Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

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 - U

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