Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

EI Cajon M.C. does it in the desert o .. e<'l '" il ... .., o HOLTV[LLE, CAL., OCT. 21 1973 AMA Grand Nation.1 a..mpion KBnI181h L.. Roberts. Art Friedmen Photo. Ya DODe Good, KeDDy ByJohnHuett8r EL SEGUNDO, CAL., OCT. 18 When you drove into the parking lot of L.A.'s new superslick big money Marriott hotel, 'you could tell right away this was not an industry gathering of any conventional sort. Half the vehicles were vans, some with national numbers on them, "Keep on boon" cartoons, racks on the back and the increasingly standard flashy paint jobs. It made you feel a little better to be part of a scene that definitely didn't seem up tight. The mood was good. • Inside the Grand Ballroom (as the plaque over the door caJIed it), Yamaha probably with their ad agency, Bottsford·Ketehum, doing most of the groundwork, had prepared a giant spuad: drinks, dinner and snacks that were a reflection of the importance Yunaba attached to_ their first Grand National Chunpionship and the money they had available to let people know about it. [t was not a chintzy affair. Also inside was a collection of people from the core and fringes of American motorcycling wh,;e names are ho~hold words. A least in my hou""hold. Dan Gume " Bruce Brown, who made a couple of good films and didn't go Hollywood; I. C. Agajanian, who even took his whi ~e Stetson off; Joe Parkhurst, a CBS Vice-president the"" days; Mickey Thompson; Baja and [SOT winner, Malcolm Smith; and Baja 125 class winner, Dick Miller. There was a 10't of old home week feeling for a lot of people wbo were into bikes one way or another. Yamaha, of cour"" , had all their top guys to give Kenny checks, a trip around the world, the praise he de""rves, and a little yellow and black wagon. There were former National Champions Gene Romero, Dick Mann and Mert Lawwill. Gary Scott, who had battled Kenny for the No. 1 plate all year, was there and so was Cal Rayborn who looks sharper every time I ""e him. The Yamaha riders themselves pre""nted an impressive cast including Tim Hart and import Pierre Karsmakers in motocross, Gary Fisher and import Kel Carruthers in road racing, and Don Castro from the AMA circuit. The luminaries, the racers, the promoters, the press, Kenny's support crew including dirt track tuner Shell Thuet were aJI there, simply by their pre~ce, paying tribute to the new National Champion. The Japanese, ~ith their usual courtesy, kept a very low profile as if to recognize that this was a down·home American shindig. Not a one even took a bow. Kenny took aJI the joking at his expeD"" and stories abou t him in good humor while he received monetary and verbal tribute from Bell Helmets, Goodyear tires, ABC leathers, Webco, Hap Jones and, of course, Yamaha Inl'l. with the same good spirit. He's still a young, down 100"" racer and he never forgot it. If his success has gone to his head, he's living with it well. Probably because he knows how long and how hard the season has been that put him on the podium tonigh t to receive the white plate with the black "1" on it. They even gave Kenny Roberts a chance to speak in his own behalf for a while and, for me, that was the best part. He was trying to act like a Champion in a new role suddenly thrust upon him and, generally, succeding. He said tonight that when he had clinched the title, he took off his helmet, wiped the dirt from his face and thought, "Well, shit, that's all there is to it. It's over'" but, be went on to say, it wasn't and now he knew that there was a lot more to it. Congratulations. Kenny. Few riders have come so far, so fast and so hard. The Yamaha chiefs kept suppressing grins all evening. You couldn't help but feel pretty good. • The BLM had sought a court injunction to cancel this race, but the El Cajon M.C. 'hired an astute lawyer and won the case. The federal land managers are obviously testing the legal limits of the regulatory powers thrust upon them by executive order. So the El Cajon case may well indicate that the BLM won't tum out to be the unreasonable dictator many folks feared. Of c our"" , the legality of the dollar-a-head Special U"" fee has yet to be determined. Today's race, three 36-mile loops, was held in the rolling de""rt near Holtville. Most folks were ple~d with the cour"", the weather was good, even the BLM ob""rvers were in good spirits. The route, twisting through medium to thick brush, was aJI rockJess sand with a few high-speed washes. 1t was well marked, but straying too far from the trail spelled trouble. Expan""s of eye·level • brush made relocating the cour"" a frustrating exercise. Mike Harper had no trouble finding his way and was in lust overall with a healthy lead over second place (first 250 Ex.) Steve Sterner. Third was Open Expert Bob Thornberg. Thornberg and Mickey Quade provided today's lmish·line excitement with a flat out drag race for the last fifty, yards. Thornberg won the sprint and Quade was denied fourth overaJJ when he was disqualified for switching bikes between the second and third loops. Quade admitted the swap, but wanted to get in some practice for the upcoming Baja 1000. Overall winner Milt. H.rper. Some visitors from District 37 commented on the efficiency of the day's program, and mentioned that the run was somewhat easier than most of the District 37 events. And for many riders, that was a welcome relief. One desert ranger pointed out that the problem of littering is common at desert events, but that the EI Cajon club usually left the site cleaner than they found it. Newcomers to the Southern California de""rt scene should be advised that leaving with less garbage than they brough t in is frowned upon severely. • Results: Over.lI: 1. Mike H.rper (Open Ex); 2. Ste"e Stern. (250 Ex); 3. 80b Thornberg (Opon Ex), 4. Randy HOCl_ (0..... 5. James JosP.r (0..... Ex), 6. Bobby NIles 250 Ex); 1. Arky Gun" (Open Ex); 8. J. Green (250 NOV), 9. J. Ahrens (250 Ex), 10. B. Ex/' HIlbert (250 Am). (COmplete results next W"k.) Bob Thornberg (27) and Mickey Quade dreg racing. Thornberg won; Quade _ disqU81ified for bike lWlIPPing.

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