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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125991
Whaley wins 9th Annual Big Bear Trial By Dick Vasquez BIG BEAR, CALIF., MAY 17-18 Aside from the EI Trial de Espana, the Big Bear 2-Day trial hosted by scrA draws the most entries of the season. This year 182 riders Clean so far. in a section that produced some wild get-offs - Marland on the new Honda proto. Hairy rock sections, beautiful pi neywoods add to Big Bear!rider appeal. Uh - one ... Low bridge! came from as far away as Nevada in spite of a very low key promotion by intent. Somehow the word gets around. Team Honda certainly knew about the event, came fully prepared to win and win they did. The entire team competed including Joe Guglielmelli of Walla Walla. Washington and it also marked the debut of two new 250 Honda works trials machines. These four-strokers, with a white tank, red frame, and weighing in at less than 200 pounds, were ridden by Marland Whaley and Mark Eggar. Evidently, this is exactly what Marland needed to chalk up his second ATA win of the year. Marland was leading Bernie Schreiber (Bul) by only one point and Mark Eggar (Han) by two points after the first day, but he then put together another good ride on Sunday to beat Bernie by six points. Joe GugJielmelli (Han)' fmished third, Mark Eggar (Han) fourth, and Mike Griffitts (Man) fifth. While the trial was relatively easy for the nationally ranked riders (Marland only dropped 20 points in two days), many other Experts were dropping as many as 60-90 points a day. The maximum two-day score for Experts was 167 points. Two other nationally ranked riders came from out of state, Bruce Ryhti Su z) finished eighth and Ray Reser Oss) finished twelfth. SCT A donated their profits to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the riders enjoyed the 12 mile loop weaving in and out of the forest. Continuous sections seven and eight with very large rocks and one very tight tum provided the great est challenge, and section 11 provided a fantastic view of Lucerne . Valley and beyond. Sec ti on 12 was also tough for most of th e Experts in that they had to jump a 30-inch high lo g after a tight tum, tum tightly then jump it again . There were several spills there but the most spectacular endo was by Matt Pritchard who d id a somersault over the handlebars after losing control a t th e top. According to a secret source [Ken Jones), the girl checkers at one section were awarding kisses to the lucky riders cleaning their section. Marland and Bernie must have enjoyed this. The Amateur class was practically a Bultaco sweep as Paul Williams (Bul), Dennis Gilmore (Bul), Mike Meade (Bul), and Raymond Soffa (Bull finished 1-2-3-4. Gary Goodwin (Suz finished fifth. Again the point spread was considerable with Paul Williams dropping onl y 41 points compared to 207 points for rider "X". In the 80 rider Novice class, Greg Carter on a 348 Montesa (must be one of the first in the U.S.) , beat out AI Roper (Suz) and Steve Pagel (Bul), second and third respectively. Rick Tillett on a Yamaba TV 175 took the Senior class, Joanne Norton (Man) took the Womens class, and Robin Tolleson (Hon) won ·th e Kids B class. Derreck Bernard (Yam) beat out Robert Burman on a 100cc Bultaco to take the large Kids B class. In summation, it was a fun trial and the 500 plus people that camped there for two-three days must be commended. When SCTA President Jerry Quast and the Brobergs made the final inspection to assure the are a was thoroughly clean ed up , they only found two bottle caps! This is why SCTA and the Forest Rangers get along so well. This was the final trial prior to the start of the nine roun ds for the United St ates Trials • Championship . Results in Resul ts Secti on. l ,- ,- N UJ ::J cr III <:( > >:: o c >III I 8 .._------..... III a a I- ~