Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125727
W.S.;I,'O. C,dis's Ha.. UpSO. DOWIS LO Tef/in A!fJffJc'fJss-- l'fJIII file Sf/ddle ",ir By Larry Ulrich Ah, here it is the 30th of April and we're making the 350 mile drive from Bend, Ore., to Orondo, Wash., to ride in the annual "Team Motocross" at Daroga Park. My partner, Ray Crane and I have looked forward to this since last year when we rode this event. We decided to start on Friday this year, practice Saturday, race Sunday and head for home Monday morning. We pulled into Darago Park Friday afternoon and set up camp in the campgrounds. A more beautiful spot would be hard to fmd, as this park is on the Columbia River with a secluded swimming hole and boating spot. Camp sites are divided by tall cottonwood trees and with a big washroom in the middle of the park, complete with showers and even a washer and dryer. We unload the bikes and decide to take a few laps on one of the finest motocross tracks in the Northwest. This track is deep sand, about a mile and a half around and is completely covered by a sprinkler system. Back to camp for a leisurely evening of bench racing, as more riders are showing up to camp and ride the "team rno tocross". Saturday is another day of leisure, alternating between tinkering with the bikes, practicing on the track and bench racing. Sunday morning at 8 a.m. the first 2-stroke fires up. Then another and another and another and anybody that drank too much last nighr is probably sorry and cussin' righl about now. At 9 a.m. the lightweights fin;,hed practice and it is time for the heavywei!(h t practice. Just 2 classes today. 0-175 and I 76-up. Each class will run three, I hour motos. That's right. I hour motos on one of the roughest tracks in the country. It's called "team motocross" because you sign up as a team, usually two riders and two bikes, and you swap anytime during the mota. H one bike breaks down you can continue with the other one. At 10: 15 and the lightweight class is started. They use a rubber band start here, which seems real fair, but I still prefer a flag start as I enjoy trying to figure a flagman out and usually get a good scratch. Besides a good flagman lends something to the atmosphere of the thing. However, I'm not worried about a good start today, because I have my partner Ray all pumped up to start all three motos. After two broken arms last year, starting line traffic still bugs me a little. As tiroe for the heavyweight mota draws close Ray and I are getting a little nervous wondering if my- brand new, almost zero miles 360 Yamaha MX will hold up in thjs deep sand and high temperatures and if his 250 AJS will cut the mustard. Time for our mota to start and Ray gets on the starting line. I get into my gear, ready to go in case he has trouble on the line. They're off, Ray running about fifth or sixth out of thirty-four teams. Around the frrst 180-degree tum, over a jump and into a hard right hander. Down goes Ray and some guy uses his Ajay for traction. Ray is back up and fighting mad in about 20th position and starts passing bikes like crazy. He works his way up to about 10th and thinks, "Larry, you get out here and race with these fools for a while". 1 pull onto the track and find it is torn up a bit by the lightweight class. Park owner Bert ner dragged the track Saturday night to remove big holes, but they are appearing already. Great fun, I think I'll wheelie over this series of holes. Neat, look at me go. Hey, who's this guy going by me on the outside??? Number 20, Mike Claphan or Mike Welsh lapping me already. WOW. Bikes broke down all around the track. Some with loaded engines from lugging in the foot deep sand and 85 plus degree temperatures. Here comes the sand hill, 50 feet high and looks straight down. Guess I'll land half way down. Super fun! Claphan and Welsh are jumping their 400 Huskies almost to the bottom. Oh-oh, who's thjs lapping me now? Bert lIer. Bert runs the show here and was n{)t going to ride but at the last minute decides he should. NO PARTNER. All by hiroself he rides three one-hour motos in the hot sun and deep sand. He must be made of iron. I find out later he earned seventh overall riding by himself...l'm lucky to ride 15 minutes before I have to tum it over to Ray. Second mota is pretty uneventful except I load my engine for a couple of minutes when trying to lap some slower riders. Third mo to and we are getting tired. I swear some of those holes must be three feet deep. I'm starting to run a gear lower because I'm getting too tired to hang on at high speed and the track is getting super rough. I a problem with dust, still a fine motocross track and really takes endurance to ride fast all day. Oh-oh, there goes Claphan or Welsh again. Sure hard on the ego to have these kids lap this old man two or three times during the hour. The only revenge I get is when I lap other riders. Ray and I worried for nothing about our bikes, as they both performed flawlessly. PACER IS PACESETTER IN BAJA! Straight·cut primary drive gears reduce friction, heat by removing side-thrust from crankshaft, contrib· ute to all power·adding equipment. For AT·l, CT-1. DT-1. RT-1 Yamaha Enduros. Adjustable fork tripleclamp extends rake for high-speed stability or neutralize steering for close-quarter maneuvering work such as trials. -. -- 18 Iv. 31 min. RECOllD in BAJA p~ : Per#OIiI_Ke Producto : of Fontana : • • • Maico. DKW. CZ, Hodaka. BMW • • 9008 Sierra Ave. ~~ • • Fontana. Calif. (714) 822-2252 '. ' pam & Includes S&W dual·rate springs, Teflon bushings. Greatest boon to handling since telescopic forks I Patrick·Bowers use these PACER • ,. COM.OLID&T.D .****************~ W~ service what we sell B1JSKY Unique fork damping, oil recirculating ~vstem is new suspension miracle. and other PACE R products. : S,'es '.r's Sen;ce : • Five-position plates give wide range of angles. -Patridc -YAMAHA : Yamaha & : • • Triump~ 'o .. ' . .'!fl ....'\,;.... :r .• :-. .__... Fred Siegel (41w) on his way to the 250 A Main win banles Jim Walden (101) and Alan Mundt (271 who finished 2nd and 3rd. . .****************. : By N. A. Williams CASTLE ROCK, WASH., May 2, 1971 - Like several other riders today, Jim Curtis managed to crash his bike at Least once. After going down in the 125 Main, Jim came back to win both the 200 Trophy Dash and the 200 A Main. At least five riders crashed in the 250 A Main and with much of the opposition out of the way Fred Seigel was home free. JiroWalden hit the fence in practice earlier. After he got his wind back he won the 250 Trophy Dash and came in second in the 250 Main EvenL The 500 and Open classes had few riders and only an A and B Main were mn in each. (Results'on page 26) The results are posted and we came out 11th. Ten trophies are paid. Same as last year, one place out of the trophies. Oh well, there's always next year. Ray says it will be my tum next year to start all three motos. Claphan and Welsh motor their 400 Huskies in for the overall win with the two Yamahas of Larry Bossen and Jiro Watkins second. Our local heros from Redmond, Ore., Tracy Lantz and Randy Limbeck, came home with third place for their Maicos. Another night of leisure, bench racing, beer drinking and fun. Monday morning we head back for Bend and talk about next year and the Daroga Park Team Motocross. IMDU.TItI • • 17841 E. VALleY 8LVD.1 CITY of INDUSTRY 1-B CALIFORNIA 91745/TeI.phon. Ar. 213/964-6503 SACHS accessories BMW Specialties 411 West Whittier Blvd. Montebello, Calif. 90640 (213) 724-9474 uenaPark YAMAHA SALES - PARTS SERVICES OPEN 7 DAYS 8-7 DISCOUNT TO STUDENT & COMPETITION CARD HOLDERS 7872 ORANGETHORPE 522-6680 Jo'•••, ••r4 '.s.r••e, 5"5 "He, Mr. Dealer" We carryall types of insurance coverage - garage Iiabi Iity Ii re - theft & dea ler bonds S... U, ,.251 JOHN •• MAYNARD INS, 3441 MelOr Ave., L.A., Ca. (W) 13&-5211 I HARLEY-DAVIDSON I L.A.". #) Harley-Davidson Distributor "Where the price is right...the service is PUCH WINS THE BIG ONES CMC Motocross Carlsbad Raceway Carlsbad, Calif. May 9,1'971 125 JR. DIV. I Motocross 1st S. Graham - PUCH Cyclesport Race Track 125 JR. DIV. II 1st - J. Hill - PUCH best and we are just good people to do business with." Volume dealer means lower prices! . Our 50th year at the same location. Here today - here tomorrow to back the Harley-Davidson of your choice. Harley-Davidson/Los Angeles 2531 S. Main at Adams RI9-6235 Houston, Texas May 2, 1971 125 EXPERT lst - Greg Graham - PUCH PUCH 125cc WHY PAY ~MORE? -.....:::::::::.=::::::...::....------ Puch Dist. Co. 9825 Mason Cha~orth,Ca.91311 (213) 882-8860 Dealer Inquiries Invited ----- or; . N > ::;; ~ w Z W ..J U > U