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/125654
IN DREARY DESERT DRIZZLE By Dick Wright Photos by Dick Wright and Jim Brooks KRAMER CORNERS, Calif. Jan.H, 1970 - Everyone had been hoping for rain in . the desert for the last three months, so what did it do last Sunday? It started to . rain so hard five minutes after the start of the race, that it was tough to see where you were going, goggles on or off. This didn't slow Martino down as he came from behind to take the win only fifty feet in front of Bultaco mounted Larry Bergqulst. The leader coming into the pits after forty-five minutes on the first of two fast Ioops was Larry Bergqulst. Martino was thirty seconds behind; followed by Rich Thorwaldson on a Bultaco. Fifty minutes later you could see two fast riders come down off the hill. It was Martino with It turned all the way on to pass Bergquist one mile from the finish. Bergqulst had to settle for second ahead of Thornwaldson who took third followed by Howard Utsey on a C-Z. Bruce Dunford was first 250 on a Husky, B1ll Friant was the second 250cc in on a Husky. Wes Anderson Jr. was first Amateur 250 in on a Yamaha, Eric Jenson had a good ride taking firstl25cc Whitey Martino passed Bergquist In the last mile to take thewln. By Maureen Lee Well, it's the start of another racing season again and we hope 11 will be as excfting as this past one was. The battle for the ultrallghtweight number one between Troy McKee and Steve Nichols ' went right down to the last few points. It was THAT close and we wouldn't want . to predict who w1ll emerge on top in 1970. Congratulations to both of them though and of course to Larry Taylor who will carry the lightweight number one. Maybe he'll got full steam again this year and duplicate his win but there are a couple of other gentlemen in that class going awfully fast, such as Gary Scott and some observers think he'll do It this year. He Is flat wallIngl The heavyweight number one won't be seen on the local tracks as its holder, Terry Dorsch who barely beat out Chuck Wheat for 11, has to " r eti r e " • He's now a Class C Expert so the big bores won't have the fun of chasing that plate around on Sundays. So again, congratulations to all of you. In factI th1nkall of us deserve congratulations, especially If we've lowered the number on th:i.t plate for 19701 Cheers, gangl On to that still going strong argument about not letting anyone ride under sixteen,. \re're happy to report the response to requests for letters to the papers, the AMA and the District is good. For a on a Sachs, finishing sixteenth overall, followed by young Jeff Andrews who was first 250 Novice on a Yamaha. Larry Bubar took first Open Class on his Triumph. . The 100cc class went off ten minutes after the big bikes and went all the way on the same course. Leading Into the pits after fifty minutes of racing was Terry Clark on his Hodaka, followed by Ken Buckspan on a SS Hodaka and Jeff Wright on a new Rickman. The second Ioop found all the leaders with problems. Clark went out with a sick engine, Buckspan and Wright had plug trouble. Jim Sumners waved to them all as he passed each one and took the lead to come In for the win on his trusty Hodaka. Jack Froelich came in second on his new Bultaco and Don Eide took first Amateur on a Hodaka. Buckspan, got his engine running and pulled In fourth, followed by a young tiger who had his best ride to date - Hodaka rider Craig Forney, a Novice with a good future. Everyone liked the course but there were some real sore eye balls. It was a case of having to gut It out with no goggles, and with that wet sand In your eyes it's rough. (Results on page 17) change people are taking the time to write a note Instead of just complaining. Special thanks go to Darold MacDannald In District 35 who reads this column and took time to send us some information we didn't know about. District 36 has had a i5-l/2 years of age for qulte some time and their referees have voted to go along with the AMA. Naturally, this won't affect their riders like it w1ll ours. They haven't been riding anyway until they were nearly sixteen. Mr. MacDannald's son Neil turned fifteen In September and is the #2 Nationally rated scrambles lightweight rider. "How do you tell a kid who Is a National number two that he can't ride in 1970?" his father asks. How indeedl But anyway, If you ride in District 37 and are under Sixteen, sign up for your District card and ride. You can't ride hillcllmbs because speed is the determining factor there, not skill and It's skill that keeps you on your bike, poin ted in the right direction. We'll keep you posted as things develop and we're sure they will • .We still think that limiting youngsters to certain size bikes might not be a bad idea If th1ngs come to a real impasse. We have two people to tip our helmets to this week. Enid Galbraith has come up with some new goodies In the way of protective clothing and wants to work with racers as she has a genuine interest in keeping us In one piece. You can find Enid at Moto-Pro on Magnolia Blvd. in beautiful downtown Burbank, Cal. She has a space age super-lightweight foam she'll cut Into pads to your spec1f1catlon, plus an almost indestructible nylon for jerseys the pads can slip into. Everything Is washable and just think of the comfort on those 100 plus degree racing days. SI Robin's contribution to our holiday came In the form of a catalog from one of West Berlin's department store. Si, whose scrambler son Jeff is currently doing his scrambling (and not the fun kind either) In Viet Nam, says the store Is just like our Broadway or Sears and while shopping around he walked Into a department and there sitting on the floor were all-out motocross bikes and speedway machines along with sprockets, expansion chambers, the whole bit. To prove It, he got a mail order catalog from them and sent 11 to me. Can you Imagine phoning up Sears and asking for a 360 C- Z? Our German is practically non-existent but the bikes are race ready and cost 3950 Deutche Marks, or $995 American and the 360 Is 4500 OM. Hope the Idea of seeing racing sleds mixed up with golf clubs in a sporting goods department strikes you as funny as 11 did SI and me. .. . ~ t.:l :c: t.:l ..:J U G