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/125645
IT TOGETHER AT GOLDEN GATE ~ INTER AM "" c.:l ~ ~ - .• ~ II was air cluner time at the Husky pits after the who.le team fouled plUIS In the first malo. DeCoster IOU outside around Au Johnsson. By Terry Pratt SAN FRANCISCO, CAL. Nov.'23, 1969Stylish Roger DeCoster put together a steady- rtde on his CZ over a steep and trIcky China Camp course Sunday to win the Golden Gate International, the sIxth 1969 Inter-Am Motocross event. DeCoster's vIctory was by no means clear cut although he began the day bY w1nn1ng the fIrst moto. The Baig1an was thlrd In the last two motos but after all the points were bolled down and the laP charts consulted, DeCoster wore the laurels. HIghest ranking American rIder was a.galn Barry HIggins rIding a CZ from Ghost Motorcycles of Port Washington, New York. Barry was first AmerIcan In the openIng moto but he was headed by Lars Larsson In the second moto and by Lars and Russ' Darnell In the final heat. HIggins was seventh overall, Gary BaIley was next AmerIcan In ninth and he was followed closelY by Bob GrossI, TIm Hart, B11l Thomas and Bill SlIverthorne. Second overall was Malco rIder Ake Jensson who was just behind DeCoster In the first moto and bad two fourth places In the other races. Hard luck award for the day would have to go to the entire Husqvarna team and to Bangt Aberg In particular. The Husky team rIders, to a man, suffered fouled plugs In the first moto. Joel Robert jumped his CZ outlnfrontinthe first laPs but he loaded uP and was passed by Husky rIder Arne Kring who led for most of the 30 minute leg before he also coasted to a halt with no spark. After the disaster the Husky pIts were a flurry of activity as air cleaners were pulled off In search of the cause of the plug foulIng. FInallY, It was found that the gasolIne that was used In the team's mix cans was at fault and bad caused the epIdemIc. WIth new fuel In his tank c.:l Aberg won the next two motos but a DNF ...J In the first race kept hIm off the results ~ page. Lars Larsson, scored as an AmerI- U can at San FrancIsco, beat Barry Higgins the next two times out but after the first moto fiasco Lars' performance was merelY academIc. HiggIns raced with Dick Mann and his prototype Ossa for several,laps before a tangle with traffIc put Mann out of contention. With his Husqvarna runnIng as It should, Torsten Hallman led the first,' half of the second moto with pressure brought to bear by VIc Allan and his Griffon. VIc took the lead at the mIdpoint but Bang! Aberg came uP from behind to win. Allan took second and steady DeCoster was there to earn points for third. On the fIrst laP of the thlrd moto the crowd cheered Joel Robert who led VIc Allan while the mob followed'" at a distance. Aberg began working uP through the front runners passIng first VIc Allan and then challenging Robert for the lead. Robert succumbed to Aberg and the Swede pulled away. The AmerIcans were f1al11ng away at each other with Larsson out In front followed by Higgins, Darnell and BaIley who was having a terr1f1c race with Bill SlIverthorne. Darnell passed HIggIns and widened the gaP. BaIley was catching Higgins and dragging SUverthorne along like they were roped together. Toward the end, Darnell, Higgins, BaIley and SUverthorne were runnIng like a four car SuPer Chief and there was lots of arm waving along the snow fences. VIc Allan was a strong thlrd place behing Aberg and Robert whlle DeCoster was pIcking off rIders In the In fighting. Allan had made a good showing In the mornIng but his engine seized and De Coster moved Into thlrd place and cInched the win. (Results on page 17) Benet Aberl (2) didn't finish the first moto; but won the other two. That's DeCoster behind him. ,