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/126065
Jeff Hill -- Macon. Ga.
"I had a pretty bad street riding wreck
just a little over a year ago," twenty-one
year old Jeff Hill responded to the
questionnaire , "and it left my arm and
leg in casts for three and a half months.
I was ready to leave for Ft. Hood on the
day of the accident. I enjoy trials riding
and I wanted to ri de all the even ts I
could and try to do well. Well, the
wreck only intensified that goal."
"Trials is a game of experience , h e
continued, "and I expect to do better as
ti me goes on." Jeff's job isn't made any
easier by the fact that he's trying to mix
full time school (he's a pharmacy
intern) with an all-out effort to become
a top world caliber trials rider.
Supported by his father, as he puts it,
" both financially ' and spiritually," and
b y the Penton crew who "spent many
hours at the th an kless gas stops," he ' ll
cont inue th at WFO chas e for th e elusive
ISDT Gold Medal at hi s first ISDT in
A us tria.
Jim Hollander -- Hamden. Conn.
Twenty-five year old Jim Ho llan der
co m pares his position to Billy Uhl's
1975 situation.
"B ut, unlike Bill, I will go on to the
Six Days," he adds.
The self -employed ( C o nn ect icut
Motorcycle Supply) rider says his most
enlightening experience during the
Two-Day series came upon winning his
first overall in Michigan when he asked
Rokon about getting so me support. He 'd
been covering his own expenses
following . a recent cut-back in rider
support.
"Do you think that just because you
won a qualifier overall, that entitles you
to factory support?" was his answer.
"Rokon followed that rather cruel
state ment several weeks later by
notifying their three qualified riders
t hat they could not afford to send them
to Six Days," Hollander said, "Despite
my being chosen for the U .S . World
Trophy Team, Rokon was asking me to
pay for shipping their motorcycle over
as well as my own expenses:'
Jim expressed his sincere thanks to Al
Ea mes, t he AMA, the organizers of the
Two-Day Trials and th e entire team of
U.S. riders.
"Their dedication ...ha s given me th e
st reng th to p ull the loo se ends toge th er
an d go to Austria still p ro ud to be rid ing
for the United States."
David Hulse -- Ft. Edward , N.Y .
"I would like
to bring home a Gold
Medal for the U .S. and for myself to
prove that we 're just as good as anyone
else, " David Hulse stated . The
thirty-two year old service manager at a
Honda car dealership will be competing
in this, his second ISDT , with help from
Ossa. Last year David was the only U.S.
rider to be on a Mon tesa, apparently
with limited support, but he main ta ined
a Silver ~Iedal for two days before
carburetor problems dropped h im to
Bronze.
His wife Gail "was my pit crew for the
past two years, and she never missed a
gas stop -- that was my best support."
The Hulses have a four year old son,
Todd, who joins them in their travels.
("Traveling with my family" was listed
as one of David 's favorite [past'i rnes.]
" I had very little tro uble th is year,
thank God, but 1 had a good bike which
helped," David said of h is following the
Two-Day series. "Ossa di d a great deal
for me as did Al Ea mes and J o h n
Tay lor."
Eric Jensen " .Los Angeles. Ca.
24
To twenty-seven year ol d mo t orcy cle
shop owner Eric Jensen. the rewards of
riding in ISOT competition . include.
"the satisfaction of having completed
six days of one of the world's most
grueling contests against the best
international competitors. The lSDT
still falls into the category of
individualism and doing something th at
everyone else can 't earn the honor of
doing. It's also fun!"
Eric's motorcycling accomplishments
read like a sponsor's fondest dreams .
He's won such heavy duty desert events
as the Baja 500 and 1000, the Mint 400
and the Parker 400 c o-ridi ng with other
top line riders like Carl Cranke and
Steve Hurd .
His ISDT record started out strong
when he was chosen t o ride on
Kawasaki's U.S. team in 1973 but ended
only two days int the event when his
bike failed, as did all the other Team
Kaws, with mechanical problems . 1974
provided Eric 's first "up" ISDT
performance when he scored a Silver
and in doing so , became the first
American ever to win the final
motocross speed test . He missed his
Gold by only te n points. Last year, in
miserable wet and mud d y conditions,
the desert rider still hung on to his
Bronze.
Ron Lamastus >- Morgantown. Ind.
Greenwood Hodaka Sales owner Ron
Lamastus is twenty-eight years old,
married and has two children, Toni and
Chad.
"Chad," he recalls. "was born on the
day 1 left for the 1974 ISDT. ~Iy wife
not only tolerates my racing and neglect
of things at ho me; she's a super pit
crew! .,
Ron expressed gratitude to Ossa's
John Taylor who, he says, made this
year possible by his support from the
1975 ISDT and througho uti the 19 76
Two-Day series. Ron apparently made it
worth Ossa's while by scoring seven
Golds in seven even ts.
Lamas tus' praise e x ten ds o n to the
machine itself, "The team, four riders,
ro de a total of twenty-five two day
races -- approximately 10,000 miles -with NO DNFs -- fantastic!"
Why does he ride trials?
"I mostly enjoy being with people,
especially the super types you find
connected with our sport." He listed
Don Cutler who, sadly, has been kept
from the 1976 ISDT due to injury, as
"t he ultimate example of a super
person/racer." Plus, he added almost as
an afte rthough t, "I love a challenge!"
An d Six Day s is indeed that.
Lars Larsson -- EI Cajon, Cal.
V ice Presiden t of Torst en Hallman
Racing, t hirty-five year old Lars Lar sso n
ha s o ne wife, Sandy , and two kids
("One of each," he says), Kimber ly and
Lars-Erik.
THE'77
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