Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

~- ,; o Z ;g UJ Z UJ -' U >- U . '1;:'" ~ J .; 4, ~ ," .~. , '0"'. /" ,'f'>J.' .', ~.-.; -,"' _ '.... 't.~:--:~o~~' :~;':<6~ ..~ '! "~~.~~":a..:-, .... ' i < , •• ' ~ .... ~ ~ ~~~..;t:.,· ~ ~:,,~~, ... ",,~, .~:...;,,,... _ ....' ',,,>:,, .. !., :.~,. ,,~ . . . . . . Local boys who dldn t qUite make good. Tom Rapp (20) never was up front. Ron DeSoto i41 crashed. Bob Hershey never showed hiS potential in the 250 Support class. 250 Support Class Miroslav Halm(32) laps Bryar Holcolmb in the first I nternational motor. The works CZ rider was fifth in the first mota; DNF'ed in the second. Hang Ten U.S. Grand Prix (Trial Run) - (frampage3) for about three laps as the sturdy Czech tried to find a way around him. Miroslav finally got past Brad with about 15 minu tes to go. Just before the end of the moto, Jaak Van Velthoven, who didn't seem to be tiring at all and had worked his way up from a bad starting position, also got by Lackey. Jim Pomeroy was now behind Lackey and he didn't get by. That's the way they finished the second International moto. Halm had to work very hard to pass Lackey and Mikkola couldn't get around Maisch, even though it seemed like he could zap the thin Maico rider at any of a half dozen differen t spots on the long Carlsbad course. Of all the riders in the top ten at the end of the day, only Van Velthoven and Mikkola looked like they could have gone any farther. Back in the pack, Bengt Aberg and Giuseppe Cavallero had tangled pretty heavily. Cavallero remounted to finish nineteenth and Aberg continued at a very reduced rate of speed with his left handlebar bent back into his lap. Notable by his absence from the front of the pack was Jim Weinert, who had severe scooter problems in the first moto which left him pok.king around standing up for a few laps before he retired. He didn't start Moto Two. Ake Jonsson notched his fifth straigh t Trans-AMA overall win with a first and second. DeCoster and Mikkola were tied on points but second was awarded to DeCoster based (we were told) on a belter last moto performance. As we remember it, ties are resolved by fastest time under FIM rules which, by appearances, would give second to 'Mikkola. The Finn took home third , • , ,. •• •• t , J t , place cash. The Hang Ten trophy for the overall winner was literally a work of art. It was a bronze sculpture beautifully rendered in deep relief of a motocross Ii'!er in a berm. lronically, the number on the front plate was 10, Mikkola's number. Ake Jonsson took it, though, along with an ever-increasing lead toward the series title. Probably nothing would give the Maico-mounted Swede more pleasure than to beat arch-rival DeCoster, who he feels unfairly aced him out of the World Championship this year. And there is hardly an question in anybody's mind who the 500cc U.S. Champ will be. Brad Lackey seems to look better with every big motocross he rides. Baron Von Essen, the FIM re.presentative, was present to observe the course and the running of the motocross and, with some better crowd control, it looks like the U.S. has an International point-paying Grand Prix for 1973. Riders and officials alike complained about spectators running acorss the course. Overhead bridges and Anchor fence should help that, since spectators seem to have no regard for the snow fence that was erected to keep people oUlof the riders' way. One thing you don't see at European motocrosses is spectators inconsiderate enough to run ou t in fron t of racers during a moto. The sponsor, Hang Ten, was obvious without being obnoxious or blatant and they put up a good purse. The one downer was the fact that the much-baJJyhooed Soviet riders, Moiseiev and Kibirine, did not show. But then they most likely have _ their own problems. ~ f' J •• , . ' Bob Grossi won his qualifying round of the 250 Support Class, pretty much as expected. Second was the boy wonder from Mid-Valley CZ, Greg Robertson, blowing Tripes, DeFeo, West and the like into the proverbial weeds. Also making the cutoff for the money motos was Dave Aldana. Yes, that Dave Aldana. National No. 13, who had taken second in a big speedway race at Ascot the previous Friday and usually takes first in the Half-mile there. The other qualifying round was taken by a fast-flying Rich Eierstedt, who many outside of Southern California had never heard of. The American Motocross-sponsored Eierstedt finished abead of another Mid-Valley rider, Ron DeSoto. All told, 30 riders lined up for the first of two money motos in the 250 class. Off the line, it was young Greg Robertson followed by DeSoto and Marty Tripes. Then Rex Staten, a local rider sponsored by Triumph-Suwki of Pomona, appeared out of the pack and ran out in front of Robertson and Tripes. Staten took off like a jet for about a lap and a half, then fell. It was back to a fight between Robertson and Tripes for the lead. Both of these motocross monsters are tender youths of 16, by the way. Tripes took the lead, then his bike quit leaving the point to Robertson. Eierstedt moved up by Robertson, began stretching out a healthy lead over Eierstedt and teammate DeSoto. Meanwhile, Bob Grossi had moved up to about fifth and was chasing the leaders around. The long, cobby, whee l-chattering downhill really separated the men from the boys in the 250 class, even if it meant that it was the boys who got down it fasteL The youth brigade was definitely quicker than the old guys of 20 or 21. . Meanwhile, Dave Aldana, still wearing hIS BSA sweatshut of two years ago but on a h~althy-sounding Ossa, was beating guys lIke Lamppu and -Lars Larsson back in the pack. It looked like Robertson had the moto completely se n up, but in the last five minutes Bob Grossi parlayed his advanced years and European experience into a quick pass to be first at the checkered. . After the International class was over and the Europeans had gotten their trophies, acclaim, and money, the second 250 moto (and last race of the day) dumped their clutches to roar into the lengthening shadows that reached across the natural bowl of the Carlsbad International track. It was a shame so many of the spectators had started to leave. The last 250 moto was probably the best racing of the day. Another local hero, Morris Malone, jumped into the lead on his own shop's AJS. Greg Robertson lost the race for the corner but was .right behind him, followed by Eierstedt. Malone was riding better than he had all year. DeSoto had moved up on the front three and he made his bid on the superfast straigh t leading to the first uphill-downhill hairpin. He crashed badly enough to have the wagon roll, but was almost walking by the end of the day. Robertson got tight on Malone and Bob Grossi suddenly appeared to go by Eierstedt. Grossi kept on pushin' and got past the younger duo to move into first considerably sooner than he had in the first moto. About three laps later, Marty Tripes got by Malone and Robertson to take second. Grossi still seemed to have a comfortable lead. But Tripes steadily narrowed the gap, closing relentlessly in the last few laps of the last moto. It was getting dusky and long shadows had given way to a dark track. Coming over the last dropaway on . the last lap, Tripes caught Grossi. Marty had his wheel opposite Grossi's tank on the last turn before the checkered. And Grossi kept it that way for the last 50 ft. to the finish. Marty had waited too long to play catch-up. .

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