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/125749
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CASA GRANDE GRAND AT OCR
By Ken Beach
Photos by Desert Productions
MOJAVE, CAL., Oct. 10,1971 - Steve
Casagrande, one of the smoothest
Juniors around, had his hands full today
with Layman Gattis and Mark Shock,
both on 400 Huskies. On the last lap of
the last moto Gattis was leading
Casagrande. 150 yards from the finish,
Gattis caught up with stragglers and in
this traffic Casagrande slipped by the
outside to go on for the-win.
CZer Ron DeSoto showed up to try
out the creek's circuit. Ron was really
hauling, then along came Rex Staten.
Staten can't seem to get off the line in
any place but dead last, but before one
Lap was completed, Staten blasted into
the lead and just kept on opening it up.
Steve Thompson and Ken Bowser
slipped in for third and fourth cash
spots in the 250 SEnior class.
Several Juniors insist on cheating at
the start and force the starter to make
them put their head on their helmet to
start. This didn't seem to matter
because the next time they lined up it's
the same story - cheating again dragging hot clutches - tempers - again
a hand on the helmet was the cure-aLL
A 250 Junior named Tom Clair
powered his swift CZ to wins in all three
motos. Young Gary Benge chased Clair
all the way and finished in second place.
The 125 Ju,niors and Seniors ran
together. Greg Robertson jockeyed his
CZ in to first place money each moto.
Desert ace Tom Garrett took third place
money while Suzukier Jack Riggi cashed
in for second. Mike Biddlingmeier from
Ridgecrest, a Rickman wailer, won the
Last two 125 Junior motos but failed to
ride in the first one. Mike still placed
second overalL Yes, Mrs. Oswell, Tracy
won again! Tracy's starts weren't up to
par today but flat fly through the traffic
he did! A rust, fourth, and second
earned him high points for the day.
Third went to the Penton of John
Fenton.
The unlucky riders for the day were
Powder Puffer Pat Rogers who suffered
mechanical problems. Lucky were those
100 Juniors she would have passed and
shamed. The second unlucky rider
Monty Blurton ran into a CZ rider going
backwards on the course. The CZ rider,
Kent Reed, was disqualified, but sadly
that won't repair the broken primary
case on the Yamaha.
The Mini Enduros had another new
winner today. Riding a Steen's Mini,
Dennis Garrett took the first pLace
The 125 Juniors look for a line. any line. Tony Delatore (8531 took seventh place from Max 8rown (336) and K~n Chin (2381.
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