meeting that the oil flag would be out constantly. Despite track conditions and the intense heat the riders got into the spirit of things and went all out on the 1.7 mile, nine turn road course. After practice in the morning five lap heats and ten lap mains were run for all classes. The programs got under way in early afternoon with a sidecar exhibition, Roland Pagan of Triumph fame handling the passenger's chorse. He met the challenge well and it was disappointing no other sidehacks showed uP to make a separate class. The sidecars are always exciting and come off as something of a special attraction. The first race on the grid was the lightweight production event for bikes up to 200cc displacement. First place in the 200cc class went to Jerry Loughrin on a Bridgestone. Pat Evans, riding a Don Vesco sponsored Yamaha, sped smoothly to a first place in the 10Occ. Next off were the big bikes, the heavyweight production machines. Roland Pagan managed one of his usual lightning starts and ran away with first till a frozen gearbox in turn one put him on the pavement and out of the race. Mike Keen's BSA Rocket was now running in first spot and Keen kept the lead for the remainder of the ten laps. Jack Harney (Kaw) finished first in the 500cc and Wade Killen (Suz) and Hal Petrie (Kaw) were class winners in the 350 and 250 events. First off the grid in the 175 Sr. G.p. that the longer of the two courses used ~ w'.u be on the side away from the return r.:I road. This eliminates any danger cuased :i!: when a short course vehicle crosses the r.:I long course to reach the return road. ..,J Coordinator of the AMA motorcycle ~ entries, Earl Flanders and spokesmen U from the 200 Mil.e per Hour Club agree that the 1969 Bonneville Nationals will be the "year of the motorcycles". The car and bike entries are almost equal in number and as the post entries filter in the two-wheelers may out number the cars. Interest in the motorcycle division seems to center around the 750cc classes because of the new production engines being introduced in this size bracket. 14 of the 16 classes for 750cc powered bikes have been filled by builders and riders from all over the States. From Detroit, Robert Leppan is returning with his Gyronaut streamliner. This time it is powered by two Triumph 750cc engines and he hopes to better the 245 mph mark that he put in the AMA record book in the 1966 contest. Although many 750cc records- will likely be set, Flanders feels that the new engines will flower even better next year after tuners have had more time to develop their potential. was Rudy Gallndo on his ra,pid 125 Yamaha. The leader on lap one, however, was Mel Dineson sponsored Don Emde (Hod). Emde hung onto first until the third lap when Gallndo and Hurley Wilvert (Hon) got by. The next lap Wilvert was out with a broken rod and Bridgestone rider Stan Smith moved into second. Positions on the following laps were: Galindo, Smith, Emde, and John McGillivray. Toward the end McGUlivray passed Emde whose Hodaka seemed to run slower and slower, and that's how they finished. The 0-200cc Jr. G.P. came uP next and class winners were: 200-Jay Loughrin (Bri), 125- Walt Garnett (Hon), 100- Ed Light (Yam), and 50- Rod Schmidt (Ital). Following was the combined 350Sr.G.P. and 250 through Open Jr. G.P. The seniors were given a ten second handicap and left the grid first. This time it was Ende's race, leading from starttofinish. Steve McLaughlin (Yam) was second and Belford Welsch, also Yamaha mounted, third. Among the Juniors Jack Harney's Kawasaki took first in 500cc and Dick Brewer was first in 250cc with a Yamaha. Last race on the list was the 250 Sr. G.P., with everyone but Hurley Wilvert (Kaw) riding Yamahas. Don Emde charged to the lead and stayed there for .....................".. ",'.. ~ .Pat Evans lakes the outside li~. around a rider an an un/aired bik•• ....•.............. . ' • ••••••• • .,••,.!I a.a . ...... ... .........