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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125744
Meyer Sweeps to 250 Win - .... m By Mike Murphy The Open Class saw a battle between TAYLOR, ARIZ., Aug. 21, 1971 -The local rider Phil Hatch (Yam) and Joe locals were given a show of 'how to ride' Davis (Suz) from Mesa, Ariz. Tom today, compliments of Bill Meyer (CZ) Shoemale took the lead in the first from Tempe, Ariz. Meyer walked off mota followed by Hatch and Davis. with wins in all three motos and overall Shoemale spun out and Hatch got by. victory in the 250 class. Lloyd Ford Just before the end of the flJ'st mota (CZ) from Gallup, N.M. took the lead Davis passed Shoernale to follow Hatch off the line in the first mota, but his across the \jne. The second mota saw lead was short-lived as Meyer zapped Hatch in the lead, Davis in second and him in the second tum. Coming around at the end of that lap, Ford .spun out. LeRoy DeWitt close behind. Coming up He got started before he was passed to the finish DeWitt coasted into the only to get caugh t behind a slow rider straight thinking he had a so\jd third. and couldn't challenge Meyer's lead. But Clark Allen (Suz) wasn't about to John Kozlih (Suz) followed Ford across take it easy and poured it on. DeWitt the line for third place honors. saw him, but too late as Allen crossed Mota two saw Meyer lead the pack all the finish inches ahead of DeWitt. the way. Ford spun out again and was There's a moral there? The third mota was a whole new race. Hatch had passed by four riders. He was able to trouble and finished fifth, Davis stalled pass two of them to cross the \jne after Meyer and Kozlih. Ford wanted the lead and finished last. Shoemale saw the checkered first with DeWitt second in the third mota so he took it. For a (with power on) and Allen third. lap and a half it was Ford in the lead The Powder Puff class saw Connie. with Meyer righ t behind, close enough Brown take overall honors with two to count Ford's spokes. Then Ford lost firsts and a fourth. his chain and could not get it fixed in (Results on page 32) time to finish befor.e the others. ~ w Z W ...J U > U This Maico threw a "shoe" but the rider gamely rode it in. Seconds later, rider and bike fell over sideways. Burgess-Fuller Team for 200 By Larry Knop Photo by R. E. Nichols FAUST, UTAH, Aug. 29, 1971 BAJA, the MlNT, and the PONY EXPRESS 200. That's the dream of CMC·Utah and its president Don Blumenthal. It may make it. Sunday was the first running of the Pony Express 200. The two-man relay began 20 miles west of Faust, Utah, .and ended 180 miles of rocky, sagebrush-covered desert later, just short of the Nevada border. The course wound across and along the old Pony Express route, with a relay statio.n at the halfway point. Each team of nders had a small "mail pouch" for their check s\jps. $4000 in cash, prizes, and trophies awaited the finishers, with $1500 going to the first team to de\jver the mail. After 'a barbeque and square dance Robi Holbert gets it on. BAILEY BULS CYCLESPORTS By Janet West Photos by Johnny Warren HOUSTON, TEX., Sept. 5, 1971 Gary Bailey was his usual amiable self Sunday as he blasted his way to both wins in the Open and 250cc Expert classes. The Open class was Bailey's from start to finish, no questions asked "'- ~" '~.'" .1. .. J • / ; Russ Allen takes. Cydesports jump. and no contenders in sight. Several times during. the race, Gary had opportunities to slow his Bultaco down and cruise without fear of being caught. The excitement in the Open class occurred when Gary Jackson (CZ) and Bill Kasson (CZ) had a collision while trying to make time around a corner righ t off the starting \jne. The bikes rammed into each other throwing both riders off, and causing J'Ickson to entangle his foot between Kasson's rear wheel and shock. After a crowd gathered and Dr. Hansen managed to loosen Jackson's foot from its prison, Kasson got his bike back together and tried to finish the race, even though he had missed several laps in the offing. Jackson was unable to continue due to a badly bruised foot. Luckily, no serious damage was done. The 250cc Experts was a race no one is likely to forget. From .the start, Bob Graham (AJS) took the read, and held the number one position for the first two laps. Bailey then took over the lead, and proceeded to win. However, it was not an easy first for Baitey this mota, as Graham fough t to regain his position. Not only did Graham have to contend with Bailey for the number on spot, he also had to battle with Jack Hicks (CZ), for . the second slot. Graham was determined to keep his number two spot, and Hicks wanted to take it away. . In the last heat, Bailey came across first, with Graham in second, and Hicks right on Grabam's rear wheel and still fighting. The second mota was Bailey's without doubt. He was up and away off the start, and did not even have to worry about the second place runner. Bailey was apparently tired of playing, and juiced his Bul onward, leaving only dust behind. Graham had a relatively good start in this mota, but was soon overcome by Hicks, then several others managed to get around Grham as the mota continued. It seemed as though Bob had just lost his will to win, and only managed a fourth place finish in the final mota, ver unlike his previous mota. Hicks rode an outstanding mota, bu t was later disqualified for supposedly cutting the course, thus putting him out of contention altogether. Steve Hackney stormed the 175 Experts with his new Penton. The only person who came close to Stevie Wonder was Steve Stackable. Hackney was so far out front, the dust from his Penton had already settled before the second place runnner came around. Hackney's style is very close to that of Robi Holbert, although he is not quite as flashy. Like Holbert, Hackney has that endency to spring back after a ' bobble, and can regain his balance quickly, enabling him to ride like the wind. The Novices and Intermediates were their usual selves crashing and burning. Ed Robbins (Hus) was at it again. He just couldn't wait for the sandy straight so he could cross it up and crash - several times. After the races, during the trophy presentation, Gary made a very nice speech, which was greatly appreciated by riders and spectators aHke. Houston thinks Gary Bailey is pretty special, and it was good to hear him come across with a few remarks. Saturday nigh t, riders were up and ready to go at what should have been dawn. Daylight was delayed an hour, however, by a thunderstorm. At least there was no dust on the first part and temperatures throughout the day were bearable. At 7:30 the riders were off. Preston Gerber held a comfortable lead throughout t1ie flJ'st leg. At the relay point he handed his paunch and a 15 minute lead to pardner Bill Silverthorne. Jerry Davis was second into the relay station, giving his pouch to Dale Blood. Five minutes later, Steve Burgess passed the mail to Don Fuller. Don was third out of the relay station, but first into the next gas check - by an unbe\jevable . 30 minutes. He was really hauling the mail. Dale Blood, meanwhile, _ was catching up with Silverthorne, but there was no catching Fuller, who beat the race officials to the finish. A pair of mangled rear shocks slowed Silverthorne enough for the Davis-Blood team to snatch second overall and first 250, but the Gerber-Silverthorne team managed to keep third overall. Riders straggled in all afternoon. Max Switzer rode the whole race alone, fmishing sixth or seventh. The first small bike, a 100, came in almost three hours after Fuller. The spirit of the Pony Express lived on. One rider rode ~to the relay point on a tireless, tubeless, very mangled front rim. Another rider's mount broke down two miles from the relay station. A two-mile run, lope, and wheezing walk followed, but the mail still wen t through. Overall, the race was a quaHfied success. The turnout was small - about 35 teams - so it wasn't a financial success. The necessary groundwork was done and cooperation was obtained from the BLM, the Tooele County Jeep Posse, and the Highway Patrol. In addition, the Utah Travel Council helped sponsor the race. The image of motorcycling was definitely given a boost. Except for some mix-ups with gas, the race was efficiently run. The CMC-Utih crew running the race had no experience with desert races however r and this caused some problems. The course was not marked - at all. Only the checks were marked with white helium balloons, which unfortunately matched the clouds. Riders were given maps, and the checkers gave general directions at each stop, but of course many riders got lost. The local riders familiar with the area had a tremendous and unnecessary advantage. Some problems also arose about which roads were Legal and which weren't. Tune in again next year. If the problems can be solved then the Pony Express 200 can take its place among the other big off-road races. (Results on page 32)