Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

THIS WAS MAMMOTH MOTOCROSS ~ w Z w oJ () >() By John Huetter MAMMOTH LAKES, CAL., June 24-25, 1972 - The clear air set you free; and if you didn't re-jet correctly for the 7000 ft. altitude, the lack of it would drown your motor. It was Mammoth Mountain for the fifth time, and the pine smell was like a heady wine, and three motos on the rugged track had tn feel like the world's worst hangover in your body. JUNIORS Three divisions of every class of Junior descended on the fantastic Mammoth course for the all-time '~Wh 0' s really in shap~?U motocross classic. The Juniors jumped onto the mountain-ringed track in the pine forest with rare enthusiasm and the remaining few limped off three motos later, very properly impressed with 15 minutes on a long course with deep dirt and sand, whoop-de-doos most of the way, super hills, and handlebar-rattling through the big trees. The 125 Juniors seemed most evenly matched and every division saw the best dices of the day for first overall. No 125 Junior had a real runaway. The 250 divisions, by contrast, seldom saw much conflict for the top position after the first lap or so. A lot of the 250 moto winners, and the overall victors, looked like they shouldn't be Juniors as they usually stretched out a lead and could afford to relax as the rest of the pack bounced after them. Five hundred cc's were, for a lot of Juniors, too much on the loose, sand course. The main convenience of the big machines was the luxury of dialing on the horses up the choppy uphills, but you had to balance that, as a Junior, against losing it on the way down. Hershey got past Fackler. On the last lap, Hershey moved up on Silverthorne and started attacking his rear wheel. Down the choppy back section, Hershey picked up inches. Finally, on the long bumpy right-hander, Hershey kept it on and went around Silverthorne on the outside to take the lead and the moto. Defensive team riding by other Mid-Valley 500 riders helped to give Hershey a few feet several times during the moto. SENIORS ON SUNDAY-MOTO ONE Mota Two- On the third try, the 125 Seniors started for real and Jeff Wright began unreeling a lead over Gene Cannady and Dave Rodgers. Terry Clark moved up to fourth after hiding in the pack until lap three. Wrigh twas def"mitely stretching it out. Clark finally got by Gene C. ilt about the two-third point, but still didn't threaten Wrigh t. The first molo set the stage for the 125s, with one gian t exception. Greg Robertson, who lacks several years of shaving age, took the start of the 250 class with a good inside shot He, too, started stretching it out. Robertson clocked one of the later lap< in the moto at an unofficial 2:35; most of the pack was louring the long, rugged course in about three minutes. Robertson took it, and made it look pretty easy. Baja winner Bill Silverthorne shot his well-tuned Husqvama into the 500 class lead and held it without seeming to work too hard for over half the moto. . About then, Fackler (CZ) moved up within striking distance. Bob Hershey was a fairly distant third. The three ran around for about two laps that way. With two laps to go in Moto One, She.t ell ~ on an inf"Mlld roek. W8tehing the eetion while others W8tehed her. Gene Cannady grabbed the lead wi'th a super start but before a lap was over, the order settled again into Wright, Cannady and Rodgers. Wright stretched out his lead just a shade each lap. Gene could close on the rougher sections but the Puch seemed to have the top end to move away. Bad luck struck Gene for the first time as he dropped it about mid-way and Terry Clark, who had moved up unobtrusively, took second. Clark worked his way past Jeff Wright in the thffic they were then lapping and seemed to actually speed up on the Harley prototype after passing. He went on to stretch out a lead on Wright like Jeff had done in the first moto. A very happy Bob Hershey. overall Open Sr. winner.

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