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/125841
John Fisher meets Rattlesnake Canyon. Eve ryone got into the act at Hermiston. Hermiston before the sprinklers: 100 mile hare scrambles By Jan Newman Results: HERMISTON, ORE., DEC. 16 1. Curt Brewer (250 Yam); 2. Rick Allison (250 Han/: 3. Dave Russell (125 DKW): 4 . Larry Fel x (Open Hus): 5. Steve Ellis (250 HuS); 6. Joe Klokkenold (Open KTM); 7 . Craig Brewer (250 Yam): 8. Tom Wells (250 - ) t 9 . Cary Candotta (125 Han); 10. Bert lIer (250 Hus). At II: I 0 today 159 guys and one Powder Puffer took off to ride the last race in this area. "Progress" is taking over. Already the survey markers stand ominously marking the spot where giant sprinkler systems will be set up to transform the desert into 22 farmland. It was fun while it lasted, though. The Blue Mt. Motorcycle Club organized this race to help finance a motocross track near Hermiston. Work has already begun on the course which should be open early in the spring. I'm told it will be an all -weather track with sand-not mud! Things weren't what they seemed as the first riders neared the pits on the first of four. loops. All of them had missed the first check point. Despite warnings at the riders' meeting to carefully check the ma r kers when passing through gates, etc., roughly two thirds of the riders played follow the leader over a trail that is sometimes used on these runs, but not today! Some riders had turned back at check point two to get the missing mark making a two way traffic pattern in that area that had to be interesting at the very least. Gordon Young (Hus) was the first to arrive at the pit check on the first loop but without the first marker he had to be conten t with just a good rid~ for the day. An uniden tified rider was in fran t of Young as they came in to view and became the first of many to hit a hump which sent him flying through the air. Jack Gillette, usually a strong finisher here, retired after taking a similar trip. The gas squeeze was evident here, too. One rider found the solu tion in "boy power" after he ranout; four young lads helped him push the last quarter mile . The real leader wasn't determined until the race was over and they slowed down enough to allow a careful check of their helmets. At that point our suspicions were confirmed. Craig Brewer on a 250 Yamaha had all the marks and got there first. The second finisher was also on a 250 - Rick Allison on a Honda . Dave Russell was third on a 125 DKW. Larry Felix led the Open class on a Husky in fourth place. The first 200 rider was Buz Farrell (P uc) finishing 17th overall. Jeff Allan was close behin d in 19th to finish first in the 100 class on a Yamaha. The Jack Benny and 14 & Under classes ran only two loops. Jarvis Wagner was first JB across on a BSA. Mark Stanley took top honors for the kids riding a Hodaka. Jan Howard, the Powder Puffer, just waved and smiled cheerily as she came in to retire at the end of the first loop with a broken foot peg. • Orndoffs CUp By Terry Rezek CALIFORNIA CITY, CAL., DEC. 29 The Desert Racing Association throws a special race on one Saturday every four months to which only the top 50 riders in their Association are allowed entry. Since it is for trophies only, regardless of bike class, riders compete directly against other riders that are normally "safe" in another class. The course was of a nature to encourage one-an-one races. Except for about a quarter mile near the pits, there was no part of the course that clearly favored ho rse po wer over agility. The course itself was a great lot of fun and had enough jumps in it to keep a frustrated skydiver happy. After a fast start, the trail led into the first of many small whoop-de-doos and jumps, then turned and ran in to a series of small canyons and sand washes. It played tag wi th the foothills of the Rand Mountains until you reached the "Twilight Zone" and a quickIy narrowing sandwash (only slightly uphill) which ended at a short but bumpy uphill. At the top of this hill was the only real hazard of the day, a residen t hurricane which presen ted a definite threat to anyone with enough profile to catch the wind. The only real solu tion was enough speed to penetrate the gale and reach the ridge trail which eventually turned back to the southwest and the pits. The second loop shared the fir st two miles with the first loop, then split to the left, turning towards the Fremon t Valley. After a very short run across a scenic canyon, the trail dropped into a sweet, twisty (at first) downhill sandwash . Yes, District riders, there is such a thing as a d own hill sandwash, but I think t hat ORA holds a lease on it! The co urse then did a mercifully short hop across some of those cute little erosion gullies that rid e rs of the Moose Ru n w ill remember fondly. Hang a 180 around a clay peninsula and u p a fast and interesting sandwash. But fret not, trials fans, ORA would not forget you who like to play Sammy Miller at 40 MPH ! At the end of this seemingly innocent sandwash lurked the 100 yard "Rattlesnake Canyon," named we hope for its general shape and not the inhabitants. You co uld pass here - if you were the type who can perform ballet movements on the back of stampeding buffalo while playing the lute. The home stretch followed immediately. The second loop was only 9 miles and was run 2 to 4 times. depending on which race you were in. Gus Paull was somewhere in the middle of the pack about a mile after the start but made up for that quickly and came smoking through the home tum at the end of the first loop with almost a minute lead. He never finished the second loop, getting off hard ju st after the course split. His injuries were not serious, mostly cuts, bruises and a worried wife but he was out for the day, and as it turned out, the weekend as well. John Fisher took OYer at this point and held on to the lead until the end of the last lap when Jack Orndoff got by John somewhere between "Rattlesnake Canyon" and the finish, ORA's final Silver cup winner for 1973 is Jack Orndoff (Hus) with John Fisher (Yam) taking the runner-up spot. The top ten were rounded out as follows. 3. Jim Irby (Yam); 4. Larry White (H us) ; 5. Mark Zoller (Yam); 6. John Sands (Yam); 7. Robert Sands (Yam); 8. Joe La Porte (Pen); 9. Ramon Lowe (Yam); 10. Ron Williams (Han). • , AME's holidays By Jack Collin The center of attention for AME holiday action focused on four steady members of the 125 and 250 Senior class. It's a decided advantage to race regularly under membership. The year's accumulation of points will afford the hard stroker the added prestige and pride of the number one plate for Seniors and a perpetual trophy or plaque for Sportsmen riders. The 1974 125 and 250 Senior number one plate awards were in doubt righ t down to the wire. Gary Huber (Pen) was point leader for 125s with J ack Orndoff got a sil ver cup fo r hi s Gatorade . Jim Hale (Pen) within reach. Tracy Oswell (Han) was 250 lead er followed by Pete Maly (CZ), (number 1 in 1973), 411> points back, and just four events remaining in the year to decide it all. Counting started at Indian Dunes Saturday, December 22. Ed Cole (Pen) showed up to : grab off 125 Senior overall victory, giving second to Huber while Simmons (Han) got a third. Hale came in fourth giving Huber's point lead a boost. Oswell and Maly were the only 250 Seniors entered at Dunes that Saturday. Maly took the first mota, Oswell the second, and the third was a real dice un til Oswell's transmission broke. Maly got the win, first overall, and reduced Oswell's point spread to 111>. AME moved to Valley Cycle Park (formerly Muntz) Sunday, December 23. All the point seekers showed up, but so did 150 other members making the quest for those points just generally "more difficult". Hale pulled a third overall out of a field of 14 125 Seniors, while a sixth for Huber reduced his point lead . Oswell came to battle at Valley with a Tom Sawyer shop-engine in place, and also pulled a third overall out, after excessive vibrations shook the rear engine mount bolt out of place in the middle even t , The lost bol t had to be rep laced between the second and third even ts and the worst part was finding one . He did find one and went on to an impressive third place finish in the final moto. Maly had a bad day, as everyone does at times, taking sixth overall at Valley, opening Oswell's lead in points. When the membership moved back to Indian Dunes Saturday, De cember 29 , Oswell swept all three mo tos, clinching possession of the 250 number one plate. Hale came back to the Dunes with a strong victory in the first mota which looked like it might be repeated in the second. However, Huber caught him on the last lap of the second event and won it going away. The victory charged Huber up and he cam e back again with a strong victory in the final mota, taking