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N ~ i ... o ... Gene Gets Trophy; Terry Gets Bird; Rich Gets Truck ell ~ ~. ~ By Ron Schneiders RED ROCK CANYON, Nov. 15, 1970 z - The SoCal M.C. has been putting on essentially the same hare and hound for ~ 26 consecutive years, awarding turkeys !;\! and funnelling riders down their justly w famol,ls SoCal hill. Only the winners and the size of the entry list varies, the latter > getting bigger and bigger. This year U there were an estimated 800+ riders. The club can get away with repeating itself each year because their course is a damn good one, tough, interesting and fun. This race started like most others in recent history - Thorwaldson was in the lead before very long and stretching it with every minute. But halfway around the second loop on a pine·bordered, shadowly fireroad high c3 up in the mountains, Thorwaldson came around a corner and found himself pointed straight at a pickup truck. "Three thoughts flashed through my mind," Rich said afterwards, "I could lay it down, try to swerve off the road and avoid him or I could lock up everything and slide head·on into him. Laying it down meant I'd go under the truck which had to be bad, swerving was out because there was nothing but trees and boulders on the sides, so I just locked it up and aimed the bike as straigh t as I could." That proved to be the right decision because Rich came' away virtually unscratched. His bike however, was completely destroyed. The pick up truck driver is a guy who has some property up in the mountains and was unaware that a race was going on. He was rather badly scared but ,..--------------------: unhurt. When he gets over shaking, he'll probably be pretty proud of himself. After all, how. many people have. ever met Rich Thorwaldson in a head-to-head challenge and come out on top? Al Lund, Prospector President, insisted loudly and at length that Rich protest the event because the roads weren't adequately patrolled, but Rich declined, saying, "It was nobody's fault, and there's nothing to be gained by a protest." Proof that nice guys don't always finish last. With Thorwaldson out, Gene Smith took the lead just before the SoCal hill which was really lucky for him because the Club offered a bottle of Old Turkey bourbon to the first guy down the SoCal hill and Gene won it, along with the race. Gene rides a Triumph sled. Second person in (and first 500, I think) was Larry Bergquist who was followed by Larry Bums. Burns, however, was disqualified for missing a couple of checks. . Third overall and first 250 was AI Baker, whose bike looks like it has been used for a community bulletin board. He's got his own name, his sponsor's name, his tuner's name and all the products he uses written all over the tank, which has been painted white. Al got himself a turkey in the SoCal "Catch yourself a Thanksgiving dinner" race after the Main Event. Fourth overall went to Jack Byers on a Rickman. Jack, looking splendid in blue and white tailored leathers, declined to chase the birds in favor of getting an early start home. "Besides," he said, "You should see the size of the teeth those birds have got." He indicated a distance of about an inch with his thumb and forefinger. "But nobody believes me," he added. Bet Jack tells a mean Fish-That-Got-Away story. Two Huskies came in fifth and sixth, with Whitey Martino and Frank Russo aboard. The next two lightweights were Gary Grifrm and West Anderson Jr. who were 8th and 9th overall, 2nd and 3rd lightweight. I think first lightweight 125 was Bobby Ewing, but don't take any bets on that. In the trailbike class we had the umteenth act of that dynamic duo, Morgan and Clark, only this time it was Clark and Morgan. Clark rides a Harley and Morgan rides a Hodaka; you can tell by the gas tanks. Third in, riding an un-Sanforized Rickman was Jeff Wright. It's interesting to note that these top Turkeys came off second best. racers and their very small bikes manage to pass hundreds of riders each Sunday and they never seem to endanger the guy they're going around, while the not-so-top guys with four times the power can't seem to get around without knoc.king you down and· riding over your head. As mentioned before the SoCal run is esentially the same from year to year, but this year, just to add something new, they put in five additional downhills on the first loop. After the second smokebomb, some six miles out, the trail headed toward the mountains and some fast fire roads. Once in the mountains there was really great riding on narrow trails, steep downhills and tight sandwashes. We got all the way up into the pine trees before coming in for 'the noon check. On the instruction sheet they cautioned us about one of the downhills: "Follow the trail markings around,' the only thing that can make it straight down is water," (Please turn to Pg. 31) What is the name that 'eads the paci in the Big Ones of Western Moto Cross? CO·IfI/AICO·IfI/AICO .itlS DIRT DIGGERS GRAND PRIX PACIFIC COAST CHAMPIONSHI PUYALLUP, WASHINGTON NOV.8,1970 HOPETOWN, CALIfORNIA NOV.8,i970 SACRAMENTO INTER-AM 500ee INTEIIA TlONAL (3 MOTOS) 1. Preston Petty SACRAMENTO, CALIfORNIA NOV. 8,1970 500cc INTEINA TlONAL 1. Ake Jonsson .• Husky c-z 4. Willi Bauer . . . . . . .MAICO .MAICO 500cc EIPERT 500ee EIPERT 1. John Rice 2. Bob Messer . . .MAICO 2. Bengt Aberg 3. Roger DeCoster .. : 1. Randy Luitjens . . . . MAICO 250ee EIPERT .MAICO .MAICO 1. Pat OeBenedetti . . . .MAICO 500cc EIPERT 1. Jim Einarsson 2. Rick Poulin .MAtCO .MAtCO 250ee EIPERT 1. Bill Cook 3. Mike Willand .MAICO .MAtCO Wltaf f'e Clta.pioas eaa do witlt Ataieo ia flte Big Oaes, y" eaa do ia your owa nlofos - WINI CANADA WEST EAST SOUTHEAST COOPER MOTORS EASTERN MAtCO MAICO SOUTHEAST AMOR SALES LTO. 110 E. Santa Anita Ave. Burbank. Ca. 91502 Royal & Duke Sts. Reedsville. Pa. 17084 6918 Tamiami Trail Sarasota, Fla. 33581 3143 W. Broadway Vancouver, B.C.