Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

; . l1li Hocking wins Gardena Gold C~p By Maureen Lee GARDENA, CA , JULY 22 Rick Hocking likes the Gardena Gold Cup for obvious reasons; in 1973 he won the Junior class; in 1974 he did it as an Expert and Friday night he made the winner's circle for the third time. Not only that, he and his potent Shell Motors Yamaha took the Dash and set the fastest time of the night, a 22.44. John Allison (Yam) went exactly as fast, but as Hocking had set it first , the pole spot went to Hocking. Novice Heats ~. Foster coming in for the third place in what was the fastest heat. Heat two was a procession; first came John Allison, then Tom Berry and Randy Skiver on Harleys and Bob Sanders (Yam). Third heat brought to the line the rider lots of fans had been waiting for', Gary Scott. He faced Alex Jorgensen on a Ron Woods Norton , a new one this evening, a monoshocker that he was riding for the first time to see how he liked it . . Ascot is Gary's home track but Jorgy and those Nortons have a - talent for winning there. Jorgensen took off with Scott following and you could visibly see the partisanship in the stands besides hear it, especially when Gary got Jorgy down the front -straight. Behind, Marty H'!,lkola took the final transfer spot away from Mike Myers (Tri). g t There were five of them, and the first heat was stacked with riders who had never ridden Ascot before. Sal ' The' Semis Hoffman on one of those incredibly Fairly uneventful except for the quick little ~an. Ams put it to the rest experts. The final novices to make of his heat and left them in his wake. their main were Mike. Minning, Rob IA bove) Rick Hocking captured the Gardena Gold Cup ahead of second . Next ' one, Dave Busby (Yam) went Selvy and Dorothy Rowe on Yamahas place A lex Jorgensen (44).IBelow ) Jorgensen "hol ds off Gary Scott IS) .. from last to first place in a race that on the outside at Ascot. and Dana Hansen on a neat-sounding • Rod Robinson (Yam) led most of the Honda . way. Eddie Lawson got down to business Third heat Don Tortorelli got hotsy in the Junior semi and led home Travis and made the back row for his efforts, Perron, Rich . DeLacey and Craig while Keith Day (Yam) dashed out Armstrong. • front. The heat ended with.90% of the The experts rolled up , and Bob stands on their feet and cheering, Sanders, who can read starters' minds , waving on Dorothy Rowe (Yam) who'd missed a shift while in third spot , • really uncorked it off the line and got the whole race red flagged and himself loosing three places in the process. but expelled to row three, On the restart was still going for a transfer spot come he didn't do so well at all and it was hell or high water. She couldn't get the Mike Myers out into the front spot three on the inside, so letting the back followed by Vince Mead . Dannie end go out ala Roberts or Scott in their Hockie both Harley -mounted and novice days , she went for the outside , Randy Gibbs (Yam). got her transfer to the semi to the mass Myers was really doing well with roaring you usually only hear at the first place nailed down when his Superbowl of Motocross. primary chain went and a very Each heat the times went down disappointed Mike went coasting into ' some more - the fourth winner Kim his pit leaving Mead in the front Jorgensen an another Can-Am position. . knocked off a few more seconds for his 'After intermission , all the VIP's - win , Then Wayne Rainey (Yam) who , gathered on the track , including the won the last lowered the time again by Mayor of Gardena , J.C. Agajanian a good two seconds with Rob Selvy and Evel Knievel who was on hand to (Yam) in second. cheer on his rider , Gary Scott. J unior H eats Every year at Gold Cup time, the . Two transfers were scheduled out of Gardena Chamber of Commerce gives these three . heats. The four fastest an autosports award. and this year it Juniors in the trials were Eddie Lawson Foster for Allison's sixth spot on the h imself a d Ricky Graham. Tim went to Ascot's ownJohn Killough, the (22.83), then Ricky Graham , Don McWhorter held third for a while until track, but Walter's Triumph chucked gentleman who builds and rebuilds the Bailey and Gordie Kidd, all Yamahaa rod and he was out. Rod Spencer passed him. Lawson was race courses that comprise Ascot Park ' mounted. It looked like one of these comin g up fast , and then Graham and has done since 1959 . On the -last lap Jorgensen really had would be the man to win the main. but took a good run at Mertens only to go Then it was back to . the serious it all hanging out but it was Hocking's none did. a little hig!} and have Jim get away business of racing. night , and he was the on e to receive Rod Spencer (Yam) took off with from him. Then Lawson's bike let go It was Hocking on the pole for the the beautiful first place trophy as Roxy the lead in heat one, with Don Bailey and he was out. Spencer held down Dash, then Allison, Scott and Gennai. Rockwood conducted winner's circle right behind him. They really settled third while Don Bailey tried Gennai took the lead , with Hocking interviews. • out that lead spot with Bailey the - .. n~uccessfully to get fourth aw~y from after him. Rick flew under Joh";··:.~ _ · Results in Results Section. winner. "Trm McWhorter. north tum and then it was Scott after Second heat, Gordy Kidd and Eddie him, while Allison contented himself .T he expert main was a wowser. To Lawson found themselves in the back with not over-extending it in fourth . the delight of the Norton fans , Jorgy row for getting too antsy with the Hoelting pulled 'er up into a wheelie as got off first and up to the front . As starter. The, gaggle of riders, when he took the checkered flag, followed Hocking and Scott fought for second they all got to tum one, got pretty across by Scott doing the same thing. spot at the start it was really elbows sloppy andJoe Wilson, made the quick The first few laps of the novice main away for a second or two; top flat decision to lay it down tnereby were dog fight between Kim Jorgensen trackers canalways lay on one anotheravoiding what might have been a bad on his Can Am and Wayne Rainey. with no damage done, 'a nd it was Scott By Sue Senn pileup. Jim Mertens (Yam) won with Jorgensen stayed out front for a bit In ending up with the second. The laps what _would be the fastest time spite of wheel-to-wheel challenges by kept going down; Jorgensen, Scott, RIVERSIDE , CA ,JULY 17 although one lap he really went way Rainey, but Wayne was not to be Hocking and Gennai. After Jim Fishback claimed first high, no doubt giving Tim denied and finally got the lead, but Around lap six , Hocking made his McWhorter behind him high hopes for overall in the Open class, he came between them they had put a healthy move on Scott and got him. Jorgy a chance to zap him, but Jim held onto chunk of space between themselves back later in the day with George hung onto the lead for a while but it and the win. _ and third place man Keith Da y. Luther to win the team race. Hocking was going very, very fast and Ricky. Graham took the third heat Behind Day there was a " blanket" got by . in spite of a great try by Rod Sexton Fishback, who has been racing -for race going on between Dave Bushby, who came flying up past Rick DeLacy 10 years, showed how he keeps that Rich Volk and Sal H offman, with Behind a way , R a ndy Skiver and and at one point passed Graham too, 'super cool' when he commented, Hoffman finally out of it and Mike John Allison were dueling for fifth and but Riclty got the lead back with a "Hey, it's hot and it's dusty. but let's Minnig finishing sixth behind Volk. sixth. The crowd was roaring as Alex good crossover. say it's 65° and a light rain is falling, suddenly ducked almost momentarily You could say the Junior main was a Expert Heats Actually, it's a nice course and I really bit of an upset. Jim Mertens tore off back into first but Hocking took it away enjoy these Grands Prix. 1 mostly race Triumph-mounted John Gennai into tum one first and that was all she again. Scott still held third and had a speedway but - the Grands Prix are hirged off the line in the first heat wrote - he never lost it and as the laps nice little gap between himself and great for keeping in shape, especially ut Rick Hocking took over with Walt fell, got a nice little cushion between Gennai. Another duel was on, Walt . Fishback shows how to win at SRA Grand Prix .. 21

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