Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

SANDBLASTERS HARE 'N' HOUND By Ben & Jody Egbert THE DESERT, March 7, 1971 "Pick-up the lime in beautyfull downtown Red Mountain," said the race notice. Then go north on Trona Road to the same dirt road leading to the same starting area used half-a-dozen times last year. Still, it's a pleasant switch from the other two desert courses' located respecitvely at Lucerne and Adelan to, Calif. The Sandblasters live in nearby Ridgecrest and should know th is area well. 1 asked a Sandblaster how they were treated by the BLM. The answer was, "just great". They were unable to get the 3 months prior approval for the race since they didn't have a date from District 37 soon enough. This will be a problem next year too, for the first 3 months of racing. The BLM understood and approved the route with one change. It seems there is a sandwash which has been designated a state road to the Pinnacles State Monument located at the northeast end of the valley where the race started. The sandwash was deleted and everything was OK with the BLM. The flag dropped promptly at 10 o'clock for the Experts and Juniors_ Novices left 25 minutes later. The' run to the bomb was fairly rough and slower than usual: a foretaste of things to come. There was no place on the whole first loop where you could relax. We had whoop-de-doos, wash crossings, rocks, deep powder sand, two nasty hills, a pretty decent downhill, a tight, twisty, up-hill sandwash followed by a tight, twisty, downhill sandwash (complete with granite sjaircase) and plenty of dust in spite of the small (approx. 500) turn-out. Many small bike riders ran out of gas before the pits (myself included) due to running most of the loop in 2nd and 3rd gear. FIRST LOOP Tom Poteet was frrst rider into the pits one hour and four minutes after the start. Terry Clark (running 7th overall) was 8 min. behind. First Novice, Ray Hodge, was 35 min. behind Poteet. The 2nd loop (which 1 didn't ride) was tougher than the first according to certain desert foxes. Mostly sand washes and whoop-de-doos with a steep, soft, single-lane hill that prompted one rider to comment, "I almost rode on by, thinking some other club was putting on a hillclimb." After 70 tough miles the Sandblasters gave the riders a change of pace with 10 miles of sheer agony. Then the finish. Some riders complained of poor markings in the last section and a few riders missed the last check. My own impression of the first loop, however, was that the marking was excellent. I recall thinking how difficult it would be to remove all that flourescent pink ribbon, At the finish line it was Tom Poteet 2ms. and 10 min. from the start. Following him 5 min. later was Mike Patrick and Larry Pfutzenreuter. First big bike in was a Husky, Mike Mulconery (a Junior) aboard. First big bike Expert was also a Husky, Morris Norman running 8th place. Apparently most of the heavyweigh t hot-shoes were at Elsinore. Terry Clark, running 16th (maybe 14th due to disqualifications) was 1st Trail. First Novice was No. 395MX (Gary Dean?) on a Bultaco. One 350 Honda sidehack ridden by Ron Mathney and his monkey Glen Lane finished the 1st loop. If they actually went up those hills and through that uphill/downhill sandwash, they must be supermen! After the race, the China Lake security police came to complain about riders who apparently got off the course and into Randsburg Wash (where the Navy litters the desert with live ammunition). The course crossed the' Navy's paved access road to this facility at two points (the club had written permission to do this) yet members of my club were hassled by avy personnel when attempting to go back for lost riders. The ambulance crew called it a safe run, having only one rider with a broken leg and no other serious injuries. When asked about the tough hills, a Sandblaster replied "an old bald-headed man with a Triumph laid it out." Good for him. It was a rider's course instead of the road race course we've been getting. (Results on page 26) C 2021 Via Burton Anaheim, Calif. 92806 (714) 635-1450 IOn State College Blvd. 1 blk, north of Riverside Fwy.l tigers splashing mud allover. At the end th'e winner was M, Hoffman, a 15-year-old on a fast Sachs. The 125 Jrs. were divided' in to two divisions with a very classy M, Roth taking the first one on his Penton, and Pat Welsh having a very clean ride taking two motos and a fourth to take the class. A real ball was had by all the young 100cc Juniors and a very happy J. McDonald took the class on a good looking Kawasaki. D, Laporte was second on a Rickman. After the races in the pits, a tired Jim Wilson was rubbing the knee he hurt six months ago. He remarked "It still hurts a little and, it's hard to get it out of my mind. It's getting better. You know, it takes a long time for tom ligaments to come back." But, come back it shall, and so will Wilson. (Results on page 26) PAT, JIM & JEFF SHARE EXPERT CARLSBAD SILVERWARE 545 M. HoHman leads a gang 125cc chargers herp., and at the final flag as wei\. By Dick Wright CARLSBAD, CAL., March 7, 1971 The C.M.C. put another one of their great motocrosses with lots of water, mud and a reversed track. Pat deBenedetti had a good dice with Jim Wilson all day in the 250 Ex_ class. deBenedetti took the first two mo tos on his Maico with Wilson hot on his rear tire all the way for two seconds, That last moto was a real show with Wilson taking the lead on his C.Z. and deBenedetti trying everything to pass him: over the side of banks, up the side of walls, and on the last lap and the last tum Wilson had the groove and deBenedetti took the inside through the mud and tried a pass. But Wilson held off his charge and won the moto. The class win went to deBenedetti and Wilson took second.' G. Harris was this on a Husky. Wilson came back again in the 250 Expert go on another C-Z; this time it was another story. Wilson charged to the head in the first two motos and held off hard charges from Billie Urban and D. Smith. But Wilson took the first two motos with fast slides and high jumps. The last moto was a hard fought affair between Urban and Wilson, with Urban taking the honor and Wilson a close second. Wilson was overall and Urban was second with D. Smith third. Jeff Wright took all three motos in the 125 Expert class on his Rickman to win the class, this made for a pretty ouccessful weekend as be took second in the 100cc class Saturday at Elsinore, also on a Rickman. B. Kulek on a We sell &s.~~e:~1> MAlCOShere, • ~ • .aJa I Wins • , aga • Desert M.C. Hare & Hound-2/28/71 Trailbike Class 1st Randy Milligan-Baja 100 (Ex.) 4th Mike Hayes-Baja 100 1st (Jr.) 5th Jim Summers-Baja 100 (Ex.) AMERICAN • 1320 E. 1lIWIGETHllRP£ FUlLERT01II CALIF. I n41 110.411T e specialze it JaWI/C-Z'J the specialty machines. The Bike Shop Bultaco provided most of the competition to Wright's win, taking a well earned second. Also, Luther Werrona, the number one 125 rider from Minnesota, was out with his Sachs and gave it a go picking up third. The 500 Jr. class went to C. Bean on a Maico. A very fast B. Rhoads picked up a first place in the 500 Intermediate class on his Hudky. The 250 Intermediates had a good battle but after all the mud settled, J. Bartley came up the winner on a fast C.Z. As usual the 250 Jr. showed up in m:lSS and had to be put in two groups. G, Ackelson howed the boys the way home in the first division on his A.J .S. while S. Walsh did the job in the second division. Meanwhile, the 125 Intermediate class was up for grabs with the young HUSKY parts & SACHS accessories BMW Specialties 411 West Whittier Blvd. Montebello, £.lif. 90640 (213) 724-9474 the BarleyDavidson ~~ outperfOrIlJBrS ..... '" cD -5 ~ (J) ~ ~ w d >- U

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