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/125646
DelJlJie St/nders II Dt/inty But Dt/ring I(t/eer By Gael Bucbanan U you look very closely at tbe racers at Perris on Saturday nights, you might notice that among all the boys is one little temale. Her name is Debbie Sand ers. Debbie trequents the Perrts racetrack regularly as tbe single girl competitor. She isn't able to be a winner tbere, yet: "I usually get last or second to last wtitb boys," sbe admitted, "but," Debbie continued, "I like to race tbem because I can see hew- tast I'm really going." Altbough not a winner witb tbe boys, she's pretty hot stull witb tbe girls. Debbie, in her nine montbsofracing,has won firsts in tour TT-Scrambles (three at Perris and one at Saddleback), one European Scrambles at EncInitas, and has placed second lI.t Elsinore. Now you might expect a girl who goes out and races motorcycles witb tbe boys to be bullt something like an Amazon and have a personality to match. But Debbie just doesn't fit that picture. Her quiet but triendly manner and her delicate appearance prove her every bit a girl. Some older triends of tbe Sanders family can't believe that Debbie is racing; tbey always tbought of her as being" so dainty." But Debbie's teminlnity doesn't seem to interfere witb her passion tor motorcycles. Right now, racing bikes is tbe biggest thing in her lite, according to tbe tour teen year old racer. Debbie once took ballet and tap dancing lessons, as almost all little girls do. She even owned a horse. But Debbie eventually gave UP dancing and traded her horse for a rpotorcycle. Now she devotes all her extra time to her Kawasaki 90. H.,. D.bbl. leldl I mill eompet"or on her .IY to one of her rlclnl vletorl.l. Debble II 1IIIIrl, dill rlelnlllltelomellrlilo for other pursuitI'. Rip-Snortin' Scrambles As Perris Hig"h Point Season ·Blows To AClose By Elaine Jones PERRIS, CALIF" Nov. 29, 1969 - Wbat started out as a. warmer than usw Saturday night suddenly turned into a rip snortin Santa. Ana which lett most specta.tors blinded witb sand and wishing they were riders so they could erawI into a helmet witb a face shield. First l00cc Novice's, Keitb M111er and Mark Revels, botb on baby GreeDSt;reaks, went at it in some really good motos that tbey curied right down to the wire. Keitb had a. little bit more power and carried ott tbe gold. Jeff Sexton and La.rry Cook were tblrd a.nd fourth. Wayne Wblsenant r&D his win streal< to two in a row as he topped tbe second tligbt of l00cc Novices over Jim Howerton, Toby Sta.ntord and Jon Mudd. Then came tbe 100cc Amateur-Experts. Doug Mason showed tbem tbe way borne, but it wasn't easy tor him. Ga.ry Scott threw in a tew extra curves along tbe way which made for some exciting racing. Not only Ga.ry was mak1ng waves, Penton - Hodaka Yamaha - BSA Husqvarna Norton but Rob Morrison and B111 Dobbs were having tbelr own m1ll-it-up. Everyone was on a. Greenstreal< Jr. Jlm Kline did it again in tbe 125cc Novice Class as he took all three heats witb no apparent diftlculty. Take heart all you other riders. If he does it again next week he will be a Perris Amateur and you won't have to worry. Dave Tudor, Davey Davis and Greg Wblte really had tbeir own race going. It will be most interesting to see who emerges trom tbese ranks. George Gillespie, who has been a regular competitor at Perris, had a very popular win as he took tbe second tllght of 125cc Novices. Chuck Bybee, who has just started riding, proved he was coming right along when he took second ahead of Steve Jackson and La.rry Schwimmer. Ronald C. Moore was top man in tbe 125cc Amateur-Experi go, getting home aheaa of Richard Sanders and Bob Frauenberger. Robert M. Law ~......-. 1223 AVI. I LlllCalt. 11051 '42..U4 Bull.co w. Ip.ellllz. In only Bullae. Mitco Bultaco 7241 w. o,....tllorPe, au.1 P. . . (114) 522-1111 * HIGHEST TRADE-IN 239 N. Anaheim Blvd. Anaheim, Cal. Phon. (714) 533·1309 fe.,'e Cit,lawasai; Area's·leadinc voh... Kawasaki Dealer Compl.t. PI'" .. Aeeelso,i.. 5663 II. Ros....ad Blvd.. T.mpl. City U131 216-7504 Debbie had her beginning about a year ago when she was watching her brotber, Richard, race at Dehesa. There were three girls in tbe competition that sparked Debbie's interest. Soon she was asking her parents it she could ra.ce. That Christmas a new hike stood beside the lighted tree for Debbie. She pra.cticed tben for two months. Finally on February 2, Debble Sanders made her debut. at Enclnitas where she ra.ced a. 50 mile motocross against nine girls and came in fittb. By October Debbie was ready to receive her yellow plate. She won all three motos at Sadd1eback that montb wbile sill! was tbe only Novice competing. After that race, Debbie was a.n Amateur • The next time she appeared at Perris, Nov. 8, was Debbie's ftrst time out witb her new yellow plate. ADd that was the night of the accident. It was an especially cool night so the engines were running fast. The previous night's rain had made the track extra slippery. Debbie was riding in tbe middle of tbe pack on the straJgb.ta.way, going into tbe jump. wtlen a rider popped a. whee1ie, went ott the track, then tried to come back but hit tbe man in front of Debbie. Being surrounded, Debbie couldn't avoid hitting tbe downed bike. Her motber, observing trom the sidelines, sald "all we saw were two boides and one blue bike (Debbie's) fly into the air." Six bikes went down in tbe accident, but only three people were directly involved. Debbie was knocked unconscious, and ended UP witb a hroken collar bone and lett big toe, and four loose front teeth. When ber doctor, a. man sympathe~ to motorcycling. asked her it she would give UP racing after tbe accident, Debbie repUed, a negative "Un Uhl" altbough she was still unable to ta.lk. Debbie had to spend two weeks out of school wbile sbe mended. Witb all tbe hard kDocks she has ta.ken from racing, you m1ght think that Dehb1e would stoP being so entbusiastic about it. Not so. She's still full of spirit. She said, "I do try to look out for myseU, but I just enjoy racing so mucb, I don't really tear it. ADd," she continued, "I'U just keep on going until I lose interest, but I think that will be a long time." Dehb1e's parents support their daughter's ftrst love. Mrs. Sanders expIaJned, "We would ratber have them (Debbie and Richard) race than get involved in drugs or something." The Sanders enjoy motorcycling as a family affair• Her triends also show interest in wIIat she's doing. Debbie said that no one seems to have a bad impression at. her racing. The boys just didn't believe her at first; they tbought that she was t:rytqc to get a.ttention. But when tbe boys saw her picture in tbe paper, .. tbey had to believe that," Debbie sald. What is especially a.musing is the male ra.cers' reaction to tbelr llttle female competitor. Debbie said that tbe "guys kind of watch out tor me." She doesn't wObble, according to the boys, so tbey don't have any trouble getting around her. Debbie wiU be a.mong the ma.ny YOlllllf people under 16 to be affected by the new AMA ruling. She, too, will be barred from AMA races "where speed 111 a determlning factor. She sald that, wbeD the rule goes into effect, she will have to race witb the CMC or just race Perris at night. went ott the sweeper. Vince Graves was Jim .McKayprovedhardwork pays ott as he rode to victory in a husse1ing 250cc , in there strong for tbird but had bib troubles and couldn't make the last go, Novice class. Steve Mudd was hot on so be lost tbe spot to Bob Rood. his ta.i1, and tbere was a tie between Gary (Results on page 17) Anderson and Chuck Tidwell tor tblrd. Bob Kline, Ga.ryScott, BobGreenstreet and Dennis Creason really went at it in the 250cc Amateur-Expert class. In the first heat, Bob Kline Just sliPped under Ga.ry at the finish line. But in the second moto, Ga.ry wasn't about to let that happen again and took tbe race•. The tblrd was Jlm's, and he was numera-uno for tile night. Bob Greenstreet and Dennis Creason were tbird and fourth. Bob Greenstreet talred much better in tbe Novice Mote and took a back seat to no one. Chuck Tidwell tried to get under Bob but just couldn't get by. Bruce Prior didn't have Bruce Yoakam to contend witb but Boyd Mason more than made UP for it. Bruce had his hands full but managed to take tbe tbird. Mike Posey had his Triumph lQ8ded for bear and was running strong in tbe Amateur-Expert Moto. TonyDeniusrode like he was possessed but he lacked tbe power. He did take thetlnalgowben Mike l.'s ARE HERE ' Ossa - Greaves - Bultaco. Hocldes Motorcycles, 22025 So. Figueroa, Torrance, Ca. (213) 328-1242. Mist PI....I MAleO :::I~'p1 Best H .III . CIItIr IIIIWs 2Il~ w. 011... "'''k.CaI 0> t, co a..