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/125817
Dick Burleson was overall winner, one of only three riders who finished with gold medals. ~he event was crimped bV course marker thievery. by Rick Kocks "The responsibility of following the route rests with the rider and losing the way cannot be accepted as an excuse for being late or missing a time check or a route check. ., LAURELVILLE, OH.,June 30-July I· This rather all-encompassing phrase, taken from the AMA rulebook governing trials competition, is responsible for maintaining a semblance of order over an event that could easily have become a free for all fiasco. The event, a two day qualifier held in southern Ohio, saw a first day 'mass elimination of some of the best riders, due to inadequate trial marking and to the workings of a vigilante arrow removal committee. Snafus began early the first day. Few riders had difficulty zeroing the first three checks, although many grumbled of poor trail marking. The 12 mile section between checks three and four included a demanding 6.5 mile terrain test. At the end of the timed run, riders began having problems finding check four. Some never found it; others were late. Malcolm Smith, Doug Wilford and Lane Leavitt all picked up marks for being late. Conditions were worse in the next section. Of the arrows that were left, most had been turned ';n the opposite direction. Jack Penton and Dane Leimbach picked up 36 and 34 marks respectively at check five. But there were some who never located the check. By this time, there was a huge pack of lost, confused riders attempting to find the trail or the check. A large contingent decided that if enough riders went in, the last half of the day (everything from check four) would be dropped. At 2:30, more than an hour before the first rider was due, a group of disgrun tied riders swarmed in to the finish area with tales of downed arrows, spectacular trail crashes and near misses. The group included Lars Larson, Malcolm Smith and Doug Wilford. Later, Jack, Jeff and Tom Penton, along with Dane Leimbach sho ed up. In all, 34 riders checked in early in hopes that only the first four checks would coun t. But, as the day progressed, more and more riders returned on the' proper route. Most were extremely late but they had found the remaining checks. In all, 77 riders trickled in after completing the day's route. There was a great deal of speculation as to what would happen. Fortunately for both the sponsoring clubs (the Logan M.C. and the Salt Creek M.C.land the riders, AI Eames was on hand. Eames added the only thread of credibility to the entire floundering The terrain test ran along 6.5 miles of creek bed. Al for Kawasaki 0 ... DKW Monark Penton Malo Guzzi Steen, CZ Jaw. 5300 North Rosemead Blvd. Temple City, Ca 91780 (213) 287-6167 .. .. '" '" l1. ,.... '" Cl ~ '" ~ Z W ....J () >() listens to Lars Larsson explain the miserable conditions. nonono~ononononono~ TEMPLE CITY KAWASAKI Norton A.J.S. E~ames event. He arrived Friday as an observer, bu t soon found himself at the helm of a rapidly sinking ship. Only his vast past experience and cool presence of mind salvaged the event. Eames summed up the situation, "If we drop check five, then we'd have to also' drop check four since there were riders who didn't make it that far. And if V(e dropped four, we'd have to drop check three. . .we·d end up with absolutely nothing. We've got to accept the inefficiencies of today and make a decision. " The decision, based on the rulebook, eliminated the 34 riders who came in late. Then, under the instruction of Eames,. the clubs went to work preparing for Sunday. The poor marking and missing arrows caused more than frustration for a few. Several riders were eliminated by head·on trail crashes. Herb Marcus demolished his Pen ton in a wreck with an Ossa. But the worst crash involved Dave Eames and Carl Bergg reno Both walked away (Berggren rather shakily and with a sprained wrist) while Eames straightened the front end of his bike and continued un til he got lost. Sunday's route was a reversal of the previous day's run through the rugged Hocking Hills. Of the ",,7 starters, only three were riding on gold..Tom Clark, Dick Burleson and Jake Fischer. Two waves of trail riders kept Sunday's route well marked and, for the most put, things ran smoothly. Sunday's terra.m test was a six mile blast through a creek bed. Spectators lined the banks as riders roared through the creek, sending up great sprays of water. Jake Fischer, who set fast time in Saturday's terrain test, flooded his machine near the end of the creek test. He quickly pushed his bike across the finish line, changed the plug and went on to set second fastest time in the nearby speed test. He zeroed the day to maintain his gold medal standing. At the end of the day, final results revealed that only eight seconds separated overall winner Dick Burleson from second place Tom Clark. Bren Moran won the 125 class while Burleson topped the 175 class. In lbe 250 class top honors went to Ossa ml)unted Don Cu tier and J. Simmons took first in the 350 class. Fischer was the top rider in the Open class. No one in the 100 class finished. Burleson, Clark and Fischer copped the only gold medals of the event. TRIUMPH SUZUKI of POMONA {7141623-4431 Custom Porting & Engines by Chenda Lelek "WORKS MECHANIC" . Distributors of "J.H. CLEANSWEEP" Improved Exhausts For Fast Cl's MAIL ORDER DLR INQUIRIES INVITED T~O 'l' b '._1 (). or ~ ~ " ~I!.'" ~ YAMA"fA r "SPECIAL OF THE WEEK" TIE DOWNS REG. PRICE .. $8.95 .. SALE PRICE .. $5.95 LIGHTWEIGHT LOADING RAMPS REG. PRICE. $17.95 .. SALE PRICE. $12.95 LIMITED QUANTITIES WHILE THEY LAST 24020NARBONNEAVE .. LOMITA,CA.90717 Phone (213) 534·2311 0 t~ " ;~ " ~O t"~ 0 t"E;,C' 'tI;G' ,..", tGO 't~" 1"(" "tEC' 1"£.') -( £