Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

.. • ~ I II Internatlona• "ac__ av Pr. .nts I II ~ Motocross E Sunday,Dec1. .AMA S-=!onad Semi-Pro MX, Silanc:en 8< Mufflers 36 Rules Gatos Open: Sign Up: 7:00a.m. 7-8 a.m. 8a.m. 9a.m. Practice: First Race: Enter Gate Entry: Cycle News North No.5 Expert: $7.50 Nov/Jr: $5.00 Spectator>: Adults: $3.00 Jrs.12·16$1.oo Under 12: FREE IN POI (707) . . . . . .2121 Hwy 37 & 121.12 Miles So. of Sonoma, Calif After the fierce contest, everybody got out of focus. After all, the First Minibike International was over. mEMONT RACEWAY MARATHON The First Minibike International SUNDAY DEC ZJ $6.00 ride, $1.00 watch Gates open 8:30,125-9:30 250-noon, Open-2;30 for info: 415-327-4461 36904112 KAWASAKI OSA BMW SUZUKI MONTESA RICKMAN MAleo selby motors MOTOACVCL!:S - SAL.ES - SERViCE INSVAANCE MAleo ELECTRONIC IGNI flON 3"6 EL CAMINO REAL. REDWOOO CITV. CALIF. CYCLE MART Performance by Bailey Triumph Rickman Maico Gemini Hoclaka Mail Order' Salos· Service Rupp 542 So. Main, Milpitas, Ca. 95035 BSA 14081 262·3388 The M05t Complete Dirt Bike ShOO In Northern C~lifo,n" CZ-HUSKV·MAICo-SUZUKI SALES - SERVICE - PARTS T ...... yey.... 'M Sin Antonio Aw. _u_ln V _ ca CCUI.Cl.nl? Custom Work Race PreP8'ntion _ 0 Mall Order Alloy Tanlcs E.T. CYCLE SALES OSSA VANKEE HODAKA STEENS CARABELA 2268 EI Camino, Mt. View, Ca. (4151964-6622 WE SPECIALIZE IN MAIL ORDER 1850 East Edinger Santa Ana, CA 92705 20 On the start line for the Semi were none othir th",left to riltlt, Jim Pomeroy; Peter Lamppu, who wandered in front of the roaring machines about this time; a semi-fast guy; Jim Cooke; Steve Johnson and Brad Lackey. (714) 541-5217 By John Huetter PT. RICHMOND, CAL., NOV. 23 The tension was high and so were most of the spectators. It was a one-of-a-kind event. What kind of a motorcycle race was it that pitted Gary Fisher against Jimmy Odom against Jim Pomeroy against Benito Magneto against Wimpy? Where Brad Lackey would stretch out a big lead in Heat One and then lose it over the berm? Where Roger DeCoster and Dick Mann stood on the sidelines eating home·made blow you away clilli and sipping a beer? Why, it was the First Minibike International, that's what kind of race it was, held at the Richmond Ramblers' clubhouse amidst the hills that they can no longer ride on. Doug Lackey, Brad's father, was running around wearing a big grin and a h~t covered with finishing pins, bringing disorder out of confusion. But when sign-up closed, something like 20 of America's elite of motorcycling had plunked down five bucks for a place on the start line. There were probably more "name" riders in the crowd than on the bikes, though. Roger's RN Suzuki didn't qualify as a minibike and Bugsy was supposed to ride but his machine wasn't rmished in time. Brad's monstermini never did get that piston so he was riding his father's stock XR·75. "It's a toad," he allowed. However, that didn't keep the former motocross No. 1 from building up a big lead in Heat One on a track that was basically an oval with a jump. The off and on light drizzle let the comers build up into nice, mushy berms and it was through one of these curbs in tum two that Brad stuffed his mini with about three laps to go. Kawasaki teammate Jim Cooke also. feD so Ron Stockton, who had been running way last until people started falling down, won the heat. Jim Weinert was jumping around the infield yelling at Brad and Cookie for not gassing it and falling and being. general screw·ups. A broken collarbone kept him out of contention for the big purse. Frank Gillespie and Tom Rockwood didn't think th~ track prep was up to AMA oval circuit standards and got their five dollars back...or somebody's five dollars. They probably went out and squandered it on stuff like food and drink. As a q'f.l'"tet of frothy-mouthed riders leaneil over their handlehars revving their mighty five HP engines, th~ starter freaked, throwing the green flag away as he jumped out from in fron t of the four-man take-off. Most of the actual start jumps were red.flagged; it seem~ like th;is one was. Steve Johnson, weanng a skI parka and downhill racer number jumper, called up some of his . Ascot Novice sk.ills and built up a big lead, then continued acting like an Ascot Novice and threw it away on thc deepening berm in tum two. Road racer Gary Fisher tucked in down the back straight and putted into the lead from which he was never displaced the whole rest of the heat. What a future as a dirt tracker that boy doesn't have - if any factory team managers were there to see him. Jimmy Odom Ilad the pole position in heat three and ran over the starter's foot to take the lead. Then Gary Semics got by in turn three, sticking a wheel under on the inside, so Jim grabbed Gary's jacket and pulled himself back up even till he lost his grip. Pomeroy lined up on his Bultaco Tiron two-stroke and was competitive in his heat until it threw a chain. He then ran back to the pits where ~omebody pushed a Honda mini at him so Jim push-started back into the fray. He was then competitive again a lap or two down but made the Semi. Gary Semics was still gassing it on a super-prepared heavy horsepower Honda and everybody wondered who his tuner was. He won the heat. The track kept getting tackier and the ~urn one berm was building up. The SelIU was crowded with bigtime dirty talent and just plain crowded. It finally sorted out to a Pomeroy·Lackey dice as both riders applied their European Grand Prix experience and knees and elbows in a tigh t through the comers, full bore, fron t wheel in the air down the straigh ts race. Pomeroy got the lead and Lackey's borrowed bike didn't have the beans to outpower him and Jim kept sticking his leg out, pulling it back just before Brad ran over it. They both stretched out a big lead and transferred. The stage was set for the showdown. This was the big one for all the marbles and most of the mud. The start line read off like a who's who of oversize minibike freaks. Odom, Lackey, Po mer 0 y , S e m i c s, S to c k ton (Stockton?), Fisher,... the list went on. A roar went up from the crowd drowning out the th-

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