Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

AT GREEN VALLEY .... Roaa Racin,g Season Ends By John Blanton GREEN VALLEY, TEX., Oct. 24, 1971 - Disaster struck Mike Odem on the Storm-sponsored Norton, and Mike Kidd proved invincile in both the 250 . and the Open classes on a matched brace of Yamahas prepared by K&N of Tulsa, Okla. ' On the very rirst lap of the Open Final, Odem pulled through the dip very near the end of the pack and charging hard. Before many laps Odem stuck the Norton under the guard rail at the U-Turn, and watched afoot while Kidd and Norton-mounted J.C. K1usemeyer battled it out. Mike Cone was fourth on a 750 BSA behind Jon Minonno's Triumph. Mike's BSA was well battered after a morning practice spill; his new close ratio gear box had gotten him out of sorts coming up the rise toward the V-Turn, and he had slid under the guard rail. In a season in which Texas racers have taken quite a battering, the final race was no less dramatic. Jack Hall and his teammate with the unlikely name of John Mary brought four Kawasakis in from New Orleans, La. It was John's first road race, and dUring .some early morning practice runs up and down the back stretch of the course during drag trials he slid off his stock 500 and contacted Jack's rear wheel. He was taken to the hospital in a daze but returned to the track prior to the races. Other than some loss of memory and an ominous crack in the shell of his helmet;he seemed OK. Chilling. Hall,- also, crashed spectacularly, in the closing laps of the Open Feature. Approaching the dip at full bore, he braled too late, left the course and somersaulted his 500 stocker for 50 yards among the oak trees, sending a covy of spectators into flight. He walked away from it but appeared badly used, as did the Three. With h' slight features and long hair, Hugh Humble might be mistaken for a girl, but not on his A.C. Humble-built Kawasaki 500, which he throws around quite hard on the course. Hugh is , admittedly a bit rough yet; his form could use some smoothing up. In the 500cc final he cast the 500 into the barricade at the east bridge, crushing three water barrels and sent up a geyser of water. Once again, as they had done at Gary Lassiter's crash there last summer, ambulance attendants rushed up to retrieve' the body, only to find a '" co' living and walking corpse. Not so lucky the bike; it looked to be a strike. In the 250cc class K1usemeyer once again followed Mike Kidd in, and Ricky Simmons posted his usual win in the 200cc class on his Bultaco in a race that saw Johnny Bryant retire at the midway point. Big winner in the bike drags was Dave Campos' number 74 fuel burning, streamlined Harley. It and a number of the other top bike entries regularly ignited the rear tire for the first eighth mile and turned times in the tens and nines. In the final run-off Campos put down Bob Abels' Harley with a 9.33 ~ w Z W .J U >- U ~-=~!!!!!!!!!! Would you believe that in the I:: ET. motocross not one of the 250's lived to tell about it and that fourth in the Open class was Barry Sturdivant on a 125cc Honda? (Would you believe Mason Williams on a Cushman Eagle?) r am sorry r missed that. (Results on page 32) _ .. ool. Mike Odem out. (42) lays it over through a Green Valley turn. He later laid it over too much and slid Cool and calm, Mike Kidd pushes his K&N Product along. (Texas Short Tracker Rober E. Lee has some interesting things to say about Mike in an interview with Cycle News this past weekend. Don't miss it in rext week's issue.) Chan~y Creek Enduro has Brave Souls .II Dave Campos is pulled along before loading up his Harley. He took the Drag portion of Green Valley's show with. 9.33 E1. • - Many months before the Caney Creek Enduro was to take. place, Calvin Klein, Richard Sanders and Don Schultz began planning, plotting and laying out plans for the best enduro Texas has seen. Trips ·were made to the forest to check out the best possible route. A week before the enduro, the committee went up to set up the markings and take care of all the final details, trying to make the layout as near perfect as possible. . Today, in spite of the mud, slush, and bees, over 586 riders turned out to ride. Promptly at 9:01 the first set of five bikes left the line on a dead engine start. The course itself was a hard and trying one, in dry weather; therefore, the 4.9 inches of rain on the previous day mingled with the misty showers of today, provided an outrigh t challenge to those who rode. Some riders returned before the flrst check point, turned in their time tags, and sat back to watch. Those' who did make the entire enduro (six check points) deserve some sort of medal for bravery above and beyond the call of duty. For the most part they were mud-soaked, with pieces of trees and bushes protruding from every possible angle; they were far beyond recognition. Apparently, the creek bottoms, logs, gullies, and other minor details were not going to keep the hard core riders from finishing. Several came in well after their key time, being three and four hours late, but still hanging in there. Ken Sharp of San Antonio, Tex., rode his Husky to an on-time finish (probably the only person to ride the entire "enduro on time), and was the overall winner. In doing this, Ken was the winner of a four and one-half foot trophy, and. a brand spanking new 100cc Hodaka. The Hodaka, a special award, was made possible by the following who certainly deserve special recognition: eycle Shack, Sport Cycles of Houston, Spic & Span Sanitation Service, Two Wheeler Motorcycle AcCCl80 • p,~ri WI. e.. ( . Homes. Thanks to the efforts of the Caney Creek Enduro Committee, headquartered at Jhe Cycle Shack, this was the largest and best enduro ever held in Texas. All the trophies were beautiful, the facilities were the best possibJe for an enduro, and the whole thing was meticulously planned. (Results on page 32) Hare Scrambles a 'Mini 8a;a'? By Mel Gere HUTCHINSON, KAN., Oct. 31, 1971 The Prairie Pups annual Fall Hare Scrambles, dubbed "The Mini Baja" was a success. Considering rain the previous two days with the enhance of cold weather, a.nd races at other places within 100 miles, these being a Hare & Hound and a Motocross. If riders like sand, brush and woods all in the same race, this one is for them. Bill Meyers on a 360 Yamaha, led after the first lap of the five mile course. For this honor, he won a free pizza from one of' the local pizza establishments. He led up till the half-way point of the two hour event and then dropped out due to motor trouble. Pushing him during this time was one of the favorites, Larry Kennedy of Wichita, Kan., on his big Husky. He also started having problems and was in and ,out all during the last part of the race. The first rider to receive half-way flag was Jim Dye who received a portable r"dio for his prize. Jack Robinson, salesman at AI's Honda, stayed close to the leaders along with Hutchinson's bicycle tycoon Harley Phillips. Robinson was mounted on a 125 Yamaha MX and Phillips on a

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