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/125805
.- '" N "' 2 l1. ... N '" .i N u 0 Ul '!: w z W ..J U ~ U Tom Brook. finally smiled. Even Pfutz manages a grin, bleeding hand., flat tire and all. That'. how they finished. t:!·c,• ....' loops and arriving ahead of all the other Trail Novices. Debra Graziano, a little doll of 11 years, piloted a 70 Honda around one loop. Desert Turtles are so flabbergasted that she could do that much on such a sandy course and such a small bike, that they are going to accept her one loop and allow her to finish. There is a new trend in the desert these days. It seems to be a new game for the clubs to see how far they can run u down backroads and end up ten feet off the main highway. I was surprised to learn that after driving for miles and miles down dirt roads after taking the turnoff at Adelanto, that when we got ready to go we had only to drive about a mile in opposite direction where we came out on Highway 82, about len miles from Four Comers. Ugh. Big confusion also on the start as Desert Turtle. heard that there were 100 riders who were lost down in thc constructi'ln area and they decided to delay the start for an hour and .end somebody after them. Wires 'got crossed and the race wen t off after onh' half an hour's delay, finding 'orne riders totally unprepared. That just goes to show YOU that evcn the \'Cry best of dubs can get fouled up sometimes. . \s for :iending a team to rescue people ...if they can't even find tl,e camp, how are they going to follow the course? Well, a couple of minor goofs, but aJl in all, a good run. And I still say Desert Turtles give some of the nicest finisher _ pins in the desert. The gas pits were situated at the end of a road and riders were required to make a left turn. Tom Smith approached the in tersection, looked both ways, and signaled for the tum, He swears he was asking the flagman for directions. There will always be those who do not belong to dubs. Today, one of these hapless fellows was trying to get his gas poured in the middle of the intersection, but Desert Turtles were having no part of it and chased him off: His game pit crew hoisted the five ganon metal can and, chin high, elbows back, he ran looking for all the world like an Olympic champ after his hero. After a quarter of a mile he realized that he was no match for a 400 Husky, especially as he was handicapped by the gas can and gave up. Never did see where his friend stopped to get gas. After seeing Tom Brooks leading it at the half.way point, most people expected him to win it if he didn't break down. And he did. At the finish line he was asked what he thought of the course. "Too fast," said young Brooks. and to what did he attribute his great success? "The bike." Big. talker. I imagine that Tom must have some skill, too, as that lsn't the only DK out there. Pfutz was trying to save his hand, but the flat tire on the back made the Bul harder to handle. Determined not to have another ON F, Larry hung on, raising more blisters. md finished second overall and first 250 Expert. , Ken Buckspan (Puc) still did not have the story straigh t and he continued in third place righ t across the finish line. Really, Ken, you were doing much too well for a small bike. Jim Fishback (CZ) maintained' his fourth place for ,most of the race and finbhed second 230 Expert. A surprise for a lot of people was 15·year-old Bryan Brecker. Bryan (Hus) finished fifth O\'eraJl and first Open. .\nd he is an .\mateur. I'm beginning to believe that there 1S something to thtS business of being from a racing family. Jack Knebel (CZ) and Tom 'mith' (Yam) finished in that order for first and se and Open Expert. Jt is interesting that while Jack .is stiJI recovering from his shoulder problems, Tom is lUaking a comeback from 1970's bad get-off at me Baja. Tom was Number 9 last year, but after his accident he was only able to race four of last year's race, moving him back to number 95. Tom, who rides for Yamaha of Glendale, is very quietly edging up toward the Number One position. Watch him. Paul Crawford (lIus) and Jerome Ruzicka (AJS) sandwiched Art Knapp (Hus). Paul and Jerome were third and fourth 250 Experts and Art took third Open !Expert. Funny. Now that I look at thiSi; Knebel, Smith and Knapp are all So. CaJ. M.C. and finished one,. ~wo, three in their class. A.C. Bakken got the Husky back together and, after doing a header off the starting line, moved up to 11 th Bodaka. II won'l run oul of guls bef e o. yo ~ .~' ... , I _' ...... "1, - The Hodaka is built lor one purp03e. To out-last and outperform its competition. How is this done? By refining the same basic, superior design year alter year Perfeeting the litlle thingsthal multi-model mcm .....och·rers doo't have r .le to notIce. Carefully examine the new Ho· daka. Notice the trip.set adorn· eter. The feather· light cluteh operation and spring protected throlUe cable. And the rubber mounted gas tank. Little thmgs lhat add up 10 big things. We only build one bike. But we build it better than anyone else in the world. HODAKA PUTS YOU AHEAD District 37 Trailbike Desert Point Standing 3rd quarter Place 1st Points Name Cordis Brooks 2140 ... -