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/125679
Gatti Upset Veterans At Rock Springs Race By Elgy Shewey Photo by Sid Chopping Three learns have a go al it i,n the Suicide Drag contest spreading around plenty of dirt. Arizona Rally Goes Rodeo Story & Photos by Robert O. Fee Sometb1ng new popped up at the Arizona wore a balloon taped to their helmet, Jackrabbits N10th Annual Memorlal Day wielded carboard rollers as lances, tryTour at PaysQn, Arizona, May 31st. ing to break each other's balloon. As the operators drove their machlnes by each Although the long standlng road tour 15 other separated by highway pylons, the 10 Its nlnth year, it was billed as the First Annual Motorcycle Rodeo and for wild swlnglng broke more "lances" than the first time the Payson Chamber of balloons and provided the spectators with many laughs. Commerce co-sponsored the event. Undoubtedly the dirtiest event of the Memorlal Day trafflc didn't deter Arizona road riders f~om ridlng the run, day was called the Suicide Drag and was which 15 held 10 the exact center of t!}e a converted rodeo event. The operator ' state. Two hundred th1fty-e1ght cycllsts wouid pllot his machlne from one end of gathered trom the four corners of Arithe arena to the other where he would zona and also trom California, Nevada, throw his waltingpassenger a rope. When and New Mexf:co. it was tied to an old tire carcass, the The Rodeo aspect 1otroduced several passenger would ride the tire back to the new events uncommon to motorcycle fWsh Une - 10 a cloud of dirt., Wayne runs, but the riders found them a lot of' Anderson drug Jim Osten to first place. fun. Using the excellent facWties of the The Jackrabbits 10cluded the local Payson Rodeo Grounds, the motorcyyoongsters 1oto the activities with three clists found themselves chasing geese, a junior events; a m1n1-version of the greasy pig and a cow. Arizona cycle operator.s license tests, a When the cow chase was later deslow race and obstacle course. scribed to a griZzled cowhand 10 a local One of the hlgh11ghts of the rally was beanery, he very Increduously asked, the performance of the Copper State "What, pray tell, did they do with the Drill Team. Although 10 exlstance for tb1ng after catching it?" When explalned more than ten years, the Payson Rodeo that a $10 b1ll was hidden on the critter was their first appearance s10ce their and no tbrowlng or tying was involved, recentre-organtzation. his non-committal grunt was very eloThe most impressive sight of the rallY quent. was also a converted rodeo event. Just Cash prizes of $5 each was also before starting the rodeo events, the awarded for 2nd and 3rd places 10 the Jackrabbits led all the motorcycllsts 1oto feather race. It was a gal's only event and around the arena 10 the Grand Entry. and the feathers were worn by three very After l1n1ng up 10 three rows, the riders lively geese who beat, kicked and bit the kllled their englnes, dismounted, turned contestants. The wlnner, Nancy Wilson, to and saluted the flag while the National showed beautiful form 10 a flying tackle Anthem played. that bagged her trophy and almost k1lled On vivid memory every rider takes the goose. home trom an Arizona club sponsored tour is that of the Old West hospitality. A time limit of two m10utes was ImArizona road riders are very obviousposed on the goat m1lk1ng event. George a triendly wave to the passing cyclist, a Barnett of Tucson relied on his early welcoming smile that says, "Howdy farm tra1n1ng to completely fill a pepsiPodDer," and an eager wlll1ngness to bottle while less experienced riders got lend a helJl10g hand to anyone 10 need. a dribble here and there - generallY 10 :The clttzens of Payson are the same. the eye rather than the I!ottle.Allofthis, The fun of the Jackrabbit's motorcycle of course, after they had caught the goat! rodeo and the ideal cllmate of a little Cycle jousting was another brand new frontier cowtoWD 15 an event and location innovation by the Jackrabbits. Rem1oesthat beckons the road rider to come agaln. cent of medieval times, the passengers 10 the'rough 500 Open Class. Taklng the opening, Savala was the eventua! wlnner and Weskamp took second. _ Savala also won the 25D-500 Open Class on a 360Cc Bultaco and Craig WnUams was second on a 250Cc Suzukl. _Third and fourth went to the Weskamp famlly as Ken (36OCc Matco) and Carl (405cc Husqvarna) took the two slots respectively. Carl Weskamp was Victorious In the Wheelie contest as he kept his Husky standing more than 50 feet further than the rest of the field. ROCK SPRINGS, WYO. June 21, 1970Bill Gatti" maklng only his second start as a class A rider, upset the veterans of three states and won the 250 A Class event, today, befor\l a Sixth Annual Fathers' Day crowd of 1800. The young Gatti, only three weeks out of high school, made the "alcl-t1mers" shake their heads in awe as he outmaneuvered them on his Yamaha. Mlck Troyer galned the spotlight a short time 'later, but this was one time he wlsbed he hadn't, as he took a spectacular spill while fighting with Dick Savala and Ken Weskamp -for the lead Mike Troyer finds the going tough in the 500 Open Class. He.led before this' spill. proceeds going to the Wyoming Jaycees. The 100-175 A Class sweepstakes was captured by Weldon Chivers on a 175cc Bultaco. Steve Powell (l00cc Kawasakl) grabbed second and John Larrabaster (175cc Bultaco), pulled 10 third. Fourth spot went to Rod Davls on a 100Cc Hoclaka. The race was sponsored by the Rock Spr10gs Motorcycle Association with all With a goal set at ralslng $100,000, the $1000 estimated net should raise the Jaycees' to within $15,000 of their goal. The money will be Used to build a Theuraputic Swimming Pool at the Wyom10g State Tralning School 10 Lander, Wyoming. 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