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/125822
The1973Mini-cycle National Championship ~ en ~ w Z W .J Co) > L.l In order to be a Mini National Champion you need a start with an FIM gate... By Alice Rhea ORANGE, CAL., AUG. 11·12 Saddleback Park hosted their biggest ever motocross, in terms of entries, this weekend. Over 600 riders from five to fifteen years old turned out to participate in the two day event on the International Motocross course at Saddleback Park. Banzai Hill was eliminated for obvious reasons, but with that exception the course was the one the Europeans ride. Some of the fathers complained that the course was too easy. wi thou t the accus tomed whoop·de-doos found in motocross, but they must bear in mind that the whoopers and gullies are not present at the start of any event on a well prepared track, but are created as the large displacmen t, heavy bikes pound the ·course. Tne minibikes, with their small displacement engines and light weight, did very little damage to the course and track remained fairly smooth throughout the two-day event. National Minicycle Association and Saddleback Park officials worked on the course for two days prior to the even t, and the course was a -beauty. Those familiar t~ Saddleback are aware of the adobe soil which packs down quickly making the rider feel like he is on aspbal t. The course was !lisced, bladed, graded and dragged until the surface was a foot deep in pea-sized, tacky lumps of damp soil which offered terrific traction for the small bikes. The starting gate, which meets FlM regulations, was used for all but the tiny bikes, making this event as near an International Motocross as these riders are likely to see. But because the gate was so high. and the starting hill so steep, the Pee Wees were started under the finish line banners, eliminating the uphill and downhill off the start, which would have been too much for their tiny bikes and a little frightening for the very young riders. The first six races, Pee Wee through 61cc classes, used only the top half of the course; a shorter, easier ride for the smaller bikes and riders, but still with a challenge. Starting with event number seven the Powder Puffs, the whole couse was opened up and the_ girls, on bikes up to 81cc, demonstrated their riding ability. Renee Payne usually has an easy time with her wins, bu t this weekend. although she won by a comfortable poin ts margin, there were a few minu tes out on the course when it looked like Debbie Sanez of Tumwater Washington (where the beer comt:s from) was going to snatch tht: lead. Ridt:rs from eightt:en statt:s competed in the 81 motos, including soft spoken, politt: Brad Ward from Orlando, Florida, who in spitt: of riding like a tiger, had a quick grin and answered questions with "Yes, M'arn. tt At tht: latest unofficial count thert: were 560 ridt:rs and 86 events (counting the runoffs), and the ambulance hardly moved. NMA did a surpurb job of organization, and the races wen t -off. one after another with hardly a hitch. Employing the starting gate eliminated a lot of problems, as the start is what usually turns otherwIse nice dads into mama tigers protecting their cubs. There was no way a rider could jump the start, and therefore no reason for the fathers to become angry. Minicycle paren ts seem to be growing up to the relization that the race is for the kids after all, and there were vt:ry few of them in the staging and starting A jump... A trophy .•. A tuner...