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/125636
i AmateurQ., Confusion r.len.d In the desert this ....k when many rld.rs rock.t.d to the wrone smokellomb. Fallur. to 1I&1rt the IIrst 'smoke siena I had riders spread a mil. In each dlr.ctlon. By Dick Wright EL MIRAGE, CALIF 0' Sept. 21, 1969-A big crowd of riders were lined uP ready to go, but someone bad forgotten to 11ght the first smoke bomb at the road crossIng and the second bomb was eightmUes out on the second range of mountains. The riders who bad checked the starting area . t were able to find the course and get with It. Don Ross, Tom Poteet and Morris Norman were ail uP front but the riders who came late and didn't check out the start were ail over the place a mue on each side. The starting area was choppy so riders had to stand up most the ~. After the first 10 mUes the course went to a rocky trail on a side of a mOl1!ltaln, then onto an open area where there were three or four powdery tralls. The trail dropped Into a beautItuJ wide sandwash three miles long, where the power boys were able to pass In fifth gear. The course continued In and out of short sandwashes and a few good shoop-te-doos a mUe from the pits. Tom Poteet had to drop out, and the two young Amateurs Don Ross and Morris Norman, both on Huskies, were going wheel to wheel fighting for the lead through t!le pits. Rick Hall, riding a Bill Butler tuned Yamaha was right up there at the first part of the race, but dropped Into a mine shaft that was only ten feet off the course and not marked. At the flnlsh It was Morris Norman In for the win, with Gene Dempsey 011 a This cours. looks like It was laid out In a brick factory. It's a lone push 10 the top. Thos. riders who sl.pt In Sunda, and dldn'l have tim. to check out Ih. starllne a.-a _ . out of luck as lhe mo.- pr.pared rac.rs picked up th. lime rl&lrt awa, and cot lion. w.. Triumph second, Don Ross was third, James Martino, the pamt leader was fourth on his Husky and Tom Schmid, an Amateur, was the first 250Cc In which shows that the hlg bikes were really able to pull that deep sandwash. Jim Dorman was next In on his Triumph, followed by Amateur Dick Miller on a Husky. Dick said at the f1n1sb line, "The young Amateurs are really going fast this year. Norman went by me so fast at the start I couldn't believe It." Wayne Garrett bad a good daY. placing his 125cc Yamaha In eleventh spot taking first 125 class. The l00cc class went off after the big bikes. They were to go ail tIie ~ and Anderson Jr. and T.rry Clark stumbl. ov.r the cobbles. Clark pul Ih. rocks b.hlnd him and look a 100 Experl win. as they hit the first rocky hill there were still big bikes allover It. Terry Clark and Jack Morgan, both on Hodakas, battled throughout the entire two loops wheel to wheel, with Clark taking the win by only a hundred feet, giving him ten wins for the year to Morgan's thirteen. Ken Buckspan was third on his SS Hodaka and took first Amateur followed by Wes Anderson Jr. on a HarleyDavidson. Cordis Brooks was next In. taking second Amateur. and was pushed bard by his brother Tom who took first Novice. (Results on page 21) A d• .-t rac. Is sometlllllla Ilk. a chuplonshlp hl!lcllmb wllh all the riders eolne al onc••