Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125740
i... HOLBERT HOBBLED BY BOUNCING BOBBLE ~ III go « ~ w Z w -' t.l > t.l By JanH West HOUSTON, TEX., Aug. I, 1971 Today's races at Cyclesports Park were anything but uneventful The excitement began in the 125 Expert races when Robi Holbert found himself a bit behind and decided to pour on the coals and catch up to Bill Greene and Greg Graham, who were the pack. Holbert, very leading emciently, worked his way up to third without so much as one bobble - until he hit a whoop-de-do, bounced into the air, and did a spectacular endo. Holbert was forced to pull out of the race due to his leg and side injuries, but recuperated by the time the Open Experts were up to race. The rest of the 125cc Expert race was left to Graham, who won easily on his Puch. Graham had to ride to beat Greene (CZ), but the race was his from the start to finish. Immediately fonowing the 125cc Experts, the 250 Novices pulled up to the line to begin another round of chaos. Righ t from the start the riders were bouncing off each other full blast, and two wrecks occurred in the sandy tum. Ed Robins crashed his Husky in the tum, jumped back on it, screwed on the juice, and five seconds later crashed in the sand. Frustration, anxiety, and irritation were clearly expressed in Robins' face as he got up the second time to try, try again! This time he made it halfway around the track before his next crash. Bob Graham struck again as he stormed the 250 Expert class on his AJS. Graham is in tremendous shape, and it shows. His starts were great, his style was great, and he flew like a bat out of Hades both motos. There was no one to touch Graham in this race - the rest just hung back and watched. Steve Hackney (Hus) did extremely well in the lirst mota, riding second to Graham. However, as he was ready to cross the finish line he decided to wait for good friend Fred Hanna (Hus) so that they migh t go across in their usual style - joining hands. Hanna had other ideas and blasted past Hackney, leaving Stevie Wonder in third. The second heat saw Hackney pick up lots of speed, pass other riders left and right, and crash, putting him out of the race, leaving Fred Hanna a clear second. Open Experts was one of the tigh test races in a long time, with Bob Gr~ham One Aqua rider uses an outrigger. Austin Trio Takes Aqua Festival By John Blanton AUSTIN, TEXAS, August I, 1971 Jack O'Leary and the Bigley brothers, Gary and Richard, took all of the Senior Division honors at the third annual Austin Aqua Festival Motocross as townspeople attending the citY1ponsored event cheered them on. Gary Bigley, on a 125 Yamaha, took the last heat over Steve Stackable easily but he lost to Steve in the second heat. The third heat saw a wheel·to-wheel duel for last, with either rider having a shot at first, but once, near the end of the race, while Gary was out front, Steve got behind some traffic in a tight section and lost irreplaceable distance. O'Leary, on a Max:o (the O'Leary shop now sells Yamaha and Maico) was the undisputed victor in all three 250 heats. Early in each heat he pulled enormous leads over runners-up John Kasson (CZ) and Jack Hicks (CZ) and maintained the pace throughout, just for show. Richard Bigley (CZ) looked a shoc>-in for second place in the Open class because Gary Parker was going great guns on his 400 Suzuki, apparently about to duplicate O'Leary's 250 hat trick. However, in the first lap of the final heat while he was all alone out front and going absolutely flat out, Gary got crossways on a ripply section of the track and did a bone-erushing endo. Medical reports determined that he has motocrosser's collarbone. Junior diyision races were run also, and winners were Sam Finger (Yam) in the 125 class, Keith Leach (Hus) in the 250 class and Jimmy Doran (Yam) in the Open class. Steve Stusser, noting that there were four trophies in the 125 Senior class and only three entries (in the Junior there were three trophies and 21 entries; curious, no?), transferred at the last minute and got a trophy for lmishing behind third place Jack Withers. Take a lesson, cherry pickers. (Results on page 28) (AJS) and Robi Holbert (H~r in contention for first place. Holbert won the lint mota hands down, with Graham coming in second. But, the second mota told on Robi. His crash in the .~25cc's w~ beginning to show as Rob) s expressions projected his pain. After the first several laps, Holbert had dropped back down to fourth place with Graham in the lead, fonowed by Bryan F.ox (CZ) and Ed Abbott (CZ). SpeculatIOns are still being made as to what would have happened had Holbert been able to continue. (Results on page 28) Pratton Sweeps ADR Motocross By Mike Murphey LIBERTY, ARIZ., July 25, 1971 Gerry Pratton, riding pro for the first time, powered his new Maico to victory in all three motos at Arizona Desert RacC'way's motocross. Pratton was always in the lead out of the first tum and from there to the lmish he increased his lead. Back in the pack Cal Redman (Mai), Pat Bader (Suz) and Daryl Tussing (Kaw) diced for second. The lirst mota saw Bader finish second, followed by Tussing, Redman and D. Saavedra (Hus). This position didn't seem to agree with Redman as he took second in the next two motos to take ltrst Novice. The 125 class provided most of the action of the day. Mack Spurlock (Yam) was in the front of the pack in the lint moto until he lost an expansion chamber. Jim Lawrence (Bul) pulled into the lead fan owed by Barry Noblih (Suz), Bill Stern (Bul), Dan Koster (Pen) and Spurlock. They crossed the finish in that order. The second moto saw some changes as Spurlock, with his wired-on chamber, held the lead until the second lap. Koster rode on Spurlock's rear fender until lap two where he took the lead until the finish. Spurlock missed a shift going up the hill which allowed Lawrence to get close enough to pass. Stern and Noblitt followed Spurlock across the finish. The first tum of moto three saw Noblitt in command closely followed by Koster, Spurlock, Lawrence ana Stern. Noblitt's lead was short lived as he spun (P/<'a.'t· turn to page 31) O'Leary, Stackable Score in San Anto.nio By Pete Szilagyi Photo by Richard Creed SAN ANTONIO, TEX.,July 18, 1971 The motocross races at Motosport Park saw Steve Stackable take top 125 cash and Jack O'Leary dominate the other premier money spots, almost. O'Leary took a commanding lead in all three 250 Expert motos. However, in the second heat, Jack collided with a slower rider he was trying to lap and was forced over a steep bluff. O'Leary was unable to remount his Maico in time to finish the mota and had to settle for third overall. Greg Graham and Gary Bigley, both astride CZs, earned ltrst and second positions by consistently pacing the unusually large field of middle-motor money riders. The Open Expert class was clearly an O'Leary benefit as Jackie wheelied his 400 Maico to easy wins in an three motos. The fight for the other money spots in the class was fierce as the rest of the large pack scrambled to keep up with O'Leary. In the lint moto, Rick Lloyd (Hus) and Bill Kasson (400 CZ) collided and went down on the last lap. Lloyd was able to remount quickly and work his way to a third place finish. Kasson finished a miserable 10th. In the second and third motos, Kasson showed his displeasure by taking a pair of convincing seconds aboard his silenced CZ. Lloyd, Richard Bigley (CZ), GAry Parker (Suz), and Dave Dismukes on his new, silencer..,quipped Husky 405 diced for second and third overall. Bigley's consistency earned him second and Rick Lloyd copped third place cash. Kasson, despite his nifty performance in the last .two motos, had to sett,le. for fourth overall. Bill didn't go home empty·handed though, he won a ten dollar gift certificate redeemable at his own Yamaha shop! Open class CZ Scott Elliot rode m usclernan conservatively today, after his spectacular crash a fortnight ago. Big crashes seem to give a fella something to think about for a while. O"ne of the most exciting series of the day was run by the 125 Experts. AU eyes were on l6-year-old superstar Steve Stackable as he guided his diminutive Yamaha AT-l to three wins. Stackable must be rated as one of the Southwest's most promising young talents. He rides the berms with fantastic finesse and is able to lmd the fast line that nobody else seems to notice. Gary Bigley on a fast AT-l took second overall by vitue of his trio of second place finishes. Yamaha swept the class when Kent Hoverton finished third overall. The 250 Juniors put on their usual wild show. Bill Malloy took top honors on his Husky when John Hughes, who appeared to have first place sewn up, flooded his Maico on the last mota. Third place finisher, AI Torregrossa diced with Hughes for the lead all afternoon. Malloy was content to hang back and watch Hughes and Torregrossa (CZ) use each other for traction. Frank Hadeler (Yam) dominated the 125 Juniors and Mike Offenhauser danced his 400 Suzuki to second place behind Jeff Clark's Husky in the Open Junior class. Many riders came to Motosport Park for the Irrst time today and were impressed with Larry Gross' new track. There is plen ty of room to pass; wide, sandy comers, lots of abrupt elevation changes, and Larry gives real silver trophies! ~ Steve Staekable exeeutes 8 nifty, feet-up slide.