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/125669
.... .... g:, CIl 0... Eighth Annual Chicken Enduro By Patricia Spencer" . Photos by Grant Spotts OAKHURST, CALIF. April 26, 1970 Baby, It was cold out there. The snow clouds hung over the 4,300' MIamlPeak, over which part of the 8th Annual ChIcken Enduro was to be run . Riders dribbled in reluctantly, as most had pr e-registered and had little reason to leave the warmth of motels and campers befo re the 10:00 o'clock starting time. The starting li ne for this year's event was in the Allen Motorcycl e Playland, five miles north of Oakhurst on Highway 41. Milt Allen laid out the torturous 43.8 mile s ingle l oop . _ Only about 250 of the advanced registratl on of over 300 hit the cold wet trail. Up the trali, things were worse. Snow falling on the higher sh oulders of Mt, . MIami was heavy enough to mak e goggles us el es s a nd visibility in the thickly nying sn ow, poor . The trail be came muddler and each r ock was a threat. By Arnold J . Katz VACAVILLE, CALIF. April 26, 1970 -A day that brought rain, hall, cold, high winds and a little sunshine, also brought two decisive victories to Neville Lind r ebe , riding a 350cc Yamaha. Lindrebe, a native of New Zealand, and fresh trom a triumph at Daytona a week or so ago, won both the 500 Open GP and the 350cc GP in near record time at the AFM road , race held on the 2.2 mile Vaca Valley Raceway . The race started with Jer r y Greene aboard a 750ce Norton coming around fi rs t, followed by Wade Killin on a 500cc Mach III Kawasaki, Lindrebe, and Jim Deehen, also Kawasaki mounted. Down th e long straight on lap two, Greene began to pull awa y, but the Yamaha quickly ca ught him going through the sweeping r ight- bander at the end of the chute. Ll ndr ebe took over first place on the fourth lap, turnin g 1.37 an d beginning to pull a way. The Yamaha conti nued to open the gap, lap ' after lap, On lap "nine, Neville turned in a near -record 1.35, opening the gap to a one-halt mile and w1nn1ng by 12 seconds . While wInn1ng in a conclu sive manner, the New Zealander did not , howev er , take home the trophy for the race . The officIals decided, (late In the af ter noon), that Neville was running out of class and should not have been in that race. He agreed to drop out of the competition and only take his win In the 350c c GP . And win he did, in the final race of the day. Starting well in the rear of the pack, Lindrebe and the mighty Yamaha moved quickly to the front and was never headed . He began lapping other bikes on lap 4 and came home coasting. The 350!500!Open production race was also a halry affair as Hur ley Wllvert on a mighty Honda 750-4 took over the lead on lap two (tram Ron Grant aboard a 500 Suzuki), and never relinquished it. The same hot action was in evidence in the 0-175 GP race, as Geoff Ryan won on a Parllla. Also in that race was the ne w 125cc Yamaha, a bike that's going to frighten a number of 175 r iders. (Results on page 19) . '; ,) COLISEUM CYCLE and Sf••att Call Lyn at (415)934-1995 1470 Broadway, Wa lnut Crll~ CallI. . ACCESSORY CO. MAIL ORDER ........., KAW ASAKI .------.. M ORCYCLES OT 3958 E. 14TH ST . OAKL AND, CAl:. (415) 514·5461 - 54; e~~~~ S lB £ YmOT0R ~tt~ ~ S '+.~~.. BUL.T~CO sonny kenyon's sal es se rvic e parts KAWASAKI MOTORCYCLES - SALES - SERVICE (415) 346 EL CAM INO REAL . REDWOOD CITY, CALIF. 369-4112 ~ .cycles ~. 2594 Middlefield Roa d xu. View, California 94040 I H ARLEY- D A VID S D N I MOTORCYCLES, INC. ( 41 5) 96 1- ..399 MAIL ORDER OAKLAND HOND 3060 Broadway, Oakland, Calif. 94611 3)~~ NO M ....IN 5T R( n P L( ....SANT HILL. CAL IFORN IA nUPHON E 9]9 ·4100 J IM JOHN SON CAMPUS SUZUKI . Service and Sales (415) 835-2939 NlI'thlrn Ca llfll'nla 's Larllst Deallr Parts , SailS & Slrv lcI For t hl Top Four -.x. .:Jtr TRlYMP!:I' oss- HONDa 2403 SAN PABLO A V E . B ERK !:L.EY T H , _0 1Q2 R WI~4 A Ci;A; ICY CLES' , BILL CHANEY 8ullJca • ~S4 SP ECIALIST 94601 ~ ....J (.) ;:... Check points for today's event were (.) manned by Elq)lorer Scouts, Tropp #305, Madera, sponsor-s for this annual tourney. WIth the help of bonfires, they so meh ow managed to tough out a truly miserable day. For the riders, the 40 degree cold became a personal battle. - Only about 25% of the riders com pleted the cold and snowy second trip around. By the time most of the riders had com pleted their tlrst · cIrcult, the sn ow was falling in earnest at the high elevations. Times were so slow that many rider s felt that It would be foolish to risk being caught on the trail at dusk . Wayne Sum ner of Fresno looked like the Clas s A winner on his 441 Victor BSA. He was the first rider to co mple te the entire course, running only abo ut 6 minute s late. An experienced rider, it looks like Wayne wil l take home all the marbl es again this year. Complete r esults and times wUl be available s oon. New Zealander Wins Road Race At Vaca Valley YOUR AD THIS SIZE ONLY ~ (415) 687.7742 ";~~T EXCITERS! AT fRANK CRANf (415) 616·6114 YAMAHA ~IOTORCYCLE INSURANCE FOR SALE 5811l0NUIiENT BLVD.. CONCORD. CALIF . (415) 222·2044 F ULL P ART S INVENTOR).' 4036 Dam Rd.EI Sobrante, Calif.