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/125802
,.. Ves, it Rains in WashingtOn' ri ti o ~ w Z W ..J (,) >(,) by Mike Weiland In fact probably on some of the finest tracks in the nation. Last weekend this writer knew of four races in the Seattle area alone, two on natural terrain with real up and down hill sections and two very serious man made courses. Many of the ride made three of the even ts, this weekend: Saturday :UternoQn at Orting Sports Park, Saturday nigh t at Straddle Line Cycle Park and Sunday at either Puyallup Raceway Park or the Start Up track. Many of the National motocross pros are familiar with the two man made tracks, Puyallup' near Tacoma and Straddle Line near Olympia, but hardly any of them have had the pleasure of competing at the two natural tracks. Several years ago Gary Bailey held a motocross school at Orting Spo~t Park. Obviously hon ked he raved all day about what a bitchen race you could have there . . Due to a District 27 poin t requirement ,this track only runs its motocross.es on Saturdays, a shame as many riders work on Saturday. The other Seattle area natural terrain track (choo choo!) is Start Up located near Start Up which is right in the Cascade Mountains where it is winter in November (ask anyone who was at the 1969 Seattle [nter-Am). Ouring the non-winter months this course offers an unlimited number of layouts over uphill, downhill and rolling mountain meadow land. Besides the beautiful scenery. it's a gas to ride. The two popular man made tracks usually are part of the Trans AMA and [nter AMA series_ This past July the lnternational 250 event was held at Straddle Line near Olympia and each fall Puyallup has the 500 International event, this year to be held on November 19 at Puyallup just before' the series drops down the coast to Leisure and Sadd1eback. Both of these tracks h ave large grandstands, good potties, food and are almost J 00% visible to the spectators from anywhere on the track. Naturally they are near the four courses in the Seattle area and just so you can impress your friends ['11 turn you on to them: Highside Park is just across the sound from Seallle in Bremerton. This track is long and has as rTlUch up and down hill action as you'll ever need. Hard ground is a plus for winter months and a minus for rims and ribs_ Still a professional facility. Shelton, south of Bremerton, this track is narrow and made on rock (large grade) fill. A sportsman MX facility. Purdy, near Shelton, sportsman. Dwall, east of Seattle, natural.terrain incliried stumps, sportsman. Monroe, north of Seattle runs in the spring cut with a cat, few rocks, very good dirt for bums and thingies. Two top rate tracks in eastern Washington with built in watering and rider facilities are Darogu Park near Wenathe anq Kona. And many more! s National Geographic Magazine. The rarest issue - not the First - sells for up to $1000. For our Retail Price list of all issues 1888-1971 send S2.00. Playboy Magazine. Some worth SI00-S300. For our Retail Price list 1953-1971 send S1.00. All magazines are available. Ostfeld Publication Research Institute, 640 N. Wabash Ave. Suite 1407. Chicago, III. 60611. w_ , Fast starts and consistent riding brought Gordon Ochs a first in 250 A at Puyallup. Puyallup Fall Season O p e n e r - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - by Mike Weiland PU.YALLUP, WASl-I., Sept. 10, 1972 A fair rainfall during the week on top of the newly applied sand surface made the Puyallup facility dust free and allowed for a fine day of racing. A good turn out of' riders made it necessary to run 0000 ~ (""~. ~ '0"CJ : 2r~~oes~n~t~nM I:::d~ N Japanese~'; ~ T:.' ~ (~0ibi(~\,,ji~,:)~5 Sales manufacturers' factory direCI warehOUse bJicks you , UP wllh the most complete range of M/C bolls afld flUts In U.s. ThIs Is a big e)(tr~ profit oPPOrtunity· . for salesmen now calling on dealers:The Bolt KIng. j. g~1.~lils:.n Vlcflnte. Los Angeles. Ca. 90036. (213) ~ .. (-- BURAK BYE-PROOUCTS by Mike Weiland KAWASAKI J's and HONDA 4's !! Crisp Performance - Precise Handling with HODAKA·aILiTY parts, complete conv.mons. . . I I Oisc Brakes. Mag jI.j~~"Wi~.!I Wheels and more. Send 25C for info_ ~iliI~"lWiIIIlili.~ see your local HODAKA dealer Distributed by Tiger Distributing 653 W. Broadway, Glendale, Ca. 91204 959AW. 17th St_/Cost. Mes•• CA. 92627 ,. Mike Patrick's ~ : YWHA of COIOIA • I • • 1101 E. 6th St. - Corona CJl4) 135-!!n The second' mo~o Ochs was again off to the lead but this time Snoey and Murphy stayed upright hard on Gordy's tracks. Murphy led the charge and took the lead about halfway through the moto. Ochs hung on to second which was enough to give him the overall win. Murphy's win dropped him into second overall, Tod Snyder (Suz) slipped into third ahead of Bill Snoey. The Open A class was a Bob Cooper (Kaw) speed demonstration starring only himself. Ron Pomeroy (Yam), Bill Snoey (Yam) battled for second and third with Mike Welland (Mai) getting in Snoey's way a few times giving second overall to Pomeroy, third to Snoey. CMC Invades W a s h i n g t o n - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 15170 Raymer St. Van Nuys, Ca. (213) 780-1768 FOR eliminations in both the 125 and 250 B classes. Gordy Ochs (Bul) was on hand to do overall honors in the 250 A division. It seems as though some guys have been passing Gordy but the old man of Northwest Motocross seems to always come up nllmber one lately_ Buck Murphy (CZ)' and Bill Snoey each played gopher in the first tum leaving the first place battle to Ochs and Mike Guthrie (Suz)_ Ochs had his usual lead but Guthrie was really thrashing on Gordy's tail. Guthrie got by several times bu t at the flag Ochs held a comfortable lead. Some time later the remainder of the field-came by. OLYMPIA, WASH., Sept. 9, 1972 Straddle Line Cycle Park, near Olympia, held Washington's first CMC and Saturday nigh t motocross_ Big plan here is cash-to-the-Experts not freely practiced by local AMA promoters. Many of the Oregon CMC riders trucked on up for this one. The track utilized all of the lower sections of the standard MX course (running it backwards as done for the scrambles) including three jumps, several tigh t sections and few sweepers all with good berm build up. Dan Brown (Bul) dominated the 125 Expert class winning both motos quite handily . [n the' 250 Expert class, Gordy Ochs took both motos for the overall win but not without some battle from Mike Weiland (Mai), Bob Rush (Ric), and Bill Snoey (Yam). Weiland took 'the lead from Ochs after both held off Bill Snoey. Weiland led for a bit then did a highside numbe,r allowing Ochs by for the lead and Rush by for second who was right on Och's tail at the flag. [n the second moto Weiland led down to the first stretch (terrible fast start area at this track) only to do a spectacular number in a shadow area. With Rush out with a dropped chain Ochs motored on with a comfortable lead, Snoey in second. Weiland picked things up 'after eyeryone was lo"fltgone then proceeded to work his way up to the pack, then through the pack, past Snoey and right up on Ochs' rear tire for the finish. (Oohs only needed a second place to win overall.) One of Washington's fastest, Rick Poulin. w.as on hahd for the Open Expert class bu t a did-not-start and a first turn crash kept Rick out of the running. With Poulin out Greg Farnsworth (Mai) had a fairly easy time. of it with only some pressure from Carl Peterson (Bul) and Ron Pomeroy (Yam). Don RhQ.des, Washington CMC honcho says there will be two more night races before-switching to Sunday for the CMC events.