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-More than 700 riders participated in the two day event. Here, the 250cc Novices prepare to traverse the nine mile course.
By Ron Schneiders
WILLOW SPRINGS, CALIF., Sept. 27,
1970 - The AMA-type of Grand Prix
race is a very special type of race both
for the spectators and the participants.
In essence, it pits racers of one type
against ra~rs of other types and all
must race over some types of terrain
with which they are not familar_ The
scramblers get to try their luck with
some loose sand and the desert boys
find out how well their sleds' will
broadslide. Even the motocross lads find
a bit of a challenge with some asphalt.
The fans of course reap the most benefit
because they get a little bit of
everything and everybody. And if the
sidehacks are racing (as they were this
weekend) it would make the whole
weekend worthwhile even if nobody
else showed up.
This weekend's Grand Prix was
sponsored by the Four Aces M.C., a
large and very enthusiastic club. This
was their first try at running a G.P. and
considering that, it was tremendously
successful. To start with, the course was
really fun to ride, it you are willing to
define fun from a racer's viewpoint.
There was lots and lots of variety.
Sandwash, steep uphill (with
strategically placed rocks) tight, twisty,
sJidey downhill" rutted fire road, and
super smoom, s100-mph banked asphalt
turns. If you couldn't find something on
that course that really turned you on,
you just plain need another sport, not a
differen t course.
The course )Vas marked with
wall·to-wall Four Aces. Anybody who
wanted to cut the course had to run
over two flag men and a checker going
out and coming in. In the rider's
meeting it was announced that course
cutters would be disqualified either by a
checker or a mineshaft, whiever they
met frrst. In addition to catching
would-be cheaters the flag men
probably prevented many accidents
because they were always on the spot
when a rider went down. It was a
tribute to their ability that, in a race
which is inherently very dangerous,
there were remarkably few accidents
and no really serious ones. Worst was
Bob Schreiner, No. 107 who came to
grief when he went off of the dirt and
onto the asphalt at high speed with a
flat front tire. He went down hard in
the frrst turn and severely injured his
knee.
The first race on Saturday was the
100cc Novice class. Jack Stonsifier,
number 68, moved through a lot of
traffic and overcame quite a time
disadvantage to take the lead, but be
was disqualified for entering the pits
from the wrong direction. (The Four
Aces exercised rigid control over the
pits and it was actually safe to stand in
the pit area). With Stonsifier out, Mike
Johnson, only fifteen years old and a
racer for less than ayear, took tbe lead
and the race. In second was number 19,
Jay Adams and in tbird was Ray
Morrow, No. 10.
After a rather long two hour wait the
100-250 Novices raced. At the frrst little
hill there was a big pile up which put
paid to the hopes of many of the
novices. Those who managed to avoid
the melee got a big lead and the
remainder chewed the hill to pieces
trying to claw their way up. Since I was
in tbat one I can't describe the acti9n
too well but it appears that Dan Kerr,
No. 6 won the 250 class while Tom
Fritts won the 125cc class. (All results
as yet are unofficial.)
The first event on Sunday was the
over-250cc Novices. It was the start of a
great day for the four-strokers as No.3,
Rod McElroy on a huge Norton took
the lead and held it from start to finish.
McElroy seemed almost painfully slow
on the rough sections and at frrst it
didn't seem possible that he was even in
the race, let along leading it. But then
he would get on the fire roads and the
pavement and that N orton would really
sing. It was a welcome song from a
bygone era when the great sleds ruled
the desert and people talked seriously of
prohibiting the entry of two strokes
because of their irritating sound. There
was a real battle for second place with
the lead changing almost every lap but
at the end I think it was Jim Bringhurst,
No. 46, who worked his way up from
ninth in lap No. 1. He was first in the
500 class. Third and 2nd in the Open
class was Ron Jones, No. 11 on a
Doyle Fields finished well within the top ten in Sunday's big bike Expert race.
As always, District 37 events are family affairs.
