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
This used to be called a fourth gear road but if you are Ma Icalm Smith or Whitey Martina you can shift your Husky right an up to eighth gur and let It lope an aut. They wan the under 250 bike class. s, great ble tires, a cant"n or twa and a rider made of iran. Ironically, it was the assistance of Bultaco's pit crews that enabled the Husky riders to go on to first place. Regarding Bergquist and Preston's overall win last year, NORRA has officially stated the following: The current record for the distance between Ensenada and La Paz Is 20 HOURS and 38 MINUTES, established during the Mexican 1000 In November, 1968, by Larry Bergquist and Gary Preston on a Honda motorcycle. The cars won this year but were not able to break the bike'S still-standing record. But the four-wheelers are close. Fifth in the 250 class was Keith Mashburn and Al Baker on a DT-l Yamaha. The engine seized up on Baker twice during the last leg because they changed the carburetor at El Arcoanddidn'thave time to find proper jetting. The veteran team of Eddie Day and Buck Smith picked up tb1rd In class on a 650 Triumph. A few hundred yards from the finish, Buck ran out of gas and had to push the TR-6 in by hand. Mike Patrick and Phil Bowers were fourth Open, riding a prototype DT-I taken out to 36Occ. Dusty Coppage and Bob Ewing brought their 650 BSA Into fifth place by nursing a bad transmission practically the whole distance. After Bob bad passed the finIsh line, and was on his way to the Impound area at the La Paz Ford agency, it finally came unglUed. Mike Burke brought Dave Eldn's 350 Harley in with only seven spokes left in the rear wheel. While riding the bike from the impound area to an agent shipment back to the states, the wheel col· - lapsed. The first and last sections of the caune are plIved and the straight sections are a little like Bonneville with dogs and Mellcan cattle wandering around to add interest. Skip Van Leeuwen and Mike Nesmith (of TV's "The Monkees") entered a 650 Triumph. Mike was to ride the first leg, but was unable to continue after Santa Ynez, the third check point 238 miles from the start. Desert champion Al Rogers was there, his buggy broken ~own. So just for the hell of it he took over Nesmith's bike and rode it in to Van Leeuwen at EI Arco. SIdp then went on to f1n1sh. His time of course could not be officially recognized but at least this way they were both able to make it to the party Saturday night In La Paz. (Results on page 20) CltamIJer'ain Turns Baci Competition At Huntington Beac" ~AI HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIF. Oct. 26, 1969- That Huntington Beach Cycle Park High Point Man, Mike Chamberlain bad some strong competition from Dick Lewis until the fire went out in his 650 Triumph In the last half lap of the second moto. Al Smith then moved up In the third moto to do battle, but could never get a wheel under Mike. Rob Morrison (Kaw) took a wire to wire 100 Novice Main event win after coming in second In his heat. Butch Montgomery followed Morrison In for second in the MaIn. When the 100 Experts ran motos, Carl Byers on a Hodaka took an easy point win over Greg Wickam and Sal Puluso. Carl and Sal were fine representatives of the good group who came up from San Diego for the day. Dennis Hanson Is another rider to keep an eye on. After taking the lead away from Ed Newcomb In the second lap of the 125 Novice MaIn, he came back in the 125-175 Experts to take fourth position in points even after being disquallfied In the first moto for cutting the course. Then that fast Kawasaki duo Kirk Redding and Jim Peterson tied up the 125- Snow 175 Expert class. Kirk took 2 first and a second and Jim did the reverse with 2 seconds and a first. David Boydstun came along to pick up 1b1rd In points. Not to be outdone In close runs, MIke Little and John Sw1n.ko did exactly the saIfle thing in the 175 Novice motos as Kirk and Jim had in their class. The first heat in the 250 Novice class bad Ray Wunno fighting off Mike Potter and D.C. RalPh while Don Palmgren and John Caldwell battled it out for fourth place. Don Palmgren and John Caldwell carried their battle from the first heat to the Semi capturing first and second, and then Into the Main to reverse the order for fourth and fifth position. Mike Potter held the coveted spot from pole to pole with D.C. RalPh second and Larry Stapleton third. 250 Experts Jim Peterson (Kaw), Greg Wickam (Bul), Dean Butterfield (Yam), and David Luna (A.E.) ran strongllattles all the way to the f1n1sh In that order. The 350-0pen Novice motos went to AI Smith after a bad start off the line In one moto. Fred Wells held on to second through a wheel-to-wheel with Larry Stapleton.