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
closed that the 250 overall Junior winner. He has come to our sport as a sixteen-year-old, having outgrown winning in quarter-mtdget race cars. Here is an ahtlete who chose to come to motorcycling rather than by pass it as so many talented competitors have done in the past. A trend, you see. GARY BAILEY AND THE 250 SENIORS Bailey pursues new Senior Jim West In 2S0cc Moto. 12Scc leaders thrill the fans. Bailey and 3-year-old son Shane slow down for a tour of the pits. By Jerry Greer Photos by Chuck Clayton 1000 OAKS, CAL., Aug. 17, 1969-Grass roots of motocross are spreading rapidly throughout the United States. California, as usual has been lostrumental in congeal1ng the organizational mayhem which is always a by-product of such spontaneous haPpen1ngs. Mr. Nick Nicholson has been a prime mover 10 this effort to feed and nurture motocross. He held the Benefit Motocross and HlllcUmb Sunday. Proceeds w111 be used for a cause worthy of ,the untiring efforts expended by the motocross athletes and well-wishers aUke. The funds w111 help to send an American motocross team to Europe. The day set aside to finance an International effort was a great one, with 140 athletes and as many bikes. Motos of twenty minutes each were extended to each class. The track was rough, tough and dUSty. Every racer to the man was there to go home with a first 10 class. The 125 Juniors swarmed with so many entries that two beats, each running two 20-minute legs were held. Po1ntsf1n1shers in each moto transferred to a 3rd moto to determine f1n1sh po1nts. Results falrly well tell the story, but races, outside the usual novice footwork, were rather serious affalrs. Jlm Warner, overall w1nner, snatched the lead in the 3rd moto, and be1ng ahead of Chuck Berry who didn't want to stay 10 second, proceeded to really squeeze the go-knob. He came to a double jump terrace and did a 75% unload job in midalr. Berry was right behind him, st1ll planning away, so Warner continued his 75% unload job right down the track for 50 yards, neither off nor on. He finally righted everything and continued to make an interesting race interesting. He outran and out thought lots of boys there for the same purpose. Mr. Gene CannadY was the man of the hour in the 125 Senior with wins 10 each moto. In fact, if private tabulations proved correct, the motos had the same finishing order, mirroring a very important aspect, also required of motocross: consistency. Only tralning will enable one to master it. Lots of laPs, lots of. concentration. Jlm Dawson, only two weeks a senior, was competition for Mr. Cannady. Competition is a reverent word in America. Mr. Dawson has trained and is being rewarded. He too w111 probably see Europe soon. The crowded 250 Junior events were run llke the 125 Juniors. Chuck EsterUne, riding a Bultaco, displayed w1nn1ng form along with many others. Mr. EsterUne is a Uttle hit special though. That great American God send, hearsay, dis- Everybody waited for and just Uke all falry tales, the good guy, lron Man Bailey, found justice at the controls of his Greeves. Jlm West grabbed the lead on a Yamaha, diced uP to the last laP, and Bailey flnally strateg1zed his way around traffic and West for the win. The BlG ONE came 10 the second moto. West, a 16-year-old thorn in Bailey's side for the past several weeks, got another excellent start with Gary right behind. Pressure be1ng what it was, West came around the bend-full-of-bumps half on and half off. Really unglued! Herecomes Bailey! Bottoms uP! West manages to compose another hard drive, stuJ 10 the lead, just tearing it uP. We're viewing this taking place on the other side of the course. Bailey gets uP last. Dead last. By the time he gets to us in just over 1/2 lap, he is in fourth. Yes! Fourth! Next laP, third. On the next lap, his brother Bob who is in second and who also forgets he has a brother when he bolts on his racing wrist, is right ahead and wants to stay there. Gary zonks him 10 the next laP. Now Gary's second sounds easy, right? Like ba1llng out a battleship with a to- .n>~ii bacco can. West needs a w1n at this point to even the score. No way. Gary outtraffics West. West has been psyched by the lron Man and on the next lap runs slower than Bailey at a jump where he could formerly ga1n ground. West whipped out another faultless start to first 10 the next moto only to eventually be nabbed by Bailey and his Greeves.- Perhaps when Gary returns next year he w111 tutor other American proteges, such as Jim West. In the 500 Senior, Gary started behind everybody one whole lap. (How's thatfor a handicap?) Good for his refiexes. He managed a third against guys who wouldn't walt around for him at all! Shorty Roudman on a Malco was in fourth after (Continued on page 11) DISCOUNT COUPON • • • SO~ OFF PER PERSON RAIN OR SHINE • • •