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/125819
;:; • l M .... 0> (f) ~ 2 w ... U > U D-38 Team Scram es .. by Scotty Schafer Photos by Marcia Holley CARLSBAD, CAL., July 22 - Rolf Tibblin and Mickey Quade had their hands full at this fourth Annual 0-38 Team Scrambles today, as Rob Norgaard and Mike Steffenson had their 400 CZ humming like a 125 road racer on the tough, unreconstructed but beautifully designed course. The "scrambles" course looked strangely like a Grand Prix layout, combining two motocross courses, twO parts of the road race course, and few miles of fire road and up-the-downhill switchbacks to test rider concentration and machine prep. The "team" was one . rider on one bike, tWo riderS on one bike, or two riders on two bikes, de.pending on many unexplainable factors. At three hours, the race was just long enough for the course'w sbake off pipes and fenders, crack frames (on the parade .Iap, yet!), and destroy rear spokes (at least three bikes were riding gyroscopes in place of rear wheels, including one rapid CZ rider wbo didn't seem to notice.) The powder puffers ran with F.xperts in tbe morning, which was a wise plan as long as the Experts raced rather than showed-off. Marcia HoUey went fast enough to poke a hole in the snow fence _ on the motorcross course, but slow enough to cause Rolf Tibblin to explain throttle techniques as he lapped her on the aspQaJt. Tibblin's scbool time here. wasn't enough to fend off the younger Steffenson and Norgaard, whose obvious ability is a bit ahead of their capacity to deal with it at this point. Like children in the adages of old, racers should be seen (preferably on the marked course, and not showing off when this is unsafe and not heard r I unless they have something amusing or constructive to say. End Editorial. The sponsoring Brush Barons MC has eight members, which accounts for the problems of the day. The dead engine start worked for the front row of Open bikes and for the sportsmen in the other rows. The single check (in a fenced in area wher_e no-one could cut anyway) wasn't enough to discourage course cutting on the 7 -mile loop. The pits were right on a top gear straight, which got progressively narrower as the pit crews moved out onto the track. This was particularly bad in the afternoon Novice run, as many of the riders "forgot" to look for oncoming racers before they re~ntred the course. The B. B. Eigh t aqd what help they could muster did rna ke some fast and smart decisions, like cutting out the roUer coaster when fifty riders jammed it on the Parade lap. The 0-38 team of Robert Knight and Rick Bowlers were really putting 125 pOWer to the gound in the Expert class, as were Pam Niles and Julie Ford in the Powder Puffers. Carolyn ~eull got in too late for the Powder Puff race and her partner made a no-show, so she ran the whole afternoon session alone, up the torque-robbing ravine walls and over the unprepared ("natural" in FIM language) International Motocross course. Riders in the Novice class got to watch the progressive deterioration of a stock 175 Yamana, when they weren't distracted by the foxy chicks accompanying the Cycle Path guys from £1 Cajon. The Brush Barons race handling was an improvement over last year's effoTt,. particularly with 400 riders dotting the coastal hillside. There'll be more next year, if they call it a Grand Prix so the District 37 guys know what it is. Rolf Tibblin (Hus) was the surprise non-winner, taking second behind the' CZ of Rob Norgaard and Mike Steffenson. This fellow led the Novieas for awhile. - •'Which way to Peoria?" ,•. .. ~ If ., ( .' ,,'e •