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/126040
By Dick Kay RIVERSIDE, CAL., APR. 3-4 Last year's Great Bear Grand Prix was called short due to heavy sleet and rain and it looked like the same might hold true this year. Five minutes before Sunday's Open Expert class was to start, the rains came. But it didn't appear to slow down Jim Fishback, who held the lead from lap one. The Great Bear Grand Prix is sponsored by the Orange County Motorcycle Club, a club dating back to 1910 when 'road' races were held between Santa Ana and San Bernardino. The club has progressed into what could be termed a 'classic' in cycling clubs. Organization ruled supreme (only one little mistake) in two days, four events, and 150 different classes of motorcycle madness. . Down the pavement to a muddy mess. • sto n • • ·M ~ E -"' ' ·.... 0... < Over 1800 bikes competed in a schedule of events that - included something for everybody. The 10 lap, 10 mile course consisted of numerous jumps, paved , track, water holes and one small lake, that was filled by water trucks on ,Satu rday and divinity on Sunday. One entrant was observed carrying his Yamaha, mini through the pond which,' after considering all the down time due to wet plug wires, wasn't a bad idea. There were never fewer than two bikes with wet electricals trying to get going after crossing the pond. Silicone rubber bathtub caulking seemed to be the. trick ticket, It certainly kept the water from shorting the plug and other wires on most bikes that used it, arurdayrnoming's 9 a.m, start saw Jim Fishback leading the 175 Expert class for the ' first eight laps. Fishback 'h owever , was being pushed by Bill Glore, 125 Expert, on a 125 Honda. Glore passed Fishback on the backside of lap eight, only to have Fishback regain the lead and run smack into a water truck doing its thing on the course. The get off didn't appear to hurt the bike or rider, but cost Fishback the race ana the possibility of repeating last · year's double , win on Saturday . and Sunday. Glore went on to win the event, The afternoon race saw the 100cc to Open Sportsmen line up 15. abreast and over 28 deep. There was even a dune cycle class but they were spar ed the pond and allowed to go around. Thomas Lamar, 250 ' Husky mounted, held the lead from the start and went on to capture overall honors in that race. It was sunny Sunday morning but .rnidwa y through the race it started to look like rain. At first, ' officials ' had number 142 Mike Quibodcaux listed as the winner through loops 1-8 but one of those things that can happen in any race occurred. Number 183 J .C. Ray was · recorded by officials · as number 188. Ray's break sheath, along with all the mud, somehow made his three look like an eigh L Quibodcaux was given the checkered flag and declared overall .winner bu t after some checking the win was given to Ray who, by this time, was doing lap 11 thinking he couldn't count straight, OCMC uses a computer to calculate and print out winners but a computer is no better than the human data fed in to it. The video tape recording the rider and his time proved the error. Sunday afternoon's main attraction saw Fishback, who had the experience of riding the course and knowing where · to look for water trucks, walk away with the 500 Expert win. Fishback, on a Yamaha, was 40 seconds in the lead by the end of the first lap and increased the margin to two minutes at one point; The second, third, fourth and fifth positions so und like a wh o's-who in off-road racing; A.C. Baken, Adams, Bruce Ogilvie , and Larry Roeseler respectively . • Unofficial results 2S0/S00/0PEN JR/EX CO M B ' 1. Jim Fishback (Yam). 2. A.C. Bakken (Hus). 3. Craig Ada m s U<.TM). 4. Bruce Ogllvte (HoD). 5 . Larry Roeseler (Hus) . 6. Tim Welker (5uz). 2S0/S00/0PEN NOV COMB ' 1'. J.e. Ray (KTM). 2. Mike Qulbodcaux (Hus). 3. Juan Salas (Vam). 4. Ken W inkler (Yam). S. Robert Carroll (Vam). 11