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/125798
SAND, MUD, ·SPEED AND MONEY N I ,... '" '" Ili ~ '" ~ w. Z w -' U >U Bruce Baron (right) lost a brake and a shock on the 125 Honda prototype, finished ninth and then told Brad Lackey the good lines to take. by John Huetter Photos by K.C. BrinmaU and Huetter VALENCIA, CAL., Aug. 27, 1972 Grand Prix·style racing came back at the Reservation today and it was a rouser. The promise of a S3000 purse and lotsa trophies brough t some big names ou t and produced full "Novice" classes. A lot of the usual 10·15 minute moto types didn't make it, however. The choice was yours: ride for cash or brass and pay the difference. The Expert sign-up lists looked very much like a "Who's Who" of Southern California MX competition with the notable absence of John DeSoto. (Brother Ron did take a fourth Open Expert.) When the mud had caked good and hard after forty·five minutes of bouncing over the whoop·de.doos, fording the umpteen water crossings, and footing through· a black ooze bog, the big winners were Brad Lackey, who passed Gary J ones on the nex t to last lap to take the 500 Expert; Jones, who had already been a winner, passing Jim Weinert on the next to second lap of the 250 money race. Both were on prototype Japanese machinery, Kawasaki and Yamaha. Terry Clark was on an Italo·American prototype and outlasted a talen t-Ioaded field of lightweights. The Honda prototype broke a shock mount with Bruce Baron aboard in the same event, but finished. A gen t1eman named Cullinan practiced starts for about 15 minutes before the Open Novice race and then went on to win it on his CZ with probably the biggest lead in any class all day over Roy Otto (Mai) (including gas stops) and the rest of a wet field. The course was dema.nding, even though the back hills weren't used due to an anticipated dust problem. The motocross section stayed dust· free and tacky most of the day and the whole course was 'a high speed crallenge with more water than most local riders had seen since they gave up surfing. For some reason, the very finest pit toatsies seem to turn out for Grands Prix. Maybe it's the hotshoes thaI attract them, or the warm sunshine, or something. Very attractive environment around the pits. The A.C.E. sponsored this one. If you rode it. and liked it or like to ride Grand Prix style events and didn't get a chance, tell 'em to sponsor another one, and maybe, just maybe, trade the bog for a hill. Or have both. That's some 45 minutes of fun riding, for the pre-entry cost of most motocrosses. John R. rode the Long Beach Honda 250 to an eighth in the 250 Expert. Best expert four'stroke finish. Brad remembered Bruce's advice and passed Gary Jones on the next to last lap to win the 500 Expert on the Kaw prototype.