Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

• ·"".v.. . . .•••••••••••••.. . ·hV...""....·.V....•.·.....V.·.. . ·....·....·""....••·••....·....v ....·""..., .......-,....-.·.·.·""....v ..........v.·..........•.......·.·.-.......-,.·,.·.·,.·,.·.·.·".V.·.·.·,.·.·••••""", ."II1tIIIo"... =Desert Hotline ~ t ~ 00 M Q.) .c 8 Q.) > o Z Deve Mlltus files pat the 10 III.ute. helicopter. Rams' D·37 hare scrambles: Balentine keeps on winning By Gary Laudig LUCERNE VALLEY , CA, OCT. 29 KTM's Bob Balentine had to draw on all his resources to come from fourth place to win the demanding Rams AMA D-37 22 hare scrambles. Crown Cycle's "Flyin" Mike Eckardt scored an impressive second overall, fint 250cc; fint Amateur J im Delliplaine tagged home at fourth overall. Shortly before nine , the racers were lined up and ready to go. Glancing up at the 60 Minutes helicopter hovering to the left, each one was hoping for a super start and a shot at some TV footage . The start line ign ited, six seconds later the roar reached the bomb. The covey of weekend playriders had their lawn chain on the rocky knoll and waited in awe , since they had never wimessed a desert race. A Juper fast dust trail shot across the lower part of the valley basin and the TV camera trained in . Making a sweeping right turn the orange and black of Bruce Ogilvie's Harley machine could be seen . About the same time Ogilvie came into view, the roar of the big KTM could be seen flying along the edge of the foothills . Balentine shot up the ravine WFO, driving the spectaton wild . Jumping the access road. Ogilvie cut in front and the battle was on. New Viewfinder Jeff Matthews (Yam) was in t hird• •ahead of .Eddie. Zarp, Steve Eckardt and jay Orendorff. Bill Becker was the next bike through followed by Checker Greg Thomas, running fint 250cc Amateur, then Yamaha Motor Co. ' spo nsored Brian Wright, Bill Krause-sponsored Dick Camp (running fint Senior Open) and then John Prater Jr. of the Desert Rats. As the racers spread out, the course headed for Soggy. Finally turning left, the ribbon led the racers down one of many roads and lanes. Between the dust and the tight turns, Kenny Dodd couldn't get past John Beems. Tom Purdy was just ahead adding to the visibility pollution. Bob Burch entered the rock hard mogul section; Rich Hall was on the pegs in the small whoop section. Bill Larson was following Charlie Morris into the sand when suddenly Charlie dropped out of sight. The dune had two abrupt dropoffs, then the course turned right paralleling the big dune and then left again down another tricky, windy lane. Joel Stankavich kept on "Big Bud" Wheeler's fender stickie all the way to the wash crossing. Pete Kapko and Mike Castro followed Simi Valley Yamaha's Pete Andelman into the fint section of the big windy wash then jumped out to the left . Gale Evans and Red Austin dove into the wash crossing then headed across the long valley . . Craig Kinnamon, Marv Van Sickle and Danny Ashcraft had their bikes peued as they started up the long g,idetoward check one. RodSwetiand, Mike Maron,- Ken Oviatt and Chris Bosen had a hard time keeping the engine running in the loose-face. rockstrewn downhill but once at the bottom it wasn 't long before the racers were in wall to wall rocks . Nobody did any passing here, it was all they could do to stay on their bikes . Balentine and Ogilvie __ At this point,_ ~ got off track and headed up the jeep trail used in the last two races. This put the new guy Jeff Matthews in the lead and boy was he pumped. Number 0191 was running 46th right behind the scourge of the senior C class , Desert Viper Ron Milligan. Number 085x was right behind fint C bike expert Ron Hall of SoCa!. Francis Christensen trying to close the gap on George Zuber, because Christenson needs only one more first to nail down number one 250cc Senior. Dick Burley, second 250cc Senior, and Kevin Sheehe were heading across country as the windy wash dribbled out into the flatlands. Dave Deichman began to realize he was in country he hadn't seen before. Randy Brown and Roger Toubeaux experienced the same feeling as the canyons and rock formations were deep amber and bleak looking. Fred Cole followed Maico riders Tim Fitzpatrick into some really new stuff. Jumping the first' two boulders in the tr~i1, Tim had a feeling things were gomg to get worse before they got . better. George McClellan and Ron Surbeck experienced the first tricky uphill that shot out of the narrow wash . Phil Cloward was attacking the second uphill. Charging into the three foot step, Phil leaned over the ban. pulled himself way up on the tank and gassed the Bul to the top of the loose surface hill. From there on it was a windy treck down to the bottom of the mountain. Dick Harris headed down the flat wash with Gary Niederhuth and Lou Monterone not far ahead. Verlin Van lee couldn't believe the high-rockwalled narrow wash that zig. zagged through the mountain. All of a sudden the wash ended and the most spectacular sight imaginable lay ahead: the sun-reflected. gold-colored Galway Dry Lake. Kirk .Kandt chased George Zuber down the valley; Bob Delliplaine tried to pass Gary White just before the course touched the upper tip of the dry lake. Rich Goetz was on the second segment of the lack while Dave Matus was heading across the white sand flatlands in the direction of BMR. Ed Whiteside, Gary Conner and Russ Woolmore followed Ron Bebo acrou the flats, into Victor Pass and on to pit row. Jeff Matthews held the lead into the pits; Mike Eckardt was next, making his Yammie sing; Bob Balentine shot by next and thenJay Orendorff. . The second loop.was about as action packed as any race around. Ogilvie continued on even though he miaed a check and he and Balentirie had a battle royale. Once past Bruce, Bob set his sighu on the young leader. Matthews. Out in the rocks. Jeff could hear the aWelOme KTM and it turned his blood cold. Figuring he had to put some distance on Bob, he extended himself a little too much and centerpunched a Beginner. Unhurt he watched the master of the dez cruise by into tint. Jim ' Delliplaine and Greg Thomas were neck and neck all the way around the course, Just past the rocks in a windy wash, Greg Sluffed the front end and down he went letting Jim past for good . Tony Greaves just couldn't have had it better as he led Dick Camp down the homeward stretch. Brian Wright moved up eight positions to settle in behind Steve Eckardt at sixth. The dust trail could be seen coming out of Victor Pass so much faster than all the rest. The crowd started looking at their watches then started running for the finish line. Balentine took the checkered. shut off the big bike and was swanned by well wishen. Eckardt rode a superb race and finished second overall, fint 250cc Expert. The mOlt improved dude in the dez, Jay Orendorff was third overall second Open Expert. Jim Delliplaine, another super improved racer, took the 250cc Amateur trophy at fourth overall. Novice/Beginner rece > auIq After a seemingly long delay, the roar erupted', the 60 Minutes crew tucked behind a puckerbush unaware the green stripe crazies were on their way. The leader came around the corner and Big Bird's whoop could be heard above the engine noise. Viewfinder Prez Lou OnaIi had his 250cc dialed and had a good SOO·yard lead on Gary Covington. Keith Tullar and Eric Hanson shot by then a whole mob charged through making visibility almost zero. Blair Swal1l>w was doing fine on his Maico until he hit . the tail end of the rockpile, pitching him off in the process. Dave Johnson did the same thing but both riders continued on unhurt. A lot of green and white stri~ headed out but not too many came back. This course was a real test of man and machine; the finishen earned their pin and then some . Sandy Perkins was uaining John Graziano and Jeannette Lang. Frank Chase was pleased to have survived the bomb and followed the ribbon to the left hand turn. Gary Brick was right behind the "Love" birds, Don and Sandy. Dave Schneider was riding his usual berierk race. following Curt Willis . Cliff Ograin managed to get his 4OO~e unseized and hexan to picIr. off som~ riders as the rocks and canyons w~ right down the cagey enduro rider', alley. Dave Guy and John "The COp" Vest swapped places a few times. All of a sudden disaster struck, Stuck on tile hill werc" guys like Harold Andrews, Mike Jones. Ron Nelson and Larry Berg. Tim Sinclair, Marv Miller and Murray Kapko finally crested the top. The eventual winnen of the white stripe clash were 5S2C with 52SC second. The Novice race continued in a furious pace. Ortali maintained his lead through the piu with die helicopter right on his helmet. Davey Woolmore was about 100 yardl back and closing. Blair Swallow worked hiS way back to 25th overall but Jeff Reible and Ryan GI'OR refused to let him gain anymore ground. ToliI Megla tracked Bill Sallenbach through the rocks; Jim Durisu was after Ed Whisenant. U Soon the racen were faced with the two nury uphilla again and the complexion of the race chanP considerably. Swallow moved into 19th; Paul Palmer was at 17th and praying. Dave West and John Manli headed down the high walled wash just ahead ofJohn McCormacIr.. Woolmore dropped from secOnd to 19th. Onali bagged a front flat and William Scott Andenon took the lead on his C bike after maIUna- two tryI on the second uphill. Number 820 and Jeff Cannon gunned acrtlll the two segmenu of drY lake. Dan Drew and John Bauman were flying down the ripply road that turned into a f1adand sandwash. 6 f Circling around the ' Iteep sandy uphill, the racen headed mto the foothilla. Gary Wilson and Rick Burrus circled through the canyon, and Craig Baker followed Gary Covington through the luper whoo~ behind Victor. "Crazy" Bob Schneider a1moat got by "Limping" Lou Ortali, Keith Tullar and Eric Hansen were charging for home. Andenon beld his bike wide open as the overall was his. Second and third were C bikes also. . The majority of the racen really

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