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
"freelJles" ~pice By Charlie Rossell GREAT FALLS, MONTANA, Sept. 12, 1969 _ A prominent motorcycle distributor once said of flat track racing, "It you've seen a collP1e laPs, you've seen it alL" Well, the man has never been to the Annual Montana Ohamp1onsh1P Flattrack and Freemie Roast bosted bY the Great Falls Motorcycle Club. The evening's program was excitement packed slating championShiP flat track racing, a demolition derby and cllmactic 13 car ramp to ramp jump bY Montana born stuntman Evel Knlevel. As the start time approached the stands filled uP with paying spectators and the 50 toot embankment ot near by highway 89 filled uP with non-paying spectators, or "Freemies". The Freemies brought their lawn cbalrs and beer coolers and took out squatter's rights in tull view of the track side action. Suddenly from the pits streamed tltty riders and red shirted members ot the Up Monfana flat Trac' C'alJlpionsldp Great Falls Motorcycle Club, bead1Dg for the h1lls1de. It was clear from tile stands that the club was asking the 011lookers to leave. No one moved. With lqlproach1Dg darlaless the track' s watering truck appeared on the h1ll a100C with the a.nnouneement on the lo\ldspeaker that "We're going to water the freeloaders down," and drown 'em r1ghtoutl The watering truck made part of the free watchers stand IlP wb1le the lawn cba1r people just put their teet on the beer coolers, As the truck was ma1dng its second pass down the h1ll the Higbway Patrol roared uP and escorted the 00lighted truck oft the bill accompanied bY sbouts of, "Let's race!" by un1maginative paying spectators. Apparently some people teel that racing is the onlyteature of a championship event. At this time the first beat ot the 125cc class got underway. Seventh grade wonder Timmy Sack of Great Falls bombed into the lead pursued by Keith Satre trom Billings, Montana.and Bruce Smith riding a Suzuld tor Moto-Sport of Great Falls. Satre tried to make it around the flying Sack but was unahie to make it. As the race ended there was a yell from the pits as riders carrying and rolling tires charged the freeloaders on the bill. Excitement in the stands mounted as the riders neared the bill. Suddenly there was a !lash of flre and black smoke rolled from the tires uP Motocross Course Takes Shape At Huntington was Beach Cycle Park =1:~m;E::~~~\:=~ and over to foul the freemie's view designed the highway. The smoke By Mike Capallte A bit of good news for the Southern callfornla motocross riders - a new motocross course will take shape close to civilizatiOllJ Huntington Beach Cycle Park is the birth place of the new course. The layout will include everything to cba1lenge the riders' sld1l and ah1llty. In the beg1nn1ng it will have a section of loose, loamy sut with a 90 degree corner, tollowed by a water hazard. Tbls section of m wi, unlike most motocross water boles, will not be just a deep mud bole that the riders can possiblY get stuck in, but will be a long and s)Jppery one that will demand sld1l instead of luck to negotiate. From this mud section the riders will storm across the whooP-te-doos, which will be placed as they are at Ascot Park so the tans will have a side view of the action. Next the riders will angle oft the . high bank, swing back, then charge of! another jump into a sand wash. Cornering out of the sand wash, they will take a straight Shot down the bill, then go uP the hill at an angle, into a drop-oft to cllmb over gentle, rolling humps, onward into a sweeping turn with rough ground, and down the humps to the smooth track where they must corner onto the straight. For safety and to assist the scorers, a chicane will be put in the straight to keep the speeds down since there is a bumpy corner atter the finlsh line. As for course conditions, Mr. Don England, track owner and race promoter, said that the pump sprayer on b1s water truck sbould keep the entire course dust-free. Mr. England has also taken care of some ot the things that riders complain about. For instance, he will open the pits to women and ch11dren. He was able to convince the insurance company that all safety precautions would be used, so the company decided to relax the rule for the motocross. The other problem had been with the local constables. Now an agreement has been made so that they will no longer be in attendance at the track. The first motocross is scheduled for Nov. 2. All motocross riders who are tired of driving 200 miles juSt to race, bere is a chance to SnPport a close-in track. Mail entries are being accepted which will be a savings over post entries. Those interested may ob,tam further lntormation bY calling (714) 897-4458 or (714) 847-9223. USED PARTS ALL MAKES 40% TO 60% OFF • , 1801 W. Burbonk BlVd. Burbank, Calil. S49·S907 Of 84S-8738 Ell. ·7 LYITA HOlDA P.ts • S.... ICtI ~Ies· secooc! with Howard Kaiser plc1c1ng IlP 1h1rd. Wlth the racing out of the way and steam r1s1ng from the exttngu1sbed tires, the crowd fell silent when the loud speaker said that Evel Knlevel "King of Stuntmen" bad an announcement to make. Knievel limped across the track and IlP through the stands to the announc- ing booth. Evel said that be wouldn't jump unless the bUl was cleared and that b1s portion of the admission would be refunded. "But," be continued, "it the h1ll is cleared. I'll jump and I'll jump tor notbing•••that is my word, and as a Montanan, my wOrd is damn good." During the demolition derby the hat was passed among the Freemies camp to recouP some of the lost admission. There were quite a few donors including members of Malmstrom Alrbase a mlssile squadron and the MilkY Way drivein crowd When ilie derby ended Evel began b1s act by doing a wheelie while standing on the seat of his bike. The wheelle was cut short when a contused wrecker truck driver pulled in front ot him. Knlevel grabbed everything and squeezed between the truck and a gate post. By DOW the featored jump was almost anti-climactic but Evelmadetbreecheck runs and sailed over the cars with ease (Results on page 20) • C. .le" II .. of Speed ~ .... t Cu_ Paill1l_&. Fr.e .orlls, Fr_ .1 Dell ",1_... UIII_. Discnat Pnces .. ini:=~50 DAYTONA HELMETS Nei I Haney Welcomes You I HARLEY-DAVIDSON I of Lomita 4.'<,~ 40 New Motorcyclu in stock ONe'" Sportslenlmmedlate delivery 2212 Pac. Coast H"Y. (213) 534-5530 KAWASAKI SPEED KITS 120cc .. 17Sec wrl Ie or call $".01 Up ~6 DRACO'S MOTORCYCLES 1529 So. Standard Awe, CIIl. 92707 (714) S4J-95I8 s.ta AU, THE NATIONAL CHAMP AND 9 OUT OF THE TOP 1-0 FINISHERS GO WITHBELL I more professional competitors wear BELL HELMETS than all other makes combined 10/5/69 lIenton RAY'S SHOP Your Moto~X Headquarters LANCASTER 1223 AYe. I U Send 50¢ lor TWO Reflective DaytDna Deal. and Descriptive Brochure DAYTONA SPORTS CO. 7030 Darby Ave., P.O. 80. '58 Rueda. Call1omia 91335 125ce Jr. Class 1st Don Bevans • In :z: oJ Bakersfield Motocross M/c ~ KEEP e AHEAD-with a provenwinnb... ~ WI S & ~ ~ ~ Don & Ray's sponsored Penton DON '" All $ales 2073 !"acinc Coa.t H"Y. 325-3110 Or 325-3Il', I~:-:-:-:~~~~;;~:;~_~~';:;:;;:::::::::::: beat race roared away as the city fire trucks roared IlP and put out the fire accompanied bY cheering from the spectators on the h1ll. The Cascade County sheriff's dePartment then served a citation to the motorcycle club tor burning without a permit. The extravaganza proceeded onward with the running of the final beat races. In the 125cc class little Timmy Sack was unable to hold back Keith Satre and Al Jones of Billings as they both got by bim when Tim went wide on a corner. The 250CC Main saw batlling Tom McCormick ot Billings on a Yamaha swaPping places with consistent winner Ed Virostko trom Helena, on a Bultaco. At the wire Virostko pulled bY McCormick to take the win with Yamaha mounted Norm Lehteldt of B1ll1ngs taking Ih1rd. The Open Mal!Il was a wow from start to tinisb when ,Norm LehteIdt riding a BSA bad the fans screaming. The flagman didn't see Norms IlPralsed handand !lagged oft the main. Lehteldt smoked oft in dead last place and when the boys came round the second time Norm had worked uP to flfth. In the next laP Norm picked oft two more and pulled into Ih1rd place behind colorful Howard Kaiser riding a Triumph. Finally, coming into the clubhouse turn with the tans screaming, "leave it onl", Lehteldt hung it all out and got by Howard. The lead built uP by J.M. Cayon of Seattle, Washington. was too much tor Lehteldt to over come I " YAMAHA DEALER'" SCRAMBLER MOTORCYCL£S bY and be ran out of race still in (805) 942-9624 AJaila.'e for '••edia'e De'irer, .