Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

aYI~1 .... - '" o ~ w Z ... w ~ U II•• "America's No. 1 weekly motorcycle newspaper. You'll always see it FIRST in Cycle News!" Publisher Charles Clayton Business Manager. . . . . Sharon Clayton General Manager Tom Culp Managing Editor John Bethea Assistant Editor. . . . . . . . . David Swift Circulation Manager Rheba Smith Circulation Ass't Marla Tarbet Production Manager Steve LeHuray Production Assistant Ed Drechsler Advertising Assistant .. Barbara Ril=hard Bookkeeper Dorothea Lang Bookkeeper Ass't. . Eleanor Duke Lab Technician Larry Groves Corporation. Les White from American Honda Motor Co. inc., was instrumental in I read the article "S. F. Riders to obtaining two small Hondas for park Fight Arco for Point Richmond" in patrol. Ted Broberg, an Anaheim School your July 27th issue. As an avid teacher, helped us build the neat picnic off-road motorcycle rider (with muffler) shelter; the Sled Riders have helped I'm always concerned about what land supervise tracks and Rot a bunch of old will be made off limits next. I'm in tires for rider control. Dick Ahlefeld favor of the part about challenging (O.C.M.C.) wrote and submitted an Section 602M of the Penal Code, but as article to Cycle News. Rick (Animal) for taking land from its long-standing Sandberg (O.C.M.C.) and Wayne O'Gara owners, I'm opposed. I'm neither a land are at Banzai almost daily belping riders owner nor in any way affiliated with the and supervising tracks. land owners in this case. It just seems to Recently on the scene is Lee Barnes, me that if land is privately owned, the a long time dirt rider; he is helping out owner should have the right to keep with maintenance on weekends, starting people off it if he chooses. The fact that at 7:00 AM every Saturday and Sunday the owner was nice enough to let people regrading each track. ride motorcycles on it for many years . Thanks to all of the above and many shouldn't alter that right. If the more who have helped out along the Richmond Ramblers win this case and way. You can all b.e proud of your take the land from the owners, do you efforts on this project...Where are the think that any land owner in his right rest of you guys? We still need lots of mind will dare allow motorcyclists to belp if Banzai is to continue and if we ride on his property? The answer is are to be able to build a bigger and obvious. To win this case would be to 'better park. win a battle but lose the war. I'm RICHARD L. GAGNE BIN frankly surprised that Cycle News Assistant Recreation Supervisor would contribute $100 to such a cause. Anaheim Parks & Recreation Dept. I'm tempted to make a contribution to ARCO. We would all be better off if the Richmond Ramblers would spend this NATIONAL POINTS much effort and money trying to It would help us Oul in the mid-west provide relief from liability for land if you printed either the purse of how owners so they wouldn't have the fear many points wen t to first place. I have a of being sued by the fU'St motorcyclist book which I keep all nationals in and to fall and get hurt on their property. it's hard to keep up the points when HARVEY BJORNSTAD you don't knuw how many to give. Garden Grove, Calif. CAROL MEIFERDT Your points ue valid except for i. few Joliet, III WHO'S RIGHT RICHMOND? AT PT. exceptions. You sUte "The fact that the owner was nice enough to let people ride motorcycles on it for many years shouldn't Here's the reng,ining purses and first place Cycle News East, Dixie Cycle News, and National Advertising information: Tom Culp. National Advertising Director. Cycle News (West), P.O. Box 498, Long Beach, California 90801. (213) 427·7433 - L.A. 636-8844. TELEX NO, 673-474 Subscription: One year 2nd class mail 2 years 2nd class mail 3 years 2nd class mail Single copy price . . ~ "~' · .$9.00 · $15.00 · $18.00 · . $.30 invaders M.C. Dual European Scrambles at Hi Vista. I know that you people do one hell of a good job in reporting the events of the day. The only problem is it is too one-sided. I know that the big news is for the Open Experts and the Amateurs, but I happen to notice everytime one of the clubs holds an event is seems that 500 or more Novice riders are present and doing their best to fill up the day's events. I bet everyone of these Novices read you~ Cycle News like my young men do. When Dick Wright, who we know is a very busy man, made the statement (and I quote) "It is too bad that none of the Novices came over to tell us how they did" unquote. I just wondered if Mr. Thorwaldson and Mr. Roberts or Mr. pfutzenreuter and young Mr. Clark did the reporting of their progress in the events! DON E. BROWN Rosemead, Calif. It is to my knowledge that the Novices are the backbone- of desert racing. They outnumber both the Amateurs and Experts put together. However, for the past few weeks your coverage of desert racing has been devoted to the Experts. Sure everyone likes to hear about the hotshot Experts and who won or lost, but they also like to see their own names and pictures in your paper just as much or more than J.N. Roberts, Rick Thorwaldson, Larry Pfutzenreuter or Terry Clark. I also feel that some of the last few statements made were quite unnnecessary, such as the last one alter that right {to keep people off it if he chooses)... " The fact DOES alter his right, as the courts ruled in 1970. 602M stipulates some weak lines; one is that the area must be known to be closed. Yet., it seems, this is not legal since the state ruled that the unused property cannot be closed after 5 years. Who is right: the land·owner who has allowed the public to use his v~cant propeny for years and who now decides to instruct the local police to arrest an individ~1 for now usen. his property, or the public who has used the property for years without complaint and who now faces civil action for tres~sing on a piece of vacant property which the state has already ruled cannot be closed while it is still vacant? In answer to your question, true, it is obvious that any land-owner would attempt to do, but can he legally do it - tlut is, close off, under 602M, areas VOICES OF THE WEST of undeveloped property which have been used for years by the public? That means all the areas cyclists have ridden in the p..t - without objection can now be closed despite the state ruling to the otherwise. That's what we Me fighting and that's why we donated $100... Ed. PUBLIC THANKS On June 26, 1971, the Anaheim Parks and Recreation Department opened Banzai Mini Cycle Park, a 12 acre off-road riding area featuring three motocross type tracks. Getting approval, developing and operating this facility was no easy task and we "Could not have done it without the help of lome very outstanding individuals. I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank them for their assistance. Dick Sandberg (O.C.M.C.) graded the tracks and was responsible for obtaining 3,000 yards of clay for track construction; Arvil Sparks (Mgr. Laws M.C.) worked behind the scenes for two years with our City Council as well as donated money for construction costs; Jim Ashman (Pres. of O.C.M.C.) has been working with us from the very beginning, helping in many ways. O.C.M.C. also donated cash and their members have given us lots of track supervision time; the following list includes those people who donated money to help defray construction costs: Robert M. Law M/C, Orange Co. Honda, Irv Seaver M/C, Norm Reeves Honda, O.C.M.C., Stump Jumpers, Gripsters, Lemar .Cycle, Norm Best Honda, A Bec Bros. Yamaha, Tustin Honda and Kawasaki Motor points: 8/8 - livonia Mile ($9OO~2), 8/13 - Santa Fe Short Track ($7000-82),8/22 Mt. Pocono Road Race ($15,006-91),9/5 Talladega Road Race ($18,000-91),9/12 Nazareth Mile ($ 12,OOO-(2), 9/25 - Ascot Half Mite ($ 10,OOO-S2 I, 10/3 - Oklahoma City Half Mile ($ 7500(82) and 10/17 Ontario Road Race ($50,OOO-112)... Ed. DELIBERATE INTENTIONS I just finished reading your article on the Castle Rock National. We were at the race, too, but whoever said Aldana made a spectacular crash must not have been close by. It looked to many of us that be did it on purpose because he was continually losing positions after one cylinder failed. In fact, he just laid the motorcycle down. It didn't flip over five times! Admit it! Aldana "did his thing" to save face. I have nothing against Aldana; he is one of my favorites. But please tell it like it is. JOAN McGREW Kirkland, Wash. We've talked to many people who attended the event and all have stated that Aldana did, in fa<:t, crash spectacularly - some even yy it rivals his San Jose crash in which he removed a length of the crash wall. Beyond that, we doubt very seriously that Aldana, or any N..tional rider, riding for National Points would deliberiilitely machine to ff crash his expensive save face" and lose points... Ed. DESERT, RATS After reading your July 27 issue, I am very much dismayed to read the article of the Antelope Ramblers and _th~e:- mentioned, "It's too bad that none of the Novices carne over to tell us how they did." I always thought that the reporters were suppose t~ get. ~at information. AFter all, that IS their Job, not ours. Or am I mistaken? Why can't 'you give at least the first three finishers in each class? If you can do it for the Experts and Amateurs, why not the Novices? We eagerly await you paper each Wednesday and then find nothing about our race. MARTY BROWN Rosemead, Calif. Ninety·five percent of a desert story consists of acquired, rather than observed, information. This indudes Roberts, Pfutzenreuter, et. al. Part of the problem is of your own admission, i.e., lISOO or more Novices." Rarely does a Novice finish high enough overall to be picked out amongst the confusion during the pulling of the tank cards. If the first Novice comes in 20th overall, only his pit crew will notice. Mr. Wright his hardly omnipresent; we stand behind his quote 100 percenL.. Ed. TSK,TSK At the recent Hilltoppers race at Barstow, we were camped near the Invaders Club. During the special Rescue Three race, one member of their camp ran to the course, dropped his pan ts, exposing himself and made gestures to a rider in the race. My wife and daugh ter did not appreciate this. If the police were there I would have insisted on an arrest. BOB HELM .:L:.:os~A.:n..:g:..e_le_s:..,C_a1_i_f. _ Published weekly except the first and last week of the calendar year by Cycle News, Inc., Post Office Box 498, Long Beach, California, also publishers of Cycle News East, and Dixie Cycle News. Second Class Postage paid at Long Beach, Calif. Editorial stories, cartoons, photos, etc. are welcome. Addressed, stamped envelope assures return of editorial matter. Reprinting in whole or in part only by permission of the publishers. Advertising rates and circulation information will be sent upon request. See S.R.D.S. HONDACHES· Our claim and case to the Department of Transportation is not that Honda will fix or not - it is that chains are breaking and that this constitutes a safety hazard. Accidents have already occurred and many near-acciden ts are reported. ~c k Whiteacus' letter testifies to the fact that drive chains are breaking. As for repair costs, $500 is tops so far. As for Honda fixing them, we have three broken engine cases in San Diego alone (members only) that have been refused warran,ty by American Honda. I'm sure they'd be glad to travel to Auburn if Denny's Honda will fix them! This is not a F our Owners vs. Honda situation - or at least I hope it isn't. BILL ROBINSON Pres., International Four Owners Assn San Diego, Calif QUACK! QUACK! Have you wondered about the Quack! Quack! signs and about Wallis Weatherwax? Well, here's how it all came about. I, The Phantom Duck of the Desert, am a novice rider. Many of my friends are novice riders who compete in the desert every week. When the results of a previous race arrive, the envelope is tom open in excited anticipation of what it might contain. First, a look at the class winners and top finishers. Then a search for your own name and the names of friends The big questions are, did you win a trophy, did you earn any points? The results are scanned from the first name righ t down to the last. Even the name of the very last novice in each class to receive a poin t is marked. On one occasion, at 140th over-all, the 33rd lightweight novice, who received one point for his effort, was No. 861 Wallis Weatherwax of the Desert Ducks M.C. Now we all know aboutJ.N. Roberts, Whitey Martino, Rick Thorwaldson, Larry Pfutzenreu ter , Tom Poteet and Terry Clark. Some of these "Super Stars" have their names and pictures in Cycle News every week, and there are articles about them cycle magazines and papers. But what about the Novice riders like Wallis Weatherwax who rides his heart out for one point. No one hears anything about him. Only his family and friends know or care about his good and bad times. This unknown status seems to lie the fate of all novice riders. Really. it just doesn't seem righ L As I pondered the injustice of it all, there was a blinding flash of light. and from the ranks of good, not so good, fair, and the rest of us novice riders, there arose the Phantom Duck of the Desert.. The Phantom Duck's message was very clear. Quack! Quack! Quack! Quack!, One Novice Rider Must Become Famous Enough For All And with this though t in mind, the effort has been put forth to make one Novice rider famous. Perhaps the methods used have been crude, but our inten tions have always been pure and honorable. Yes, there is a Wallis Weatherwax. and Wallis Weatherwax, No. 86IMX has been chosen to be the leader of the Novice flock. All that is expected of Wallis Weatherwax is that he be himself. Be what you are. Ride al you always have. Don't be offended by the honors bestowed upon you. And everyone should Jook for Wallis Weatherwax, No. 861MX. Look for him in the pits and on the race course. Cheer him on to Fame and Victory. Remember that Wallis Weatherwax is a Novice, one of US. A cheer for Wallis Weatherwax is a cheer for each of us, a cheer for every unknown Novice rider in the desert. THE PHANTOM DUCK OF THE DESERT Helendale, Calif. (!!~ase turn to pg. fl)

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