Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

== ·.·.:'.·.'.V.· • · I '.' ·.-.-.-.·.·.·.-J':•.•- w.-.-...• -.-•••-.-.-.- -.-, -.-.-.-•.•-•.•-,.-•.•-.-. ,..•-.-.-.-.-..•-.-.-.'.'.-.-•.•.•.•-.-" -.- -•.•-.-.-•••.•- -.'.. EDesert Hotline s t. 00 r-CJ') ....-4 ....-4 I-< 1IJ ,.0 a 1IJ > o Z Mike Ryan led the Novice race all the way. . . A Senior Viewfinder leads a Desert Viper past one big rock. positions despite the handicap of th e demanding tight section. Back in the battle zone Charlie Morris had his Husky sighted on Rich Caselli's dust as they charged up the long sandy upgrade past the dry lake . Suzuk i An chased Francis Ch ristensen into check one. Tom Zarp was headed toward the flat plateaus with Bob Delliplaine and Bob Perkins just ahead. Super steward Dennis Rosenberg stayed on the one bike trail, following Ron Hall . Bill Thomas, Lee Elias and George Zuber headed up the narrowing canyon to the stairstep trail. Ron Milligan was hassling Marv Van Sickle through the sandy chop going to check two . Gary Gibbons navigated the tight wash in pursuit of Steve Priestly and Tony Epperson. Rich Varner led John Foster down th e long, long sandy downhill into check two. Dick Burley was having a handful keeping up with John Prater,Jr. as the course opened up and let the racers hang it out. J im Smith moved up on Ed Whiteside, while Ed was sighting in on Greg Thomas, and Lou Monterone. was after Tim Jasper. All were Amateurs moving like Experts. Phil Gorgone was in this ba ttle, on a C bike no less. Oren Beck was leading his sister Trudy; Diana Elias had the lead on Diane Blauer and Cindy Max but only a slim one. The' senior battle in th is position was between Irv Sinclair , Will Eveland, Wendell Park and Pat Dempsy. When they hit check three, the leaders were heading out on the second go around . Max had an honest lead and raced the race he'd waited for almost all year , to beat Balentine fa ir and square. Kevin Hopkins buzzed his trailbike in 16th overall position, just aft of Bob "Straight Shot" Torgerson. Chuck Hermansen lost four positions but maintained fourth 250cc amateur. Balentine squeaks out 100's AMA D·37 hare ~ scrambles win By Gary Laudig LUCERNE VALLEY , CA, OCT. 15 KTM's Bob Balentine had lady luck riding with him . After he trailed Max Eddy the entire race , Eddy seized 200 yards from the 22 finish, giving Balentine his 15th over all win. Freshly bumped Expen Lee Scheffers took third, Yamaha Motor Co. vsponsored Brian Wright took first 250cc , with Crown Cycle's Mike Ecka rdt right behind for second, fifth overall. By the time the two minute warning was given, everyone knew the big four were lined up ready to do battle, Larry Roeseler, Balentine, Eddy and Ed Zarp. The bomb was in the flau below the rockpile: thus the bomb run resembled a ca lvary charge. The leader was Zarp (Yam) , followed by last wee k's winner Lee Scheffers (Yam ), Roeseler (Hus) , Eddy (Yam) and Balentine. The course headed down the back slope toward Melville Dry Lake and then made an abrupt , sweeping tum to the right , Zarp, with a good 100· yard lead, experienced his usual seizure routine, giving Scheffers the lead. Eddy , now second, flew through the high foothill rollers . Casting a glance to the left he saw the rest of the racers charging across the dry lake used in last week's race. Through sheer skill, Lee , Max , Larry, Bob and a few of the others maintained the front • I , • • • ¥ ... .. #. ! · ~ ~,, :'_ lJ' ~· . ~~ .. Brett Howell was in the 12th positio n but bike problems set him way out of the race . Clearing check one , Verl in Van Zee followed the crafty Ron Bebo who was in hot pursuit of Senior Open lead er Dick Camp. Terry Davis and Mike Six berry scrapped th ro ugh t he pla teaus and ra vines heading for the sta ircase tire eater. By check two, th e difference between first and second 250cc amateur was a racer named Hamill. Jim Delliplaine wan ted a shot at Ken Maw but getting by Charlie is a job in itself. Clearing check three Mike Matlock riding a super race, had Mike Eckardt in sight but Eckardt was super busy trying to catch Brian Wright. Lee Scheffers was in the battle for first but a seizure put some distance between him and second place Balentine. The Viewfinders could see the dust cloud heading home and knew it was Max. Frantically waving their hero on , his bike seized right in front of the Viewfinder pits . Everyone was in shock as the big 400 came to a halt and moments later Balentine roared by for the overall. Max was towed in for a disappointing second, with Scheffers th ird, Wright fourth overall and first 250cc Expen, Mike Eckardt second. Novic.Beginner race Mike Ryan doesn 't know the word quit and it pa id off right from the stan, taking a whopping lead. Gary Covington, Steve Blakely and Marty Pollard cleared the washboard road then headed into the familiar sandy lane laced with moguls and puckers. John Marsh was hounded by Keith Tullar and John Virant through the rollers just before the right hand sweeper most folks missed . Mingled in the dust , the mighty Fudpucker was worming his wa y through the dust and puckers. Just ahead was T . R. Sisson and Rocky Schmidt doing the same. Jim Kurlsu and Dan Glick noticed the dust lessen as they started up the sandy upgrade. Bruce Coker was keeping Tom Elias honest as they headed into the rocky wash that wound to the right. George Kander, Dennis Duke and Jim Hruby were using a few choice words as they steamed their goggles on the staircase rock trail. Scott Phipps diced with Larry Ziegler all the way to the sandy downhill . Mark Kolb took the check and headed out after Ken Brougher. Slicing through the crossgrain chop, Gene Peters broke trail and tried to pass Dave Johnson . Paul Palmer was ., doing the same to Georg e Jaggard . Keith Baedor took che ck three and 1 headed home. Mike Smith chased Eric Berquist all the way to th e pits. ~ Also taking check three was the one loop leader, P2 . Mark Gibbons was the" district lead er with Tim Sinclair right behind. Circli ng around Victor pass and - heading home were John McCormick , Murry Kapko, Bill Main and Dave Schneider. Lars Bergman had the pits in sight as he led the Tra ilbike class to the checkered. Fourth C ~ike Mike Jones separatedJf second Trail Larry Berg . Duane Terry o held off An Short to the finish ; Ron Nelson did the same to Kirk Alexander. Harold Andrews , La ne Custer, Lance Powers and Gary Brick . took the checkered in that order. Gary Reese was the Trail Beginner winner, following Darrell Hartwich and Rob Robles to the finish . The first four racers stayed I,a matched set on the second loop. Former fifth place Eric Berquist faded back along with former ninth plac Mike Smith. Past check one, Jim Divine let Keith Tullar and John. ~ Virant slip past for sixth and seventh, , Rod Absher and 640X traded the 12th" and l Sth spots before check two. Bill ~ Anderson picked off four, moving from 15th to 11th. Steve Zollinger moved up two and he tried to make it three but the determined Tim Foster wouldn't let it happen. In the top 12, five were C bikes ridden by Tullar, the. if leader, Divine , Foster, Zollinger and . --- , Anderson. The rest were 250s. Many Pollard held fourth , Steve Blakely wasn't about to give up third and Gary Cov ington maintained second with the same attitude Blakely had . Ryan had a flawless ride going and just hoped his Husky wouldn't let : him down . Circling Victor pass , pa rallelling BMR , Mike leaned over the tank, screwed the throttle to the stop and held it all the way to the checkered flag. JIJ. They called this the 100'5 M.C. .h a re scrambles. Some called it Dinflier II . The BLM seemed to have lost the club's maps and finally told them to use last week's course Or forget 6 it. The Determination Trophy goes to i James Vincent , who finished on a bare ne rear rim . The new Togetherness Trophy goes to Tom Schell and Brad 16 Henson. These two were having so 2 much fun dicing they didn't notice' 8 their trails merging. When the dust . settled, they shared the same puckerbush, their bikes locked in a passionate embrace. • .¥ . 10 -

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