Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

Cycle News 1971 07 13

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

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Rodgers Finds Can-Am Poin t Lead; Rapp Smokes By John Grout VALENCIA, CAL.,ยท July 4, 1971 Whether or not you subscribe to the fact that this place once belong to the KilIiklik Indians is of little importance. Even if you're a non-believer in the fact that one' of its peaks contains a graveyard which belonge.d to some age-dimmed colony, it's of no importance. Because 450 riders who watched three of their tribal brethren take to the warpath, a scalping foray as it were, will gladly correct your thinking... John DeSoto, Tom Rapp and Dave Rodgers all came to Indian Dunes today. All three of them demonstrated their particular war dance. And all three of them could have chipped-in together for the hire of a Brinks wampum-hauling truck. During the ftrst moto for the 125 Seniors, young Kenny Zahrt, w.hile displaying some tremendous, crossed-in-the-air leaps, held the pack at bay for the better part of five laps, to encounter mechanical finally problems which gave the lead and the moto win to another Bultaco rider, pave Rodgers. , Attempting to keep his Can-Am point lead for the class, Rodgers roared right back in the second and third heats for a victory. Scott Hoffee lP-:andslam (Bultaco) and Larry Watkins (DKW) finished directly behind Dave in the day's overall score. Tom Rap!>, the Buena Park .Bultaco flyer, proved that his near-thumping of the European riders during last week's Inter-AMA races was no fluke, as he got serious with today's top field of 250 Seniors. While never once in any kind of trouble, Rapp grabbed the overall from Mark Cook (Husky) and Ron DeSoto (C-Z). Setting out to show why he's listed as the number one motocross racer in ,...merica, Johnny DeSoto we!)t on a scalp-collecting binge during the Open Senior slug-out. After uncorking a buzz saw of a new 400 Suzuki, DeSoto, with a fantastic display of riding ability, brought the gigantic flock of spectators to their feet time and again! There wasn't anything that the "Flying Hawaiian" was not able to do. Locating jumps where there were no jumps,. DeSoto appeared to be racing on air. He sailed his orange machine so close to the lip of one steep sandbank, that nothing but the force of gravity was between himself and an entry into orbit. He was so far in the lead during his three motos, that he could have finished them on foot - pushing. Joe Rose gathered three straight wins from the Old Timers bri!(ade, while Joe Flores did the same thing against tne 100 Juniors. John Hagar, a protege of brother Dave Rodgers, grand-slammed the 125 Juniors on his roaring, rolling Bultaco. Kenny Cook, astride a flame-orange Montesa, turned aside a large group of 250 Juniors with three straight wins. This weekend, July 10 and 11 Indian Dunes will feature an All-J unior card on Saturday, and an all-classes mo tocross program on Sunday.' Racing both days will get under way at 9:30 am. Monday, July 12, John Rice will hold a free school at the old reservation for anyone who might be interested in improving their moto racing ability. Baron Stops Wright GARDENA, CAL., July 1, 1971 - Jeff Wright, the favorite in the 125 Expert class, was stopped at ftve straight wins by his Rickman teammate Bruce Baron. Wright won the first moto in a wheel to wheel battl,e with Baron. who ended up a close" second. Greg Cunningham took the second moto on his Yamaha, and Baron was second again with., Wright fourth. Going into the last moto, any one of the three riders would win with a first place. In the second tum it was the three Rickmans of Baron, Wright and Ruben Bennites. Wright and Bennites locked bars and Wright went down. Baron went on to win the last moto and taking the class win as Cunningham grabbed second and Wright third. The. 250 Sr. event was also a wild affair. Baron took the lead with Bryar Holcomb grabbing second, both on Rickmans. Tim Hart was left on the starting line with a dead engine. Baron and Holcomb dueled it out with Baron taking the moto and Holcomb second. Dick Baxter took a strong third. It was another story in the second moto. Wright took the lead but Hart and Holcomb were able to work past him. Hart took the win and Holcomb second with Wright third. ~ In the final moto, Baxter grabbed the lead but Holcomb and Hart again worked their way past him and dueled for the lead. They went into the tight turn on the back side of the course bar to bar when Hart went down hard, and Holcomb took the lead. But, on the last turn he was pushed hard by Baron and dropped it giving Baron the moto. Holcomb picked his bike up and finished third which was enough to take the class win for the night. Baron was second and hard luck Hart was third on the Maico. There was also a battle royal in the 500 Expert class. Mike Cram took the early lead with Hart close behind, ,both on Maicos. Hart was really working Cram over. First he would try the inside then the outside. He set up a big fast broad slide on the banked infield tum and zoomed down on Cram but each time he was held off. On the last lap Hart tried the inside on the tum by the infield fence and Cram closed the door on him and Hart went down. Cram won the moto. The same battle raged in the second moto as Cram held the lead for the win and Hart tried everything to pass him but had to settle for second. In the third moto Cram took the lead again as Hart was still in the p'its after getting off hard in the last 250 Expert race and Hart started dead last. Cram won the race and th,e "lass with three wins. Hart ended up second for the night, and Curt Markham was third on a Husky. (Results on page 28) Clubs Star in Martino Cheat Fete By JohnGrout VALENCIA, CAL., July 5, 1971 Anyone who says that Checkers cheat is full of tutti-fruitti. Just ask any of the 100 Victors and Viewfinders members who were present for the Whitey Martino Beneftt Scrambles at Indian Dunes Park and they will get you straightened out. . The afternoon's last race - billed as a motorcycle club contest - turned out to be one of the wildest, and funniest slapsticks ever to be presented. When the banner dropped what must have been very- close to 120 bikes grabbed fire. The Checkers heads in one direction, the Viewfinders in the other and the Victors in still another. What had been a four-mile European Scrambles course promptly became a two mile IT. An unidentifiable object zipped past the offtcial scorekeepers at the start-finish line 10 times in five laps. John DeSoto's track record of 4 minutes flat, established while winning in an earlier race, was quite suddenly bettered by a full three minutes. John Rice chased a Checkers club member along the back part of the circuit, apparently upon intent of discovering where everyone had been disappearing. The last seen of Rice was the fog upon his blue helmet sinking slowly into the center of a clump of greenery at river level. The International racing radio mobile unit, located atop the high hill tum, crackled out across the airwaves "I think they're all cheatin'. UWrite down the course cutters on your pad," were his orders from control. "My pad ain't big enough," came the reply. "The only rider who has come by this checkpoin t - at all - is No.7 4, and he's only done it two times in the last seven laps or so." And then the checkered flag came out; from somewhere out of the dust and roar, there emerged a winner. Meanwhile during the earlier and more serious racing, DeSoto, Tom Rapp, Larry Watkins and Cortus Brooks sailed to long margin victories in their respective Senior divisions. Complete results will appear in next week's issue. II(I(C Wires tile Dunes Grady Lafferty, the 41-year-old President of International Racing Radio Crew, is a guy who extracts more than the usual amount of pleasure from his job. He'd have to - he doesn't draw a pay check for the work he does. You see, the I.R.R.C. is a non-profit group whose chief function is in rendering aid and assistance, which they do with the help of two-way Citizen Band radio equipment, to entrants in all types of competition events, including boat races. "We recently took an entire crew of our radio operators to an enduro boat race, being conducted on the Colorado River," grinned Lafferty. "It was a new experience for the club members. Talk about action!" The club also assists at Dune Buggy and motorcycle events. "We've got a big group that works each and every weekend at Indian Dunes Park - th e lar!(e mo tocross track out by Castaic Junction," Lafferty continued. "That takes quite a few of our 50 active members to cover. They race both Saturday and Sunday on the old reservation." The club, which is now seeking new C.B. station operators for their expanding activities, meets every other Wednesday evening at Dial's Resturant in Northridge, Calif. Lafferty, a C.B. operator for the past 10 years, has also been an avid cyclist since he was 15. "I used to have an old Harley 74 which I'd ride out to Santa Monica Stadium to watch some of the legendary speedway stars in action. Guys like Lammie "The Flying Frenchman," and the Milne boys. So, you see, I not only get satisfaction out of being able to help those who may need it, but I also enjoy keeping abreast of current trends in the racing world." Club information, phone 805/526-3972. DUNSTALL John ID ~~~ DUNSTALL STUFF Tons of Dunstall stuff just arrived for NORTON, Triumph, BSA, Honda Bring lots of money Write for catalog - $1.00 SPORTS CENTER 6027 Whinier Blvd. (213) 723-3523 ~ __ Los Angeles, Calif. 90022 \ . MOTO~ROSSLEATHERS Competition proven for the mini-racer, too. For brochure and complete information: contact: , Montecito Enterprises i P.O. Box 434, Carpinteria, Cal. 9'3013 --- . GENE KEY IN HENRY RICK CLEMENTS 1st Overall - Series 1st Overall - 125 Novice PLACERYILLE FOUR WEEK MX SERIES GEIIE'S AUTOMOTIVE LOOM'S, CALIf. > :; .., ~ w Z W ...J U >- U

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