Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

Utah State MX Championship class, Was polishing Tony's rear fender with the front tire of his Champion Cycle Carabela the entire way. The best racing of the day was in the 250 Expert class, despite a mLx·up that caused one mota to be re·run. Phil McDonald, Don Fuller, and Gary Mikkelson (Husky, Bultaco, and CZ) really put on a show. Alinost simultaneous break-downs to Don and Gary in one moto put Phil on top with Don second. The Open Expert class also featured a good battle between Tom Dickerson and Frank Myers, with Tom coming out on top Saturday. by Larry Knop Photos by Dave Turner SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, Oct. 7-8, 1972 The Utah Motocross Championship is one of the toughest Sportsman even ts around. Two full days of racing, back to back, on two very different tracks, with the overall Champions determined on the basis of six motos of racing. It is not a race for weak bodies nor fragile machines. Co-sponsored again this year by the Continental Motocross Association and the Dusters MC, it's the type of event where, if you finish, you know you ve been in a race, and if you should manage to take home one of the Championship trophies, you knew you earned it. SUNDAY 1 SATURDAY The gravel pit in Lehi, Utah. The course is long, has lots of COarse sand, and is very, very rough. Despite its length, it has -enough corners close enough together to make it relatively slow. There's always water at Lelll, but many rideTS have neglected their waterproofing over the long, dry summer. This race, there Was just enough water to make it interesting for those who were prepared. Racing was ferocious, sometimes a little too much so. In the first motos of the 100 Expert class, just after leaving the starting axea and getting onto the course proper, the entire class crashed. Not one bike got through. All but one eventually continued, but a little more cautiously. David Crandall, on a Penton, . survived the best to take the class Saturday. In the 125 and 200 Expert classes, Peter Crandall and Tony Jacobs, both on Pen tons, and both riding for Checkered Flag Inc., swept their classes. Petq had no trouble _ that's his bike and his class and it's been a long time since anybody beat him. Tony has also been dominating his class, but this time he really had to work. He had to chase Kevin Croft (Suz) off the start and never make a mistake because Steve Burgess, who used to be kinj( of the Charlie Reid. Dick Shira and Steve Burgess at the start of the 200 Expert mota at Salt lake City. Tony Jacobs, 200 Expert champion, pursued in vain by Kevin Croft. Arizona Desert Raceways-----by Mike Murphy PHOENIX, ARIZ., Oct. 15, 1972 - The day promised to be a good one. Rider turnout was light, but the weather wasn't hot and the track was in good shape. The minibikers inaugurated the track with Rupp riders Chappie Blose and teve Gehrke taking the one-two slots in their first mota. The 250 Expert roster looked like a who's who of the Arizona ·crossers. Sam Redman (CZ) was leading the current Number One 250 plate holder in Arizona, Chuck Lampe (Mai). But Lampe likes the lead, so he passed Redman to lead the Experts across the finish with Redman second and Tom Baker (Hus) third. Bob Wharton (Mai), the local track ace, grabbed the lead in the second mota and held it to the checkered. Lampe and Redman followed in that order. Mota three Was a surprise. Lampe got· a poor start but Redman didn't. Righ t behind Redman was Californian Rich Davis (BuI). Davis seemed to recover from the problems he had in the first two motos and he started to press Redman for that front spot. Meanwhile, Lampe and Wharton began to move up on the leaders. At the end of the third lap it was Redman, Davis, Lampe and Wharton. Then Davis started to move. He kept trying to get around Redman but couldn't get the edge to pass. Up the Big Hill just before the finish line he looked like be had Redman when his left rear shock departed. Did he slow down? Noway! Wharton got by Davis to take the second slot behind Redman. But he worked for it. The 500 Experts rode with the 500 Amateurs due to a lack of turnout. Mota one was dominated by Expert Danny Croyle (Mai). Ronald Cowles (Suz) followed Croyle across the finish to take first Amateur. Brian Ross (CZ) 56th West in Salt Lake City. The course is relatively short, with fine sand, and is very, very fast. It's the type of course where a small mistake costs a loti of time and ground, and no mistakes is a lot to ask of tired bodies and machines that have already seen one day of hard racing. Peter Crandall and Tony Jacobs completed their sweeps of the 125 and 200 Expert classes, although Tony again had to work much harder.' Six motos of racing and nothing less than first is 'a fantastic performance. The 100 Expert class saw another heated battle, both on the track and off, unfortunately. Rick Plumb, on a Hodaka, took the honoTS Sunday. Penton-mounted Craig Snow, who took second both. days, took home the Championship ~ this class. In the 250 Expert class, neither Fuller nor Mikkelson showed, so Phil McDonald romped home for the Championship. In the Open Expert class, Tom Dickerson and Frank Myers resumed their battle and this time Frarik came out on top with a third mota win. Over the two days, however, it was Dickerson from Champion Cycle the Champion by the margin of one slim point. Amateur and Novice Champions were also crowned, and while they couldnJt match the speed of the Experts they did match the determination and effort. I t was a long two days for the riders, but in terms of the excitement and in terest it was over all too soon. ..:.. took the lead in the first lap of mota two. Ross lost his left footpeg in the first mota and didn't finish tOO well, but he had no such handicap in the second malO. But where was Croyle? Croyle blew the start and had to playa game of catch-up as he eame off the line last. In four laps Croyle had passed everyone but Ross and he was gaining on him. But time worked against Croyle as Ross saw the checkered before Croyle, by about three feet. In the third mota Croyle took the number one spot followed closely by Ross and another Expert', Randy Carney (Yam). But in the third lap Ross spun out and killed his engine. He lost several positions before he got restarted and there he finished. Croyle killed it at the bottom of the big hill just before the end of lap four and was disqualified when a spectator started pushing his Maico. No help allowed according to the --- rules! Carney went on to win the third mota and second overall behind Ross. Ron Cowles (Suz) rode right up with the Experts and finished first overall 500 Amateur. 125 Expert Gary Hickerson (Puc) powered his way to an overall victory with a 1-2-1 record in his class edging out Darryll Tussing (DKW) who earned second. Maico rider Don Stephenson has begun to dominate the 250 Novice class at ADR since he switched mounts. Now rider and machine seem to compliment each other as Stephenson finished the day with 1-2-1 and first overall. Alfred Macaray (Hus) ..f'mished with number two spot. A new class was added just for kicks: the Old Timers. Nile Downer (Suz) finished first in the 40-and-over group with Temple Carney (Suz) and George Barton (Mai) fir-ishing the class. r0N . ~ Q. N r0- C> ,; o Z ~ w Z W ...J U >U

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