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
September 4,1973 Page 33 The team of John Watkins and Todd Martella was the overall two-wheelied winner. The only trouble they had was one gentle slide out. They're probably the most successful privateers in off-road racing. bikers when they collide. Most of the bikers said this was a good course for bikes. For one thing, the bikes started first and Fritz Croyer, the overall winner, driving a single seat car, didn't get past second running Jack Froelich un til the fourth lap. Jack, finishing fourth bike, said that Fritz and one buggy were the only vehicles that passed hiJ11. Things were so well spread out that Jack said the only time he had a problem with dust was when he and one of the. Detnpsey brothers got into a drag race coming out of home check. The course was really a great one, utilizing about twenty miles or so of the Baja 500 course which, other than on race days is th e road th cse farmers use to go to town. . The gravel fire road off the start passes through a comer of the village of Santo Thomas, winds around a couple of farms and drops into a shady'grove of trees. There is no room for a car to pass in the grove, bu t it is wide enough for the bikes to pass each other. In fact, the whole course offers ample room for bikes to pass each other. Coming out of the trees the course comes up .onto a gravel road that is as fast as you have the guts to take it, and everybody really hooks it there. That is, they keep it wound out until they see the first Mexican pickup meandering toward them in the middle of the road or almost broadside the cows, horses, goats or pigs (depending on which lap you are on) which are crossing the road to get to the !l"eener grass. A t any rate, back on the course, last year's winner Dick Vic was making tracks on that 400 Husky, with a beau tiful lead over Jack Froelich on a 450 Kawasaki, which must have seemed like a tan k after riding the Hodaka for so long. Jack was making the big bike scat and was still holding down second 'place on the second lap when he came. across Dick's partner, Niles Ussery, , picking himself out 0'1' the weeds. Jack stopped long enough to make sure Niles wasn't critical enough to need his help, then cran ked it over and wailed down the road in first place. Niles, wi th a possible separated shoulder, walked back up the hill and sat in the shade, resting his aching shoulder in a sling made from a red bandana. On the third lap the Number II bike moved into the lead. Nobody outside of Las Vegas has ever heard of Mark Mason, but they are going to be hearing a lot about him from now on. That eigh teen·year·old kid hauls bananas on that Husky. And he is big enough that if he comes to a place where the bike won't make it he can carry it. Partner Jack Johnson is fairly well known for his second overall and first 250 at the Mint earlier this year and for his efforts, although not fruitful, at Cherry Creek. Between these two rather closely matched riders, the 400 Husky was scooting around the course in front. But twenty miles out on the fourth lap Johnson hit a rock and broke his right leg. Still wired on the race, Jack tried to jump back on the bike. I t was th~ tha.t he realized that his leg was broken. He got somebody to start the bike, climbed back on headed, at a somewhat,mild<:r pace, for the pits at Halfmoon BaY._ He was still going at it fairly hard. needed to brake for a comer, found his broken leg couldn't put any pressure on the brake lever and feU on his righ t side again. There was nobody to belp this time, bu t Jack managed to ge t the bike up on the kick stand, erank it over and limp, literally, into the pits, a total of abou t miles from where he broke his leg_ Adam Padilla, a rider from San Diego, was in the pits when Jack came in. Adam's bike was broken beyond repair and he and Jack decided that Adam should ride the bike back to the start/finish area and band it off to Mark Mason. First place was gone, and probably second, third and fourth, but maybe they could still save the race and at least finish. Now everybody is gasping in horror at the third ridei- taking the bike in, so here is how it was explained to me: In money races it is the vehicle which must finish. If a driver (and I uses this term because it usually happens with cars) is unable to drive his car, any other driver who has entered and paid the fees can take the vehicle. I understand that you should advise· an official fust, but also that there is no hassle unless an official thinks there is some hanky-panky going on. Padilla, at any rate, got the bike to Mark wbo took off like a streak and in the final lap took the bike from DNF status to second overall. The 'Watkins/Martella team, while not well known, have made their marks in off roading with a seventh place finish at both last year's Mexicao 1000 and this year's Baja 500. .• Results: 1. John Watkins/TOdd Martella (HUs); 2. Jack Johnson/Mark Mason (Hus): 3. Pete COlbert/Steve Halladay (Yam); 4. Jack Froelich/Bruce Bornhurst (Kawli 5. Gene Dempsey/Sam Dempsey (Tri); 6. Chuck Vesco/Bruce Shepard (Yam); .,. -Francisco Salazar/Victor Morales (Hon). *First 250cc Jack Johnson crashed, broke his leg, got restarted, crashed again when he found h!s leg didn't work, and still managed to get to the next check and change riders. It took three riders but they finished second. .. •