Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

i NORTHERN DATEU. I , first, second and the jackpot. Challenger racing was also run off exceptionally well with local riders showing good progress. Last week's challenger main winner Dave Baker of Bass Lake, did it again pushed hard by Randy Tompkins of Fresno in his first speedway race ever. Among the many new faces showing good progress were Wayne Ishii J the Banzai Kid) and the three musketeers from across the Pacific; Marshall Pugh, Kevin McDonald and world famous Garnett Thistlewaite. All three are tuning into our ' smaller U.S. tracks and they're showing it. Pugh, in a momentary loss of presence, must have thought he was on a 1000 meter track. In the last lap of the scratch consi, he exited via a hitherto unknown escape route o ff tum one and disappeared into the cow p astu re . He returned unscathed and wondered where everyone went. • Results in Resul ts Section. California B.O.S.S.-crossers take on T-car By Sallee Hilton CARSON CITY, NEV., APRIL 25 Pat Wilson 18051 enjoys a brief time at the tip of the 250 Expert wedge during Medford's Superbowl qualifer. Medford, Mozart and malfunctioning machines By Jan New man MEDFORD, ORE. , MAY 2 The Motorcycle Riders Association was obviously very busy preparing for the Oly Superbowl Qualifier today - working over 34 old sections of the track, adding new sections, watering, hanging streamers and Rolishing rocks. The rock polishing had to be the tough part but they almost certainly couldn't survive in such abundance without tender loving care . The first 250 mota got under way with Mark Gregson (Kaw) out front, Brian Jodry (Suz) and John 1mbriale (Hus) filled out the front trio. Mark soon put the Kawasaki's newly ported, polished, balanced and tinkered-with engine to the test and just ran away from everyone. Midway into the mota he had a full 20 second lead when he lost the expansion chamber. He continued, but gradually lost ground _ when a flat tire added to his problems. Both Brian and John got by in the waning laps , Mark roared into third, while Rocky HardIand (Suz) and Mark Kaestner (Mai) fought it out for the next two spots. Round two was led wire-to-wire by J odry.Gregson 's destroyed pipe had been replaced by a flat track pipe and, though he was close eno ugh to catch far too many rocks, he neve r had the juice to get by . In the early laps, Gary Kuest (Yam) and Craig Praus (Hus), ru nn ing third and fourth, had a join t pile-up. This moved Imbriale into third again. Barney Newman (Hus) and Hardland moved up to fourth and fifth. Ronald J un kert (Suz) hole-shot the first Open mota. Hot on his he els were Parry Klassen (CZ), Ro n Po meroy (Bul), Bill Oerding (Mai) and Randy Limbeck (Suz). Back in the pack, like a bubble working its way to the top of the stew pot, came Matt James (Mai). Pomeroy took the lead after three or four laps and moved away from the pack; but Matt was slithering his way through and soon grabbed second. He ate up Ron's lead with nearly half the mota left. It was then Matt's tum to leave the pack. With but three laps to go , he stopped. The silence . from the Maico was deafening (d ust had fouled the points). Matt had to push across the finish, Pomeroy went on to win, Junkert was second and Bruce Hanlon (Bul) worked his way up to third. Dead bikes dotted the track when the flag came out. the win. The problem was a completely unwound idling screw. The day -ended as it began with the strains of Mozart from the loud speakers.' The announcer queried, "Can you imagine a Sierra Club hike with Mozart?" Or the theme from "On Any Sunday" for that matter? • Junkert shot out first again in mota two. Then came James, Pomeroy, Hanlon and Klassen. The breeze was gone now and dust hung heavy in spots. James took the' fead in the second lap and left the dust for others. Pomeroy also moved by Junkert but beyond that the top five remained the same to the checkered. Matt gave the crowd a few tense moments again in this moto. With three laps to go again he came by th e finish line with a sick sounding engine. At each opportuni ty he was bending down, in flight, to make mechanical adjustments. This time he held on for Speedway Central HANFORD, CAL., MAY 7 The second night of Hanford's '76 Speedway season found every body "dialed in". Hanford's Jack Martin had a dy namite night with a nearly p erfect sweep, culminating in the ever popular grudge series with Max . Koemans. Max also had a near-perfect night, and the two went two out of three with Jack taking the second heat and Max riding brilliantly to take the "Maybe if I sti ck my leg out, I can t rip him as he goe s by." With B.O.S.S. CMC MX spreading its operations to Nevada, that I Expert Bonus Fund still enticed top contenders to follow the " Boss Circuit" chasing the points. (At the end of the year approximately $5000 in bonus cash will be paid out to those riders who have gathered the most points. Points are obtained each time money is won.] Robert Norton of Orangevale, California, on his old, stock Honda took the 125 class. Currently second in bonus points, Norton was up against local hero Tony French (Suz) , who gave him a run for his money. In the first moto, Norton led all the way, but not by a comfortable margin as French was right with him. In the second mota, they started out the same, but French took over the lead after three laps. Now it was Norton's tum to dog French's heels, waiting. Six laps passed in this hot chase Norton saw the fashion. When checkered flag in front of French, he co uldn't afford to wait any longer. In a spectacular crowd-pleasing maneuver, Norton slipped by French without a second to spare. Brian J odry , also a consistent California winner, got his first win since changing from a Montesa to a Suzuki. In the 250 Expert competition, first time around, Allen Berluti took first on his Husky, but DNFed· the second moto. Jodry had the hole shot, but couldn't hold it letting first Berluti, and then Darrell Shultz (Bul) by him before it was over. J odry's third added to the win in the second mota gave him. first overall. He and Berluti put on a beautiful race before the Husky broke, giving Jodry a good lead over second place Chris Hart (Yam) wh o had an even better lead over third place Shultz. • Tulare flat track By Cosmic Cat & Co. TULARE, CAL., APRIL 24 District 35 hotshoes flocked here Saturday night for the first event of the year at the Tulare Fairgrounds. Due to the removal of th e jump, it was nothing but flat track and pure speed , The 125cc Junior Main started off tight with Brett Butterfield (Yam) at the point and Lee Pritchard (Suz) in hot pursuit. Butterfield held Pritchard off through most a f lap two bu t leaving tum four, Pritchard had that nice long straightaway to p lay with and moved into the lead. He went to a five bike length win. Tim Pritchard (Lee's

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