Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

CMCAscot Another for Bell, Pessy, and Messer By Alan Shepherd GARDENA, CAL. , AUG. 28 Dave Pessy is a slender youth of 19, but he looks older having been a CMC professional since 1970. An aggressive attitude had earned him a lot of unfavorable words up to a year ago, but maturity and ded ication have put nearly all of them aside. By Alan Shepherd . IRWINDALE, CAL., AUG. 30 Hot dogs would have been sold for the fire roast tonight at Irwindale Raceway. A ruptured gas tank put a puddle of the petrol on the track and instead of chancing it to evaporate while another race was being run, a lighted match was tossed on to bum it off and slow the proceedings. That 's the kind of night it was here in CMC motocross action, but the overall Pro winners were the same as those at Ascot two nights earlier: Mike Bell, Dave Pessy and Luke Messer. This time, though, the 250 Pro was the short class ' comprising 'o nly five riders. It was still a good showdown, though, with Ray Lopez (Bul) again forcing his way up to challenge Pessy (Oss) only to end up second. It was number 79 for Pessy, who this week takes a break from his chase of Tim Hart 's record so that he can head up to the Snake River. And Bell ... Well, at least Dave Eropkin beat him in one moto of the nearly all Honda 125 Pros. But it wasn't enough for Eropkin to salvage the runner-up spot. Dave Taylor, making his comeback here after several months of recuperation from yet another injury, held on for seco nd with Eropkin third on points. Adding them up, it was Bell's fifth night win in a row, but more important it was also number 17 of the last 18 CMC night races. Anyway you look at it, that's one helluva record of consistency. Right here at Irwindale, it was his ninth straight, amazing considering none of them have been easy. Maicos dominated the 500 Pros with Luke Messer leading the way in each moto, Jeff Vidic, still riding this class while his Cole Brothers sponsors settle an inner-shop disagreement about who is to work on Jeff's 250, gobbled up second overall, with Bob Zingg taking third. Going into the final race, it was tight with Vidic in the po in ts lead with four and Messe r and Zingg tied with five . Messer's one position better finish resulted in a points t ie fo r the overall with Luke getting the n od. It was a far cry from a week ago when Luke never even seen by the rest of the pack after the first turn . • Res ults in the Results Section. was Dav id Williams swept t he CMC 125 Pros when Marty S mith d idn't show and Mik e Bell got banged upa b it: That doesn't co unt, though , o nly who's f irst for t he flag . McDougal, in the meantime, ap peared not to have the 100% power under him and drifted back off the pace in third for a third Overall. Chuck Bower, ma king his first CMC start since the Grand Prix at Carlsbad some seven weeks earlier where he broke his wrist, earned fourth on po in ts with a 7-5. Taylor tied him on points but was ninth in the final event. For the first time this season, Mike Bell was injured. He went down early in the first moto and got smacked by McDougal, banging up the muscle in the right arm. It's not serious, just really sore, and he doesn't plan on missing this week's CMC events. It took a few laps, but Mike Yorba finally got unwound and jumped into the lead of the 500 Pros, going on to win both motos, It was a Wheelsmith Engineering one-two punch as Luke Messer, also aboard a Maico , charged to a second placing in each round. Chuck "Feets" Minert, who still campaigns the Saddleback Track about once a month, came through with a pair of thirds on the BSA and earned third Overall and cash for the first time in a long, long time. Chuck is the master of motocross riders, now in his 40.. It was really nice to watch the veteran display his cagey talent. • Bell gets hurt as Rex rockets By Alan Shepherd ORANGE, CAL., SEPT. 1 If he had had some luck, Gaylon Mosier (Hon) would have won the CMC Saddleback 250 Pros Overall, but as it was took only fourth. His downfall, literally, came early in the first moto. He had the lead with Dave Carlson (Hon) on his tail only-to lose it sideways in the sandy gully jump. It took him several laps to get refired, and he took a 12th. He came back in the next moto stronger than ever, grabbed the lead early and never looked back. Staten, winner of the first moto, took over second in the final but just could not keep pace with his runaway teammate. Carlson, with a second and a fourth, earned second place money while Mitch Mayes (Hus) was third. David Williams (Hon) made good in Marty Smith's absence in sweeping the 125 Pros in fine style. Dave Eropkin (Hon) led the first mo t o for six lap s only to get zap pe d by Williams when his rear brake leve r loosened up. Dave Taylor (Hon) was third that round, followed by Bruce McDo ugal. Eropkin led th ro ugh t he first few turns of th e second event, bu t Williams sh o t by and went on to win that one. Dave tried a late race comeback, still ho ld ing second, but co uld not m ake it. Dave Carlson got himself second in the 250 Pros, right behind Rex Staten and in front of Mitch Mayes. ResultS ~ Mini: 1. T om Satchell ( Y am ) . 100 Jr: 1. M ike Johnson (Ho n ) ; 2. Muff Hadley (Yam) i 3 . Ha l Richa rd son ( Yam ) . 125 J r Dlv I : 1. Arden Hadl ey (Hon ): 2. Mik e J o h n son (Hon ) ; 3 . Daw Rogers ( Hon). 125 Jr D lv II : 1. Ronnie R lnden ( H o n) ; 2. Jef f W ilson (Hon); 3. M ar k Eld er (Hon) . 25 0 J r D iv I : 1. BOb Wi n te rs (Yam); 2 . Dan G reen ( Ya ml : 3 . Pat Walsh (Hon) . 250 J r D v II: 1. Ste ve Pflug ( CZ) ; 2. Ha rry She n k ( H us) : 3. Rick San ford (C Z) . 50 0 Jr: 1 . Steve F r y (H us) ; 2 . K ennet h Varnall ( CZ) : 3. Br ian T o m ei (CZ ). 125 I nt: 1. M ar k Harr ington (H on); 2. To m Set tle ( H o n) : 3 . John M cG oni gal (Pen) . 25 0 Int : 1. Mark Musgrove (CZ ) ; 2. To m B urgess ( V am ) ;: 3 . Gordon N ewman (Bul) . 500 I nt : 1 . M ike Hernande z (H u s) ; 2. Di r k Ho ug hton ( CZ) ; 3 . Lyn M atto x ( H US 125 Pro: 1. Da vid W ill ia ms ( H on ; 2. Dave Erop k l n ( H a n); 3. Bruc e McOougal ( on) . 2 50 Pro: 1. R e x St at en (Hon); 2. Da ve Carlson ( H an) ; 3. Mitch Mayes (H us). 500 Pro : 1. M i k e vcrea (M al); 2. Lu k e Messer (Mal);: 3. Ch uc k M ln er t ( B SA) . U Gaylon Mosier ran out of luck. 42 Through all of it, his desire to win has remained, and it's now to the point of grim determination for one goal. Last summer, Tim Hart won an obscure CMC race at Indian Dunes. That was Tim's 84th ca re er victory. For the past year, Pessy has eyed that record. Tonight at Ascot Park , the site of the majority of his career wins , Pessy won his 78th. Chuck Bower is third on the all-time list, not having reached 65 . Pessy did it by a sweep, a familiar ineans of triumphing overall. Ironically, it was an old rival, Ray Lopez, who secured second. Ray's performance ain't too bad, co nsidering he hasn't raced in nearly six months on a steady pace. Ray hi mself is a 20-lime CMC pro winner. An up-and-comer, Ron Palmer, who mo un ts a Yamaha as opposed to Pessy's Ossa and Lopez's Bultaco, snatched third away from recent-turned Montesa rider Bill Rubl y. Treading on more familiar grounds, the CMC's 1974 125cc sensation (along with Marty Smith), Mike Bell, . maintained his record streak in night events. It was only his fourth in a row, but it represented his 16th out of the last 17. He got his lu ck early as Mark Tyer pulled off the track in the first moto and spent a lap repairing his bike. That cost him his chance at the upset. Dave Eropkin then took charge as Bell 's main foe and he used three consistent rides to edge by Tyer and secure second overall. Results MINI EX : 1. Do ug Nicol (Han). 2. Ron utaski (Han). 3. Ricky A t k i ns ( H an). MINI JRS : 1. Bryan J o rda n (Hon). 2. Ricky Rayn (Hon) . 3. Steve F late bO ( Hon ) . 1 00 JRS: 1. Rod ney D avidson ( Kaw). 2. D an L et so n rsun, 3. B ruc e Ziegler (Ya m) . 12 5 JRS DIV I ; 1. B rad Osb orne (Hon) . 2. Wayne Rich (Hon). 3 . Ross Th o m pson ( H an) . 125 JRS DI V II : 1. G reg Draakovi c h (Han ). 2. Larry BOdell ( Pen). 3. V ic t o r S li ver (Vam). 125 J R5 DI V I I I. 1. M ike Ayal a (Vam). 2. G ar y Graha m \ H On) . 3. Mi ke F ut ch (Kaw ) . 25 0 JR 5 D V I : 1. G re g B eb ec k (Vam) . 2. Cliff St roud (Ho n). 3. Corey Bogane (Ya m) . 250 JR5 O IV II : 1. Joe Stern (Man). 2 . K ell y SauJl e (M o n). 3. J im W elch (Hon) . 500 JRS: 1. Steve Glenn (Yam). 2. Steve Drew ( M al). 3. And r e M ailh o t (Suz). 125 INT : 1. Joe Plante ~HO n) . 2 . Tom L uer a ( Han). 3. Ma r k N ear ing Han). 250 I N T: 1. D avid Potts (C ) .2. Tom Co x ( CZ). 3 . D av id N ak amura (Vam). 500 INT : 1. M i ke McDonald (Ma l). 2 . Richard O ke r m an (M al ) . . . Terry Judd 1 (vam ) , 125 PROS: 1. Mike Sen (Han). 2. D a ve Erop k ln (Han) . 3 . Ma rk Tyer ( F M F ) . 250 PR O S: 1. D ave PeSS y (055). 2 . Ray Lope z (Bul) . 3. R o n Palmer (Yam) . 50 0 PROS: 1. Lu k e M esser (Ma l) . 2. G reg Sc hweers (BS A). 3. J eff B rown ing rcz). This is not Gaylon Mosier, who "should" have won. This is Rex Staten, who did w in. We did keep the captions matched to the ri!#tt photos this week, didn't we?

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