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/126007
Rich Kraft smiles like a man who won the Trophy Dash and then walked away f rom the baddest·looking crash this Ascot season . now holds a firm grasp on the Ascot half m ile point lead over another rookie Expert John Allison of Poway. Second to J orgy in the IS- lap per was the West's top Junior, Steve Eklund of San Jose, with John Allison, returned from the midwest, taking third. Ascot Junior point lead er Dan McWhorter and "veteran" John Hateley rounded out the top five . The night started out with a new starting system, as the red, yellow, and green ligh ts were used instead of the regular hand starting. The system seemed to work well once the riders understood what to do. However, many of the riders did not like the system due to the fact that there is no chance of jumping the start. Vince Mead of Garden Grove, the West 's top Novice, defeated Steve Fortune (Yam) and Robert Murray . (Yam) in the fastest two-stroke heat. In the EX.I:'ert/Junior heats, Arizona's Ric k Kraft (Yam) set fastest four-stroke heat time with Eklund and McWhorter putting on the most exciting heat. Dan led for over four laps u ntil Steve made the pass on the outside o f tum four on the final ro und. In the Semi Mains, Murray go t th e Novice nod over Jim Allison (Yam) and Dale Ree d (Yam) with Dennis Briggs (Yam) claiming the Combine d Semi over Harley-mounted Mike Myers and Bob Sanders (Tri). The combined race was halted on the opening lap when two Junior riders, Do ug Garrison and Brian Garcia, tangled handlebars down the back straigh taway. Both riders wen t through the hay bales in the third tum and were taken to the hospital. Garrison suffered a broken leg and Garcia a broken back and shoulder. The IS-lap Combined feature was another Jorgensen-Wood benefit, as Alex took the lead on lap two and walked away. At the green light, it was Junior Pat Guthrie, much-improved in 1975, grabbing the lead. By the fifth round, Jorgensen had a good margin o ver Eklund , who dominated the Junior action recently in the midwest, with Kraft third and Allison, who suffered a poor start, fourth . Eklund started to close the gap on J orgy by lap 10, and McWhorter was now r u n n i n g fifth w ith Hateley following. On the final lap , Kraft tried to make a mo ve on Eklund in the third tum for sec on d place. Trying to go on the outside of Steve in the n orth tu m , the front wheel of Kraft's Shell Yamaha bit in to the cushion. Kr aft was t hro wn from his m ach in e and hi t th e chain-link fence ab ove the third tum cras h walI. Am azin gly , h e was able to walk away f r om one of the most spectacular crashes seen a t Ascot in several years. In the eight-lap Novice Final , Mead a gai n showed h is do m inance with an oth er m ain even t win over Pacific Coast Regional Champion Ted Davidson (Yam) and Fortune. • • M1t1b' in- Res"" lSeeMrt.• ' I I • -, .' THE LESTER TIRE & WHEEL CO., 26881 Cannon Rd., Bedford Hts., Ohio 44146 A d ivision of Lester Ind us trie s Inc. A fool and his cycle are soon parted. AIR FORKS OR SPRINGS Th e Front End Kit that wo rks either W W>( or your Money Back ! Designed for RACING over rou gh terrain . Will give yo u a ride second to none ! No modifications, just bolt in the new units. WHITTIER HONDA Motorcycle Traile rs Bell Helmets Full Bore Produ cts . 14324 E. Whittier Blvd . (2131 698.Q065 Complete stock o f parts and accessor ies fo r street and d irt. Immed i a t e DSS~ B" of t ravel - K its f or : CZ red or b laek f rame ; Yamaha Small leg 125/175 MX. Y am ah a Endu ros. MX . YZ and Monoshoeks; Kaw asaki KX 125 , KX 250, KX 450, new KX 250/400; Suzuk i 250 /400 & RM '73 - '7 5; Betor s. Dealer or Direct Send for Free Li terat ure TERRY INDUSTRIES P.O. Bo x 1321 . Hesper ia. CA 92345 714-244-3139 • Delivery. Road Race, Di rt Trac k, MX. Desert Any le ngth to 36" - We'll ship anywhere in U.S. o r stoP by for Ins tallation. 164·95 184.95 to tUJ Phone f or com plete HiaPer Kinetics, Inc . 1 5 7 45 La k e wood Bl vd . Para m o un t . CA 907 2 3 213-6 3 0-479 6 (adjacent to N~rm. ~ee,:es ~~n da) .11