Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

.Sell.endener SIIuts Out Pro If XSIIoes RENO, NEV., May " 1971 - Ken Wood (right), Sacramento, Calif., captured the Nevada Short Track Championship by only one point over Tim Bell, Sun Valley. Nev. as the wi nter·spring series 'ended today. Bell, who led from the start of the season in the overall point race. finished fourth in his final apPearance while Wood picked up 400 points, one more than enough for the victory. The final tally was 2,795 to 2,794. ENDUIO - - - - - - - - - - - - - ( C o n t i n u e d f r o m page 10) to receiving a sheet of paper when they enter the camp area telling them the length of the run, the schedule speeds, the color of the markings, sometimes even the kind of speedometer used for measuring mileage. In Northern California it seems that the schedule is always 24 mph unless its been hailing brimstone and you're hub deep in fire, so it's not necessary to make any special mention of it. When I asked a group of Sonora Club members how long the run ways, I expected to get the normally evasive answer but I was surprised. All three answered very cheerfully. "70 miles," said the first. "85 miles," said the second. "105 miles," said the third. "Oh," said I, "Thanks." Actually, it doesn't make any difference since everyone else knows as little as you do. It's just different. . The run began with fireroads and fast trails and only one tough little section. There you had your choice: down in a stcep-walled gully with an uncertain exit or up on top where the only problem seemed to be a low hanging branch. Turned out there was a dropoff on the other sie of the very low hanging branch and getting a bike under without going over the edge was a real problem. And naturally, getting out of the gully was easy. Holding a 24-mph schedule is not easy, even on rUlled fireroads and fairly You have to push easy trails. continuously if you are not to fall slowly but inexorably behind. It doesn't take much to make it impossible for the average and beginning riders to fall permanen tly behind. About 25 miles into the Sonora run, we started running into patches of snow. At fust it was only small patches, 50 or lOO feet long, with a ,greasy rut running down the middle and very wet mud on either side. Gradually the snow got deeper as we steadily climbed higher and higher. Before long the snow was so deep that the bike's tires could no longer chew their way through to solid earth. Then it began to be a game of "Find some un-rutted section for the bike to get some traction." Naturally, with 500 bikes going through, there wasn't much snow left. If you got into one of the ruts made by bikes before you, you could plan on being there awhile. The bike just sort of seLLled right down Lo the cases, and then, as motion stopped, it just froze in place, like it was set in concrete. Even a ligh t bike became quite heavy under those circumstances and heavy bikes threatened to become permanent parLs of the landscape. The usual case wound up with 3 or 4 exhausted riders pooling efforts, slipping and sliding, falling, and being drenched by wet slush as they attempted to force the bike up the trail. Most of the way the ground, hence the snow, had been fairly level, but just before the end there was a long uphill. Quite a few riders, remembering what it had taken to go on the level, just gave up at the sight of the hill, but it wasn't all that bad. just a lot of work. Once over the top of the hill there was still snow, but it p;ot to be kind of fun because it was downhill. You pointed your front wheel into a rut and jusL turned it on, using your feet for skis on either side. Whee! A few times the ,ruts were really deep so your ski-feet were up about level with the gas tank and you assumed the same attitude as a chopper pilot. Control in that position is virtually nonexistant but it didn't make too much difference because the bike couldn't fall over. It did get a bit interesting when you unexpectedly hit fallen, buried logs, though... At the gas check, about 50 miles out, they told us there was no more snow, which was a bit of relief. What followed was some very, very fast riding on trails and fire roads because by this time everybody was late and trying to make up time. We hit the deepest water crossing of the day (about up to the axles) and the longest downhill ever. just a few miles before the end we . turned onto a narrow trail which was laced wiLh low overhanging branches and blessed with a very loose surface of sand and rock. It was steep enough that riding it would have been a challenge if it were clear, but with the branches at chest heigh t it was impossible to ride. Feet down, brakes locked, hands killing you, down, down, down, foreve.r. Ll was Lhe longest, continauUy steep downhill that I've ever been down. ~Iy guess is that we dropped 2,000 feet vertically. Technically, the run was well done. Distances compared well wiLh mine and the times were right on. The marking was done by a master of economy. There was an arrow every place where one was required, but not one was wasted. Any guy with an anxieLy neurosis was in trouble because there weren'L any markings to speak of except on turns. You could go quite a ways without seeing an arrow but just about the time you decided- to turn around there was another red arrow. Very well done, but sparse. No one Lhat I spoke to gOL lost or had any trouble finding the course. • Everyone seemed to enjoy the run, which means that they found it challenging and interesting. But the snow saved it. If the snow had melted it would have been a disaster. And it would have been a disaster that could have been laid at the feet of the Forest Service, nOL the sponsoring Sonora M.C. You can't put on an enduro worth riding if you're restricted to dirt roads. It seems to me that the Sonora Club is to be highly commended for making the very best possible of a poor situation, and possibly even more, for not , blowing their cool." They are carrying on continuing negotiations with both the Forest Service and the Pickering Lumber Company in the hopes of being able to put on good runs in the future without having to rely on the vagaries of snow, although the vagaries of snow might be easier to live with than the vagaries of insurance companies and lumber companies and the ponderous U.S. Forest Service. The Sonora Club had good luck and a good run this time. Let's wish them more of the same. ~ Jimichrome Sbines SUddenly \ :hCc '\ ,/1 Jf£ By Mike Starr MEDFORD, ORE., Motocross Park, May 2, 1971 - Sixteen-year-old john Schwendener, from Ashland, Ore.• showed the "pro" motocrossers from California how to win a race and walked home with the lion's share ( 90) of the 5270 purse. Carl Cranke, Larry Batistoni, Chuck Bullwinkle and Chris Carter were all impressive but the only pro who shook the local troops was 15-year-old Bill Grossi on his 125 Sachs (oops DKW). Grossi annihilated the local Seniors in the 125 class. Then, still aboard his 125 DKW proceeded to blow the doors off the likes of CZ mounted Cranke and Maico rider Carter in the pro series. Bill rode like a man (boy) possessed and nearly won the second pro heat. Had Schwendener's 400 Maico faltered once or the slighted slip occurred Grossi would have cleaned the slate. Bill Oliver and Keith N erseth from Eugene, Ore. also rode hard and placed high in the pw class. With the exception of Grossi the California pros received ample notice that Oregon hot shoes like to win very, very much. Perhaps next year the "Big Boys" will be prepared to push just a little harder and give the locals some competition. The pro race wasn't the only exciting moment of the day. Seven regular classes were also run off at the Southern Oregon Motocross Championships. All of the classes were filled with riders shooting fOJ season high point trophies in addition to the regular brass. Also several riders picked up a $20 YAMAHA SPORTCYCLES NEW & USED SALES Parts-Accessories-Service Financing-I nsurance MASTER CHARGE·BANKAMERICARD Discount to Ascot Racers GENE H. MYERS 4151 Redondo Beach Blvd., Lawndale, Ca. (213) 542-4047 l DUNSTALL (J!;2D" .!.....-- l DUNSTALL STUFF Tons of Dunstall stuff just arrived for NORTON, Triumph, BSA, Honda Bring lots of money Wri te for ca tal og - $1.00 SPORTS CENTER 6027 Whittier Blvd. (2.,3) 723-3523 E. Los Angeles, Calif. 90022 • ~_ ~• MIllO IMPlIIITS CO. 1274 East Clllorado BIv Pasadena. Calf. 911D& $ CYCLE CITY ~S:j 34198 Coast Highway Dana Point. Calif. 92629 (714) 496-1001 SMII Oralce eoll1)' Tri...~ Hea_ners ,""zu." . .. .. SI mi ellrome i s a honey Ie.. s quick a bunny OMPEnnON Tube S1 CHEr.,ICALS Can n.45 IS Iowa Falls.Jowa 50126 .. .. MAI.CO .. COOPER MOTORS . .. West of Mississippi UO E. Santa Anila Ave. B..-bank, Ca. 91502 Parts & A,cessories only 10% Discount 713 Estes Strellt Most Powerful B & B CYCLE CITY 17424 Be.eh Blvd. Huntington Be.ch (714) 842-6601 to cycle club members .... aJ :z: at :s !!: :s lIQ OPEN 9am -9pm Sunday, 9am6pm (714) 847-1144 7412 hlbert Huntington Bnch bill for finishing in the top three in class with a silencer on the end of their loud pipe. The championships were the last race of the season at Medford Motocross Park. and officials of the Motorcycle Rider's Association are already planning improvemen ts to be made before action resumes nex t October. SEASON HIGH POINT TROPHY WINNERS: KIDS-l00cc: Terry Holmgren; 125 JR: Gordon Brown; 250 JR.: Russell Briggs; OPEN JR.: Bob LaFontaine; 125 SR.: Charles Layton; 250 SR.: Keith Nerseth and OPEN SR.: John Schweodener. A.'s Tacl1e le••iltTracl By N. A. Williams CLACKAMAS, ORE., May 8, 1971 This was the first time that the Amateur riders were on the rebuilt trackThere were several spills, some even in practice, as the 130 riders tried to find the groove around the new track. Allan Mundt (Kaw) was running in third place in the 250cc Trophy Dash when he went down hard and had to be put in the ambulance. They said his leg or ankle might be broken but Allan said it was feeling better, even before he wa, removed from the track. It was getting very late and the track has a curfew hour, so they ran only the A & B Mains in each class. They hope to get started earlier next time, and get all the events run. (Results on page 26) " '" '" '" N '" > :;; '" ~ w Z W ...J U >- U

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