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/125988
CalCityGP can-am _ spells Performance • Con tinuous smooth torque and power curves from an ultra-nar row rotary valve eng ine. • Technica ll y advanced close-ratio transmission inc orpo rating quick i n-g ear starting and positive shilling. • Long-trave llorward-mounled rea r shocks lo r precise hand ling• • Absolu te frame rig id ity fr om perfec t tri angulati on combin ing swing-arm pivo t with rear eng ine mount. • Magnesium and alum inum alloy components guarantee extreme li ght ness for an outstand ing power-to-weight ralio. Bilt Conroy was no Agostini going through town. but how he moved across the desert! Fourth-place Howard McCasland takes a mighty leap out of the dust. By Dale Brown CALI FORN IA CITY, CAL., MAY 3-4 Bill Conroy made it three WIns In a row as he dominated a talentladen Amateur/Expert division ill the 100-mile finale at the DRA motorcycles by bombardier Distr ibu ted by Bo mb .rdier Corpo P.O . Sox 6106. Duluth. Mlnneso t. 55806 . California City Grand Prix. Conroy (400 Yam) ran third during the early part of the race, trailing Wayne Garrett and Tim ~ CHAMPION TT ~ THIS SET FEATURES A SAFETY FOAM FILLED ACRYLIC TANK WI TH A LI ST OF SAFETY AND PERFORMANCE FEATURES INCWDING : REDUCTION OF FUEL AERATION AND VIO L ENT FUEL MOVEM ENT d~@ - 10 SEE YO U R DEALER ! D e a le rs ' send lett erhead for o u r r-ew ccror-or-ocr-cr-e and d ,s t nbutor locatio ns ( R OCk y C y c le C o . Inc .. N e a l Keen P e r fo r m a n c e P rod u c t s , Gar y N ix o n E n t . ,U.s.C.Ra c ln g SpeCia lt ie s , B ech e lli's R a c in g Eq U iP m e n t , and H ..) .Product.s } CYCLE CRAFT INC. i 5/ " ~o6i.i~ i. ui<.• 5;"NTi>. CRUZ, CA 95065 (4081 476-4566 • Bowman, both on 400 Monos. Garrett, who outran everybody on the LeMans start and was leading, broke on the third loop, as did Bowman. Conroy coas ted in with nearly a four-minute lead, despite making two un plan n ed stops in t he same ditch . Mike Keen (360 Hus), an Am ateur from Bakersfield, ran in the top five all da y and passed Kevin Hasten on th e pave me nt on the last loop to take second, first Amateur. Hasten (400 CZ ) had a bad start (3 8 th at the bomb) and had moved up to 15th on the first loop and then up to second, passing Ron Wright's ailing Mono on the las t loop . But his p ipe worked loose and then fell in half, costing him fifth gear and relegating him to third. Howard McCasland (4 0 0 Yam ) was fourth, followed by Amateur Chris Kallen (4 00 Yam ). Andy Kirker (250 Yam ) crashed on the first loop, then went fast the rest of the way to finish sixth, first 250, ahead of Birdie on another 250 Yammie . Amateur Eric Sp aeth and Expert Gary Praster, both on 12 5 Hondas, b attled most of the ~. , f;:;; ~;:~ imaii-oon: h o n ors , with S~aeth winnin g by a narrow margin. In Sunday morning's Novice race (80 miles), Dale Owe ns (400 Yam ) ju mped into a huge lead at the bomb and st re tched it out, only to have his transmission quit on the pav ement ne ar th e end of the loop . On his demise , Pat Kouri (4 00 Hus) took over and won going away. Steve Bigler (Yam ) was th e first 250 and Lee Wilson (175 Hus) topped the small-bore class. Saturday was re served for two 60 -mile Beginner ra ces . TI,e m o rn ing belonged to Richard 0-200 race Shroyer, who led all thr ee loops ahead of ru nner-up Ralph Carnes (Han) . Chris Vee rrneersch (400 Yam) moved from nin th to second to firs t in th ree loo p s, winning the 250/Open clash in the a ftern oo n . Clayton Fees was second. The weekend was really fun in spite o f a ....rind that cam e up Saturda y afternoon and got worse fro m .then on. California City appreciates the biker 's .business . .and in fac t, several local merchan ts chipped in for the prize money. Th e racers (o ver a th ousand) had it together, staying cool and o ut of trouble. If the present attitudes continue on both sides, the Cal City Grand Prix should be aro und for a long time . Ron Burpo, ORA head, laid out a really fun course. Two fireroads at the start merged together a t the first bomb and headed for the second, which was right in fro nt of t he graded and watered cr ossing o f Cash Creek, a nasty little ditch about eight feet deep, with verti cal walls. Then across an alkali flat t hat got pretty chewed up. The cours e then went up a hill in front of a telephone transmitting station, catching a fun, t wist ing, ridge-top fireroad for a few miles. Then a few bumps, some more fireroad, a little pavement, bac k the dirt with a ro cky in to uphill-downhill section guarding the entrance to the pavement that led into and through town. Th en past the pits and out to do it all over again. Th e ORA put up $2000 in prize money and got together ano ther $1500 in There was great co n tin genci es. co opera tion from the riders, many of ~hom were ri!!i~g gr:,: ~V ~ rl ;;'ag~g : the other. Also, to make the start safer, they moved the riders back about 75 yards from their machines, spreading everybody out before they even took off. It was, however, more tiring for some. Pant, wheeze, pant . . • • Results AM/EX OVER ALL: 1. Bil l Con roy (4 0 0 Vam) . 2. Mike Keen (360 Hus) A. 3. K evi n Hasten (4 0 0 CZ) . 4 . Howard M c casl and (400 Y am ). 5 . Chris Kallen (4 0 0 V am ) A . 6 . A ndy K i r k er ( 250 Ya m ). 7. Birdie ( 2 50 Ya m) . 8 . Ron Du gan ( 360 Hus ) A . 9. B ill Sat lz m an (4 0 0 Hus). 10. Dan D awson (2 50 H us). NO V ICE OVERA L L : 1. Pa t Kouri (400 Hus). 2 . Groljl K ammerma n (400 Y am ). 3. Way ne A ll en (400 V am ). 4 . Steve B igler ( 250 Va m ) 5. M ar k M i zu (25 0 C Z) . 6 . Boyd Jantzi (4 0 0 vern), 7 . Jon Ter Ke u rst (25 0 vam) . 8. Jerr y Su tton ( 1 50 HUI ). 9. Jerry Leat h (400 vern ), 10. Lee W il so n II I (1 7 5 Hus). 2S 0/0 PEN BE G OV ERA L L : vamj. 1. ChriS Ve rm eersch (4 0 0 2. Clayton F ees. 3. 904x . 4 . E . Car y Ch r sm an (4 0 0 V am ). 5. Sc ott Farrah (250 v arm. 7. Scott John son (25 0 H o n ). 8. Th om as Cranda ll (2 50 v amt. 9. Steve Gunni ng (4 0 0 Hus). 10. Casey Wasem (4 0 0 Yam) . 0- 200 BEG OV E RAL L : 1. R ic h ard Shroyer . 2 . Ra lph Carnes (125 Ha n) . 3. Bobb y Rogers (125 K D W ). 4 . St eve B rown (125 Oal). 5. R ick Beck (125 Han). 6 . Denn i s Ber r y (125 Hon). 7. Jeff Cannon (12 5 H o n ). 9. John Wallace (175 Suz). 10. Jack Crai g (175 Yam ).