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/125816
.. M 1 by Jobn D. Ulrich MAMMOTH, CAL., July 1 - High Sierra M.C. put on this annual two days of racing, on one of the most gorgeous track locations in the world, through the efforts of only eight members. Saturday, June 30 featured Novice and Intermediate races M .... Q) .., o' > :; en too numerous to cover, but the high points of the day were a) watching officials trying to score a race with two riders sporting the same number, and b) riding a TL 125 over a Forest Service fIreplace without crashing. A refreshmen t stand dude wanted a blast leveled at pit squids turning donuts on his smooth dirt parking lot, so here it is: BLAST, BLAST! Sunday's Senior races started out with the announcer going berserk and announcing he was ready to take on anybody with a gripe. It was really inspiring to hear that man yell over the PA system, reminding one of the Cathedral of Light at Nuremburg back in the old days. The 125 Senior first moto started with Tim Lunde (Pen) and Danny LaPorte (Pen) pulling away with Bob Brooks in hot pursuit. Brooks and LaPorte diced fQr awhile, while Lunde set a track lap time record for the day. Brooks slowed and feU back as J. Hale took third. The leaders passed almost half the pack by the time they hit the checkered in that order. The 250 Senior first moto saw R. Pinnick (CZ) lead up the giant uphill with Doug Grant (Bul) right on his trail until lap 4, when Grant got past Pinnick and built up a healthy lead he never gave up. Spectators saw some real MX dueling between the pair before the lead changed hands, but once Grant got in front he was as good as checkered. Jim Wilson (CZ) took third with Dan Turner fourth. The Open Senior. first moto brought out the only four stroke of the day and yeUs of "Look at the Beezer!" from the amazed masses. Right from the start Joel Kyne looked unbeatable on his Kawasaki, with R. McCoy on a Maico and P. Klassen on a CZ battling for second. Terry Power ran fourth from lap one until lap six on his BSA, in front of 45 two strokes. Four stroke fans lamented when the golden throated thumper played ring-ding by seizing at the start of lap seven. The same lap saw Kyne loose a footpeg, and Klassen took first in the nine lap moto, with McCoy second. MoLO 2 for the 125 Seniors found LaPorte and Lunde battling for first for three laps, when Lunde zapped LaPorte on the scoring straight and pulled away. Brooks took second when LaPorte disappeared on lap 5. Marty Smith moved up to challenge Lunde on the last lap, but Lunde held out, with K. Henry coming out of nowhere for third. Moto 2 for the 250's saw the same old dudes wailing up the hill with Pinnick leading. Grant passed on the monster downhill, and led from then on. Wilson and Turner also got around Pinnick, and finished second and thira. The Senior Open mo to 2 reran moto 1 as Kyne took an early lead. This time, though, Ken Zahrt (Bul) gave a strong challenge, and outpulled Kyne halfway into lap 3 on the giant hill. Mike Garrett (Hus) and Klassen rode past as Kyne wavered. It was Zahrt, Garrett, and Klassen as McCoy failed to put it together and lingered around tenth. Moto three for the 125's featured Carl\Cranke leading for almost an entire lap un tiJ Lunde passed. Lap 2 on the mammoth uphill (get it? Mammoth. Get it?) Smith pulled right past a third place unlisted number (damn programs) and Cranke at the same time with the grealest (so it appeared) of ease. The next lap Smith blasted past Lunde on the same uphill he loved to use as a passing lane on the MX freeway. E. Cole (Pen) got by a slowing Lunde and it was Marty Smith, E. Cole and Lunde. Lunde and his Pen ton got the $500, first place money for the final scores, with Smith and his Montesa second for $250, and J. Hale's Penton nabbing him $150 for third. They paid all the way to tenth which was $35. The same old guys jumped out in front for the 250 Senior moto three, and it was Turner's Bul, Grant's Bul. and Jim Wilson's CZ from start to finish. The sJow guys in the race just kind of motored around, glancing over their shoulders once in a while to see which of the fearsome flyers would lap them next. After moto 3 the scores got Doug Grant the $500, Turner the $250 ~ w Z W ..J o > o MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN and Jim Wilson $150. The last Open Senior moto was blackflagged after a giant pileup in the first turn. The restart had another crash special a little farther down. By lap 3 T. Davison on a CZ led, with Klassen trying to fend off Zahrt. The struggle for second was ended when Zahrt zapped off and took first' by passing both Klassen and Davison on lap 4. It 'was a bTilliant demonstration of detei-mined riding, and Zahrt ran away with th..e. lead until he took the checkered at the end of lap 9. A slowed Klassen dropped out by lap 7, and Mike Garrett moved up to challenge Davison. Garrett pulled past for second, with Davison third. The points gave Zahrt $500 he well deserved for a fine show and Garrett $250 (in spite of a near·the-end barely finish of moto 1 after a minor riot with Ron Norgaard over whether or not the middle of the track is the place to do repairs). Rogers got $150 for a smooth consistent ride in all three motos. Two 125's get it UP. Ken Zahrt makes his way between spectators. 1 First-tum of the Open class. Kyne leads, followed by Weeks (15). Zahrt, Stephenoon (24). and Klauen (16),