Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

WHEELSPORT NATIONAL ENDURO by Lyle Fergus LAWRENCE, KANS., Nov. 12, 1972 The first National enduro in Kansas took p lace here today. The Wheelsport Motorcycle Club has been putting on top class enduros for abou t seven years and was ready for its first National. Sunday morning the Wheelsport Club Grounds were very busy with 338 riders from allover the country getting into their foul weather gear. The riders meeting was held shortly before eight and the rules were explained. The gas trucks were coming through about this time and were quickly filled with some of the weirdest painted containers you have ever seen. At the riders' meeting the new scoring system was explained. Each rider would have his time wri tten on a card carried by him and the observed checks were to punch the cards. The cards were waterproof (except when submerged) and had special tape to write on that could not be altered. Another new innovation by the Wheelsports was the use of digital electric GE clocks. The 114 mile course was very well marked. One of the riders said there was so many arrows it looked like it was snowing. Ed Schmidt, overall champion, said the course was very well marked except for one creek crossing .where Now - there should have been a danger marking. Wrong way signs and danger markers were also used for the first time. It is kind of nice, when you miss a tum and run righ t in to a red W, you know something is wrong. At the start the weather was cloudy and could have gone either way, by noon Mother Nature finally made up her mind, she decided it was too dry. So about noon it started to rain, and most of the riders were north of Lawrence in the rocky and IPlly part of the course. By the fourth check the field was down to 32 riders still on time, 338 started. After the enduro was over there was quite a bit of talk about the 24 MPH average speed. Robie Johnson president of the Wheelsports thought we should have two average speeds set up, a bad weather speed and a good weather speed. So if the Wheelsports get a National next year you will see a few small changes. Mike Hinshaw from t!}e AMA was on hand to see how the Wheelsports first National Enduro came off. . One' of the worst sections happened to be a very muddy road which caused' many riders and motors to give up. Some of the creek crossings were tricky but if it had not rained the speed would have just been about right. The results were posted at 4:30 and the trophies were to be given out after the 30 minute protest period, except some one forgot the contingency prizes. It took about another 30 minutes to get the prizes, 45 minutes to give away the 97 trophies so the whole show was over at 6: 15. The riders were told about the two and four legged squirrels. Some of the four legged squirrels have a habit of tearing down arrows on the road, so the Wheelsports painted the course. Red for righ t, yellow for left lind green for straight. The two Jegged squirrels have been eating the arrows in one of the sections so just watch for pieces of arrows. There was only one case of bad two legged squirrels where they turned the arrows around and ran the riders through a bean field, the course was reamarked quickJy. (Poor bean.) Sunflower Cablevision was on hand to film the start and some of the more interesting parts of the course. A 30 minute special was shown later in the week. Camera woman Pat Pandzik was riding in the Powder Puff and place second. At 8:01 the first five bikes started down the road in fron t of the club grounds. If You Have a Green Stickie, the Computer Has Your Number - - - - - - - - - - - - The nation's largest computerized registry of motor vehicles in California's Department of Motor Vehicles now has become the first in the United States to include all types of off-highway vehicles. HO wners now have a better chance to recover their porperty and officers can make arrests for violations involving off-highway vehicles where, until now, there was aJmost no way to do so,' said Department of Motor Vehicles Director Robert C. Cozens. "With the help of the nation's most complete data information system of ilS kind, officers almost instantly can learn whether an off-highway vehicle they are checking is stolen." He emphasized, however, that the vehicles first must be identified with a special sticker plate at a DMV oftice. At the same time their frame numbers and engine numbers are recorded for flling in the computer's memory bank. To date, only about 46,000 of an estimated one million OHV's in California have been registered. The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators office in Washington, D.C., revealed that California is first to offer such a program to keep track of trail bikes, dune buggies, snowmobiles, mini-bikes and other off'road types by means of a computerized central registry. The Department of Motor Vehicles data unit for OHV's went into operation early this month. Previously, it con tained records for some 14112 million - vehicles registered for use on California .----HuT DOG ,-----., 724' Orangethorpe Buena Park, CA 9062' Cycle Ne\Ns HOT HATS ALLNEW! OnIY.1.oo "f Cyele News Dept. CNP P.O. Box 498 Long Beach, Ca, 90801 BazookJ Pete says: \' "Mmm, Hot Hat good:' highways. The new phase is an outgrowth of legislation which became effective last July 1st. It required that vehicles used exclus.ively off the road for recreation on public land carry distinctive identification and be registered with DMV. A prime purpose was to aid in law enforcemen t. -LESS SOUND MORE GROUND Off Ro;,( Ve"icle '.stit"te-SD M Making a Mint N The officiaJ drawing for starting positions in the 1973 Dell Webb De~rt RaJly (Mint 40) will be held at the Mmt Hotel and Casino in the Merri,Mint Theatre Lounge on December I, 1972 at 1:00 PM. The 1973 classic off-road race will trace a 400 mile desert and mountain course north of the city. Over 100 entries are expected to be in contention for early entrant starting positions. Separate drawings will be held for motorcycles and four-wheel vehicles. .The motorcycle race is scheduJed for March 19, while the four-wheel vehicles are slated for March 20. All those who en ter the race after the December 1 deadline will receive the next available starting spot based upon the reception of their entry application. A total of over 400 en tries is expected to be processed between now and race time. Sponsoring hotel generaJ managers, Richard Schofield of the Sahara and Jess W. HinkJe of the Mint, announced a total guaranteed purse of $70,000 for the March 18-21 event. Prize money posted by the two hotels plus manufacturers contingency awaras should push the total cash and products awards over the $150,000 mark. Race director Mel Larson stated that prize money will be distributed over seven divisions for motorcycles, dune buggies, four-wheel drive utility vehicles, production-type cars ~d the new mini-pickups. First place money in four divisions will be $6,600 while $3,300 will go to the top money maker in each of the o'ther three. The top ten will receive cash in four divisions and the top five in the remaining three. Chief Steward Walt Lott is curren t1y working with the Bureau of Land Managernen t for approval of a course that will take competitors over country which promises to be the most grueling in the race's history. Lott advises new competitors and all those who competed in last year's race and have not yet received their rule book and entry form to write: Race Director, Del Webb Desert RaJlye, Mint Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada 89101. USED PARTS ALL MAKES ~"l o~- o

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