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
German Ace Tries Ascot By Eric Raits Schutz spent the [rrst. mota in GARDENA, CAL., Oct. 14, 1971 Payne's tracks, learning the turns his Germany's third-place fmisher in this American competitors know by heart year's motocross championship after three seasons of motoCTossing in standings, Werner Schutz, stopped by Gardena. He got a poor start in the Ascot Park Thursday night and picked second moto and then fell to nullify his up a second place in the 500 Expert chances for an overall win. class. The third moto was to belong to Schutz rode a Maico arrayed with an 25-year-old from the city of Seagen. exotic sunburst head and cylinder plus Schutz was third coming to the first alloy tank for a bold challenge in Bill turn and turned on the power where Payne's back yard. Payne has been a everyone else began backing off and consistent winner since John DeSoto's shot into the lead. He was never absence and has had a monopoly on the . threatened as Payne didn't need to beat track in recent weeks. German star Werner Schutz graced Ascot for the first time and learned some pit-English. Brian Lendl follows. SHHHH - though! Wilbert Bergcamp him for the overall win and treated our foreign guest with courtesy. Schutz finished 200 yards ahead of Payne. . Schutz is in America for a two·fold purpose. He will spend the next six months on the West Coast, training for next year's motocross season in Europe and testing a pair of mo torcycles. His 405 and 250 Maicos are modified by German Maico dealer and private engineer Fritz Kramer. Only the Maico bottom end is used; the head, barrel and piston are designed by Kramer. Schutz will ride for Warren Burrell's American Motocross team. He hopes to begin motoCToss schools on the West Coast as soon as his English vocabulary increases. Schutz has already learned some unprintable words and used them to describe.the Ascot course. Back at the motocross track, winners in all Expert classes were easily predictable. Jeff Wright won the 125, Dave Pessy won the 250 and Bill Payne took the 500 class. Wrigh t dropped out of 250 competition with a locked-up transmission. Wright bolds a comfortable lead in the point standings at Ascot which will pay him top money of $750 from the $2,000 set aside by the CMC for the year's leading riders. This was the last Thursday'night race of the season; Ascot motocross moves to Friday nigh ts starting October 21 and continues through the end of November. Mike Horstmann and Joe Scotland had good rides to fmish behind Pessy and Wright.in their respective divisions. Bruce Behar won the 250 Intermediate class with a pair of solid rides. Dave O'Haver provided a treat for fans wbo arrived to watch practice. O'Haver borrowed a friend's Hodaka for a few hot laps and did a nice wheelie coming on to the front stnigh taway. He and the bike became separated and the little Hodaka performed just about as well without a rider's guidance. It took off for the sou th end of Gardena with O'Haver in hot pursuit. The panting O'Haver caught and remounted the reluctant bike after a 200-yard chase. (Results on page 36)