Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

co " i ...' ..... a> ~ .; !O :s !!i! w c1 .~ DON C·ASTRO'S BIG liD-WEST WEEKEND By Bob Lenk Dixie Cycle News With a Confederate. Flag in one hand and a full bowi, of grits in the other, I left Atlanta, Ga., and charged for Tulsa, Oklahoma and the' first in a series of three half-miles in the Mid-west. The first event was at the Tulsa Oklahoma Fairgrounds. Practice started about 5 and continued until 7 :30. By this time the hard b lack grove was about 8 to 10 feet wide. The event was scheduled as a' two-star or 40% pune. With 39 Novices, 26 J union, and 21 Experts making. up the field, a good night's racing was in store. Through the process of elimination, via scratch 'heats and two semis, the Novice field was cut to the 10 fastest riden making up the Novice feature. William Jeffenon on a Buitaco was the first man off the line, with Delbert Armour on what looked like a box-stock DT-I not far behind. These two boys really put on a ~how; there was never more than 10 feet separating ,them for the entire 10 laps. On the 8th lap, Armour made a mad dash around Jefferson and pulled out some 10 feet in front. Armour held on through lap 9 and was still leading down the back stretch on the last lap. Coming around tum four and heading for the checkered flag, Jefferson made a Iast-chance charge, and overtook Armour, beating him by less than a bike-length at the finish line. Charles Mosteller on another Bultaco picked up the third spot with Bultaco rider Ronnie tum with Michael Collins in second place. John Farquhorson was in third spot and held that position for the ten laps. Bill Pace held fourth place for eight laps, then got too liigh in the tum, letting Gary Bailey get by him. Also on the eight lap Collins made a mad dash... and edged, Meyer out of fint spot. Collins picked up the win,with Meyer in second and Farquhonon third. In the Expert feature Castro led, with Seale second, Andenon third, and Lee fourth. By the fourth lap Lee had moved to the second spot and was really pushing Castro. Seale dropped to third and Johnston fourth. Johnston decided • he wasn't satisfied with fourth place money, so he jumped from fourth to' an almost-fint place by the next-to-Iast lap. As Castro (or maybe Johnston) crossed the finish line, Johnston had passed Don Castro holds the advantaga over Neil Keen at Winfield, Kansas. him. It se.erns Johnston passed Castro after they crossed the white finish line. second place doing his best to get the pole. Not one time did he get off Johnston was second, Lee third and' around Bailey. Bailey was coming of the the groove. The crowd went wild, Seale fourth. tums and pulling on Adkisson, but at clapping and yelling cheers of approval At the pay window the Experts were the end of the straights, Adkisson would Lee pulled 'way out in front of the very happy to fmd out the pune would gain a little of the ground he lost. Mike pack for the second position doing his be $2504 with the 40% gate. A little Greene worked his way from sixth place best to catch Castro, but Castro had too later on, down the road to Oklahoma, 1 in the first few laps to third position, much of a lead. Keen worked his way ran into Don Castro. He was very happy only to lose it to Alan Smith on the from fifth place to third with Anderson next-to-Iast lap. Bailey stretched out a on the only Norton picking up fourth with his winnings, sinc~ he made $684, to which he said, "1 didn't expect to comfortable lead in the final laps to place. take fll'st place; Adkisson picked up This was my first trip to the Mid-West make that much in all three races." second place with Smith third and racing scene; it was really something to Next stop: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma... Greene fourth. Who would have thought see. a 350' Yamaha would win a half-mile (Results on page 26) dirt race...1 wouldn't have, but look at ...With my Confederate Flag in one Road At!l!nta, too. hand and an empty bowl in the other Mike Andenon was the fIrst man off (they don't have grits in the Mid-west) the line in the Expert feature with we drove to Oklahoma City. The race Robert E. Lee righ t behind him. Castro was following in the third spot. By the second lap Lee had taken over command with Castro still in third. Castro moved into second place on the By Carol Witt fourth lap and a lap later blew by Lee to WICffiTA, .KAN., May 9, 1971 take his second win of the weekend. Lee Sunday morning dawned wet and soggy pulled far out in front of the pack in from the previous night's rain, leaving second place. Andenon was holding the track fast and tackey. Track ,steward fourth, but on the next-to-Iast lap, Rob Knoettgen had his crew active the moved into third. day before bringing in truckloads of After the race you can bet Donnie sand for the washboard area in front of Castro was very pleased with his the stands. Pile-ups were common in all evening's performance. Don said, "I heats but no serious injunes occurred, can't believe it! 1 have run two races on making iJ an exciting event for the the same machine and fInished them spectaton. both." After the race 1 tried to find the The 125 Seniors started the day with guy that said "our racing program will Rob Knoettgen, on a Carabela fU'St off be over by 10:30." He was wrong, it the line. Second was Marvin Whitham, was over at 10:15. What a helluva a on a Maico, followed by Danny Dix deal... (DKW) , and Robert Evans (Yam). Whitham overtook Knoettgen on the After the Oklahoma Half-Mile, 1· fifth lap, then lost first to Gary Clement gathered up my tired body and my who held it for the remainder of the Confederate Flag. By this time 1 had heat. Second went to Whitham and thrown away· my grit bowl, since I third to Knoettgen. In the second heat couldn't find any grits to put in it. We Whitham got off first but had bike "charged" up 1-35 to Winfield, Kansas, trouble, eliminating him for the day. for the last race of the three day series. CI~ment took first again, with The town of Winfield and the country Knoettgen and Dixon following. fairgrounds were wall-to-wall Charlie Seale held an early second behind Don Castro at the Tulsa. Okla., half-mile. After the third heat was finished, motorcycles and people. Clement took f1l'St for an overall victory Hutchens taking fourth place. track is the ~e one used for the The 80 some odd Novices were divided and Knoettgen placed second for the Confusion was the name of the National, at the 'Oklahoma State into eight heats, with the fmt man in day. Junior and Expert events. It seemed Fairgrounds. Practice was underway by each heat and the second man in the The 250 Sn. proved to be the race of someone in the timing tower couldn't 5 and over before 7. four fastest making up the 12-man final. the day. The fU'St off the line was Tony tell what came first: 21.31 or 22.54. The Novices were divided into 8 Delbert A.\'D'our picked up his second Martin of Topkea, Kan., on an Ossa, Riden were shuffled from heat to heat scratch heats of 10' riden each. The feature wtn of the weekend as he ran and some of them were shuffled right program was ready to go at 8:15: we followed by Jim Malone (Suz) and away from the rest of the pack. , out of the night's program. were promised the racing would be over Merlyn Michael (oss). Gary Witt, a Lawrence Kennedy on a Yamaha Twin The big line-up sheet that was posted by 10:30. 16-year-old lad who rides a Yamaha, is swapped back and forth with Charles for the riders to gaze at, so they would In the Novice final Teddy Poovey usually fU'St off the line, but for some Mosteller for second place. know where they were to ride, looked grabbed a nice lead on the first lap with reason he was the next to the last off In the Junior tmal Adkisson got like a Japanese cross-word puzzle and a Armour in second. By the second lap the line. By the first lap, however, he another bad start off the line, and poor one, at that. Things were finally Armour had out motored past Poovey had taken the third spot with Martin played doublecup and catch-up the rubbed over enough to make those that and his Bultaco to take over the lead. and Malone in the front. entire race. Rupe, meanwhile, pulled yelled the loudest happy. Those that Armour's twin Yamaha was just too On the third lap, Witt jumped to first out in front. Adkisson worked his way didn't yell very loud, didn't ride. "Well much for the other bikes, as he place and held it to the checkered flag. from a far fifth position to second, but - ho-hum, AMA is a little loose out stretched out his lead. Poovey moved Second went to Malone, third to here anyway," said one very disgusted out in a safe second place, leaving the was too far behind Rupe to overtake Michaels. Junior, as he loaded up his machine. third, fourth, and fifth men in a group. fint place. Rupe picked up first' place The second heat, Witt was first off Well anyway, as the Walt Disney system Lakey picked up the third spot with and $76.50 with Adkisson second, and beld fU'St throughout the race. of lining up riders for the heats Sawhill fourth. Collins third. Eddie Morgan of Wichita (CZ) took continued, so did the racing. As the Junior final rolled around, Don Castro gave a great show for the second. After a short intermission and the Gary Bailey was third off the pole at the spectators standing in tum one. He The third heat broke wide open. Witt, Novice trophy dash which Bill Jefferson line-up. By the second lap he had would fly down the front straight, tap Morgan, and Polland all got off the line his brake than throw his bike into a (Bul) won, and an Expert/Junior piloted his 350cc Yamaha twin to the fint. Within the fU'St hundred 'yards Trophy Dash won by Don Castro, we front of the pack. Adkisson came off hard broadslide holding the slide until there is a bottleneck, and a four-CYCle he was in the apex of the tum, then were ready for the Junior feature. the line a little slow and was in third pile up occurred. First to recover was straighten the bike up and ride aroUnd John Meyer lee:! the pack into the fll'st position, but by the fifth lap he was in Hartman, then Thad Davis on a Yamaha. Witt hit a slick spot and spun: : •••••••• Mail Order Blank··············· Morgan saw his chance and took fint : D & 5 Motorcycle Carriers slot for the nex t two laps. Witt grabbed ~ 3332 Reta St., La Crescenta, Calif. 91214 first back and finished with an overall Dealer Inquiry In'vited (213) 248-2837 or win. The Open Juniors and Seniors were _ (213) 248·2850 run together. A welcome face in this 1. Mounts t'O frame, not flimsy bumpers We carry llil types of insurance 2. Cars, trucks, motor homes, trailers, campers heat was that of BiJI LeValley, who coverage - garage Iiabi I ity 3. Front or rear, 350 lb. cap., 4' loading ramp took first in all three motos on his $45.00 Money order. add 5% tax in Calif. fire - theft & dealer bonds Maico. Gary Schaper (Mai) who was Name _ riding here for the second time, took second. Bud Lee of Salina, Kan., took Address _ third on a Bultaco. The Jr. class gave JOHN •• MAYNARD INS. City _ only one trophy and it went to Keith 3447 Meter Ave., L.A., Ca. Harris, of Wichita. State, Zip _ (m) 836-5211 (Results on page 26) ~.... ,~ Witt, CI,ement Sweep Wichita Jo" ••,••,,, '.s.,••e. s.,s "He, Mr. De,'er" S,.. U, r.251 I ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• . ' I

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