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/126295
EDesert Hotline ~ E (Abovel Morgan Malocco flew to third. (Belowl Winner Bob Balentine arrives at the finish, pursued by an autograph hound. Balentine again at CRC H.S. By Jerry G. Welton CA LI FORNIA CITY , CA ,JAN . 22 Once again, Bob Balentine and his trusty KTM rode what appeared to be a smooth and relaxed race to capture the overall win at CRC's Hare Scrambles at California City. 10 "Crazy Ch ris" Kallen. ridi ng a Yamaha pulled an 'outrageous holeshot and led the charge to the . bomb with Tom Kelly's KT M and Balent ine right on his rear fender. Heath Hibbard and his Crown Cycle Yamaha and DMG rid er Tim Plant on his IT 175 were fanning out in search of the quickest trails with Richard Hall a nd Wayne Allen doi ng the same. Monte Lee a nd his Bill Kra use 250cc Yam aha began pulling up on the leaders just after the bomb with Sco t Dunca n's 250 cc Yamaha and Am ateu r Mike Eas ley staying close behind . Just past the first road crossing. ' Kallen's gas ca p came off. a nd while he stopped to fix it , sever al of the fro nt runners slipped past. Kelly took the lead moment a rily. then his engine began to seize . Balen tin e too k th e lead and held it u p until the first set of hills . Morgan Malocco and his 400cc Cucamunga Yamaha , running around tenth at the bomb, moved up rapidly, overtaking Ba lentin e in the first hills. When Malocco took the lead. Balentine started to bear down and overtook hi m. Then, just before going down a ca nyon Malocco once again slipped back past. Balentine stayed with him until the trail exited the canyon and proceeded to motor away . Once Tom Kelly was sure his scooter was all rig ht he resumed t he chase with about 50 riders in front of him. Am ateur Kent Perkins' H usky was u p in the top ten when his bike lost power and slowed to a cr awl. After t he co urse went around through the rougher back section , across the hills and back down to the open desert . Ba lent ine had built up a comfortable cushion between himself and Malocco and was heading towards the pits. About five miles from the completion of the first loop . Malocco was passed by Kelly , who had worked his way through a large number of riders. When Balentine cam e through the pits it looked like; he was out for an afternoon cruise. Approximately one minute after Ba lentine came through the pits , Kelly arrived on the scene with Malocco in hot pursuit. Several minutes elapsed when Duncan shot through with a small parade containing M. Lee. Plant, Allen a nd Beisner directly following . About a fourth of the way around the second and final loop, Balentine's duckbi ll viso r b lew off fro m his helmet. Looking back . he spotted Kell y. Ra ther tha n stop to pic k up the visor. he continued on toward Camp C . Kelly's bike seized a second time, bu t he freed his stuck pist on a nd co nt in ue d on. Ba ck in the fourth and fif th overall p osition , Du n c an a n d Lee were b attling it ou t with Lee slightly ahead going into the canyons. Lee hit a rut , Du ncan hit Lee and both fell . Dunca n got up first and set sail with Lee still behind him. About three miles la ter Duncan got off again and knocked himself coo -coo , Lee stopped to lend a