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/125644
Story and Photos by Dick Wright MOJAVE, CAL. Nov. 16, 1969 - The So. Cal's Turkey Run was a real hear stoPper with a lot of the leaders having bike trouble losing the lime or other tough luck. Experience pald off for the desert pro Jack Byers and he powered his Rickman through all the checks and moved up from tenth at the smoke bomb to an overall win. Hard luck Bobby Ferro put his Bud Ekins tuned Triumph across the line first but he had missed the last check so the win went to Byers. There were over six hundred entries and they were to go two forty-five mile loops in a figure eight. The smoke bomb was way out about six miles and tn" leader after the start was J.N. Roberts on a Tracy's tuned Husky. The second man up a small hill one mile after the smoke was the hard charging Marty Dahlqulst on a Husky. That's going real good for a Amateur. An hour later at the top of the canyon wall at Dove Springs the leader looked 11ke Rich Thorwaldson on a Bultaco. He had motocross number snad was going fast. Marty Dahlquist was second. Roberts as well as a lot of other riders had gotten lost ten miles out while hunting along a sandwash. The blue ribbon went stralght up the wash, the arrows pointed to the right and the line went lett. Someone must have changed all the markers and really messed up the riders. It was not the club's fault. It's just one of those things. The first loop had a couple rough hi and a lot of fun trails, but the secon loop was going to separate the men fro the boys. • • The course went up a steep tire road, over few rough up hills and into the pine trees at 8000 feet. There was a lot of damp fog, the ground was wet and the temperature was about 25 degrees. Then the riders went straight down the So. Cal. hill which is a sandy, rocky deveU which goes almost a half a mile straight down. After the rough second loop and two and a half hours the first man in with all the check was Byers. Jack is Mr. Rickman at the Steen's shop so he does his own tuning. After the race he said, "The course was fun, 1 always 11ke So. Cal. hill. It's a real challenge, also my bike didn't have any trouble with the up hills and that helped me a lot." Whitey Gregory, a up and coming Amateur was second on his Malco. Randy Burak was third on a Greeves and he is also an Amateur. Phil Bowers took fourth on his 250cc Yamaha followed by first and second Open class winners Gene Dempsey and Tom Center, both were on Triumphs. The first Novice In was Fred Boyles on a 250 Yamaha, Marty Dahlquist, was one of the early front runners, had his troubles and finished fifteenth. Ron Matheny had a good ride on hls 125 Yamaha and came in seventeenth overall. It was going to be one of those rough days for the 100cc class. They started twenty minutes after the big bikes and would go all the way. A mile after the smoke bomb the leader was Ken Buckspanfollowed close- ...... -- •• -~ .-. " - ..... ....- .- .. '.- ....... . (Continued on page 24) COMPETITION CYCLES • Hours - 9:30-7: 00 Mon.. Wed., Thurs., Sat. Tues.-Fri. till 9:00. Ph. (213) 347-1203. 21217 Sherman Way (across from Bob's Drive-in). L American Eagle & Greeves . . . . . . . . . . . . . .IIt.....IelI. . .1 Penton - Hodaka Yamaha - !3SA Husqvarna Norton BR'DG£STON£ 1223 AYe. I LIne,s!... liaS) 942-9624 we've GENE H. MYERS " d YAMAHA Move NEW & USED SALES BarneyTillman'sSPORT CENTER 6027 \\hl uier Bhd., E. Los Angeles (213) 7Zl-3523 41S1 Redondo Beach Blvd., Lawndale, Cal. Sales-Serrice Parts - Service & Repair (213) 542-4041