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/125687
BENITES CRUSHES· COSTA MESA'S BEST By Mike Capalite . Photos by Dennis Greene COSTA MESA, CALIF., Aug. 21, 1970Ruben Ben11es.. a newcomer to speedway racing who rides for Orange County Cycle Center, looks like the rider to challenge Larry Shaw and Scott Autrey for "Rookie of the Year." Being on the 0-yard Une in the handicap races, he was not eligible for a start in the scratch program, but h1s showing in the Handicap races made UP for 11 as he took his heat and Semi. In the Semi" he topped, solne of the best, including Woods, Konle and Nutter. The only fly in Benites' ointment for the evening was a match race against Jimmy Nicholson whom he had beaten in the Handicap Semi-Maln. Off the Une 11 was Nicholson on the inside and Benites on the outside. Nicholson went in hard and drifted wide while the rookie held back and shot in under him coming out. But the veteran had good traction and they went into the next corner side by side. As they came out and across the Une for the one-lap flag, Nicholson was getting a good shot off the corner and had pulled ahead and as they went into the corner, Benites was trying a little too hard and down he went as Nicholson went on for an easy win. The- second division main and the third division main event were both spiced with spillS and both required restarts when hall the field went down in the first lap. Desp11e the number of crashes, only one rider went out with injuries, john Flanders who injured his hand. In each race the only two rider who did oot fail finished one-two. In the second division main, 11 was Jerry Singer who took the lead and kept 11 the entire race despite a constant challenge by: Billy Grey, who won his heat. Grey f1n1shed second. The handicap main event was the best race of the evening as the crowd stood for the entire race. The line into the corner was Benites, Cullum, Haserot, Woods, Cody ,and Nutter. Woods was pushing Haserot as Nutter was trying to get inside of Cody when Cody happened to sUp wide and Nutter got under him. The fans suddenly realized that Nutter was the man to watch as he kept the inside line and moved UP to Haserot coming out of the corner. As Greg realized that Nutter was trying to get inside, he pulled down a little to block him and th:Is left enough outside for Rick to pull UP on the outside. It was a mad dash down the back straight for the next, corner as Nutter was getting fantastic traction and pulled ahead. Don Cullum was in front of Haserot and blocking him which let Woods move UP on the outside to try and move UP with Nutter, but he couldn't quite get a wheel under Cullum and had to stay on the outside. Meanwhile, Nutter shot into a solid second. As Woods tried to still get Cullum on the outside, he slammed into the wall and ,although he didn't spill, he hooked h1s peg into the wall which held him back to last place before he could get going again. As Nutter to close in on the leader, Benites, BUl Cody had taken advantage of the Ha:serot-C u 11 u m- Woods tangle to move into third. They f1n1shed in that order - Benites, Nutter, and Cody. The scratch main was a real battle in the first lap as Mike Bast had poleposition and took the lead on the start. Bill Cody who was still picking UP steam from the handicap race charged out of the cornerunder Bast and took the lead With Larry Shaw right behind him and moving into second. Into the next corner, Cody bobbled 11 a Uttle and that was all Shaw was waiting for; he took the lead,. As Woods passed Bast, Cody was trying to get the lead from Shaw, but they crossed the checkered with Shaw, Cody, Woods and Bast in that order. The popular mini-'bike races were back this week with four riders in the match race instead of two. This didn't seem to make any dlfference to Jeff Ward who Just returned from a vis11 to Scotland as he really shot-down the other riders for an easy win over Dave Carlson, Gene Woods and Jay Cox. (Results on page 26) • en s r.:I :i!:: :5 U >. U " Baroni Announces Forks ·FE PLUS•..IF YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR BIKE. Baroni racing forks and shocks Are' now available in the U.S. from Cosmopolitan Motors. The forks feature a unique "double dampen1ng" system, contrcilling the travel progressively in both directions. A "captive" oU reservoir makes them impossible to bottom. The last 3/4" of extension travel is hydraulicly safety damped to prevent unnecessary shock and stress to the lower fork legs. ' ~ A II A S A K • I Stanchion tubes are Swedish chromemoly steel and hard chrome plated. Crowns and fork legs are pressure molded from avunol R developed for the new Concorde supersonic airplane. tlarOn! rear shocks talso made, or avunoI R) have 5 positions' of adjustment accomplished by a knurled ring. Contact Cosmopolitan Motors, Inc. Jacksonv1lle & Meadowbrook Rds., Hatboro, Pa. 19040 for more information. 350 KAWASAKI BIG HORN available now Draco's Motorcycles 1629 S. Standard Santa Ana, Ca'if. (714) 543-9688 KAWASAKI ONLY sales and service 'argest parts stock on west coast FE PLUS FUEL ADDITIVE: .Increas.s plug IIf. _ ·D.II••rs hlgller RPM's and more pow.r ·Incr...es mlleag. ·Mak.s starting easl.r FE pLUS OILS: .R.duc.s plug fou ling ·Ellmlnat. carbon build up .Cuts .xhaust fumes ·Incr..ses power • R.duc.s .ngln. w..r Draco's SPEED KITS now available for 350 BIG HORN Mr. Dealer: FE PLUS products now available through Yamaha International, Pacer Consolidated Industries, Fred Deely, Gurney & Holt• For further product information write: SCO/MAR ENTUPRISES INC., 15120 Ventura BlVd.,' Encino, Calif. -91316 ,