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/125879
U2 ~ 0-37 MX: ;Ii!: Bultaco "almost" ~ sweep t ~ r-O'l ...... .... CJ ..0 o -' u o 42 By Terry Ash GOLETA, CAL., SEPT. 15 "I t 's a fun track," that's what Jim Connolly (Bul), currently leading both the 125 and the Open Expert standings, says about Starters' Goleta track. While Jim was having fun, fellow Bultaco riders Mike Hannon, Fred J oehncke, and Mark Gambetta were making ' mince meat out of the Expert classes. Only a slight seizure of Mark's 125 prevented Bultaco from taking six out 'o f six Expert motos, As it was they had to settle for five. Randy Benda (Hon) took the overall win in the 125 Expert class, but everyone knew that Mark Gambetta (Bu l) was the fastest rider. In the first moto Mark took an early lead and stretched it out considerably in the first few laps. No one was even close to Mark as he screamed around the track. However, on la p four, Mark's Bultaco seized, putting him out of contention. Benda inherited the lead with a considerable margin over second place Joe Kehoe (l\Ink). In the second moto Gambetta again got the lead, this time his bi ke remained running and he flew to an impressive win. Mark was out of the competition due to his first moto DNF, and Randy Benda cruised around in second knowing he had the Overall wrapped up. Gambetta showed the winning style that has encouraged Sambo's to sponsor him and Fred Joehncke on the National tour next year. In the 250 Expert class it was Roy Schrader (KTM) who got the hole shot in the first moto. Schrader soon fell back after bending his shift lever in a rut, leaving Bultaco rider Allen Cooke in the lead. followed closely by Fred Joehncke (Bul). Cooke stayed in front until the last few laps when J oehncke squeezed by for the win. In the second moto J oehncke took the early lead and stayed in front for the first five laps. However, Fred and Mark Gambetta have . a thing going, and that is that if either one of them gets a big lead, they have to do something impressive, like a donut. Well, Fred decided his lead was big enough, 'so he hit a berm and fell down, just like the kid with the raincoat and tricycle on Laugh In. The only problem was, Fred accidentally stalled the bike, loading it up in the process. By the time he got going again he was in third place, behind Dan , Waller (Bul) and Nate Sciacqua (Yam). It wasn't long before Fred was back in the lead with Waller and Sciacqua unable to hold off the hard charging Team Sambo's rider. Overall it was Joe\mcke followed by Sciacqua with Waller taking first Amateur. The Open Expert class saw Mike Hannon (Bul) continuing his winning ways. The smooth riding Bultaco representative handily won both motos. Mike rides so smoothly that often times it seems' as if he really isn't going that fast, but he is! Mike led the first moto wir e-t o-w ir e , with Jim Connolly bringing his Bultaco in for second. In the second moto John Rice (Gre), led the early stages of the race, but it didn't take Hannon long to get by. Connolly managed to work his my up into second to take second overall, with Hannon taking the overall win. This was the first appearance by Rice at a District 37 race in a few months. The 125 Junior race provided the best racing of the day. This class turned into a match race between Bob Wayne (Bul) and Alan Delarge (YZ). In the first moto Wayne got the hole shot followed closely by De large. Delarge was catching Wayne through the corners but Wayne's Bultaco was much faster down the straights. Delarge 'finally passed Wayne on the fourth lap on a tricky left hander. That lead didn't last long as Wayne used a lapped rider to squeeze by Ji m Wrigh t wo n t he Special Experts race at Elsinore after an incredi bly close d ice wi~ Rod Sexton. The Open Experts' blast o ff. Be h ind this first group is Mike Hannon , who not only made u p the d ifference but won overall as we ll. Delarge a half lap later. As the two riders started to lap the field Delarge couldn't keep up with Wayne and they finished one two, with Wayne out front. In moto two Wayne again got the early lead. and this time Delarge passed him on the third lap in almost the same place as in the first moto. However, Wayne's Bultaco pulled Delarge down the straight and passed Delarge in mid-air over the big'jump, As in the first moto, a lapped rider again decided who won the battle, this time it was Wayne's turn as he crashed into some turkey who was idling around the track. Delarge inherited the lead and it proved to be too big a margin for. Wayne to make up, as Delarge took the checkered and the overall win. • Resul ts in the Results Section. Elsinore TT: Wright writes off competition By Gary C. Jones ELSINORE, CAL., SEPT. 7, 1974 This week I've got to tell you about the hot dogs in the big Expert classes at Elsinore, because there were some standouts mainly one Jim Wright: Jim rides Ascot on a water-cooled Yamaha usually, and assorted other bikes everywhere else. But tonight he w '" Z o .., U =- >- - - -_ _.J~ ---J Cl Mark Reichert slid h is way into th ird Open Expert. SC 500s are good for TT. had the p rivilege of ridi ng the late Rick Milner's super sano 650 Ya maha fo r th e first time . If it hadn't been for Rod Sexton, Jim probably would have had the 500 and Open classes all to himself. But Rod wasn't going to have any of that happen. All of the racers were so psyched up that it took Mac, the starter, six re-starts to get them off fairly in the Open Expert class. You just know that everybody went home with fried clutches this week. It ended up with everybody being sent to the top of the Fred Joencke (Bul) and Da n Waller (Bul) battle for the second 250 Expert m o t o lead, ea rly in th e la ps. Before the e nd Fred would have t ime to fall down o n p urpose, load up his bike , get going in third again, an d still win. Whew! jump, with the exception of Sexton. You might as well have just given Rod the trophy as to run the race. It would have been a great race if they could have all started together. As it was, Rod led by 60 feet the whole ti me, with an unbelievable fight for second place occurring between Jim Wright, Mark Reichert, Steve Woskoski, and Keith Moss. Jim held off a charging Reichert to take second, and in doi ng so, really gave the people a show of his riding ability. In the Special Expert race, it was play time for Sexton and Wright. They thundered off the line and proceeded to try and ou t do each other, Little things, like pulling wheelies up the back straight in third gear, going into the bottom sweeper side by side and drifting out to the marbles and then screwing it on to do more wheelies over the top of the hill. They got so carried away at pushing each other in that bottom sweeper that one time Sexton had all but bought the farm on the outside berm. Anybody else in the position that Rod was in would have done a royal high-side endo, but then , Rod isn't just anybody. First he jams h is bike into the berm, then he jams his left leg in to the ground trying to keep everything upright, and then says a little prayer and explodes o ut of the mess going almost faster than when he entered it . He picked up his leg on the ' next lap , and that's why Jim came in first and he ca me in second. • Unbelievable racing. Results in Results Section. Hearn and Schmid win another CRC Team Race By John P. Hesso n LUCERNE VALLEY, CAL., SEPT. I The team of Larry Hearn and Gordon Schmid (Yam) returned for their third recent CRC desert team race win. Rick Lee (Yam), fresh from a big win in Enscnada, took ' second in the 250cc Expert class, riding the entire 120 mile course alone. As with past team races, the course was super fast. A side bet of a keg of beer was put up between the Desert Donkeys and the Maywood MC. with the Desert Donkeys winning. Mike Powers (Hus) and Louise White (H us) too k the chec kered flag first for the club. Jerry Me Neal, CRC's head man,- would like to sec more of the clubs ride in competition against each other. Jerry will put up a super cl ub - troph y a t the next team race . A special men tion goes to the tea m of Marc Whiting (Hon) and Rober t Anderson (Hon). A smooth, fast ride fo r both these guy. placed them third overall and first 125 Novice. Also super was l5-year-old Sue Young (Hod) riding with Maywood MC. Sue rode the entire race solo, finishing first Powder furr Results in the Results Section. •