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/125804
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Kerry Fowler ran low tire pressures.
Widowmaker Motocross
Peter Crandall starts the long downhill.
_
by Terry Newfarmer
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, Sept. 24,
1972 - For their third motocross, the
Bees M.C. did some grooming on the
climbs and descents, removing the
tbree-fo.ot whoop-de-doos, to make the
course faster, morc fun to ride and a
little bit different a contest to race on.
In short, horsepower became more
important on the course that used to
demand more in strength and handling.
In the Expert classes, the change
made little difference in the results,
except in the 250 class, where a
collection of some of Utah's best riders
of similar capabilities, always put on a
good show.
This time it was Phil McDonald ·on
top of his Husky with the principal fight
coming from Bultaco riders Kerry
Fowler and Don Fuller. Phil is not
f1asby, and he is the sort that is often
second or third in the large strong class,
but seldom wins. He did so this time,
with a first, second and first. Fowler
claimed the second moto, arid he seems
to run smoother and 'stronger when in
fran t.
Fuller was long ago consideref! the
state's top rider, and he seems to be
making a comeback from a long slump,
following his change from Yamaha to
Bultaco, and the apparent abandonme.nt
of bis crash-or-win riding style (based on
bru te strength) for the smooth control
that it seems to take to win now days.
The wins in the other Expert classes
were a carbon copy of before, with the
boys from Checkered Flag making it
three Widowmaker Motocrosses in a
row for them to dominate the small
bore Expert classes. Bob Plumb and his
Hodakas weren't th ere, so it was easy
wins for David Crandall, 100 Penton;
Peter Crandall, 125 Penton; and Tony
Jacobs, 175 Penton; each winning aU
three of their motos.
Dennis Packard, the only
CZ-sp0l)sored Maico rider around, was
almost untouchable in the Open class.
The second place tallies looked
different, with Kenneth Moore, a rider
just up from the Novices, running a
strong second in the 125s on a Monarch,
and Wayne Spencer, a desert racer who
use to be an also-ran in motocross, with
all of a sudden second 200 Expert in his
first MX on his new baby-blue.
The 125 Experts was a face out of
the past, the same Warren Spencer who
use to rule the class from a converted
enduro Yamaha. He said he thought he
was ready after almost a year of not
racing, !?ut he wasn't ready for what he
got. So, Warren settled down to doing
wheelies while being lapped, until he
looped the DKW on the rough upilill.
Good to have you back Warren.
DAN 9ABf