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/125865
ell, there goes Italy" By Rich ard Creed POTOSI, :110., JUNE 1-2 The Potosi ISDT Two Day Qualifier round may be remembered as the heart breaker of the 1974 enduro scene. At Potosi many of the best known names in American ISDT competition had their hopes of making the prestigious American , team total ly dashed or seve rely harmed, It IS Ironic that the course, which was described by one " ,:::.. ;2:.J. . ~' . ,.... . '. . . - '; ..... competitor as being "abou t as rough as a hare scrambles," should claim as its victims the likes of Malcolm Smith, who was forced out on the first day with iginition problems. Tom Penton, still suffering from a sho ul der inju ry ' sustained in a motocross the previous week, also dropped out early in the first day and retired to the local A&W to drown his sorrows in roo t beer. Even tual winner Jack Penton, riding one of the new Mint 400 bikes, was not without his problems. Penton led the scoring at the end of the first day wi th a 900 tally closely followed by Joe Barker (903), Billy Uhl (907), and Carl Cranke (913). Jack rode flawlessly on the second day until just before the last check, when he crunched his foot. With only the five lap special test on a local motocross track keeping him from victory he decided to ' press on. Following the special test in which he finished second to Carl Cranke, J ack Penton told brother Tom that he was afraid he had broken his foot. Other riders were also hit with misfortune. The Rokon team had rid den both days with all members on gold time but just before the final check the belt 'o n Jim Simmons' bike split and by the time he was checked in he had lost his gold and was ten minutes into a silver finish. Bren Moran, who took a go ld at Fo rt Hood and was run ning well enough at Potosi to warrant a place on the ISDT team, had his engi ne blu bber to a halt on the las t lap of the special tes t wi th approximately a h un dred fee t to the finish which was at the to p of a hill. Moran quickly dismounted and changed spark plugs, but the b ike rew ar ded him with nothing more than a few pops and a sigh. Moran then pushed the bike to the top of t he hill and t he finish amid enthusiastic cheering and encouragemen t from the crowd. All Moran had to say at the end was "There goes italy in the last hundred feet." I n the manufacturers' competition, Penton East and West dominated the two top spots. with th e Husky B team finishing third ahead of the Rokon team. Jack Penton took the Overall victory with a final score of 1806 ahead of Carl Cranke (1827), Billy Uhl (1827), and Joe Barker ( 1844). . • Top: Husky team chiefJack Lehto supervises gas check maintenance, Husky B team finished third in overall team points. Above: Local hero Harold Scott p ush es up t he hill to finish special t est wit h the crowd offering encouragement . Above riglu : A sense ofhumor is always an asset. At right: Jack Penton didn't let a crunched foot bother , him in the motocross race. 9