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/125661
.... C\> :l'o '" e, '" :l: tz.l ~ tz.l ..,J U G eMe RIDERS THRIVE IN SLIME AT PERRIS -- BY BOb Sanford On of the ~ajor_ tricks Sunday was e simply keeping the engines running. PERRIS, CALIF. March 1, 1970 - It be- "TIme att~r .tt me, riders, atter an unusually deep bank of mud or pool of came increasingly apparent Sunday that your average motocross rider has to be water, would find their bikes sputtering partly crazy (Read: loonier-then-hell). · to an abrupt halt. And off they 'd get, I mean, how many people do you know kicking and pushing, trying to get back that would leave their homes before in the race. dawn, just for the privilege of trying to And, llke horse racing, motocross get their bikes around the mUddiest, competition seems to have its " mudcoldest, wettest, sllckest, sloppiest, dersv, Jim WUson, a refugee from the most miserable track in the entire cancelled Bay Mare race, seemed virworld? tually unet!ected by track conditions. None, right? Wrong! CMC found 125 The Greeves expert drove llke the sun of these psychos, somewhere. was hovering brightly over a fast, dry And the Perris Motorcycle Track, track, and managed to grab five of six contracting with the rain gods, was kind motos, for wins in both the 250cc and enough to provide the setting for Sun500cc EllPert classes. day's event. Another Bay Mare refugee, AJS mountFunny thing, though: The riders not ed Jim West, also adapted quickly to only tolerated the conditions, they thrived the adverse conditions, and gave Wllson on them! Sllpping and sllding around the a run for his money in 500cc competicurves and over the jumps, these guys tion. West won a moto, and placed secseemed to actually smUe underneath the ond in the final standings. multi-layers of mud, Bill Clements was the mud freak in Rac~rs - -0 _ Find Trials Tougher Than Expeded By Kim Kimball be greatly respected. Also, if you think Sunday I entered my first Trlals event• . you're a good rider - go try a Trlals and It was held at Saddleback Park and was get the shock of your llte, as I did. put on by The Southern Calltornia Trlals I rode as an Novice, as did the other Association - this group of dedicated " new" riders. In the very first trap, I men are tops. Everyone present represtuck my foot down at least six timesand this was an easy one. I' promptly sented motorcycllng as it really should be - ' "A FamUy-type Fun Sunday" went around and back through it to find picnic lunches, plenty of fresh air and out that that isn't quite the way itls run, but I was happy that! had done It " clean " exercise; plus the thrill of competition. and figured I'd go on to clean all the Atter 13 years of raclng(road, scramrest. Well, You guessed it - all of the bles, desert, enduros, and before that sections were hard; not so hard for the 10 years of just trying to go fast on or in anything), I figured that I'd just swoop good riders of Trlals, but a real eye opener to a beginner. down to old Sadd1eback and try the old It's super tun, a great challenge, takes man's sport of Trials. everything that a good racer must have Shortly atter I arrtved, I began to and then some. The nicest thing about it notice the young riders riding their is that it's a burich sater than racing Bultacos, Ossas, Greeves, Montesas, even though I got off at least five times. Hodakas and other brands Up on the rear It was a super day and really the most wheel and down the road and out of sight. fun I' ve had in a long time on a bike. "Hmmm," I thought, they sure looked I (you haven't tried a Trlals - hop to llke they really were great riders, but, ltl It's a tun event, but it's ten times of course, this 'couldn't be because they harder than It looks; and even if you just don't race. go watch one, you'll take a good look at Well, all you out there - Surprlsel some of the best riders in Southern All the Trlals riders I saw are better riders as a group than any other bike Callt' They are called "Master'S" and belleve me - they are artiSts in motion. riders I've ever seen and they should Valerian's, the one-$top motoeross shop. . " ,- Dit~ofor desert. OO~~!~~~'"~!~~:"~td. Los Angeles, California 90064 - Telephone: (213) 475-454 1 Sales - Service - Accesso ries - Pa rts - Rivetts Champion Leath ers HUSOVARNA' J AWAlCZ ' SUZUK I · PENTO N ' MZ ' MONTESA ' ZU NDAP P , MINI-TRAI LS open monday through sa turday - Junior competition. Riding in ' both the 250cc and 500cc events, the Bultaco rider got the checkers in four matos, taking top honors in both of these classes. Some of the finest competition of the day, however, occurred in the 125cc Expert class. Coming into the final moto, Bill Urban on a Bultaco and Steve Nichols on a Yamaha had each won one of the two preVious five lappers. Yamaha mounted Jim Flshback had taken a third and a second. Flshback ended Up getting the flag - and a win in the classbut only atter some breath-taking, mudtly1ng, nip-and-tuck racing between the three young riders. - Sunday ' s race saw the advent of a new ,type of start by CMC officials. Taking a cue from a recent Engllsh innovation, the moto-sport club strung a rope, slightly above the rider's heads, at the starting llne. Instead of placing the left hand on the right side of the handlebars, starters were required to hold the rope with their left hand until the drop of the green flag. This method seems to drastically reduce the possib1Ilty of cheating, and was readUy accepted by those present at Sunday's running. CMC takes a week off next Sunday, with the Hallman series getting udner way again at Carlsbad on March 15. (Results on page 19) Pros Vie For $2000 In Texas whUe the standing crowd cheered. In AMARILLO, TEXAS Short Track, Feb. sixth place was Rodgers, followed close14, 1970 - Steve Littlefield, Wichita ly by Pressgrove. Klaus finished last Falls Novice, rode smoothly and effortatter a stuttering engine took him out of lessly to win his heat, semi, and the fourth place in the fifth lap. final, as Hi PlaiDs Racing Assn. brought The Conci was won by DaVid Brown, West Texas its second (Amarillo's first) with Sam Line (1190) Bushland, Texas Professional Indoor Short Track, at the new novice, Tommy McCamey (136m) Tri-State Coliseum on February 14th. AbUene noVice, and Earnest Quinn (11 On) Steve walked away with a big share of in that order. the purse, atter showing everyone that The Trophy Dash and Match Race novices can go fast, too. Littlefield , were announced and donations poured in seemed at home on the 1/10 mUe, confrom the anxious crod, The Trophy Dash crete/resin oval as shown by his Victory saw the four heat winners battle for the over the other riders. first winner-take-all purse, and Larry As the riders pulled Up to-the llne for Baughman showed top form from start to the final, anticipation tensed the crowd. finish as he led the rest to the checkered In the front row on the pole was Steve flag. David Lawson and Steve Littlefield Littlefield, then Warner Salisbury, Bill battled hard for second with Lawson comDutcher, and John Klaus. The second ing out on top. WarnerSaUsburycrashed row pole belonged to DaVid Lawson, with on the fifth lap, and finished last. Gary Balley, Lee Rodgers, and Paul The crowd began to chant as the Match Pressgrove tWlng It out. Race was called. On the llne were Bill The flag was dropped and they were Hotchldss and Don Beer, Novice (89n) off, only to receive the black flag as two Amarillo's top two qualltiers, with Warriders went down in the first turn. The ner Sallsbury and Larry Baughman the second start got them all around, and . top out-or-towners, (Beer had run second Littlefield took the lead and rode beauin his heat, but a tall in the semi took t1tuUy all the way to the checker. Dutchhim out of the final.) When the checker er ran second until the final lap of the flew, it was Baughman once more, with 12 lap feature when he slld down in the Beer, Hotchldss, and Salisbury. Larry last turn - so close, and yet so tar. As had won the second winner-take-all he struggled to right his machine two purse, and the Jlov1ces had shown (as had riders, Lawsen and BUey, whizzed by. all of the riders) the true mettle of Then running, and pushing his cycle Bill professional racers. crossed the llne in fourth position, just (Results on page 19) inches ahead of the speeding SaUsbury, PATRACO Ilrnited introductory ofrer save $~.OO send this ad with your order and deduct $~.OO from reg. price Hi-Perfonnance Equipment Competition ~ or ~ Tum Throttle /Compression Release Kit: Charge out of corners faster with a quarter turn throttle. Go into corners deeper with satety by compression braking actuated by closing the PATRACO throttle. Exclusive throttle-actuated compression release deVice includes a positive one- way valve ' that prevents engine damage from sucking dirt Into the cyllnder. Complete kit including throttle, compression releaSe and cable: $34.95. Mall check or M.a. to: ' Dealer Inquiries Invited Calif. residents add 5%sales tax " PATR OP.O. Box 2611 AC Palos Verdes Pen. Calif. 90274 RAIN DATI! MARCH 22 ,B YM RE' A A Professional Motocross $545 e..iSr. YAMAHA AT·' MX· Hi,. Poi.t Jliior 0/." Wi•••r & C'••plo.s'ip rrop" ElrilES IEOPEIED m .AIClf20t' {••tries s••t i. pr.,iolsl, will •• • (c.,te~ for t" •• r, 22 .".t.) Seniors Paid Per Molo: CASH PAID ON SPOT! 250 & 500ec: lsl·$40: 2nd.$20: 3rd-510i.4th-$5 125c:e : lsl.$20: 2nd·SlO: 3rd·,..