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/125811
TOM SMITH FINALLY WON A RACE It Was S.G.V.M.C. Barstow-to- Vegas Hare and Hound 1972 &U / . ""...... ,. Tom Smith won the World's Biggest Motorcycle Race. - Marcia Holley Photo. Photos by Ed Drechsler, Marcia Holley ,Jeff Wright and Rhea. by A lice Rhea LAS VEGAS, NEV., Nov. 25, 1972 The stars look so close I feel that I could touch them. There is a skim of ice 011 the rew patches of water beside the road, which make me more aware of the comfort of the van's heater. Off to the right I see a campfire. Perhaps a rider who strayed off the course, and, too weary to push his bike further, has lit a fire and huddles near it. I want to pick him up and give him a ride into the next town but we are separated by a barbed wire fence and miles of desert over which the van cannot travel. Day dawned clear and brigh t. Riders rose at first light, climbed into stiff leathers and heavy jackets and stamped lheir feet to get circulation going. Those who were not too nervous ate breakfast. They rubbed frost off the bike's seat "-''''-''''''$... with gloved hands and attempted to kick the machine to life. They made last min ute adj ustments and checked equipment. One last ride to the bomb. At 7: 15 a.m., 2500 riders lined up on the floor of a desert valley near Barstow, California, facing the rising sun and Las Vegas, 168 miles away. San Gabriel Valley M.C. dropped the banner at 7 :30 a.m. 'and the first wave of riders tore across the valley. "I t's going to be a good day," Tom Smith told himself, kicking the 360 Yamaha into fifth gear. He had picked his path to the bomb and practiced it and now was charging down that trail as fast as the Yamaha would carry him. The crowd of spectators at the bomb saw Tom charging toward them, but made no move.to get out of his way. Muttering, Tom downshifted to third and dodged around the side of the ~ A. C. Bakken (Hus) was third man into the finish chute. - A. Rhea Photo. group and picked up his trail on the other side. He could hear the DKW screaming under the throttle hand of Tom Brooks, and he knew that there were a hundred men behind Brooks who could take this win from him, but today was his and he was determined to hang on to it. He charged on, hotly pursued by 800 other Amateur and Expert desert riders. Smith jumped the road crossing at the first alternate pit and spectators and trucks were a blur as he streaked down the pit road with Brooks, Gene Cannady, A.C. Bakken and Troy Hollis right behind him. Former World Motocross Champion and winner of this year's Mexican 1000, Rolf Tibblin roared down the road after them. The list of the first hundred riders to Right behind Tom Brooks· 'OK-WI l wHo . pass this point would read like a Who's Who of Desert Racing. Larry Pfutzenreuter, the Bultaco rider whom many. thought would win today's race, lost hIS clutch lever al the smokebomb stopped to put it back on and re-entered the race about forlieth overall. George Walker (Kaw) , with all his years of experience, got a flat tire and did not even make it to the bomb. Tom Smith's Yamaha. tuned hv Yamaha of Glendale, was running beautifully. Past the second gas pit he saw Checkers' pit crew signalling that he was first and cheering him on. He took one hand from the bars to wave at them, glanced around to see who was behind him, overshot the comer and crashed. Gene Cannady (Han) was movin!! came so crose to doing the impossible - Barstow.to.Vegas on a 125. If the head pipe were a little tighter...Jeff Wrighl Photo. wrnning