Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

~ ~ 11. o ..... - ell Enduro Sticks 600 ~ w Z w oJ U ~ (Editor's Note: Don Wimpress is a 49-year-oLd experienced enduro rider from the Los AngeLes area. His first hand account of what happened at the Cowbell Enduro, from the view of a participant is onLy one of 600 who were stranded over the course for a night. If you were, also, and have no idea where your bike is, contact: Hayward M.G.; the U.S. Forest Service; Smith Air (heLicopter), Ukiah Airport; or PiLlsbury Lake Airfield. ALso, if you have a machine which is not your own and you wish to return it, contact CYCLE NEWS and we wiLL attempt to trace its owner.) U By Don Wimpress Brelsford won all his races except the main. Gresham New ST Winner By Bill Spencer everybody closed in with Morgan trying SAN JOSE, CALIF., Nov. 14, 1970 to pass on the outside, to no avail. Bill Add Wheeler Gresham to the new generation of winners for indoor short actually made it to third at one point but couldn't hold the line and, as in the track racing. Three different winners in three weeks is making this series quite heat race, fell back in the pack. This track is so close that passing is close and very exciting. limited to the inside only. At least, that With Gresham's win tonight, Bultaco now has three straight with last week's is the usual happening, but the likes of winner, Bill Morgan, riding a Sonny Morgan, Kenyon andJoe Henry fmd an outside line is sometimes plausible when Kenyon Bul and the opener going to Al Kenyon on another Kenyon cycle entry. the pole is closely guarded. In the heats it appeared as if Morgan still leads in points after a sxith Brelsford was fmally going to have his place finish in the 15-lap Main. Gresham night as he set fast time in both the first got the big jump on Ron Wisler and heat and the semi as well as his Mark Brelsford, who had the pole. qualifying heat. Breis is nearly impossible Breslford had hesitated just the slightest to catch when he gets the lead and the on the start and after the first go-'round only one to have outrightly passed him tangled with Wisler going into the first is Morgan who did it in the opener. tum. Mark was battling for second and AI Kenyon got the jump in the lost as Wisler had the upper hand. second heat and was out to beat The seventh ranked national pilot Brelsford's run but he was too fast slid out for one of his very rare spills. He got right baek up and was fighting entering the number one comer on the second lap and the front end washed his way back through the pack for the remainder of the race while Gresham out relegating him to last. contained Wisler, Joe Henry and Steve He wasn't out for the count though Foster. as he had the second fastest qualifying The rest of the pack was strung out heat and was to run away with the three in the early laps but towards the end, lap Trophy Dash in front of Corder, Hodges and Brelsford. In the third heat Joe Henry really put it on Butch Corder with a terrific pass that has made Henry another outstanding entry to the new generation. The fourth heat went to Randy Bailey who got the jump and held close to the pole as Greg Hodges, Dave Clark By Larry Butterfield and Morgan all bounced off each other. Morgan was again trying to pass on the CENTRALIA, WASH., Nov. 8, 1970 outside and after repeated failures fell Rain changed the outlook for the third back into the inside line and got a in a series of four motocross races fourth, which required some fancy sponsored by the Twin City M.C., but footwork. It was this same fancy style Deer and Elk Season added to the low turnout of 80 riders. that won him the main last week and The rain, however, transformed the also gave him a second on the opening night. He and Brelsford have been the otherwise slow course into a fme track as it wetted down the fine rocks and most consistent to date. sand, making for great traction. Morgan had a back row start in the The 125cc Sr. class was finally semi and did another fantastic job to dominated by Charles Strayers on a finish fourth to make the feature while Brelsford coasted to an easy win in his Penton but not without a battle with eventual second place finisher Greg semi. It was a good night for another Irwin (Sac). Brelsford too, as Mark's younger First place in the 200 class was nabbed by Erv Swerdrup (Oss) and he brother, Scott, won the 10-lap looked really fine on the track, having consolation. The H-D had a drag race little trouhle winning. with an Ossa with the Ossa winning the Not so in the 250 Sr. class where a first tum but failing to negotiate the real bottleneck battle between Bob second. Reed and Pete Rushton was occurring. Young Brelsford had it all his own Nip and tuck all three motos, the first way from that point with Bob Scally place checkered finally went to Reed's closing in th e remaining laps. Montesa. The ;ndoor series is promoted by To the 360 class and back to a clean Bob Barkhimer & Associates and sweep for Erv Swerdrup. Behind him tonight the racing director, Chuck was Tom Hartman and third Walt Guiluizzo, had something a little extra Studer. for full house audience. A mini·bike First place in the open was captured race was organized for by Ramond's hot·shoe Lee St. Clair on a Under-14-year-old and ll-year-old Hank 400cc' Husky. Second was a 405cc Souza of San Jose went home with a A merican Eagle ridden by Butch trophy and the loud ring of applause in Wagner. his ears. A really great show. (Results on page 26) (Results on page 26) Rain Changes MX Outlook Cow Trail four a a ENDURO SPROClfTS 2 TOOTH CZCounter SprOCkets $9.25 Cal. res. add 5% sales tax. C&M SPECIALTIES-P.O. BOX 717 MOUNTAIN VIEW CALIF. 94040 Gordy Williams Autllorlzed Deal.r SUZUKI CYCLE CITY .:~~·r~~I. (415) 939-4988 '1 . CLEAR LAKE, CALIF., Nov. 8, 1970 - Like a horde of lemmings rushing headlong into the sea, over one-thousand eager enduro riders blasted off up the muddy trail at the start of the Hayward Motorcycle Clubs' 24th annual "Cowbell Enduro". Each minute, starting at 7 :01 a.m., another six riders disappeared into the rain-drenched wilderness of Mendocino National Forest a few miles north of Clear Lake, California. At 11 :05 a.m. my number, No. 1465, came up and away I went only to be met by a continuous stream of mud-splattered riders who had already given up and were returning back down the trail. Some 35 miles out, after traversing mostly muddy fire roads, the trail abmptly dropped down -the hillside a mile into the Eel River. Within the first few yards my bike was at a standstill, the wheels completely encased in gooey mud. The trail was filled with bikes and riders attempting to go in any direction (up, down, or sideways). After clearing the mud from the rear wheel several times, I managed to work my wa y down to the river against a horde of earlier riders who had given up and were retreating up the hill. Almost across the river the bike dropped into a hole and the engine sucked water. It took three hours to remove all of the water from the airbox, carburetor, crankcase, and cylinder and to get the bike started again. There were hundreds of riders in the same area going through the same experience. Since by now it was after 4 p.m., and it would be dark in a hour, it seemed wisest to prepare to spend the night at this comfortable area where several campfires were already started. As darkness fell there were fewer and fewer riders around as many slogged their way back up the hill leaving their bikes behind. By 7 p.m. only about twenty were left at the river; one with a broken leg, and another blinded by flying mud. Around 7:30 two aid-men from the sponsoring club arrived with a stretcher and we prepared to take the injured men out up the hill to an awaiting 4-wheel drive truck. It was tough work haulding 45-year-old 190-lb. Frank Grossin, who remained remarkably calm and cheerful throughout the ordeal, up the muddy slope in the rain and darkness. Halfway up the hill the nearly-exhausted litter bearers stopped at a small clearing and build another fire and four of us awaited daylight. Just before dawn a Forest Service man and a Hayward MC member joined us and we continued up the hill. Soon two other Hayward MC members joined us and we finished the rescue job that the other riders had abandoned. A forest service truck awaited at the top of the hill to haul us some 25 miles back to the starting area. The road back looked like Napoleons' retreat from Moscow. There were dozens of bikes along the-road and over a hundred riders slogging their way back to the start in the rain. Most of the riders made it out by late Monday, but one man. Sexon, missed the sporadic sweeping operation, although he stayed on the trail, and spent two night on the traiL Let's hope there weren't any more! The weather cleared Tuesday and some of us recovered our bikes from the river crossing with a helicopter. By this time many of the riders had returned to the area and were removing bikes up the drying slopes. Still, there were hundreds of bikes left in the river, on the hills on either side, and down the rider to the mud flats of Lake Pillsbury. Some b'ikes were abandoned in really inaccessible places! Hayward MC really had their hands full on this one! They took a course that was designed to be interesting to the experienced rider; and we come from hundreds of miles for the challenge. Unfortunately, rain, hundreds of riders, and insufficient contingency planning resulted in a fiasco for many riders. I think that the Hayward MC did their duty in getting the riders out as best as possible under the circumstances. They had no obligations on the bikes. For the last Y2-mile up the hill we had four Hayward MC members, one Forest Service man, and two riders to haul that stretcher. Thank God for those Hayward men! North's Finest Racers In MX Series Previews By Kevin Hill No quarter was asked or given as this PUYALLUP, WASH., Nov. 8, 1970 ferocious pack roared into the first turn The Seafair City's Fourth Annual ten abreast and all powersliding. ~Iaico Pacific Coast Championship was held at mounted Bill 'Cook came up from Puyallup Raceway Park this weekend, as Carlton, Oregon to show the troops his the Northwest's newest moto-x course fme style by winning the first moto. was put to use for only the second time The second moto was a triumph for since its birth last month. Gloomy skies Dave Clift, while the third and. final and a prediction of rain failed to moto was a real cliffhanger with the discourage the 2787 enthusiastic fans lead changing more times than you who came to see the show. Proof that could count. Gordy Ochs got off to a moto-x hereabouts is going big-time was good start and led the field until being seen first in the $3.75 admission charge, passed by both Bill Cook and Dave making this the most expensive race to Clift. The lead seemed to change often date, and second in the quality of but the most exciting passes occurred competition, which was phenomenal. near the end of the 20 minute moto These riders have improved about when Clift pulled off a scary one by 9000% since last year and they are getting past Cook in a fast, bumpy S getting faster every day. Prediction: turn barely wide enough for one bike when the Int~r·Am and Trans-AMA and then being rjepassed by Cook who races come North in the next couple of went on for the win. Cook also got first weeks there will be a Northwest rider as overall for his superb performance and top American in both cases. picked up about $120 in prize money. For sheer excitement nothing could (Results on page 26) top the starts of the 250 Senior class. COLISEUM CYCLE MAIL and ORDER ACCESSORY CO. . ~ KAWASAKI MOTORCYCLES 3958 E. 14th ST., OAKLAND, CAL. 94601 _ _ II; I (415: 534-5461 . . * PUlfREf IULTACa * ,lte 'eam ** Rider of the Week Steve Markowitz (get well soon) 21819 Sherman Way Canoga Park (213) 887·7696 ** I

• Cover