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/126309
" ,.. "" "".."""""""""""""" """" "" =Desert Hotline •.... "".. •• v •••••.. • ·"".. • • ••• "".. "".. "".·"".. "".. • • • • """" ""..•..•..•.. •••.."".. • · v •....•• •• '0 ~ E Bob Balentine dusted the Prospectors 0 -37 hare scrambles field . tire. MacCrackin was comfortable by himself. Lee had his hands full keeping Foster, Beisner and Jones behind him. After a rather uneventful second loop . Balentine pulled in with another notch on his tank, taking yet another overall win. A short time later it was John McCown and Kookie III made 'an appearance at CRe. Pettigrew and Henson . MacCrackin led the Amateurs around with a fourth The course rounded into check one, place finish and Lee led the Junior class from start to. finish. . Foster then past the small range of hills and enjoyed the performance of his 250 down to a fast fireroad . By the time Yamaha, right into sixth overall with the first overall Novice had gotten Beisner and Jones eating some of his here , you wou ld have thought he started with the Experts. Sodbuster dust. Amateur Kent Perkins (390 H us) moved into the top 10, as did Tim Jerry Lowell (400 Yam) pulled the Nething (250 Hus) , also an Amateur. holeshor in the Novice start and was The two of them did some fancy riding running mid-pack with Amateurs and to get there . After getting lost or Experts. confused on one part of the cou rse , Running first Srnallbore at this Mike Mukonery (400 KT M) came point was Jeff Blix (125 Suz) with from somewhere in the 20s to finish Kenny Upp (175 Yam) close behind . third Open Expert. Jeff Blix remained Al Wurtzel (250 KTM) was running the lightweight class lea der second to Monte Lee and found the throughout the day, taking the win fast fireroad just the thing to help over Kenny Upp. Frank Arciero (390 make time on the leaders. Hus) led Ken Clayton (400 Yam) and Recrossing Bessemer Road and Ed Waldheim most of the day , taking heading towards Soggy Dry Lake is where Henson moved within sight of thcJ unior Amateur class . CRC winner Balentine and f riend Pettigrew. but when they got down Amateur Lightweights were all Michele. pursuing Rick Davis (125 Yam) as he near th e lake , Pettigrew just opened led Bill Rigo (175 IT) and Cliff his 450 up and motored away from Roberts (125 Yam) to the finish. Henson. Soggy was fast and dusty. and, Lori Farmer succeeded in beating at the end of the lake was this powder hole, and coming across the desert and Jolene Payne to the finish with Laura Lockridge (250 Yam) right on her tail. into the quarry kept everyone on their toes. and front wheelsl Jerry Lowell was uncontested for the By Jerry G. Welton overall Novice victory with Terry ,Coming through the launching rollers and into the home check was Hawkins (Suz) edging out Jerry UtterLUCERNE, CA. APR. 23 Ba lent ine , with plenty of time on his back for second. Aboard his Rod Coski-tuned hands . Pettigrew and Henson were Jack Fuller (250 Yam) was up front running close. about two min utes at the bomb and led the 250cc bikes KTM, Bob Ba lentine jumped most of the way. Donnie Mo rrison (125 later. MacCrackin was all by himself into an early lead and was unat fourth, as was Lee. John Foster (250 Yam) once again dusted the other contested from banner to checkYam) , Hibbard and Doug Beinse r Smallbike Novices by finishing well in ered at C RC's hare scram bles (250 Suz) . Pat Jones (250 Yam) was the top 10. Brad Terpak (400 Yam) As the smoke bomb smoldered and running a well-earned ninth ; this captured the Junior Open with Chris burned , so did Balentine on his way to being his first race in four months. Cord taking the 250s. it. Shortly after the bomb was a Tony Greaves (250 Yam) and Bart The 250cc of Steve Bowden brought dropoff into a sandwash, and when Mitchell (250 Yam) were next to come the Begi nners around with Brian Ba lentine rode by he had 150 yards through and head out on the second of Dierlio (250 Yam) and lightweight Jim over an unknown Yamaha , Chuck McConnell (125 Suz) taking second two 33·mile loops. Pett igrew (250 Mai). Heath Hibbard Running well up in the top 40 was , and third overall, just ahead of Erik (400 Yam) and "Bad" Brad Henson Hooper (175 Yam) . Novice Jerry Lowell. Jerry Utterback (250 Yam). Overshooting a turn and (400 KTM) was a ways back at second. Paul Wengren (400 Yam) was first Ketting into some rocks was Amateur Senior, fifth overall , with a Lori Farmer (250 Bul) was the first Eric MacCrackins (390 V.V.). lady to complete loop one as she led considerable margin over Max MacCrackin lost only one position with Marker. Jolene Payne (175 KTM) from the Monte Lee (250 Yam) sneaking past. bomb until now and was planning on Brad Terpak was ab le to go the After the course ran up the tight doing the same on la p two . distance for the Mini class win over sandwash and headed across Bessemer With the front runners out on their Bill Mattox . Mine Road, Pettigrew took second and last loop 'a nd spread out as far as they ' The only Beginner Powderpuff to could see Balen tine's dust. Henson were, there seemed to be little change go two loops was Trisha Fa rmer (125 Bul), going a ll the way to a class win. possible. Henson smacked a rock on pa~d Hibbard and moved up close to the way a ut • •and • ,flatten ,j • his front _• _• .R~uJ.t~ R!''iu.l~s .Se!=~i!?l) . __ , I • Pettigrew • •• • t •• _ II . • • • • I • • "1 .... 't i • • • • Balentine blitzes another CRC HS I ~ 20 • til Balentine/KTM ) crash D-37 hare en .scrambles By Jerry G. Welton LUCERNE, CA., AP R. 16 I Bob Balentine mounted his trusty I KTM, took the lead just after 'the start and never relinquished it to take the overall victory at rthe Prospectors Hare Scrambles at Camp Rock. With the Prospectors prompt'10:00 d ropping of the banner, the large field of Experts and Amateurs were off, with Amateur Chu ck Miller (25 0 Ylm) leading the charge. In close pursuit was Balentine, Veteran Ron Bebo (400 Yam), Ed Zarp (400 Yam) and "Bad" Brad Henson (250 Yam) . As soon as the bomb run reached the ribbon , the course swung a near 90 degree right turn and headed across a patch of flowers and a small dry lake towards a short incline. At the top of the incline, Balentine cou ld be seen making the turn faster than Miller and pulling away with the lead . I When Balentine cleared the small hill, there was a lready a 100 'yard gap over Miller a nd Bebo, with Zarp and Henson checking the decal formations on their rear fenders . 1I Bill Saltzman and his 390 Husky was running a firm fifth. Sal tzm an noticed his bike had a flat front tire just before the start and was frantica lly mending it moments before the race. Max Eddy (400 Yam), Chuck Pelligrew (40 0 Mai) and Mark ZoUer (400 Yam) were all being chased by Cordis Brooks, who was riding a new 250 Wheelsmith Maico after a ' one year layoff. As Balent ine proceeded to motor away from the field. the ba ttle for second began. Beb o h ad settled in at a fast pace but d id no t stay up with Zarp and Henson. Miller was riding feverishly to m a intain seco nd bu t t he pressu re from the two Experts proved to be too much as Henson and Zarp eased by. Pettigrew was wor kin g his way th rough the familiar terrai n past Bebo and Sa ltzm a n . Eddy was re ally going for it until his bike threw hi m down ha rd . Eddy removed his d ust-covered goggles and tried to ride without t hem bu t couldn't. Stopping to clean them cost Eddy several positions and valuable time.