Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

Jf!!:.!'~~~'wiliTakes TT, Offers Challenge~ HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIF., Aug. 23, 1970- Well over 150 riders flocked from near and afar today to participate in the bl-weekly TT scrambles at Huntington BeachCyclePark. Some even drove down from Bakersfleld and Santa Barbara to ride in the tangle of heats, motos, semimains, and main events. A total of 36 races were run, in order to give everyone at least a couple of tries for something to go on the mantle. As the sun burned away the sticky overcast to reveai Idea! weather conditions, the first flag. dropped and a bunch of 100-cubic-centimeter mounts buzzed franticaily down the straight. This class ran three heats, two semi's and one main, finding Novice, John Rice consistently faster than the rest. As a matter of fad, Rice rode his small Kawasakl in both the 100 and 125 Novice class back-to-back and took top honors in each. The flrst 250 heat saw Novice Dave Fletcher grab the lead and stretch it throughout. Fletcher also brought it home easily in the main event, with Steve Thomas in second and Mike Daily third. While the three previous classes had been run In heats, the Open Novice event along with the 100 Expert Class were run with the 100 Expert Class because of the relatively small number of entrants. Flnally the incessant ring-dings became a powerful roar that red- blooded Americans love as the Biggies jammed the track. When tl..te dust settled, Don Cummings' held a grand margin for three laps. Then Cummings' BSA began sparking less often than usual. While Don worked his way toward the back of the pack, Steve Thomas worked his BSA to the .front. Steve later took third and scram By Maureen Lee I have a feeling I've mentioned this subject before but it's worth ment-oning again and if it saves someone the embarrassment of a protest and having the finger of guilt point at you, then 111 repeat myself, because I've seen this happen twice. You're shopping for a racing bike, not a new one and you hear there's a good one for sale. Whether it's from a dealer or a private party makes no difference so you check it out and it's just what you want. We might add that this seems to happen more in the trail bike (or ultraligh tweight if you're a scrambler) than in the big bores. The man tells you it's a 100cc so you start riding in your proper division and with some luck you find out you're doing pretty good. ' One day, wham, .either a fellow rider protests you or a Competition Committee man does for running a 125 in the 100 class. The official measurement is taken and there you are standing with egg on your face because the little critter' really is a 125, or we hope it's egg on your face. It hurts your pride a lot more to be caught as a cheater and know what the others now think of you than to be caught when you really were innocent. - An individual may tell you he's ridden out of class and gotten away with it so buy his bike and you will too and if you're rotten like he is, you 11 do it, or he may just smile mysteriously when you say how fast it runs and say "Oh it's just super-tuned" when he knows good and well it's a 125 or he may just say nothing. But if the machine you buy unknowingly is a 125 remember that other people must know it's a 125; someone did the work on it originally, right? And the border of proof rests on you. So, if you're buying a bike that can run as either a 100 or a 125 such as a Sachs, Bultaco, Hodaka etc. take the time to have it checked before you part with your hard earned money. It can be done very easily and if the seller doesn't want you to chec-k it, then think that one over carefully. Why doem't he? A good horse trader wouldn't dream of buying a horse without f'trst looking in the beasts mouth to check his teeth and you shouldn't either. Certain bikes and certain tuners have reputations; 99% are blameless but there are a couple around who pull this kind of stuff and sluff off bikes ·they don't want anymore on unwitti,nl( riders who are usually novices and don't think it's so hard to tell a 125, especially in the desert. That extra 25cc gives you a nice little extra bit of torgue for hills and deep sand that you need and it's pretty common knowledge among the desert trail bike class people that there are 125's out there and it's not amongst the big Expert boys either. So, as we say the burden of proof is up to you. Unless 'you know what you're buying, check it out or take your lumps when caught. You will eventually. This naturally goes for any displacement machine and we've known of some beauts. They haven't been protested because nobody wanted to fink on a buddy and we were not going to publicize i(because we were told the sad facts "off the record". Under journalistic rules and the Constitution we won't tel! and don't have to tell but we get some satisfaction of never saying "Congratulations" to some of these characters after they've done well in a race. Some examples of riders knowingly cheating? How about 90's or almost 90's in the 50 class? Or a chap who mounted a six speed road racing gear box in his scrambler when this was .not allowed and the guy who won the old 350 class on a sleeved-down 500. Sleeved down ·my eye! And there are some delicious things you can do with fuel as some Open class riders have found out. So if you want to cheat, go ahead, it's your pride and conscience but don't get caught unwittingly because you're the one who will take the punishment, not him. ... another first for an overall win. Fred for a change and he barely managed to Timberlake, a consistently strong racer take the lead from Ron Powell on the last finished in. second twice for second place lap. Powell did more than his share of good overall. riding, though. In the Open Expert event Exhaust notes were once again raised he kept his Triumph running more efseveral octaves higher as the lOOcc Experts scampered around the half- mile flclently than the rest and neither he course. As in the others, the first one nor Mike Posey disappointed the fans as .they battled In the flrst heat. Powell went home in the first contest ended up with borne with first place. Posey was second. all' the gold; this time' it wal;> Jlob Sanders on a Kawasaki. Actually SaunRace fans note: Tom White has decided ders tied with Rob Morrison In pointshe would' like to take on any one in a earned with 18 apiece (each had a 1st, special match race. While his challenge -2nd, and 3rd), but officials gave it to smacks of R'Oller Derby-type advertiSaunders after checking lap scores and sing, he is downright serious and the Huntington Racing Association is backing found him to be in front more often than Morrison - which proves that letting up him UP. In fact, $25 goes to the first dude for even a moment can be quite ,costly. that beats him. But the race will be held Expert Marc Barban barely nipped under the following conditions: 1) The Jim Damico's Yamaha to get the checkchallenger must belong to the HRA, and 2) he must win a main event (any main ered flag and a spot in the main event, event) to prove himself _worthy of the where h~ again nabbed top honors from' the hard-Tunning Damic'o. contest. Tom White and his 250 Bultaco showed Huntington Beach Cycle Park will begin the crowd his version of an Expert. . holding Motocross on the first Sunday of White would approach the five-foot jump each month and TT Scrambles on the next three Sundays. Track-owner Donald with his front wheel overbead while the England has also announced lhat he is rest of the pack scrambled just to keep building a Class A Speedway track to be him in sight. The· six-lap main event was nearly a d1tferent story for Tom, howready by this coming weekend. (Results on page 26) ever; a bad start forced White to work Tom White (28x) charges his Bultaco to the lead of the 250cc Expert class. Fred Timberlake finished 10th and Charles Gann (130) third. Motocross Engineers are exclusive U.S. Importer for Arthur Browning English Racing Leathers. Most flexible, abrasive resistant chrome tanned hide. Weight of garment is I 3/4 pounds. Fully lined with red Nylon, elastic crotch and reinforced fly seam. 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