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/125806
Firebirds 100 _ by Terry Newfanner JERICHO, UTAH, Oct. I, 1972 -Two long laps; over 7- miles. Peter Crandall figured his 125 Penton could make it without g.....ing up, so he blasted through the pits and added two minutes to his lead. You see, this was Peter's big chance - sure, he took first overall at the' Eureka Grand Prix, but Presto·n Gerber, Utah's super rat of the desert wasn't at that one. This time Peter was going to beat him. Three miles out, Peter ran out of gas. First overall and Open Expert went to Gerber, who has probahly won more desert even ts here than the next five guys combined. He rode a Bultaco, wearing a brace on his still-weak back. But some of the sidelights of this contest help tell a little of the story of the kind of men who race the desert. Gerber couldn't get going at the start, and it was Peter Crandall's father who gave him the· push he needed. At the end, it was Gerber who brought in the message of Peter's plight - in time for friends to get gas out to bring him in seventh overall and first 125 Expert, just ahead of Phil McDonald. Second overall went to Lamar Walker, a rider who used to be unbeatahle in the 100 class desert even ts on a Hodaka, and has now turned his talents toward better overall placing on big bikes. He had trouble getting it together on a big Yamaha, and now he shows in the results as a Husky rider. Third was an Amateur who isn't going to be one long, Gene Christianse·n on· an Open class 1·1 usk y .. The nex t Amateur in was 250 winner David Wayment, 17th overall. , But back up front, was Kenny Archibald, fourth overall and first 250 Expert on his 250 Yamaha, and without any close point tallies, it's safe to say he has the Utah number one plate just _ ahout sewed up. An.d next in was Tony jacobs and his 175 Penton, who took the 200 class lead from Wayne Spencer, who stopped to change a fouled plug and to look for the pieces of his sparky in the soft dirt. The course was a little tougher than typical Firebirds, with several powder hills that were just ahout a sure push·up on the smaller bikes. The start followed the old trail over the rocky hills, but then led through a long, soft section of new trail which hung in the air as the thickest dust seen here in recen t years. Too bad the creation of the BLM "Rockwell Natural Area" stopped their usual practice of taking the early part of the race through sand dunes, where the going was tough for everybody, but you could see. The backside of the course was part of an old one, a super-fun sandy trail with little hills to jump. This was planned to lead directly to a deep wash, but a breakdown in negotiations with a land owner forced the course to wind over some more hard climbs and virgin sage fIats .. The sandwash was a ball, and restful because you could go only so fast. The little turns meant ride on the sides rather than in the bOllom, and the big turns offered the nagging decision of whether to' take the shortcut up over the bar and sagebrush, or stay in the bottom where the traction is better, and get a ~traigbter' shot at the next straigh taway. On to the pits was a fun but still lumpy old trail through the junipers. Because of the added climbs and distance from avoiding the sandwash portion of private land, the club put it to a vote of two laps or three at the rider's meeting, and the Novices prevailed, so .the Firebirds 100 was about 70 miles long. :There were 194 starters, and at least 110 got the handsome little finishers trophy. ....... _._._-_._. __ .. Smiling Lamar Walker came out second. Here he is chased by Tony Jacobs who was fifth . : • • • • WEDNESDAY AT !5prn Oct. 25 for issue No. 43 on sale Nov. 1 • HANDLEBAR EXTENSIONS ADD 3 INCHES TO THE WIDTH OF YOUR PRESENT HANDLEBARS • FOR INCREASED LEVERAGE BETTER CONTROL STABILITY AND SAFETY INSTALL EASILY WITH JUST A SCREWDRIVER $3.95 PER PAIR COMPLETE (213)427-7433 CHECK OR MONEY ORDER TO: LAMPRO PO Box 96 Garden Grove California 92642 CHECK OUR GREAT VALUES NGK Spark Plugs (limit 4 per customer) reg. 1.10 .59 Motor Oil Castrol (limit 4 qts. per customer) .95 .79 2045 Oil Filters (Iim·it 1 per customer) 1049 Buco Leather Jackets reg. $49.95 now 29.95. Webco Leather MX Pants reg. 69.95 now 54.95 Name Brand Leather MX Gloves reg. 9.95 now 5.95 Name Brand Leather MX Boots •..................... reg. 59.95 . now 39.95 Buco Helmets ; reg. 35.95 . now 24.95 Competition Shields reg. 1.95 now 1.29 Helmet Visors reg. 1.50 . . now .89 Custom Universal Peanut Tanks ' _ reg. 29.95 now 19.95 Diamond Chain (5/8 x 3/8 pitch) reg. 14.95 now 10.95 Dunlop Knobby Tires (K 86 and 88) reg. 29.95 now 19.95 COME IN NOW LIMITED SUPPLY SALE EXPIRES OCTOBER 31st. now reg. now reg. now. Teenager Lester Morlang.hurried his Honda into ninth with partner Ray Houck in Colorado. Eight Classic Hour Desert Endurance by Max Dawson GRAND JUNCTION, COLO., Oct. I, 1972 - Colorado West's largest annual desert race is once again history, with Grand junction's Sandy Harris anchoring the overall winning team for the second year in a row. Harris has been on the winning team four out of the five marathons held since 1968. Harris's running mate for the 1972 desert enduro was local cycle dealer Leroy Blackshear. Blackshear and Harris clivided winning's of $350 for their Overall and Open dass wins. Twenty-six teams of two riders each competed for the $1,000 total prize cash today, running from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Looking in places like the back ..... _ side of the mooI.l, the ten-mile loop through the rugged and eroded Bookcliff foothills punished hopeful desert racers, who had driven in from scattered points in Colorado and Utah. Winner's team earnings in each of the three classes were $150 for first place, $100 for second spot and $50 for third finishers. Overall winners won an additional $100 and each local cycle dealer donated $1 00 to any team taking first in class on that dealer's brand of bike. Sponsor for the big marathon again this year was the local Desert Scram bIers MC. They also have in the works a dealer-backed MX series, Nov. '72 - April '73. ~