Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

, GRANGER CLINCHES SUZUKI SERIES By Lou Whitney Photo by Dale Coats CALIFORNIA CITY, CAL., July 4, 1971 - The climactic finish of SRA's Suzuki Cy~lone Series on Independence Day could have been lifted out of a Hollywood thriller script. Winner of the 400MX was not decided until the last lap of the last. race of the last day, and then only by a scant few seconds. Going into today's race, three riders stiU were very much in the standings; Mark Granger with four Open class wins; Ron Roberts with four 250 class wins; and Don Wallingsford with three wins and a fifth in the 125 class. SRA officials were getting gray hairs over the possibility of a tie after the final race. The course was laid out without much though t of a tie-breaker as it was one of the longest and roughest of the series. It was the kind that made you work every second if you wanted to go super-fast, but was comfortable if you took it a little easy. It wound for a full 10 miles through all kinds of terrain (except rocks). The start ran slightly downhill cross-country and dropped into a serpentine sand wash that exited at check one onto a graded road broken up by two short canyon crossings. Another section of rough cross-country and then a long uphill sand wash that wrecked havoc with many an improperly jetted scooter. SRA officials pulled at least 20 bikes out of this wash. Rough sawtooth terrain showed one interesting hill where SRA had set up an alternate route for those who lacked supreme confidence (or strong bike). It was faster over the top, but a lot more skittish as a majority of the beginners. went around. The course was well marked and used an assor.tment of highway signs and construction barricades to accentuate the turns and danger marks. The full day of racing followed a two hour aerial fireworks display, and Sunday's finisher pins were appropriately shaped like a busting firecracker. First of the tie-breaker races was the Open Novices. It turned out to be another Mark Granger benefit, but it was not quite that simple as Bob Wadlow on a CZ even held the lead briefly until a broken shock put him out Racing Wheels, Sprokers, and Disc Brakes In Stock for Immediate Delivery' from NEIL KEEN P'ERFORMANCE ACCESSORIES 2415 Brown Rd. St. Louis, Mo. 63114 (314) 426-6959 of contention, and Suzuki mounted Mike Dice was just a few seconds back at the finish. Roberts and the 250 Novices didn't go off until 3 p.m. so he had plenty of time to get ready and stew in the knowledge that he had to win. Granger had come up with a 250 CZ and entered the race. This was the match .race everyone was hoping for and the spectators were not to be disappointed. This had to be the most exciting race witnessed in a long time as the lead changed five times in 30 miles. When the banner dropped, Granger whipped the CZ into a slight lead only to lose it about four miles out when he did a bad thing. He restarted quickly enough, and was about 200 yards back at the end of lap one. Granger forced his way into the lead in a wash only to have Roberts' Ossa stonn by again in the rough. On the third lap, Ron went over the handlebars, aU owing Mark to retake the lead and hold it to the checkered flag with a rear tire flapping in the breeze. Roberts was closing hard at the finish on the disabled CZ, but did not have quite enough time to do the job. That clinched the Suzuki 400 for Granger. The 100-1'25 Novice race also had its share of excitement as Wallingsford, point leader, built up a pretty good lead only to run out of gl!.S on the third loop. The win went to "Bultaco Billy Cray" who had been caught on the starting line all loaded up as the pack thundered off to the smoke bomb. He charged hard enough to be righ t with the leader when the tank went dry and came in for the win unchallenged. The four beginner races went off without incident and everyone seemed to be having a good time. In the Open Beginner class, Joe Lewis overcame a low spot early in the race to put his « MlJSt PowerfUl « « « West 01 Mississippi « COOPER « 110 E. SantaMOTORS Anita Ave. « Burbank, Ca. 91502 MAleC DEALER INQUIRIES INVIT.ED lot from the sale of each plug will be donated M.O.R.E. CD AI List I ntro. $32.00/pr. $24.95 shaft, 3 1/2" travel r 78 lb. springs .... . ... : :; .., ~ W Z w oJ U >U

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