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
SHORT TRACK & SCRAMBlES-.....--"";'O;'lO..;.----.....;..by Rita Gunter
Photo by Tommy Gunter
CORPUS CHRISTI, TEX., Aug.. 20,
1972 - Since they lost the lease on the
property and this was their last race the
CCCC didn't outlaw knobbies. Because
of this, several motocrossers showed up
and had a blast short-tracking.
The first heat of the 100 short track
race was won by Paul Rodman and the
second by David "Cricket" Craig. The
final was won by "Cricket" Craig. Terry
Hall came in second and blasting in righ t
behind him wasJames Young.
Harry Burger won the 125 short
track race, staying just ahead of David
Craig. Bobby Morgan and George
HLizard" Larzelere were: having quite a
battle for third place. Bobby led Lizard
for four laps, then "Lizard" dropped
underneath him in a comer and came
out in third place just in time for the
checkered flag.
Rick Patterson grabbed the lead in
the first turn of the 200 event, followed
closely by David Craig and George
Larzelere. Burger had trouble on the
starting Hoe and everyone else was
through the first turn by the time he gOt
going. Once he got going though, he
really turned it on, working his way
through the pack. Rick Patterson slid
out on the third lap, giving HCricket"
first for a while. Meanwhile, Harry just
kept on picking 'em off and he passed
ioCricket" in the last tum to take first
place. David Shell wound up with third.
Man that was some race!!
Greg Laves, who is primarily a
motocrosser won the first heat of the
. 250 class. Jim Beshears took a
commanding lead in the second and
held it. The final had two super races
going on in it - one for first and second
and another for third and fourth. Jim
Beshears managed to hold Bodie Craig
I
behind him in second but "Lizard" lost
Iris third spot to Robby Dumas.
The Open class was a thriller with
Bodie Craig, Darryl Cummings, and
Greg Laves all bunched up. Darryl led it
for a while before Bodie dove ahead of
him to win. Finishers, in order, were
llodie Craig, Darryl Cummings and Greg
Laves.
James Young wowed the crowd with
some top-notch' racing the first heat of
the 100 scrambles. He had shifting
problems at the start but when he
finally got his bike going he made it'
scream. Paul Rodman got in to the first
tum ahead of Bill Holder and Rodney
Gana and stayed in front until James
caught him and passed him in the tum
just before the finish line. The second
heat was won by David "Cricket" Craig,
. who was so far ahead of the others that
he played around popping wheelies etc.
James Young still had shifting problem
in the final ..After a late start he picked
off riders one by one bu t David Craig
and Paul Rodman were too far ahead of
him to catch so he had to settle for a
third in the final, with Craig first and
Rodman second.
Harry Burger took the 125cc
scrambles with ease. Lizard and Cricket
were behind him battling it ou t for
second when Lizard's bike bailed out on
him leaving David a dear field for
second.
The 250cc scrambles were super
good ones. Lizard led the final, with
Bodie pushing him hard until the fifth
lap when Lizard dumped his bike and
was out of the race. This moved Bodie
up to first, Jim Breshears second and
that old motocrosser himself, Tom
Wayland, into third.
Open class scrambles were won by
Bodie Craig with Greg Laves in second
spot.
Widowroak8f'J
byTe
WIDOWMAKER HILL, Aug. 20, 1972
- Bob Plumb got these two Hodakas
that don't look like Hodakas
stretched frames, fiberglass tan ks., and
front ends that look Maico on one and
Sachs on the other ...and he's out to put
an end to the small bike domination of
the Crandall boys and the Pen tons they
ride.
Can't do it; not on this track.
In the 100 Expert class, Plumb was
visibly faster, but he couldn't hold body
and bike together for three heats, and
David Crandall quietly motored to the
overall win. In the 125s, Peter Crandall
was almost as fast on the uphills, and
faster on the downhills, providing some
of the day's best racing until Plumb
piled it up.
But two Expert Wins were not
enough for Team Penton, so Tony
Jacobs quietly devastated the 200 class
on his new blue one.
After the first go, it looked like Don
Fuller was the man to beat in the 250s,
while Bob Brown reigned supreme in
the open class. But then Fuller picked
up a flat tire in the first heat, setting the
stage for a series of disasters throughout
the day in the class. Dennis Packard
turned up with a 250 CZ, but he ended
up putting along with a sick engine in
the first !leal. Fuller and Packard set up
a good battle in the second heat, until
they locked bars and piled up, and the
day's win went to the less flashy but
smooth style of Bultaco-mounted Kerry
Fowler.
On the open bikes, Packard came
back with easy wins, and without Bob
Brown to chase, he didn't pu t on the
usual show - for pure fury of action,
the 250 class was the one to watch.
The Bees have succeeded in creating
a course that is a challenge to both
power and handling and it is
characterized by long uphills and steep
downhills, paved all the way with
woop-to-doos. The track is a con tinuous
thrill to ride, but four days of racing
suggest it's safety record will be a good
one.
The course and the results reveal a
slUning change that has crept up on us:
the days of motocross success on
convened Japanese enduro bikes appear
to be long since over.
M