Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

Scpt~ Pll!e 19 18, 1!t73 ·S.RA Tehachapi Valley Poker Run & European Scrambles By Dale Coats' TEHACHAPI. CAL.• SEPT. 3 ,For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of riding the Tehachapi Valley area, you have missed something not expected by Gus Pauli clutches the cup: DRA Gus Paull Wins The Cup CALIFORNIA CITY, CAL.• SEPT. 3 Saturday was the day of the first Silver Cup Invitational Race which was limited to the top 50 point riders in the ORA. The cup itself is really quite impressive, so much so that after it was built by Majestic Trophy Company two more cups exactly like it were ordered for Ontario Speedway to be given at their California 500 race scheduled Labor Day. The Invitational Race was scbeduled for 10 AM in the Rand Mountain area of California City. The Cup Race was run in a Hare and Hound fasbion with a loop of 14 miles and of nine miles; the second loop was run four times. There was no rider classification or.engine size class. just a straight feet up, twist the throttle race to the finish with awards on a first·come first-serve basis. The banner dropped at 10,02. Racing with a limited field of riders is quite rewarding and when it's the leading poin t runners it gets damn 'competitive. At t!)e bomb it was Jim Irby (500 Yam) with J obn Fisher (250 Yam). Jack Orndoff (450 Hus). Gus . PauN (450 Hus). and Jim Francis (450 Hus) all battling for the trail. The first loop took its toll. knocking out Orndoff. who. when attempting to ove,take Gus Paun, got himself fangled up in a banner and got off rather unexpectedly. Finishing the first loop with a nice lead was Irby. a leading Novice with • DRA. Gus moved into second and Fisher was holding third place just ahead of Francis and Joe-La Porte brought his 175 Penton into faurth. Loop 2 was a carbon copy. No positions changed with Irby still otI t front and ok! "Uncle Gus" juit hanging ,righ t in there in the n....oe.- tw" lIpot. Irby held his lead through loop':!. 3 and ~ . , .- Out on the fifth and final loop. it looked like Irby was going to be the· winner. As he commented later. "I knew it was .mine after the third loop and on the last loop 1 knew the cup was right in my hands". But Gus had not quite given up on the idea of winning this race himself and he started pushing a little harder on the last lap. Jim had been losing air in his rear tire and was not able to hold off Gus much longer. Then it happened; a slide-out in an off camber hill section and Gus Paull was right there with the .lead. Gus pulled in to the finish as the winner of the Silver Cup aild with enough points to put him in the lead in the standings. That was really close. a little too close and a little too long for second place Irby. The next surprise was to find a 175 Penton pulling in for third overall with Joe La Porte grinning from ear to ear. • Results Trophy· Winners: Gus Paull (Hus). Jim IrbY (Yam). Joe La Porte (Pen). Jim Francis (Hus). Mike McElfresh (Hus). John Sands (Yam). Jeff Jensen (Yam). Charly Pelland (yam). .. Vince Andeali (Yam). A rare desert scrambles CALIFORNIA CITY. CAL.• SEPT. 2 After a night of bench racing, partying and just plain enjoying a beautiful desert night we were up bright and early for a Rare Desert Scrambles. Rare it was as it combined all of the favorite desert races taking parts from a Hare and Hound. with 2 separate loops. a Hare Scrambles running around the second loop ~everal time.s and a European Scrambles with each class having its own r!lces and giving a lot of pit activity for the spectators. ' The Beginne,-s went off at 8:15. Vince Andreoli took the lead on a 250 Yam. followed by Damon DirUscio (Yam). John Steen (Hon). Rex Sasse (Yam) and Mark Hollinsworth (Yam). Andreoli was really cooking as he rounded the pits lock to lock with his rear wheel right against the banners all the way. He' was out of sight before anyone else appeared. After one 14 mik loop and two laps on a nine mile loop. Andreoli took the checked flag and picked up a transfer to the Novice ranks. Diruscio finished second. Steen picked up third. and Hollingsworth took fourth overall. Phil Stumbo ~Y:am) took IlTst place honors in the 21f'l6 c)ass. Jim Roberts (Suz) was 11T5t-1t 2!J.l Dave 'Berlag.ga was (irst Open oyer1'35"on a 500 Yamaha. and Dick Johnlon1 t~k IlTst 250 .wet 35 on his Y aIIUiriC!~-~\; ", Mark Feverstlen (Yam) whipped his 100 in for f.irst~i1 lItis Iclass and Bob Bence. (Hon) got fiiilt in die Mini class on his SL-70. The girls were, beaten today by Anne Steiner riding a 185 Suz/lki to IlTst, Powder Puff. The .Novices went off at 10 A.M. with Jim Irby on his 500 Yamaha running first rigJIt off the line. followed by hard riding John Sands (Yam). Tom Erickson (Hon) and Charly PeJlapd riding. (according to \tis application). a 360 Vol,kswagon. ChaI'ly was really ,ridinK a Yamaha. that just looks like a Volksw.agon with all the extras hanging on it. .. Irby rode a perfect race leading one 14 mile loop and tllree loops on the nine mile course all the way. Sands to<>k second. and Erickson held down third. Hard charging Keith _Meyers (Ric) first 125 class rider. just ahead of Steve Rion on a DKW. Mike Lewis (Hod) took IlTst in the 100 class. The big event of the day was the Amateur and Expert race. At 11 :45 they were off with Tom Smith (Yam) taking the lead, Heath Hibbard (Hus) . running second. the pack right behind. Smith built up a big lead. leaving the pits before second place was in sigh t. Hibbard was running a strong second followed by Ray Lowe (Yam). Ken Evans (Yam) and Mike Cummms (Yam). Smith took the checked flag way out front with a two minute lead. When Hibbard pulled his Husky in for second overall he asked Smith. "Wow. how long you been in?" Cummins was first 250 and thir.d overall. with Lowe fourth. Jolin .Fisher (Yam) was first 250 Amateur. Jeff Marsh was first 175 Expert and Albert Conard Sr. finished first 125 Expert on a KTM. Bud' Hicks was first 100 Ex.pert on a Hodaka. • mind to win. but hadn't figured on doing a front end wheelie for about a half mile. finishing with a really trick endo. which ended his desire and racing for the day. sorry about that. The eventual winner was Dave Carson (Bul) followed by Jobn Woodward (Yam). The sixth racc was led and held by K. Taylor (Hus) until Bob Wadlow. returning to the SRA scene, came from behind and pu t it all tagether to take first on the last lap, T,aylor then had to settle for second and Ron McClellan (CZ) took third. The seven th and final race of the day (0-200 Novices) had to be the most confusing of all. There was a Monark racing team that had made prior arrangements to ride the race. but not be scored with the rest. also. after they convinced everybody that Monark wasn't in the race. Allen & Dan Garrett came screaming by one and two as they did the entire race. finishing one and two. At this writing their status could not be determined so just in case, here are .the third. fourth, and fifth place positions. Allen Decker (Ric). Steve Wendell (Oss). and Ron Palmer. It was a most enjoyable holiday weekend for everyone. races went off Hke clockwork. very few injuries. plenty of help and most of all complete co-operation from the Cummins Ranch owners in making our brief stay enjoyable, h ope we can do it again. Maybe this is one way to beat BLM. Think about it! a desert rider.. BJue skies and green trees were a pleasant change from the usual desert outing. Ron Vincellette. heading up SRA, obtained permission from the Cummins Ranch people to have the Labor Day fun fest in this setting and surrounded by mountains approximately 8.000 feet. 300 riders took a leisurely 30 mile ride in the pines, ,. The poker run was only upstaged by a large brushi'rre, that had erupted across the road from the 'camp area. A few people panicked and started to leave, hut most of the bikers grabbed their camping shovels and dasbed across the road in an attempt to keep the blaze confined. When the first fire truck arrived. there were approximately 150 riders. genUinely doing their best to fight this fire! After containment. naturally there was an investigation as to the cause and as usual the au thorities were poin ting the CARSON CITY, NEV.• SEPT. 2 finger at our group.. As it turned out. the fire investigating team came up Nearly 400 riders challenged the with what they think was the lethal competition on the l' 1/8 mile match. lying along the road at the exact Motocross course at T-Car poin t where the fire started. Speedway's expanded facility On Monday. a cool cloudy setting in the rolling hills of the Cummins Ranch today. It was tlie second "Blue ·Plate" saw the first race. (250 Noyice) led by race of the season where all of the top Ron Mclellan but on the last lap he had Expert riders in District 36 of the a flat tire and Honda mounted Ted American Motorcycle Association Wendell took it for the win. followed by compete for the championship points Fred Corriea (AJS). . that decided who will. get to use the The :~200 Beginners. under 16. blue numbers from 1 to 20 for the 1974 including girls. (whew!). was won easily. season. and I do want to emphasize easily. by Jeff Loff. an 18 year old rider from . Rusty Blake. 100 Yamaha, who led the Carson City. is currently No. I in a close I battle with Danny T,urner of Rescue, entire race and puHed a larger lead each loop. An interesting note on Rusty California. Today Jeff displayed the Blake: He's only 12 years old. can reason why. by winning the overall barely touch the ground when aboard Open Expert events quite handily. his bike. aJ;ld was the youngest rider to Turner experienced bike failure and was finish the Barstow to Vegas last ye out of the competition for the second Third race (Open Beginner)' was w ' ·moto. Danny recently competed in the World Championships in Missouri and I b)1 Phil Elery (Hus). Phil was pursued <:ame in 5 th overall. I lall_by ,lap by J5ITY C.orll (Bul). and .' I Harwood (Hus). . Danny Olsen from South Lake ... Tahoe. finished Ilfst overall in the 250 c1n the fo~~ race (250 Beginll.en) the Ifirst ~~ee ride,-s came past· ~.t.i, .' Expert class and second in the 125 class. almost me same finish order. Danny said "I ride at least 3 days a Meanwhile, there was a· pie plate from week to practice and run 5 miles a day the Ravers M.C. that came frOM last. OR and exercise, when not riding." the first lap to first on the last ~ m , T -Car runs 36 minute motos over the Unfortuoately. when I' checked th'e ' 'high flying jumps. through the "muci Imislt-sheet- he wasn't OIl it•. instead Chishole" two river crossings. bumps and Pecka (Bul)- won. with Jet:rY Warner and twisting turns. The next race is Dennis Warner (Yam) in hat,pursuit. scheduled for S.... daV. September 23ri::l . After we had retire'd to the and will be anodte,- Blue Plate race. cORc'ession stand for luncll' and a cool, An interesting note is that the 'compe,tititors in the eventS had a spread can of some ·refreshing beverage. the afternoon: session began w.ith . ~200 . of 4G years sepanting the youngest Beginners. over 15. The first rider. from the oldest. The youngest was 8 and, the senior rider was 48 years young. riding a Harley·Davidson. ha4 it in his • T-CarMX 0·3& points ........ Jeff Loft at Canan City.

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