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/125836
De Anza Hilldimb By Ann A. Powell SUNNYMEAD. CAL., NOV. II The hill at De Anza Cycle Park, 530 feet of sand, rock, ruts and dogleg turns, had a lot to offer everyone, and there was little doubt that those who carried home the brass really earned their honors today. The min~bike class, always popular at De Anza, is just about going to have to be reclassified as the 70 class. Nearly all of the 12 competitors were riding those hot little Honda XL, 70s, and they were giving the hill everything they had. Taking a first place trophy was Chuck Hobbs on his first time out at a climb. He was followed by Mike Shea in second and Eric Collins, third. Winner of the 100 class was Gary' Bancroft, not a new feat for this young man. The 12'5 class has to belong to the Powell family. Young Mike showed that be was 97 pounds of bil1climbing magic when he took his bike up to the 430 foot mark, setting a high mark that couldn't be broken hy anything' under the 250 class. Older brother, Dave, and his father had to sit back and watch the young man go, leaving them both in his dust. If anyone ever gets the idea that only the men can handle the big bills, one need only watch Alice Hudnall climb. She makes that 175 Yamaha do just about anything she asks, and today she got first place in her class. Jack Tomar, who had to settle for second, claims . that Alice "whispers sweet nothings in her gas tan k." The 250 Stock class, one of the largest in the competition, was headed by Lan Nascimento. Nearly 20 feet behind was Bruce Kranz in second place, and even further back was Don Robinson in third. . Nascimento jumped to the 250 Modified class, bu t here he had to settle for second place behind hard riding Wes Evans on a super Bultaco. It was beginning to look like no one was going to top the last few feet of the big hill until Bill Mathison on a 360 Yamaha fmally wen t over and' assured The best riders America has to offer. Battling it out with Europe's finest. National and world champions. Factory racing bikes. himself of a first place in the class. Jim Hoggard, Jr. took a second and Craig Mock a third. Both Hoggard and Doug Hall, riding the 360 Modified class, managed to top the hill. Hoggard took a first, based on his 470 high mark, with Hall settling for a 431 and second place. Third place in this class wen t to George Tidwell. Proving that the hill was getting no easier, only Kerry Peterson, on a 400 Stock Maico, was able to make it over in his class. Second place went to Don Wagner. Peterson repeated his over in the Modified class, but had to settle for a second this time, behind Gene I'aquette. Paquette stopped just short of the top on his second run, but it was higher than Peterson managed to climb. ' Chuck Peterson took first place in the 450 Stock class. The 450 Modifieds were led by Lee Dugas, followed by Jim McClendon. No 450s were able to top the hill, and neither were the 500 Stockers. First place was won by ClydePeterson, Jr., with a high mark of 510 feet, followed by Wes Evans. By this time the hill was really getting rough. Even though the bikes were getting bigger and more powerful, they were having a rough time making it over. Earl Whetsell, on a Modified Yamaha 500, got over the top, but Elden Peterson and Neal Mackel had to earn their respective second and third place awards by setting high marks just below the top. Then came the fire-breathers. Big and powerful as these fuel burners are, they couldn't make a Sunday drive of that top 50 feet or so of the hill. Mackel finally assured himself of first place, but he worked for every foot to the top of the bill. He was followed by the smallest bike in the class, Ron Saffel on a 650 Triumph. Third place went to Ed Shaver. , Top Eliminator for the day, going over from the 200 foot mark, was the lanky Mackel. • MVMC at De Anza By Keith Patten SUNNYMEAD, CAL., NOV. 10 r In the 25'0 Beginner class today Randy Lutz proved that consistency counts as he got the overall win with a second in the fIrst moto, a third in the second, and a second in the last moto. The first moto was won 'by Timothy Jones followed by Lutz and Sam Easterday. The second moto saw Edward Soza take the lead and hold it to the end. Jones took second and Lutz took a third this time. Tim Gilliam won the third moto giving him enough poin ts to ,take the overall second place. Lutz again was second with Easterday and Ray Fawcett taking third and fourth. Tim Stevenson completely dominated the 250 Junior class by winning all three motos. Dan Roach took second in the first moto followed by John Ward and Brad Painter. Ward came on strong in the second moto to You'll see them on their snarling, leaping crotch-rockets at Saddleback Park on Sunday, December second. The excitement starts officially at noon under the flags of many countries. But get there early. Practice starts at nine in the morning. Pick your hillside spot. California's Saddleback Park offers great vantage points to see many jumps and turns, not just a few. Lots of parking, too. Get to the Newport Freeway in Orange County, take the Chapman Avenue turn-off East to Santiago Canyon Road. Or sneak up the back way on EI Toro Road off the San Diego Freeway. For six bucks (three bucks for kids 6 to 12, and free for kids under 6), it's a great day in the sun. Trans-AMA take second place just in fron t of John Lawson. The last moto was ,a rerun of the second moto. Brian Harber was out of sight in the 250 Senior Expert class as he won all three motos. Suzuki mounted Dave Walton won all three motos 0 f the Open Beginner race followed closely by Mike Roach with three seconds. Burke TOtlstru,p won the Open Junior class with no problems. The Open Senior class saw Tyler Tollstrup win all three motos easily. Paul Ivie won the first two motos of the 125 Beginner class. Tom Bower took second the first moto followed by Yamaha mounted Steve Anderson. The second moto it was lvie, and this time Anderson edged Bower out for second place. In the last moto lvie fell while leading and enabled hard charging Anderson to take over the lead and hold it to the end. Bower then took second but lvie put on a determined effort to regain second for the fmish. This gave lvie the overall win by a narrow margin. William .J agers a regular crosser on Saturday won the 175 Beginner class. Dwayne Vanderby who is also one of the resulars won the 175 Junior race. Neil Fawcett and Craig Hill fought it out in the Mini class. Neil who came up with the overall win by one point. Joe Spangler, another one of our regulars, was moved up to a Junior in the Mini class, so to celebrate he took first in his class. Alvin Long led for a few laps in the 100 Beginner class before he had problems and had to call quits for the I, day. With Long out Mark Allee took the win unchallenged. Harry Warr won the 100 Junior class. Debbie Lutz won the Powder Puff class on her Yamaha. • • • • 11III ... 11III t