Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

Foley Returns, Wins in District 36 Scrambles ~ w Z W ...J U >- U By Bill Spencer HAYWARD, CAL., June 12, 1971 National Scrambles Champion Jim Foley returned to the Hayward Speedway after a two-week layoff and swept both the 250 and 500 Expert Mains.- This fantastic Yamaha rider purposely stayed out an extra week to get his strength and psyche up for the onslaught. His efforts were well rewarded with wire-ta-wire wins in both classes that left both riders and spectators enthralled with his performance. Foley had a good jump in the 250 Main with Pat Hennen and Rocky Malynn bringing up the rear. Hennen seemed to attack Foley with a vengence as in nearly every lap; he would use Foley as a back-stop and plunging deep into the corner, bouncing off and trying to hold himself up. Foley never seemed to notice and kept a good pace that gave him a wide margin at the checkered. In the 500 Expert Main, it was nearly the same with Craig Filmer riding a trusty old Arnie Montesa to second over Rick Hocking's Bandido. Nick Nazzisi snuck in for a fourth spot trophy. The 650 Expert Main was set for a 21-lap thriller as many of the riders were complaining about not having as much riding as used to be had in the past. For that reason, referee Dick Wilson called for the 21 laps. Los Gatos flash Jerry Chadim led it off and pulled away with an early lead that seemed impassable with Jim Brooks and Bud Smith garnering the next two spots. After three laps that saw Chadim lengthen his lead, Rick Otto began to make his move. Methodically, he moved from fifth, all the way through the pack, until he was on the rear wheel of Chadim's Triumph. How he had to figure a way around this hard charging leader. After lap 16 had gone by, he set it up. Exiting the spectator corner, he went low and turned on all the horsepower available. He then held his position on the outside of Chadim through the switchback and, exiting the wide left hander before the jump, was firmly in command. Otto is still the king of the 650's at Hayward. In the 650 Junior Main, Rudy Jacobs wound up the winner after a very long wait for an ambulance to return. The track's surface is new and exceedingly fast and many of the big bike racers were not used to this clean surface and· a lot of hard get-offs were prominent, with no major injuries. Jack Cride·r got his new Honda off on the right foot with a win in the 350 Junior Main. Crider is a long-time racer had has had man y bad experiences through the years. His efforts tonight were well-rewarded. Steve Langston turned in another. excellent performance on board his 125 Suzuki to win the 100-125 Jr/Ex. Combined Main. Langston is a Junior that is hard to catch, a man that gives his all in any even t. Ron Kole continued his domination of the 200 Novice class and his point count for this division will be outstanding at the end of the year. (Results on page 48) Crenshaw Takes Three at Cycleland By J. Noffsinger. CHICO, CAL., June 12, 1971 - Jim Crenshaw, Davis, Ca., and his 250 Bultaco made a clean sweep here Saturday nigh t, taking well-earned wins in the 250 Expert Main, 250 Scratch Main, and the 250 Handicap Main. Last week he took both the Expert and Scratch Mains, however, he was too tired to really participate in the Handicap Main, and was content to simply ride around the track. This evening he was full of vim and vigor and really zapped the boys in all three events. Ron Harlan of Oroville appears to have found the form and style he had before going into the military service. He is now riding in the 200 class and has a new Bultaco under him here. He won the 200 Scratch Main by about 20 yards, and in the 200 Handicap Main was really closing in on the winner, Mike Cardoza, Princeton (Bul), at the finish. He tried to pass inside at the last corner, and finally lost out at the finish by some five feet. Another old time rider here, Dave Veffredo of Chico (Bul) is back in old NO GERITOL FOR HER! Mayra Scarborough, a librarian from Nutley, N.J., is on her way home from San Francisco by way of Florida. She had just completed the 4500-miJe trip out West on her police-model Honda 450 to deliver a paper to a librarian's convention. She learned to ride from her daughter a year ago and, despite breaking a leg in a spill, found it more appealing tban driving. The trip back will take the 5-£00t, 3-inch Mrs. Scarborough a month. She is 55 years old. form_ Dave, riding from his huge handicap, actually passed Jim Crenshaw several times during the Hancicap Main in the 250 class. However, he e"entually gave in to superior horse power. In the Expert Main and the Scratch Main he gave Jim all he could handle, again passing him in the south comer several times. Jim always took it back at the end of the straight in the north corner, however. Jim Crenshaw and Dave Veffredo both have but one race to win here in the Handicap class to take home a "Scratchrnan" trophy. This is that rare and elusive trophy which Cycle land Speedway gives to riders who have won twelve Handicap Mains. Dave has been trying for two years with no success, and with Jim's win this evenjng, he, too, has but one more win to earn that hand-carved trophy by. George McKillop. Tom Southam, Butte City, again had his Bultaco 100 full of steam as he won his fifth straight Scratch Main. Again he barely made the Handicap Main, and took a last place here, but when it comes to the Scratch Main he gets that good start, reaches the south comer first, and then simply maintains a 10-yard lead the rest of the race. Tom has greatly improved over last year, and is really putting it to tbe boys in this class. Rider attendance was down due to several other flattrack races being held in Northern Calif. However, the quality of racing did not diminish in the least, especially in tbe 250 class. The boys who were here did their stuff and the crowd really enjoyed the cool steady breeze, and the exciting, consistent racing. (Results on page 48) GENNAI HOLDS LEAD As of June 5, 1971, John Gennai. of Sunnyvale, Calif., was leading the point run in District 36 competition. Gennai won 4 main events on that weekend and wound up with a total of 101 points compared to second place Jim Foley with 68. Foley was out of competition at that time with a separated shoulder but in just one week back at the racing scene, he picked up eight points on Gennai with four in a row of his own. Terrain Ideal for RMT ~ Expert Meet By Stuart Hawkins DENVER, COLO., June 13, 1971 The Rocky Mountain Trials Association held its annual Experts' trial in Waterton Canyon southwest of Denver. Trialmaster Glenn Neigenfind set 26 superb sections in several small creeks that drain into the Platte River. The first 16 traps climbed about 1500 feet up Bear Gulch. The ground was very rough with some 3-foot rock steps in spots, a 2-foot elevated off-camber log, and long stretches where the stream had carved a path deep into solid granite. The last of the traps was a half-mile long, uphill slalom that climbed several hundred feet above the stream. This was the turn-around point for the 14 Colorado Experts, who demonstrated admirable skill in handling the treacherous switchbacks. Since these same traps were used in last year's Experts' trial, an excellent yardstick was provided to judge the improvement in the riders. At the end of the day it· was quite apparent that there had been an impressive advancement in the skill of the RMTA E"perts during the last 18 months. The top three men at the end of the Bear Gulch traps were W. Wagner (11 points), E. Schultz (12 points), and B. Brokaw (15 points). Following a brief rest, the riders and spectators rode to Mill Gulch for the remaining 10 traps. In the first trap Wagner crashed and injured his knee. That left Schultz and Brokaw in a splendid duel for top honors. ......................................................................................................... 11 n III I 1 I KAWASAKI I I 11 U II I I all 1971 models available for immediate delivery! 1,629 s. sQ.~~Co 's Motorcycles Pho... _ Ii Santa Ana, Ca. I, 543-9688 I I I ~ The traps up Mill Gulch were wet and full of steps - and long. Some required 3 observers to score a single trap. At the top of the Gulch, Neigenfind led the tiring riders and a few determined spectators over an unbelievable series of deer trails that were so steep they can only be ridden downhill. Allastthe final sections were reached. Rocky, off-camber monsters that collected an astronomical number of points. The last section was a deep, sand trap adjacent to the Waterton Canyon road. A group of two dozen trail riders stopped to watch the bedraggled competitors foot their wasy through the soft stuff. The trail riders began to grow bored with the whole thing. Then Bill Brokaw, an old time sand-trap rider, got into the worst of the turns and stopped completely with both tires completely buried in the sand. His front wheel locked and his bike balanced beautifully, Brokaw edged his way through the turn in little six-inch increments. The trail riders broke into applause as Brokaw cleaned the trap. You could see it dawn on them that maybe this really wasn't a game for old women. Doyne Bruner from Colorado Springs got the only other clean in the sand. The meet was over - 7 hours for 14 riders to get through 26 traps - and a little rough country in between. The exhausted riders headed for the pits; except for Brokaw and Schultz who went back to Bear Gulch for a lunch bet on the first 6 traps. Schultz, who had just returned from the SCTA Big Bear Two Day Trials, won the lunch and the trial. Some guys don't know when to quit. (Results on page 48)

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