Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

$695* But this is not the only side of Mammoth. There are also miles of logging roads winding, climbing, and dipping their way through the forest to provide spectacular bike riding. These roads are far removed from the lakes, rivers. . and streams which draw the majority of Mammoth ' summer visitors, yet wind through challenging mountainous terrain. It is on these roads that t he Grand Prix is run. This year the District Forest Service suddenly denied the permit for the third annual Grand Prix. The Forest Service felt that m otorcycles were not co nducive to the resort a tm osp here of Mammoth , and therefore be cause the race encouraged such use , it should be te rminated. No allowance was made fo r the fact th at Forest Service environmen tal analysis co nd uc t ed after the race fou nd no evidence of ecological damage. Likewise t hat n o fa ult co uld be fo und with th e organization and execu tion of th e race. The ba ll park w he re the race begins an d ends was ' graded , dragged, cleared of all trash, and left in better condition than before the race. Forest Service inspection co uld find no fault with the appear an ce o f the park after t he race. Mammo th has en ough local bike riders of all ages that the town is so rely in need of an area fo r them t o ride . The Gran d Prix provides a course in just su ch an area where visitors who come to Mammoth for other pursuits will not b e bothered by th e noise o r dust. The rac e also brings in added co m merc e during a slow period of the summer tourist seaso n . In view of all th e evi dence, reside nts and lo cal businesses be gan a cam p aign to reve rse t he Forest Servi c e ruling. Phone cal ls and letters poured in to the district ranger st ation. The Mon o Cqunty Board of Supervisors p as sed a res olution requestin g that the permit for the race be renewed and co pies o f th e resolution were sent t o Cal ifornia U.S. representat ives, and co un ty legislators in Sacram ento. Because o f all the opposit ion an d lack o f co ncrete reasons fo r denying th e pe rmi t, the Fo rest Servi ce was forced to reverse its de cision. A permit was issued fo r this year' s ra ce , but the future of the Grand Prix is not in the clear. T he fight has succeeded o n the grass ro o ts level year, but sho uld powerful th is organizations such as the Sierra Clu b become invo lved, gra ss roots will not be eno ugh . Although the race is small and unknown the issu e at stake is no t. Letters of support are desperately needed and should be addressed to: Everett Towle, Forest Supervisor, 295 7 Birch, Bishop, California 93514. The righ t to ride will be denied on the lo cal level first in insignificant incidences such as this. We canno t let this happen. • $uprr Rat ( 98 ) Frost 'n fog MX By Lynne Diltz MEDFORD, ORE.,j A N. 25 Bikes on tr ailers arrived at Medford's Motocross Park with icicl es han ging fro m th em and every where you walked, people had fire s burning trying to th aw ou t. Mr. th er e, his best : T yrell Hart was announcer's voi ce co min g thro ugh t he grey gloom . It would help, though , if someday he made a new background music tape . When y o u've heard the same songs 20 ,000 times in 12 months, it ge ts a bit much! And besides, his st yle o f music is as ancient as his age ! As the fog lifted and a we ak sun peeped through, the races began and as usual, there was just no stopping 100cc Expert Bruce Sm ylie . This little guy, all o f abou t 6 0 p ounds (soaking wet), goes th ro ugh m ud be tter than mo st go o n dry. He st retched a whopping lead both motos and added another trophy to his rapidly growing collection . Rod Greb did his best to keep up ; and co pped a second the firs t m o to but ran o ut of luc k during the second. He lost it at the bottom of the drop-away, then got involved with another rider in the corkscrew. There were, unfortunately , two ambulan ce runs, one for 125 junior Dan Stover w ho sustained two possible fra ctures in a he ap at t he end of th e starting straightaway, and the other o ne for Doug Simmons who tangled wit h Tom Gah art and came o ff second best at t he base of that d ro p-away. Tom Gah art mad e a third in th e 25 0 junior and di d it t he hard way. He pl owed out a hay b ale on t h e far side of the pee kaboo and Ric k Fal tersack, having no wh ere to go, plowed him. The 25 0 Expe rt class kep t this rep orter bit ing nails, (usually avo id writing o f a family memb er b ut . . . ) , 17-y ear o ld Wendell go t th e first moto holeshot and flat wa lked away from the crowd with only Ron Has ke tt in sight . Second moto saw Dilt z out first; he lost it t o fo ur th o n the first oak tree and th en co m pletely blew it by doing a fu nn y whatever on t he big ju mp, making h im las t. Ron Haskett q uickly took over first and st retched a lead with Gary Wilks and David Reimer second and third. With a few minutes to go , Diltz wor ked his way b ack to fo urth , then passed Reimer on th e o utside of a tum and closed on Wilks . Around the tr ack they cam e, bo t h gaining precious ground on Haskett, yet do in g a battle o f their own. Over the peek-a-boo they came, Wilks cu t to th e in side and took the flag for second with Diltz third b y a bike length. A 2·1 gave Haskett first overall, and the 1-3 gave Diltz seco n d . And Mom, a couple of fm gernailless hands. Oh well! • It's a racer ... SU PER RAT .. . '9& c engine with reed valve induction . . .28mm Mikunicarb . .. Alumiferric cylinder D.LD. shoulderless alloy rims 2 shoc k mounting positions and rebound tension adjustment . . .There's more to see so come on in and take a loo k. Super gat (98 ) • • . • . . • . . • . . . . $ 695 .00 DirtSquirt (92C) . . . . . . . . . . •. , 399 .00 Dlrt Squirt (Ol ) ' 499 .00 Roed Toad (99) . . .. • .. . • • • • • • , 529.00 Comba t (95) . • • • • • . • • • • • • . • • $ 549 .00 * SUperCombllt (97). •.•..•• .. , 745.00 250 (71) •••• . . • .•. .• . .. .• .• $1195.00 HeDAKA Pn::n lisled lIT Suggnll'

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