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
INDIAN DUNES "'More commotion than hell walking barefooted in flaming long johns at church bingo social' Through the fast, tight, twisty stuff at the Dunes' Shadow Glen course. by John Grout Photos by The Shadow VALENCIA, CAL., Oct. 8, 1972 Fifteen -ye ar-old Matt Bilton of Woodland Hills has struck again ... ! While taking still another stride, or this one may h ave been a gian t leap, up the abili ty ladder he was Junior-ranked less than one month ago - Maico-riding Matt met and defeated a large number of the better 250 Professional riders in the nation during toclay's ACE motocross sizzler at Indian Dunes Park. With Santa Clarita Valley temperature almost a basket case, herniating somewhere in the frigid 60s, Bilton was afield in the reservation's buffalo wallows - creating more heat and commotion than hell walking barefooted in flaming long johns at church bingo social! (jeez, Grout!... Ed) . He purchased more ground than a ten-shot, eighty-proof dynamite round - four feet below a kindling-wood set. And he turned the entire trick on a Mortenson's tuned machine that featured a fantastic prototype Revell expansion chamber that had to be the silkiest wheezer ever "not heard" at the . Dunes! What I mean, Sue, is the bike of Bilton's had the raw beans to lever boulders from 'the surrounding cliffs. It could have yanked the General Grant Redwood stump - and still have had half-throttle torque in reserve, It probably could have winched the Queen Mary to berth - up to the cen ter of Piru Creek. During the first mota for 250 Pros, a heated conflict that produced an early withdraw I of pre-race favorite Dick ...................................... 9~~--_~ IBOSSOnl1 ~~~ ~tKtuttng 1117 Fountaln.Way. Anaheim, Cal. 928 ..................................... Eierstedt, an immediate lead was taken by Mid Valley CZ rider, Tom Claire. Behind the fran t runner was a swift gang, buying a yard at a time! Bilton, Glen Lund (Hus), Kenny Cook (Mai), Terry Bilton (Han), Eddie Cole, Yamaha, and Robin Clark and John Holmes, both CZ-mounted, Talk about a cardiac arrestor... Approaching the last tum during the final lap of their first spectator desensitizer, Claire clung tenaciously to a dwindling caper. Young Bilton was gobbling up more dirt than a Natomas gold dredger. If Claire hoped to stay in front, his throttle cable would need a chiropractic manipulation. What I mean, Carleen: The can tract was already let: The Woodland Hills whizzer had enough flameout still remaining in the Maico's barrel to have larruped Halley's comet. And yet, there was only a single curve remaining in the race. From the final comer, Matt Bilton's machinery dug a tremendous c1iJmp of real estate. He squirted into the lead exactly opposite the checkers. He had won his initial even t against a talented group of Professionals. During the second moto for mid-bore Pros, the lower end of Glen Lund's bike got tied up tighter than laces on a pair of deck sneakers as the sliding group threaded back through the esses. With two racers dicing to each side of him, and Kenny Cook's front wheel nibbling away at 'studs on his rear tire, Lund immediately threw his hand up, trying to warn the others of brewing trouble. However, it was too late; slamming into Lund's disabled machine, Cook embarked on an unscheduled. flight Hand Washable Stay Soft Othman Distributing Co. 18227 ludlow St. Nonhridge, Ca. 91324 • Riding • Racing ·S...... GLOVES Dealer Inquirtes Invited (2131363-6230 I horizontal to his running gear. Bilton collected his second straight win. This time, at the expense of runners-up Claire, Clark and Holmes. In the third heat race for the grouping, a tired Matt recorded a .3rd place f'mish, behind Cole and Claire; enough to' assure him of the day's o ~ victory. Claire and Cole were divisional runners-u . Tom Simpson, the Mar 'Vista skyrocket who rides for Otto's Cycles of Hollywood, gained his second straight weekender with a 1-2-1 mota tally after 'a hard-fough t donnybrook against Open Pros. Seemingly regammg momentum which he enjoyed at the beginning of the 1972 competition season, Simpson's sale defeat of the afternoon came at the hands of a charging Russ Darnell. Darnell (Hus) and Don Sanford, a visiting Maico dealer from Odessa, Tex., f'mished behind Simpson in the day's overall results. Mike McAtee (Bul), Jimmy Macdonald (Ric) and Don Emler (Pen) did a host of place swapping in the 125 Pro warfare, before finally finishing in that order. Senior-ranked winners were Dave Montgomery (125cc), Bob Bayle (250) and Greg Osborne, 6ding the Open class. Kendall Watson, who will be racing his CZ against Senior/Expert come next Sunday, gained an Open Junior victory after recording finishes of 1-2·1. His one loss was handed to him by still another CZ rider, Tracey Bray. Gary Doane was third overall. Still other outstanding Junior efforts were turned in by: Loren Hall (250), Mike Hogan (25), and Mike Lacy (125) and Ralph Kerr, who pulled a sensational grand slammer against those riding 100cc machinery. CYCLE SWAP-O-RAMA RETURNS OCTOBER 20th The largest motorcycle parts swap meet in the world, the Cycle. Swap-O-Rama will be held in the New Products Pavilion Building of the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa on Friday, October 20th. According to swap meet director and originator, Vic Wilson, this event will be similar to past meets with a few improvements. "One difference will be in the price of seller's spaces," explained Wilson. "Instead of paying $5 for a space, everyone - buyers and sellers alike will pay just one dollar. This way, if you've got but one expansion chamber, you won't have to layout five bucks to sell it. Just bring it along when you pay your dollar to get in and sell or trade it. Also, dealer spaces will go for $10 and we'U accept reservations for them. The ten dollars gives the dealer the right to bring his truck or van into the Building and sell from it," added Wilson. Several Southland dealers have ~ w ~I (J Could this be the visiting Maico dealer from Odessa, Texas? _ already made reservations for the October 20th Swap-O-Rama, including i m aj a r de a1er-distribu tor from the Riverside area. lncluded in the list of motorcycle parts and accessories that will go on sale beginning at 5 p.m. Friday, October 20th will be tires, helmets, antique Indian and Harley parts, motocross fenders, leathers, and new and used parts of almost every type. .. Another highlight of this Swap-O-Rama will be the used motorcycle auction," interjected Wilson. "We're talking to a dealer who hopes to canvass other dealers in Southern California and pick up all their old bikes - including basket cases. This part of the meet is still in the planning stages, but it looks good," added Wilson. For information on the October 20th Cycle Swap-O-Rama, call (714) 637-1835 . OMPETITION Moto-X - Desert Enduro RODU~tington yeLE 1241 Or.noa-thoIlMlBu.,.. 16612 Beach Blvd. Beach, Calif (714) 847·2202 p.,k. C... 714/~~J~"2.0 11"J~21.z422 THti IIAJA \\'Htitil.. (:~) W~:~E~~I;E "'¥ Whe~ It's Cheap You Suy The Ses' From Jim Davis MoI05pOtt Elbow pads Che:l pn,ltectorJ . . • Shoulder pMk. . . • • Stun p,lMck ••• Meulh ~ ••••• KnM pads And 101. more avoi/ob/e . SOLO BY BETTER CYCLE STORES niROUGHOUT TIlE WORLD. CHECK WI"" YOUR Lcx:.AL OEALER. JlM DAVIS. Box 1002. !urlMnk. c.lifomi41 91505 '" '" Competition tested and proven in the toughest terrain in the wortcH $74~.~,., add • 21" Akront rim ~~~~oHrUoB (ax • Heavy duty B gao spokes • 350 x 21 big knobby tire • Laapd in a special "3 over" pattern • Trued to + or - .010 THI~ "'Htil~l••:..._..: P.O. 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