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/125814
Champion Marathon,
_
2'
by Bill Spencer
SAN FRANCISCO, CAL., Dec. 9,1972
The temperature at Champion
Spee?way had dipped to 27 degrees;
creatmg a rather frozen wasteland of a
l>.
M
r0C>
ai
.c
..,
race track.
A total of only 24 teams rode the
event with a combined 250-0pen race
closing the track early.
The action in the 125 'was furious
between Rod Simas and Troy Durham.
Simas is the more accomplished of the
two although both are winners. Troy
rode the en tire even t alone and only
stopped to have his glasses cleaned and
fmally changed when one pair broke.
Simas had a partner, George Peacock
who was riding his first marathon. Both
rod.e Pen tons that never faltered and the
dicing was t,,-mendous. Simas led most
of the way but when he would give up
control to partner Peacock, Durham
wo",ld catch -up and pass. SimaS would
then retake control and regain the lead.
. The guts it took to ride the entire two
hours is hard to believe as the cold was
more tiring then the racing.
After the race that ended with Simas
about eight seconds ahead, preny close
after two hours, both riden shook
en
~
w
Z
W
Look at them mud riders.
Ain't they neat?
Got mud on they head,
Got mud on they feet.
hands and went off for some warming
coffee and libation.
Showing up five minutes before the
race was to start was many time winner
John Fraser and his new 450 Husky.
John is still getting used to the two
stroke, but the two hours only showed
how great an endurance guy he is. He
was a full four laps ahead of second. He
started at the back of the pack and'
toured the course for a rew laps finding
out where it went and then gradually
took command as the early leaders felJ
by the wayside.
So much for cold weather, brrrrr.
Neil MacDonald 160V) drives around Steve Hollingsworth on the second lap of the 250 Expert g
at Turlock.
.
Turlock Short Track
_
by Jack Hancock
TURLOCK. CAL., Dec. la, 1972 - The
least ever amount of riders and
spectators for a local £4t track event
showed up here today when the
Westside Eagles of Turlock played host
to the final short track of the season.
Th~ fairground track remained frozen
throughout the entire program. Those
who came ,got to ride wi th six lap heat
races and 10 lap mains.
With a frozen track and temperature
at 21 degrees, it was a rider's dav with
horsepower meaning little. if an
individual rider was not as good as the
competition all he could do was wait for
the inevitable fall. Riders slipped and
slid their way around the track all day
with only the Expert classes showing
real form on the slippery surface.
One glaring excep tion was Ken
Brown in the 175.Novice class. He fell
on thesecond lap, picked up his Penton,
and eIght laps later had made up a
complete half.lap to take the checkered
first.
. Steve Hollingsworth, riding a Penton,
m the 125 Expert class, led from the
start and didn't make a mistake
throughout the race. It was his first win
on his new bike.
In
the
250 Expert class
Hollingsworth got his usual fast start
and kept it hot until lap two when he
zigged instead of zagged. He got it out
of shape and then over corrected. Neil
MacDonald was waiting for the mistake
and went around for the win.
Team Cross Country'
by Larry lJlrich
_
0
R.A.C.E. MX at Corona'
_
by Marilyn Hart
CORONA, CAL., Dec. 16, 1972 Hondas all but swept the Mini and
Super Mini classes. Dana Warne picked
up his second win in the Minis, making
it two first in two days, and Andy
Northrup finished second overall. David
Oller again clobbered the Super Mini
class, leaving Bill Taylor and his lndian
(the only non-Honda rider) in second
and Ron Utaski in third.
Mark and Marty Gresham were both
in the results today as Marty won the
250 Junior Division on his Yamaha
ahead of Ed Gember (Mai) and Pete
Smith (Bul). Mark settled for third 100
Junior behind Tom Ortiz (Hod) and
Bob Seeley (Yam).
After winning the 500 Intermediate
class last night, Gene Martin was back
up from Baldwin Park for another win
on his Husky. Jim Latendresse (another
steady winner at Corona) finished
second behind Gene. Riversider Bob
Hoover and his DKW had the win all to
himself in the 125 Intermediate class.
As there weren't enough Experts on
hand for separate divisions, Ken' Zahrt
had to settle for only one win today and
that was with his DKW in the 125
Expert class. Mark Tyer r-mished second
on his Penton and Val Tamietti third on
his DKW.
Without the Preston Petty Product trademark, it ain't me!
Some guys (sleezy-eyed huckster types) are in town
selling plastic fenders without my emblem. They'll tell you
they're the genuine Preston Petty Products plastic fenders.
They'll tell you they're unbreakable. They'll tell you that the
emblem doesn't mean much anyway.
.
What gall!
Don't believe them!
Only the gen-y'oo-wine Preston pirtty fenders have eamed
the reputation of lonltlasting unbreakability. The racer's'
choice. No others have a successful track record like my
unbreak~ble fenders. Buy only the ones with the Preston
Petty Product trademark.
Like I said, without the PPP it ain't me!
The fenders offer the highest
impact resistance, cold weather
durability and strength of any
fender on the market. We started
this project to make the best,
strongest fender at any cost and
will continue to do it. Top per.
formance must be in every part
of your machine. You will no·
tice the difference!
RACES WlLL BE HELD THIS
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY DESPITE
CHRlSTMAS WEEKEND.
RA.C.E. Night MX,
_
by Marilyn Hart
CORONA, CAL., Dec. 15, 1972 - Ken
Ehlers took horne the bread to nigh t as
he and his Husky bettered _ Rick
Valentine (Yam) for the 250 Expert win
~d Chris Allen (Cz,) for the 500 Expert
BEND, ORE., Dec. 3, 1972 - 96 teams
lined up to assault a 35 mile course.
Each team member would ric\e two laps
for a total distance of 140 miles. Due to
wIn.
the distance and short daylight hours
Another steady winner for the
the race was started at 9 :30 a.m.
evening was Greg Griffin on his CZ. He
At the end of lap one, it was Yamaha
took
first
overall
in
the
250
mounted Ray Crawford in the lead.
Inte.mediates ahead