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/125837
• • • = III I II ..,;II g c<') r--. O'l ....... ~ ':!'" s-. v .0 8 v u v 0 Aldana broke his bike; won race on Hocking's spare. Rick Hocking and Bob Hosford chased Aldana; finished 2-3. Lancaster: They wished it would have rained today Story & Photos by Dan Mahony LANCASTER, CAL., NOV. 18 All the way from Santa Ana to Lancaster, David Aldana was telling himself that he wouldn't be racing; it- was raining. But as it turned out, the only dark clouds over the Lancaster Short Track Championship were the lack of riders and spectators. Everyone else though t it was going to rain, too. The best riders America has to offer. Battling it out with Europe's finest. National and world champions. Factory racing bikes. 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 6to 12, and free for kids under 6): it's a great day in the sun. Trans-AMA '. Aldana began the morning with a good endo to get himself in the proper frame of mind to race. Then his chain broke and busted his Kawasaki's cases. After wandering around the pits a bit, Dave managed to pick up a ride on Rick Hocking's spare Yamaha. Meanwhile, in practice, Terry Dorsch's carb body broke, John Hateley's clu tch. went out, and Frank Gillespie blew the compression release out of the head of Chuck Palmgren's Yamaha. The National numbers were doing badly so far. Dorsch elected not to ride, mainly because Hateley stole his clutch. Palmgren (with a little help from Eddie Mulder) mickey-moused the release back in just in time for Gillespie to make it to the line for the first heat, whIch he won over Bob Sanders. Hocking, ~ob Hosford, John Hate1ey, Rob Mornsson, Dave Hansen, and Aldana won the remaining heat races. Hosford got the jump on the field in the firsr semi, but his underpowered 250 Honda single soon gave way to the charging Aldana. Hosford held on to second ahead of Al Kenyon,Joe Brown, and an off-the-pace John Hateley. The second ten lap semi was won easily by Dave Hansen, riding a new 350 Honda single, over Ascot star Ron Moore, Frank Gillespie, and Floridian (wintering in nicer weather) Charlie Seale. Rick Hocking reeled in the third and final semi ahead of Dave Lewis, Rob Morrisson, and Pat McCaul. Aldana led the trophy dash from start to f'mish over Hosford, Hocking, and Gillespie. Nevada's top scrambles rider, Manuel Crummetts, won the consplation race easily. Northern Californian Dave Lewis got the hole shot in the final and led the first lap over Hocking, Hosford, and Aldana. In the space of about two laps, Aldana had moved in to the lead to stay. As Hocking watched his spare motor disappear into the distance he almost letHosford slip by. The two had a handlebar-banging battle for a few laps until Hocking got a super drive off of the hay bales and wasn't challengerl after that. • 'Xk eN" 7