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/126299
·.-.·.·W'.·.r.·...-.·.·.·.·,.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.v,...-...·.'.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.........v.-...·.·,JI.·.·.·.·...·.·.·Jf.·.·......r1'••••••••••••••••••J'iI'..............................•·.WA·".·.'.·.·.·.·.·.·...-.·."...·•·..• ...·. Entering the foothill base of Government Peak and the fireroad leading to it, Bob Gilbert missed the rut in the road and Tony Greaves hit it but didn't crash. John "Smokebomb" Gaetz and Keith Smith worked their way to the top, wondering if the club was going to use the infamous Shamrock downhill. The racers headed over the ridge past the Shamrocks' thriller and headed home over the top of the mountains. Mike Holbrook and Rod Busse followed Morris Norman, one of the premier racers of the past_ Ed Ogden side-slipped around the off-camber rocky ledge , John Watkins flat-tracked down the first soft-face downhill while Ron Bebo, Dick Camp, Bob Carpenter and Garry Hall knew the famous Four Aces downhill was not far away. Trudy Beck, on her AAA Husky - followed some of the floundering victims down the softface downhill, ran the ridges and took check three. Darren Pritchett was making his move toward the front as the view of the pits disappeared. The Big Piney, WY rep Cotton Guio gassed his Husky over the fast but tricky trail heading for Randsburg in the wake of Norman and Eric McCracken's OR Husky. Kevin Hopkins, the premier Trailbike rider was running 14th · overall as the fireroad wound toward the mining complex. Tim fitzpatrick looked back and saw old Buzzard Jack Froelich behind him and gassed it . Jack looked back and nearly crashed when he saw Mike Powers gaining. The trail wound down a sandy access road because the long sandy downhill "don't exist anymore" as Charlie Hermanson and Red Austin found out. After a shot down the narrow wash, the racers headed into "forkfiesta straights." Joe Lockhart , James Vincent , Russ Jenkins and Phil "Bull" Cloward headed home, polishing off round one. Kelly stretched out a huge lead as he neared Camp C. Bad Brad Henson was going crazy on his new Yamaha 250, Pritchett moved into third, first C (175cc). Gregg Thomas on his new 250 still had fourth nailed down as a lot of riders dropped back or dropped out; the tire demon was at large this week . Ken Miller moved back into third 250 spot just ahead of the Belknap/Charters duel. Rick Shirey and Ron Danley were beginning to feel the fatigue as they neared the microwave station. Crowd pleaser Bill Friant, riding a 250 , was in 20th spot just ahead of Cloward and Verlin Van Zee. By this time Kelly was nearing the mine at Randsburg. Crooning a few sweet words to his KTM as they bounced through the flat chop , he glanced back to see if the pesky Henson was back there (Brad caught Tom sleeping before check three and passed him), then shot down the long sandy access road , down the wash and fireroad , glanced back one more time, then turned left and poured the coal to the red screamer on his mad flight to the finish and an impressive one it was. Novice/Beginner First to the second nasty dropoff was fast moving Kem Park with about 100yard lead on second place Ed Walters. Entering the deep rollers Chris Harris was being hounded by Dave Hornbeck , "Killer" Cain and Rich Hall. Jim Sherman and Cliff Thomas were dicing like a couple of motocrossers. Howard McCaslin was tailgating first Beginner 342C , then Brian Burski, Rick Puvogel and Mike Hagen. Rich Barr was the Trail Beginner leader as the racers cleared the deep rollers and started through the deep puckers. Gene Monpar , Duane Terry and nuisance Marve Miller made the turn on the fireroad heading t the top of the Rand Mountains. Passing through smidgens of snow on their way to the top of Government Peak, the trail made a dogleg right onto a trail about two knobbies wide. When Marty ' Pollard and Steve Brookshire reached this, they'd never concentrated so hard. One wrong swerve and a 50-foot step was waiting to the right of the trail. Steve Priestly was throwing mud on -Ken Oviatt as they navigated the narrow trail. Dave Lovell , Curt Calvert, Dave Clark and Gary Brick started into the shaley stairstep section of the summit. The leader , Park, was blasting down the downhill , Cannon moving up. Heading down the ridge, Walters, Pollard and Harris, thinking "44 miles my foot1 There's the pits," took check three and headed for 395 the hard way. Jim Rother moved into 13th spot having a heck of a time keeping ahead of Tony Epperson and Mike Kemberling. Gary White shot down a slope, Rich Hall got airborne on an abrupt ditch-lip, Steve Rogers gassed it only to lock it up on a blind rise while Ron Cotterman watched with amazement. Making the homeward dash , Cliff Thomas did his favorite thing, win . A lot of the Novices filed by, wishing they were one-loopers too . The second loop positions remained about the same. Running 20th, Mike Stephan had the other Walters' kid Mike on his fender. Wayne Langer led Mark Stoner through Camp C_ Heading into the mountains again, Ned Pritchard got to the ridge ahead of Dick Wallace and Fred Tervet, Another Walters, Paul was running 27th with Danny Kirby on his tail. Park, Cannon, Ed Walters and Pollard made the ridge run through the off camber shale, navigated the steep up and down sections then conquered the downhill for the last time. Harris maintained a lead on Brookshire, Priestly barely kept the lead on Oviatt. Park never looked back as he turned the corner for home and the win . The racers really got their money's worth. Ken Guio thought this was one of the club's better efforts. When Ken left Big Piney, WY with his wife and son Cotton (who finished second Heavyweight Expert) the temp was -32° . Anyone who didn't like this race is either not in shape or doesn't really like desert racing. Thanks to Rescue 3, the Four Aces and Larry Hailey for all the help. • Results in Results Section. 15