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/125664
Frozen Lakes Beckon To Alaskan Ice Racers By Jim Curre On a resort lak e twenty mile s eas t of Anchorage, the Alaska Motorcycle Racers Association gathers each Sunday to . compete in the super-fast start of ice racing. . Inspecting the fr ozen lake, the rider s speculatively eye the quar ter -mile oval, which has been carefully plowed the day before. Soon the air is filled with s ound of specially prepared two and four s troke engines , and one by one the riders wheel onto the track for the practice laps. You noti ce at a glance that thes e bikes are "differ ent", as traction is ach ieved by install1ng one inch sheet metal s cr ews in the trials universal tires. Some r iders have as many as 600 screws in each tire, and puncturing is prevented by plac ing a bic ycle tire between the screws and tube . The screws themselves are called spikes, and it sometimes takes uP to ten hours to install them in one tire . In ever y race, the bikes line uP accor ding to class, and points are sc ored on a motocross system. The ice riders reach greater speeds than those reached on quarter- mile dirt oval, s ince the spiked tire has nearly twice the traction as a knobby tire manage s in dir t. The r iders lean into a turn full bore; with the handle hars only inches fr om the Ice. Spectators sland at the edge of the lake, watching the riders go into a turn len at a time, their tires,llke buzz saws, r eady to splinter and cut through the neares t object. On the r ace day of March I, 1970, Jeff Sallen, riding a 125 Sachs, s wept into first place in the 125 class, while Jim Curre, his spikes sawing at his competitor 's rear fender , flnlshes second, also astride a Sachs. Harlan Winkleman, on a 250 Ossa, won his class, followed closely by C.R. Jones on his Husky. The Open class pushed hard around the oval and C.R. Mathis , on a SL 350Honda, fi nally gr abbed first pla ce, with John McDonald behind him on a Kawasaki 250 Greenstreak. Several ice splintering crashes and twenty laps later, the spectators watched Roger Hohl cross the flnlsh line to win the Sweepstakes on a 200 Bultaco. And Dan Davidson, on a 250 Husky, took the second place trophy. As the spectators slowly disperse, tired r iders load their bikes, and head toward Anchorage once mor e. The cr us ty snow is meling now, and there is a layer of water where the ice use d to be. The lake is quiet on Sunday, and the passers-by realize that the ice season is over. With the ice al l but gone, the riders of the Alaska Motor cycle Racers Associati on have begun to prepare for the dirt riding ahead. ---...... ~ * A pack 01 racing motorcycles equlppld with till spikes IIkl thlsl might makl you th ink twici about dicing with somlone around thl e... ners . . THE TWO-WHEKER ~ Robert M Law . T~ ~ . SUZUKI .Ready for IlIIl1ediate Delivery! 867 w. Colton AYI . s.an Berna rdino, Call I (714) 885-344.5 HIGHEST TRA DE-IN 239 N. Anaheim Blyd. Anahe im. Cal Phone (714) 533·1309 . OWASAII • I HARLEY-DAV IDSON I H eadquart er s Of Inglewood Used 901 N. La Brea (near Sportsters Cenlinela) BEACH CITIES CYCLES 525 N. EI Camino Real San Cle menti , Cal ifo rnia C1l4U92-6141 J im Cur.. Ilans his ICI racer way down on a n Alaskan Irozln lakl. Notlci how his knel Is above the handlebars . . 611-1609 or 611-1600 WARREN WILSON MOTORS WIN... ride an XC-100 SOulh or :\ o rdoll MOTORCTCll StilIS-SIIVICI in S,·puh ..da , Calil. 9000 SEPULVEDA BLVD. INVADER ~ · • (2J 894-92J8 3) Pen ton - Hod a ka Yamaha - BSA Husqvarna Norton OnlyBULTACO Steve 's Sult aco 1223 Ave. I Lanca st or (805) 942·9624 ~ Stay ahead all the way with MB XC-100 INVADER. Genuin e Ceriani suspensio n lets you steer through th e most gru eli ng experience- no swe at ! 51" wheel base. THE INVADER gets you where you w ant to be •. • First. Write MB SPORT CYCLES for compl ete deta ils. Ope n 6 days a we ek Mon. & Fr i. 9-9 others 9- 6 7627 Van Nuys Blyd. - Van Nuys . Ca l. ( 213) 180-6300 · CO N LEY 250 It 360'Down-p'ipes CZ & SACHS SPECIALISTS Factory-Tra ined Mechanic 5 '$49.95' Dea ler Inquiry Inylted TRIUMPH-SUZUKI MOTORS 311 E. Alexan der Ave., Tacoma, Washington, 9B4 .?1 1049 W. Mi s sion . Pomona , Ca. 91166 Ph: (714) 629-8642