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/125824
Septembu"4,'19'73 , • TIle Dempsey Triumph leads one ofthose outlandish four wheelers in the dust; By Alice Rhea Photos by Marcia Holley & larry Bornhurst SANTO THOMAS, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO, AUG. 25 We really thought a bike could win it over all this year. Last year Dick Vic and Niles Ussery did it and there really was. no reason why they, the SilverthomfFetty team, Jad, Jehnson and Mark Mason or Gene and Sam Dempsey couldn't pull it off. It is I hard for bikes to beaf fI'ie cars In a10n& race, and I understand why now that I have (gasp) actually ridden in a car during the race. Although there are lots of places where you can get through or over on a bike and a car just can't make it, you just don't take the beating in a car. Wlille most of the bike riders were changing off every lap (58 miles), the car drivers were all taking at least two laps before changiJlg drivers. There is also a tremendous feeling' of security with all that metal, the frame and roD cage around you, and the seat belt aild shoulder hamess holding you securely in your seat. Where the average exceUen t riders (even th e crazy ones) will ride at something less that full tilt except when they are really dicing for position, some of the car drivers go flat out until the car breaks, knowing ·they aren't 11;0injt to get off if they hit a rock. And some of those cars really get to screaming down the straigh ts. Running bikes and cars together has always been considered by bikers to be the highest form of insanity. In a bike race if one runs in to the other both get off. But, in a car(bike race if the car hits a bike it is all over for the bike and the car doesn't even. get scratches in his paint. None of the cat drivers are going to run in to a bike on purpose, bu t when you come flying around a comer blind and out of control and there is a bike in front of you going fIfteen miles an hour or slower... well, there isn't a thing the driver can do except lock up on the binders and hope he doesn't kill the Cummins Wins. DRA Hare Scrambles LUCERNE VALLEY, CAL., AUG. 19 When the fmish flag came down it was hard charging Mike Cummins on a 250 Yamaha who had worked his way up for first overall on a circuit that was certainly a rider's course and not a horsepower run. The location for DRA Hare Scrambles was just above Soggy Dry Lake in the camp rocks overlookinp; Johnson Valley. At the bomb it was Ray Lowe and his 250 Yamaha running first andJehn Fish'er running right along side on another trail. Right in there with the group at the bomb was George Hale (Yam), Mike McElfresh (Hus) and John Sands (V-am). At the first check john Fisher had the lead wi th Ray Lowe running second. Fisher blew his rear tire and Lowe wasted· no time to take advantage of the situation and slipped right into the lead. Lowe led the rest of the way around and brought his 250 Yamaha in first on loop 1 with Mike McElfresh running second overall and first Amateur aboard a 450 Husky. Mike Cummins had moved up from ninth at the first check and was now holding down third place with john Sands in fourth. As the second wave came into the pits for loop one Jamie Vaels had put his 250 Yamaha into the lead, Rich Mitchell.(Yam) was in second place with Pat McEvoy (Hus) moving up to ·third and Bob Bussinger (Yam) fourth. The leaders from the first start had just topped the hills behind the pits when around the comer came Mike Cummins, who had pushed his Yamaha from ninth at the first check right to the front, passing Ray Lowe just out of the pits and picking up first overall. Ray Lowe puUed in for ~ second place finish and a second in class. "It was a good race we had going, but I just gave out towards the end. I led it all the way around and lost the lead in the last hills coming in to the pits. " Needless to say Mike was delighted with his ride and he and Lowe spen t some time bench racing over at the Big winnen (r-l) Mike Cummins, Ray Lowe, unidentified pedestrian, Jim Francis, Mike McElfresh and John Sands. G~ Paull, finish. Gus Paull had turned in another good ride today and finished third· overall and first Open Expert, putting him right in there with the top 3 point/ leaders only 20 points apart. Jim Fr;mcis pulled in next taking second Open Expert and holding his second {'lace in the standings. Mike McElfresh (Bus) was fifth and first Open Amateur, and John Sands (Yam) was seven th and first Open Novice. joe LaPorte put his 175 Pen ton through the paces today and snatched fIrst 175 Novice and ninth overall. Results: Overall: 1. Mike Cummins (250 Eli( Yam); 2. Ray Lowe (250 Ex Yam); 3. Gus Paull (Open Ex Hus): 4. Jim Frilncis (Open Ex Yam); 5. Mike McElfresh (Open Am Hus); 6. WOOdY Schamel (Open Am Hus); 7. John Sands (Open Nov Yam); 8. Jim ,rby (Open Nov Yam); 9. Joe LaPorte (17S Nov Pen); 10. Bill Thornburg (Open Ex CZ). 175 Ex: 1. George Eggleston (Bul); 2. D. Henry (Yam). _ 125 Ex: 1. R. Stiles (Pen); 2. A. Conard Sr. (Pen). 100 Ex: . 1. Buddy Hicks (Hod); 2. Doug Hicks (Hod). 125 Nov: 1. Gary Martin (DKW): 2. Tracy Lyon (Yam). 100 Nov: 1. Dennis Greene (H·D); 2. Mike Lewis (Had). Beginners: 1. Jamie Avels (250 Yam); 2. Pat McEvoy (Open Hus); 3. Kurt Hathaway (DKW); 4. Bob Bussinger (Open Yam); 5. Jim Newett (Hus)j 6. Steve Oragus (Open Yam): 7. Steve Jordan (SUZ); 8. Gary Hicken (SUZ); 9. Mike Grimm (Hus); 10. Frank Ardero Jr. (Ooen Yaml' • 175 Beg: . Phil Stumbo (Yam); 2. Tony Starnes (DKW). 100 Beg: 1. T. Rogers (Yam); 2. E. MacCracken (Ste). Mini: Bob Bence (Hon). " Powder Puff: 1. Leslie Klug (Han); 2. Leona Sweet (Hus).