Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

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 ]'ICS Ir s here , and Ifs better for 1977. Ifs slTonger, Ifs foster, Ifs atlordoble -it's a whole .-lHIngl TheConcepl Fully automatlc four speed transmlsslon has fewer rncNing ports than slondord models, and wor1

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