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/125642
Phot'lS and Story by Len Sipe LA PAZ, MEXICO, Nov. 1- Husqva rna, with tremend ous helP from Team Bultaco, won both categor tes in NORRA 's third annual Mexican 1000 here today. The gruelin g 832-mU e off-roa d race began in Ensena da at 8:01 Thursda y morning . There, 260 two- and fourwheeled vehicle s left at one minute intervals to make tbeir way down the rugged Baja Califor nia pentnsu al. This year's race bad Its first fatalities. Richard and Steve Smith, unrelated but both from Long Beach, Calif., died of Injuries after their Bill Stroppe - down a Baja back road. The The third ptac~ne Bultaco of Bud Welty and GarJ Leupold bats of the racers onward. Paz Saturday nl&hl Is what dro.. IUIny thoq\lt of tlIe party In La Blastlne past an ocotillo stake fence, a Baja competitor shoots homeward Ie. La Paz. The lour wheelers won this yur 1M the absolute record set by a bike stili ~tands. entered Bronco flipped several tlmes. It haPpene d 20 miles south of Camalu , the 1st!=heck point. R.lchard died instantl y, Steve an hour later at an Ensenad a hospita l. Class 8, for big bore motorcy cles, was won by J.N. Roberts and Seden's Gunnar Nilsson en a 500 TC Husky. They were fastest motorcy cle but came In fifth over'all , 47 minutes behind Larry MInor and Rodney Hall in a Ford Bronco. Time for the Husky riders were 21 hrs., 35 min., 52 sec. In class 7, limited to bikes of 250cc displace ment, Malcolm Smith and Whitey Martino were the winners . They rode a Husky with special 8-speed transm ission, finishin g In 22:25.1 6. RUMer s-uP In the bike classes were those of Team Bultaco . First across the La Paz flnlsh line, but down on time, was the team of Gary Preston and Larry Bergqu ist, winners of last year's event. Their time this year of 22: 13.40 on a 360 Bultaco put them in second Place in the open class. Finishin g second, third and fourth in the 250 class were three more Bultaco s. They were ridden by Jack Froelic h and Gary Grlfkon (second ), Bud Welty and Gary Leupold (third), and Doyle GIl!1ds and Dick Dean (fourth) . Dismal Conditions At Wisconsin And Canadian Inter-Ams By Ben Hall and Ed Cunning bam ELKHORN, WIS. and COPETOWN, ONT., Nov. 2, 1969 - The spectac ular crowd respons e tbat accomp anied the first two rounds 01 the internat iQoa1 motocr oss series disappe ared today at both Elkborn, WIscon sin and Copetow n, Ontario , the third and fourth rounds. At Capetow n rains and cool weather created a thick fog that cut visibili ty to 50 to 60 yards, spoiling the shew for the spectat ors and causing impossi ble riding conditio ns. The result was a turnout of no more than 2500 fans. In the meantime, Elkborn particl.p ants were experiencing m1serab ly cold weather alter a wet saturda y. So poor were the conditions, only about a thousan d spectat ors could be mustere d Ii mere forty miles from Chicago . At Capetow n, Huskies continu ed their wlDn1Dg streak with Chris Hamma rgren taking the overall wiD, followe d by Arne Kring. HeJki Ylonen put uP tbe best North Amertc an opposit ion, but a broken rear axle in the second moto lowered his onrall position . CZ star Joel Robert won the first moto, followed by Husqvarna's Hamma rgren and Kring. Fourth was his teamma te Dave Bickers , then Gr.eeve s works rider Vic Allan, Husky mounted HeW, and Canadia n Ron Keys on a CZ. Hamma rgren mo.-ed toward his overall win by taking a first in the second moto. Followi ng were Bickers , Robert, Allan, Kring, Canadia n Norm Richens (Gre), and Canadia n Bob Flsher( Husky) . Ylonen held fifth position until his unfortuna te mecban tca1 failure three laps from the end. The final outcom e was seWed when Arne Kring led the last moto from start to flnlsh. Followi ng were Hamma rgren, Bickers , Allan, Ylone, Canadia n Seppo Makinen (Husky) , and Bob Fisher. Gunnar Lindstr om did not ride due to his knee injury from Pepper ell. Dave Smith did poorly on his Americ an Eagle, compla1n1ng of traction problem s on the slick, hilly course. To the contrar y, thougb, Dave Bickers said he felt quite at bome in the mist, ratn, 1Uld fog. Brother s Doug and Dave Sehl rode Montes as, but both per:form eddiapp ointingly, seeming ly out of practic e for motocr oss. COPETO WN INTERNATIONAL RESULTS: 1. Chris Hamma rgren (Husky) ; 2. Arne Kring (Husky) ; 3. Dave Bickers (CZ): 4. Vic Allan (Gre); 5. Bob Fisher (Husky) : 6. Seppo Makinen (Husky); 7. Joel Robert (CZ); 8. Joe Bolger (But); 9. Helki Ylonen (Husky); 10. Ron Keys (CZ). COPETOWN 50OccNATrONA: 1. Chuck Boehler , James, N. Y. (Gre). COPETOWN 250cc NATrONAL: 1. Tom Ropeles ki, Montrea l, Canada (CZ). Elkhorn also was one big mudhol e, but Bengl Aberg and Torsten Hallman found It to their advanta ge. Both claimed it was more like their home tracli.s than anything else they bad seen here in North Americ a. Like the week before in OhIo, Aberg won all three motos, and like in Ohio, his only serious oppositi on came from Roger DeCost er in the final moto. Following Aberg in the first moto were CZ rider Jiri Stodulk a and a Malco mounted rider reporte d to be Chris Hamma rgren. Fourth and fifth were Husky riders Hakan Anders son and Torsten Hallma n. As soon as possibl e, Cycle News will carry a report on tbe rider reporte d to be Hamma rgren. Obvious ly the results are incorre ct, for Hamma rgren bad won this day at Copetow n. We suspect it was Ake Johnnso n. Followi ng Aberg in the second moto were Stodulk a, the mysteri ous Malco rider, Roger DeCost er, and Hallma n. The third moto was in the order of Aberg, DeCost er, Stodulk a, Hallman , and Anders son. • H.e's what tlIe well equipped Baja bike n..ds: Loti Once again Barry Higgins was the first Americ an. Among the others were Montesa's TIm Hart (8th) and Russ Darnell (9th). Califor nia Greave s rider Gary BaIley came in eleventh , allowin g that he bad made a serious mistake by going with his 250cc machin e. Mary's theory bad been that the big 380c would bave traction problem s in the mud, but the 250 didn't seem to be the solution either .' With no compet ition from BaIley and John DeSoto, who bad one mecban tca1 problem alter another , Higgins 's hardest fight came from Russ Darnell in the first moto. otherw ise he flatly ran away from all other Americ an riders. ELKHORN INTERNATrONAL RESULTS: 1. Bengt Aberg (Husky) ; 2. Jiri Stodulk a (CZ); 3. Christe r Hamma rgren (Mal) (Unoffic ial); 4. Roger DeCost er (CZ); 5. Torsten Hallman (Husky); 6. Hakan Anders son (Husky) ; 7. Barry Higgins (CZ); 8. Tlm Hart (Mon); 9. Russ Darnell (Husky) ; 10. Bezzen (Husky); 11. Gary BaIley (Gre); 12. BUl Thomas (Husky) ; 13. Mike Runyard (AE). ELKHORN 125cc RESULTS: 1. Curtis Varney (Bul); 2. Joe Hennbe rg (Sachs) ; 3. Bob Walder (Bul); 4. Marty HeJtlaLmp (But). ELKHORN 250cc RESULTS: 1. Bill Bower (Bul); 2. Ken Blll1ng (Bul): 3. Bib Merrin er (Bul): 4. BUl McK1l1evan(Bul). ELKHORN 500cc NATrONAL RESUL T: 1. Jolm Kite (Bul).