Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

_ . Jackhammer Nat'l. Enduro By Rex Backmann PARADISE, CALIF., OCT 26 ,1975 On a crisp fall Sunday morning, Bultaco rep Mike Hannon rode his way to the number one position at the Oakland MC's Jackhammer Enduro while dropping only five points on the 102.mile trail. Many had doubts Saturday night if the event would even be • .... 26 held as rains pelted the Mendocino forest and surrounding hills, making the trails quite slick at that time. Dozens of riders got discouraged too soon and headed for home during the rainy night but Sunday dawned clear. The moisture was absorbed quickly into the soil leaving the trail a little on the damp side but not a quagmire. "A" riders started at 7: 31 and began to break the trail. With a 24 mph average, the trail first ran up towards the Letts Lake area on fast fire roads with an occasional water bar for a jump. Off the muddy fire trail, the riders maintained their average on nice, twisty forested trail and onto a logging road for the ten mile check. Then, a little farther up the road, check one of seven checks. Out of check one, the trail climbed up the mountains to Goat Mountain Ridge, where the once sunny weather had turned to rain for the late B and all the C riders. Riders started from check two on toward three at the slow rate of six miles per hour, so the course was getting a little on the tight side with many riders far behind schedule already due to the quick speeds and foul weather. Out of two after a little ridgerunning, the trail led down a steep downhill that was virgin territory blazed by the club. Single me, riders lost time here as there was no room to pass and quite a steep angle as the riders threaded through the thick brush. This narrow descending trail went on for three to four miles. Once to the bottom, the riders doubled their pace. From the steep manzanita-covered downhill, the trail went down one of many ridges on the event back into the pines once more. Another speed change to 20 mph on fast fire trails let the riders try to make up lost time before they hit the third check. Out of three, the riders went up and down on the same 20 mph schedule through pretty fast (but possible) fire roads and down a fire-damaged Letts Ridge, into check four and the gas stop at the 50.8 mile mark. Coming into the -gas check first was Husky rider Ben Bower. The former l.S.D.T. veteran went unrecognized by many and sped out of the gas check over a stream which led to the base of a long ridge. Mike Hannon came into the check a few minutes down on Bower. Out of the check and flying through the small stream bordering the check, his Frontera promptly watered out. No sweat for Mike. A minute later he was riding up the ridge. The gas check marked the end for many riders. The first 50 miles had seemed like a hundred already and they decided to hang it up for the day. A large number of riders also ran short on pre-mix, causing them another delay. From the gas check the trail ascended up a long ridge onto some more fire trails going towards Mill Ridge ata 24 mph average. Riders stayed on both the same speed and same fire trails past five and toward some more forest riding filled 'w it h lots of log crossings. After 20 miles of climbing up through the trees, the trail descended down the barren rocks of Love Lady Ridge. Love Lady Ridge is a straight downhill shot with water breaks Threading through the eye of the forest at the Jackhammer. Ah. it's gurgling like a baby .. . gurgling? that act as jumps which shoot your bike up pretty well. Many riders were gassing it good down the ridge trying hard to make up lost time. From Love Lady, the riders checked in at number six and proceeded up the long incline of the Crackerbox Trail. Half way up, the club routed them to the right on to some more virgin territory which had been recently blazed. After some steep up-and-down riding which led onto Mill ridge, they headed back down to the bottom of the ridge on some thick forested trails. Once down off the ridge, the trail hopped down ontoa fire road which led to the seventh and final check a half mile further down. The only area on the course that gave all rider groups a little trouble was the steep downhill between checks two and three that was only wide enough for one bike at a time. A riders as well as C riders were delayed a little here. But aside from that I heard no complaints at all on the course. Saturday night during the rain, 250 A rider Bud Hamilton said no one would zero the course. In his opinion, the winning score would be around five or six. Well, Bud was right on, as that's what Mike Hannon dropped during the ride. It was not all easy, for while riding the second 50 miles of the course he bent one rear shock. Later on, he managed to straighten it out so it would work decently. Mike McGowan (Pen) was the winner of the 125 A division as he dropped 21 points on his ride. Mike had plenty of breathing room as second in his class was Robert Sangalli (Hus) dropping 36 points total. Ossa rider Dan O'Keefe was declared the winner in the 250 A class. O'Keefe, during the one hundred and two miles dropped only eight points to barely edge out runner-up David Bertram who dropped nine. Veteran rider Cosby Chestnut on one of the many Huskys was third wi th 15. Following Hannon in his golden performance in the Open class were John Clark and Ben Bowers. Both mounted on Huskys, they had six points against themselves, Bowers had been clean up through check four so he must have encountered a little tr ouble during the second fifty miles. John Clark was given the nod for second in the tie breaker. There is another Jones family in motorcycling, The "Enduro" group is Bruce and Larry Jones_ The two of them trophied up at the Whiskeytown ride a month ago, and think they might have nabbed some gold at the recent Cowbell ride. Today they did it again in the 250 C division. Gary Rossi (Kaw) took the class win with thirty points against him. Larry J ones rode the whole day WFO dropping sixty-five with brother Bruce in third at seventy-two. Class C flat tracker Rick Hocking started the Jackhammer today on a Rocky-sponsored Honda XR75 minicycle. He got as far the third check but he said he had a lot of fun with the run. ~ Reading the comments of the riders' score cards, many were very pleased with the layout of the event. It was many but not challenging for impossible. All checks seemed to be spot-on in time precision. It truly was a national-caliber event, with good choices and variety of terrain and challenging speed averages. Ben Bowers said it the best on his card with just one word .. . Great! • Results in Results Section. Climbin' at Carnegie By VII.H. Spencer LIVERMORE, CALIF. , OCT 5,1975 A rather well used hill was the offering for some 60 riders as the Campbell M.C. Staged its monthly

• Cover