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/126259
(Above) The 0-200 Novices mix it up in the first corner . Powder Puff w inner Nona Richardson (4P) ignores it all on the outside. (Inset! Phil Stumbo led until he had to replace a brake rod; still finished second. (Below l Mike Keen relaxes in the center of the finish line crowd. Keen probable C~I City 'G P winner By Dale Brown CALIFO RNIA CI T Y. CA . APR. 30-MAY I Virtually unknown in the " desert , Mike Kee~ claimed fastest time and the probable overall win in the controversial Amateur/Expert race at the Desert Racing Assn. (DRA) California 10 City Grand Prix. in spite of a broken left foot . Keen (390 Hus) started on the eighth row . Within nine miles. he had passed 68 riders to move into thi rd . One of those Keen passed was Bob Balentine (400 KTM) who moved from his seventh row position to fifth in the same nine miles. There were 10 riders per row; each row started 15 seconds behind the other. The controversy started when Mark Zoller. who had been running well until he got a flat tire. told a radio crew member that he almost collided with Keen on the first loop when Keen came in from off the course. This started r u m o rs in the pits about cou rse-cutting. Keen made both checks in that area. but DRA President Ron Bu rpo said he had "reservations" abo u t declaring Keen t he overa ll winner until the official resu lts come out in about two weeks. Phil Stumbo. riding a Js Ma inrenance-sponscrcd 400 KTM . started in the second row and passed Heath Hibbard (400 Yam) for the lead near the "Tower" check at the ninemile point. Behind St umbo and Hibbard on the first loop were Keen . Mike Johnston (400 KTM). Kent Perkins (390 Hus). Wayne Allen (400 . Yam) . Ba lenti ne and Doug Winchell (250 Yam). J Stumbo continued in the lead for the next two laps around the 20 -mile course. Keen worked his way past Hibba rd on the second loop and John~ton did likewise on the third! Minus a brake rod at the end of the third loop . Stumbo pulled into the pits. losing three and half minutes getting it replaced , Keen moved into the lead and Stumbo was left to chase Johnston and Hibbard as well. Keen completed the 100-mile race with a time of I :50. 24 . two minutes faster than Stumbo. who caught Hibbard and Johnston . beating J oh nston by only 17 seconds. > Keen rode th e race with a broken foot incurred the day before. Sheet metal screws had been placed in the hee l of his boot so he cou ld use his heel to sh ift. Keen has placed in the top th ree in t he three previous Cal Ci ty G~ . 1 Tom Ke lly (250 KTM) was 19t h at the end of the first loop . At the end of five. he was fifth . on ly one second beh ind Hibbard . topping the 250 class. Mike Quibodeaux (390 Hus) finis hed sixth. while Wayne Garrett rode his bra nd -new 390 H uskv into seventh place. Wayne Allen fi;'is hed next and took first Amateur . despite