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/125639
San Dieg9's National Competitors Cheered By Ho.me Town Fans All Event By Bill Harmer It anyone wondered why Cal Rayborn, No. 3 1h National Slandlngs, and Mel Lacher, Ascot's 1ead1ng winner, received a bigger tban usual applause at ihtroduction time Saturday n1ght at the Ascot Half Mile DIrt Track National, it was because a contingent of San Diego enthusiasts bussed up to Ascot to cheer their home town contenders. Led by President Bob Darnell. the Mesa Motorcycle Club along with wives and guests enjoyed quite a soc1al oecas10n en route to Ascot as one member set up a compact but complete bar. and others played card$ on tables between the seats. The Mesa Club ls a 36 member organization geared to complete family participation. Only about one fourth of the members ride mach1hes in competition, but all have bIkes and enjoy trail Desert Hawks Host Hare Scrambles By Bob Caudle CARSON CITY. NEV., Oct. 5. 1969-Tbe Carson CUy Desert Hawks M.C. hosted one of the best bare saambles in th1s area in qulteawblle. Over 180 riders from enda and Cal1!Ol:D1a came to do baWe in the sand, d t,and water • A new type of start was used. Tbe Open bikes were started first, then at !1Te minute 1uterva1s the 250' s and the 200's on down started. The riders really went for th1s because they received first overall tropbtes in all three groups. Another new 1mxmI.t1on that everyoue l1Jced was a club partic1pat1oD trophy. The wiDner was determined by the total amount of laPs completed by each club member. The club bav1ng the h1gbest amount of laPs was the wiDner. DIrt DIggers Nortb walked away with th1s bands down. The course started with about a quarter of a mUe of some tough upb1ll sage_ brush. From there it was onto a fast ~b1l1 road to the first cheek. Leaving the !1rst check the riders faced a downb1l1 sectfon that was just washboard enough to have everyone craving better suspeus1on. Tb1s led them through a narrow. rocky canyon and into the second check. From the second check on the riders faced sand and more sand. The course followed the river'S edge wb1cb everyone thoogbt was sandy. but that was just for practice. The course turned back into the sagebrushfor awhile and then UP a gn.dual uPb1ll sandwash that bad riders and motorcycles scattered all over cooling ot!. Tb1s must have been a trail bike n1ghtmare. Once out of the sandwasb the riders-were given a chance to rest a tittle before reacb1ng the place the sponsoring club aptly named "Tbe Devils Dip" • Tb1s "d1p" was almost straight down for a hundred feet before a short run at the bottom and abo t a two hundred foot ellmb to the toP. Even some of the ga!ast fe1las were seen sUd1ng down with both wheels loeked uP. Almost all the trat1b1kes had to push over the top so in later laps they were allowed to go around. Next the riders· !aced a new problem, water. The water crossings however. were relatively shallow and very few riders had any trouble with them. From the water crossings it was onto some fast trails into the f1n1sh check. Each lap was about saven mUes long and the race consisted of nine laps. The course was just tough enough to keep everyone on their toes and to see who was in shape and who wasn't. No one complalned s1nce the Desert Hawks did a magnl!1cent job of marking the course and scoring the race. The trOPhies were actually given out an bour after the end of. the race. ~esulls on page 20) ~imichrome :... $IIi es SUddellly :;\ • ~J: 1/ C PETITIO 0 51 mI cIlrome is a Ilane)' C1 ... S quid as a buMy CHE ICAlS Tuba 1St C.. SU 704 Wnlunclen A.... low~ Falls IOtWa and back road riding. overnight camping and other family outings except pavement .. Touring" • When it comes to putting on a TT Scrambles Program at their South Bay Speedway (or1ginally called Mesa Speedway). the whole club turns out and works for the success of the event. Flagging, starting. track maintenance and spectator securit;y: their races are never undermanned and still their competition riders race without leaving key pOsitions uncovered during the event. When the club has any kind of collective activity it always receives a near 100% participation. Their bus trip to Ascot was an example: this ls the second year that they have chartered a coach to the Ascot Half Mile National with 100% attendance. They even turned down so many requests from non-members to go along that they are considering chartering two buses next year • Two other San Diego Clubs, LosAncianos and the Hi-Boots who also c!lartered buses to Ascot. were thoughtfUlly seated in the ~e reserved section by Ascot Director. Don Ba.stle. and the result was .an almost soW section of rooters for Rayborn and Lacher. WI ER'S' WO DERLA Figures ~alil Available rf NEW•••••••• EXCmNG DESIG S NEW•••••••• EXCIlI GCOLORS NEW••••••• ~PDQ" FAST SERV CE NEW••••.•.• FACTORY-DIRECT LOW, LOW PRICES rFrophyland U Inc. DEPT. eN 799 WEST 83 STREET, HIAlWI, FLORIDA 33014 PHONE (305) 822:4106 W ~l FREE lit" CATALOG -.- THE AFM Road Races -10/5/69 Orange C nly International Raceway Open Production Class 1st George Kerker - Norton Conmando 3rd Mike Wozniak - Norton ClIIlIIIando Open G.P. Class 1st George Kerker - Nlrton ClIlIIIandl 3rd Mike Wozniak - Nortlll ClIIIIIIando .... - J0, Riding for Crescenta Valley Sporlcycles THE CO A DO IDERS D I I I I I I I I I I I