Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

NATIONAL STARS VISIT HAYWARD SPEEDWAY By Bill Spencer HAYWARD, CAL., July 10, 1971 Hayward M.C.'s usual Saturday night scrambles racing closer resembled a National than a plain old scrambles. This is not hard to understand as, many of today's National riders started racing on this particular track, such as Rice, Brelsford and Kenyon. Tonigb t's stars are such names as Gennai, Hocking, McCaul, Hernandez, Hennen and even young guys like Steve Fredrickson. The largest class that they congregate in is the 250cc size. Tonight had three heats and one semi leading to a 10-lap main. This took the fIrSt and second man to the main, with three, then five to the semi. From the semi, the first four would go to the main. to a fourth and had to ride the semi. The next heat was led out by Bill Groce who pulled away easily from Craig Mic1tie,John Taylor and Mike Van Lienden. At the end of that heat, Steve Hernandez (Bul) pulled into third spot for a transfer to the semi with Taylor and Van Lienden. In the third heat, Bill Budde led off the line with Pat McCaul (Oss) pressing . closely. So close in fact, that after a couple of laps, McCaul tried a low side pass that forced both riders off the groove, giving the lead to Pat Hennen. Hennen marched on to the checkered while McCaul recovered first for the only other transfer"'P0t directly to the main. Budde took Dan Cosio and Nick Nazzisi to the semi with him. Foley grabbed the semi with ease after a tremendous hole shot off the starting line. Taylor hung on for a third as Hernandez kept up an unrele!'ting charge for the final lap pass giving him second. Budde made the last transfer spot to the main with a fourth, this despite a cracked wrist incurred in a race at HoUister in which six Experts bailed over the jump. Henry, Johnson Two-Time Chico By John Noffsinger CHICO, CAL., July 10, 1971 - Joe Henry finally got things working right here at Cycleland Speedway taking the lead from the start in the 250 Scratch Main and won going away. In the 250 Handicap Main starting from his 40 yard handicap he moved with each lap passing riders, and by the end of the fourth lap he was in front, and then simply cruised home an easy winner. Perhaps Jim Crenshaw being absent helped. However, Joe was in good form and would certainly have given Jim (the lead in poin ts here) a battle. Dick Turner, after a lengthy leave of absence, returned and did manage to win the 250 Expert Main going away. Dick shot off the line first and then simply found his own groove and won the event by some 25 yards over Ted Bare. Bare showed up with a new Ossa and raced in the 250 class for the first time at Cycleland. A regular in the 200 class, he really looked good at times and his bike does have power. Brad Johnson on a borrowed 100cc Yamaha looked strong winning the 100 Scratch Main by 25 yards; he was constantly' faster in the turns than the other riders. In the 100 Handicap Main he started near the fence, out wide, shot off the line cut back in on the south comer, grabbed first by the north corner, and then proceeded to run away and hide. Joe Allen and Tom Southam really had battles all nigh t in the 100 class. They made a habit of passing each other with frequency all evening with the result that they slowed each other down and neither could gain on Johnson in any of the main events. . Dan Souza also enjoyed a fine nigh t of racing. He was first in the 200 Beginner Main and then took first in the 200 Handicap Main. His results in the last event places himself outside the Beginner events here. If Turner races steadily here and returns to his old form and if Joe HerIJ"Y can maintain his present form, then perhaps there is indeed someone to challenge Crenshaw, in the 250 class. (Results on page 28) Lining up for the main gave Gennai his choice of where to sit on the front row. He chose the middle and the rest of the crew lined up from the pole out. This left Groce in that slot that somehow never seems to work in the main. Those that transferred from the semi fill up the back row and that is like being put back to the next race. With Gennai in the middle, he was rubbing shoulders with Hocking, fellow Bultaco of Fremont running mate. When starter Mortensen threw the green, Hocking blasted to the lead. After one lap, it was Hocking closely followed by Gennai, Groce, Hernandez, Foley and McCaul Passing is night onto impossible on this tight track but tonigh t McCaul was giving it a go on his Bob Swanson Ossa. On lap three, he tried the outside of the spectator tum around Foley, no easy task in itself and held it, under the close scruntiny of referee Wilson. Hernandez aced Groce on the next lap and from there Bill worked his way back. At the end of lap five it was still Hocking holding off Gennai with Hernandez, Groce, McCaul and Foley doing their best to keep up. At this point McCaul let out the stops and started some more phenominal passing. From fifth to fourth took in Groce, a low side pass in the spectator comer, to third around Hernandez and finally finishing on the rear wheel of Gennai. Results official, six trophies and equal points to Hock.ing, Gennai, McCaul, Hernandez, Foley and Hennen. All this and the rest of the races are yet to come.. In the 650 Expert competition Gennai (Tri) and Budde (Tri are both regular competitors. In the first heat, Gennai made a spectacular pass on the outside of Ron Talbot for the win with Jerry Chadim and Bud Smith taking third and fourth. Tiffen Mullenax led off the second heat with Budde and Landsborough doing battle in the second spot. On the last lap Budde laid it on Tiffen and got by in the last turn with Landshorough also getting by. Budde led off the main, a 10-lapper, and held the hard charging Gennai for six laps. But the inevitable happened and Gennai did one of his feet up slides and passed in to first. At this point it was Gennai, Budde, Fred Cziska (Tir), Mullenax and Smith. Gennai had a good thing going until lap nine and just as the white appeared, Gennai missed a gear and Budde was patiently waiting and took over the lead and the win. Cziska held on for the third with Smith getting by Mullenax for the fourth and last place trophy. Conrad Saxelby (Tri) returned to the winner's cirle with a neW number and classification. After nine straight wins, he was made Junior and suffered a third place finish at last night's Lodi race, but recovered his old winning ways tonigh t with a victory over Paul Leuty. Leuty (Tri) was last nigh t's winner and it was his second in a row, which should make for a great battle in next week's races. Holding onto third and doing a great job of it was Gary Trammell who was riding a forty incher for the first time. The motor belongs to Mike Sarandria who has a new 750 kit and if he doesn't sell the 650 soon, he would be doing great by letting Tramm.ell ride it. Jim Foley (Yam) was tired of not having a winner in three main event outings for the weekend and so to make sure his 25th birthday didn't go unnoticed at Hayward, he handily won the 500 Expert Main over the Selby Montesa mob of Mike Van Lienden and Brian O'Hagan. (Results on page 28) TMRA Hosts Fast Oregon Motocross By Janis Randall JUNCTION CITY, ORE., July 10, 1971 - The Territorial Motocross Racing Association once again put in time, effort, and five cubic yards of sand to prepare the track for their races. It lasted un til th e main events wh en a very hard groove developed, allowing extremely fast lap times. In the 125 class the C Main was won bY' Len Kesey on his CZ, who then transferred to the B Main and took second place behind winner Tony Nova (Bul), who then transferred to the A Main and took second to Keith KeinJe. Tony Nova then went on to defeat current track champion Bill Oliver in the 200 A Main. John Sullivan followed for third, making it a BuItaco sweep. The 250 class was the most exciting of the nigh t, with a loaded pedorrnance being put in by John Schoonover (Yam). He started with a stunning performance in the B Main defeatin!! Neil Miller (Bul and Mike Bailey (Oss) by a startling margin. Transferring to the A Main he continued his domination of the 250 class after a resounding duel with Bill Oliver (Suz) and surprise third-place man Tom Montgomery, who rode his second race this year and his first on a brand new Ossa Dick Mann replica. Schoonover rode the track flawlessly. In ~e Open class .Jimmy Tallman GROSSI A FATHER Bob Grossi, recuperating from a compound fracture sustained at the Mammoth Mountain Motocross onJune 19, recently received something to occupy his mind while waiting to get back to racing. On Friday, July 16, Bob's wife delivered the latest entry to the "Grossi Racing Team", an 8 lb., 4 ounce baby boy, Robert Preston. Father Bob will have a great deal of time to spend with his son as "it'll be still another three months before I can even think about starting to race again. And even then, there's training and everything - maybe in November I'll be ready." Meanwhile, Billy Grossi, injured a few hours before Bob was, has recuperated quickly from his broken arm and was back racing at Santa Maria on July 18. (Tri) took first with Keith Nerseth (Mai), Steve Schoonover (Tri) , following close behind. Earlier Tallman had his Benton-Lane win streak stopped in the heat race by Keith Nerseth. (Results on page 28) • .aJa Wins again! Dual European Scrambles July 4, 1971 Chargers M.C. 100 Expert Class 1st - Mitch Mayes - BAJA 100 2nd - Terry Clark - BAJA 100 So. Cal. M.C. 1st - Terry Clark - BAJA 100 2nd - Mitch Mayes - BAJA 100 NO EXCUSE DEPT. the Barley- We outdid ourselves this time! Last week on the front page, we credited Shirley K..nop as taking the photo of the Pikes Peak Hillclimb. Actually, Annie Brokaw did the snapping of the shutter. Davidson outpsrformsl'B .... '" ~ w Z W ...J C) >C)

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