Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

.•.•w,.,.,.,.-.,.,.,.-•.•.•,.,.,.,.,.,.__-•.•.•.•,,.,.-.,.'.'.-.'.'.'.-.-.-.-...'.'.-.'.'.-.-.-.-.'.-.-.-,.-wr.v...·.-,.-.-....'.-,.-.'.·,;-.-,..·.-.-.-.-.-,.-.·.:-.-.-.'r.-.'.'.-.'.'•.•'•.•.•.•., •.•-.'.'.'.-.'.'__.'... Desert Hotline 1200 ride CRC Dunestown By Te rry Rezek VALENCIA , CA , MAY 6 Cycle parks are the few places left within California where Grand Prix even faintly rerninescent of the Classics like Catalina and Elsinore can still be held. This race , the California Racing Club Dunestown GP, created so many good feelings that a lm ost everyone associated with it came awa y with a motorcycle high . A desert -style start gave way immediately to the Shadow Glen MX . course which ended with a tour of th e Baa Baa Black Sheep set . Continuing the WWll image, the course crossed the river by way of a recently constructed (the day before the race) bridge which looked as if it had been bombed. Three feet wide , of flexible plywood, with whoop-de -does (on :a bridge?). CRC will go through any lengths for your ent ert ainment. The desert riders were next to be favored as the course turned up into the hills south of the Santa Clarita river . A few up' and down -hills later, it was ba ck to the turns and the sand and th e Yamaha Super Ramp Jump back over th e river. Of course, you could elect to take t he "Ca ndy· Ass" bridge instead, but no one would do that as long as they had the opportunity to crash their brains out in front of 500 people. A little ziggin ', a little zaggin', and a lot of spectator dodging led you to the International MX course and the scoring booth. Seven miles down and you only have three more laps to go! I did see the second race , the Old Fogies Benefit. This was the only race of the day to have a live engine start. That 's reasonable. Most of those codgers don't have the energy to start their bikes twice on the same dayl Before anyone of them threatens to burn a worn Metzeler on my front lawn , let me hasten to add that I qualify , at least in longevity , for membership. I certainly couldn't stay up with most of them in a race. And from what I saw , most of them couldn't keep up with Lanky Larry Schumaker . He literall y ran away with this race as he usually does. The Over The Hill Gang keeps their own GP scores, so I don't have any more than that to offer. Race three was the Wild and Crazy Bunch , the Open Beginners and Novices . Fred Edwards took advantage of a good stan to lead the first lap and felt good enough about his lead over Ed walters to experiment with the ramp . Scott Smith was next , riding what seemed to be a stock TT. complete with lights and tool bag. By the second lap, Smith had gotten by Edwards and Walters but Bob Brazier had caught fire and moved up from back in the pack to pass Smith and lead the rest of the race. Or so I thought. When I got the unofficial results, I found Doug Kribell ahead of Brazier and Smith. All I can say is, "Hold all bets for a house decision," This was a really hot even t . Abe Bequer got so hot he decided to cool off by motoring right off the bridge and floating down the river. Without the help of some skin- diving spectators, he probably would have . wound up in the Channel Islands by Tuesday. Even so, he was able to get back in the race. More than one rider rode the Revolution after not quite making the ramp jump and one got up from the sand to find his bike locked in a self-destruct mode. Ever try to stop a 5.00X18 knobby turning at 2000 RPM with your boot? Wears 'em outlast! The Ramp Jump definitely was the faster line across the river, if you survived the landing. The Veterans class, race six, was a good example of that. On the first two laps, Rocky Hush led the race to the crossing, but Lon Peterson consistently and beautifully took the ramp every time and saved at least three seconds right there. That helped the difference; by lap three, Peterson was leading by a long wa y over Dennis King who was fighting an occasional battle with Ken Ratzloff. That seems to be the way it finished. In the 200cc Beginner and Novice event, the real contest was for second place because first was Peter Poster's from the first kick. By the second lap , Larry Peacock was in command of second and Bruce Parker was just slightly behind for third. That's . overall. Since Poster was in a different bike class , Peacock and Parker also got a first and a second. Aren't Gran Prix wonderful? The final event was the team race. This one is almost impossible to work out since most entries didn't even sign up until late in the afternoon. The #67 team led the first lap but, on the second, the Darrell Anderson and A.J. Whiting team (I don't know who was riding at the time) e xec u te d a beautiful maneuve r by taking the ramp and laying the bike into the corner just a hair ahead of th e #67 bike . From that point on , it was entirely their race. Results OPEN PRO: 1. Dave Haugh; 2. Terry Clark; 3. Thad Friday. OPEN EX 1. Ed Mundy. : OPEN INT/AM: 1. Eric MacC racken; 2. Oan Moore; 3. Leo Green. 250 PRO: 1. Donnie Hanson; 2. Oarrell Anderson; 3. Nick Hale. 250 EX 1. Kenny Upp; 2. Dean C. Miner; 3. Kemy : Hei!. 250 INT/AM: 1. Bob Schultz; 2. Jeff Prieur ; 3. Matt Z;egler . OPEN NOV: 1. Doug Kribell; 2. Robert Brazier; 3. Scott Smith. . OPEN BEG: 1. Mark Whelan; 2. George Davis ; 3. DannyCasson. 250 NOV: 1. Brett Allen; 2. Randy Morales; 3. Scott Dinger. 250 BEG: 1. Mike Ward; 2 . Perry Crook; 3. Jim Braden. 0-200 PRO: 1. Brian Myerscough; 2. TIm Locey; 3. J im Holley. 175 EX: 1. Darren Prlttchett; 2. Donnie Morrison; 3. Steve Davies. 175INT/AM: 1. Robby Kennedy. 125 EX: 1. Scott Atchison; 2. Cliff Roberts. 125 INT/AM: 1. Matt Ziegler; 2. John Langhammer; 3. Norman Blue. 100 EX: 1. Todd Broussard. 100 INT/AM: 1. Doug Wr ight . 175 NOV: 1. Peter Poster. 125 NOV: 1. Larry Peacock; 2. Bruce Par ker; 3. Jon zahrt. 125 BEG: 1. Matt Saruwatia; 2. Dave Lamb; 3. Vince Driscon. 100 NOV: 1. Ron Eversol ; 2. Joe Lungr en ; 3 . Chip Harris. 100 BEG: 1. Ron Dyer. MINIS: 1. Barry Crawford; 2. Brad Ter pak ; 3. Scott Colbert. Balentine wins long Prospectors H&H By Joyce May JOHANNESBURG, CA, APR. 29 The Prospectors M .C, point to point hare and hound was a most ambitious u ndertaking under normal circumsta nces; but to tackle the event under the existing conditions, with the gas situation being what it is, was courageous to say the least. The race was scheduled for a 9 a .m. start, but riders who had forgotten about the time change were still coming in at 9, so the club felt that the only way to handle the situation was to delay the start to 10. After fighting the lines at the gas stations it would have been the final straw for these riders to find that the race had already started. Bruce Ogilvie took the lead almost im media tely but Bob Balentine, in one of his rare appearances at the desert races so far this year, was not far behind. Out onto the first loop a number of the racers got into trouble when barbed wire became entangled in their wheels. Among those who endoed were Greg Thomas and Paul Christensen. The first loop was the longest (45 miles) leading east down the valley away from Hwy. 395 and then north until it once again swung east, crossing Trona Road north of Charlie's Place. The trail was not an easy one, giving the one-looper Novice Trailbikes and Beginners a tough ride for their money , as it zig-zagged back and forth, up and down the mountains as it headed towards Gas One, which was only a few miles south of the start. Ogilvie kept the lead with Balentine cor.tinuing to push as they came into the first gas . Chuck Miller held the first 250cc spot, running third overall. Not far behind was the amazing Amateur Heavyweight Jeff Matthews , who had alreadywon one race this year overall. Mark Zoller, a 250cc Expert , was the next to stop for gas followed very closely by three more 250s , Brian Wright , Rich Zagic and Mike Eckardt. Charlie Hamill, inspired by his rid e the previous race, moved very well through the pits ninth overall, first "C" bike . Separating Hamill and the next " C" rider, charging Rick Schumaker, was heavyweight Bruce Jones. Morris Norman had a very respectable lead over the next Senior, veteran Art Knapp, who has been very scarce out here in the dez for the past year or so. First Trailbike was extremely consistent Cliff Thomas, running 24th overall, and now riding for Dick Allen's Yamaha of Newhall. SGVMC 250cc rider Mike Alderson , who is not a recognized threat, was riding pie plate this week as he had borrowed a 400 Yamaha from sidelined Jeff Fries for this race . Much to the excitement of his pit crew, he pulled in, leading his class . The first gas was also the finish line for the Beginners and Trail Novices. Beginner John Reed (250c c) was th e first to take the checkered followed by #373c and Scott Henderson , also on a "C" bike . First Trail to finish was Bill Mattox. Emmons Brown ea rned th e first Senior fin isher classification. John Hylton was the first heavyweight to take th e checkered . A total of 37 Beginners and Novice Trailbikes crossed the finish line at the first gas. Out on the second leg of th e race things began to get very rocky, including a pass through the infamous Invader " Mel o n Patch." This leg took its toll among the riders including Novice leader Alderson, who had gotten a rear flat . Since it was a borrowed bike he decided to drop out instead of taking a chance on tearing up the wheel, spokes, and hub . The last loop was supposed to end just outside California City, but because of the controversy with the city and with the major land owner, it was decided to shorten the leg to 25 very fast miles and have it end back at second Itas. Ogilvie headed out onto the last This was the Dunestown GP. not subm arine sch ool. loop still in the lead with Balentine still threatening behind him. These .two had stretched a very impressive lead over the rest of the pack. I Only about 100 yards onto the last loop, however, Ogilvie hit a rock which was hidden by the heavy spring growth. He hit the ground hard , inju ring his shoulder. Balentine stopped and checked Bruce and then returned to home check to let them know that Bruce was down and would need help. Then he headed back out onto the trail for the final run to the checkered. Unknown to the majority of the members of the sponsoring club, the two couples manning the final check a few miles from the finish decided to give those tired riders something to think about, so . .. the gals donned on ly sandals and clip boards to ta ke numbersl The guys wore boots, club , jumpers, and a sockl No wonder the finishers all wore such funny grins as they took the checkered. Balen tine, in spite of his return to gas two for help, maintained a five minute lead over the next rider who was that Junior speedster, Matthews. Matthews had also stretched out a lead of four and a half minutes over the number three finisher, Brian Wright , who seemed to be back in the old groove again , finishing first in his class. Consistent Hamill rode an extremely steady race, finishing fourth overall , first "C". Ed Zarp had moved up from 12th overall at gas one to finish fifth overall, second Expen Heavyweight, while Zagic and Zoller finished closely behind in the sixth and seventh spots, second and third respectively in their class . "Doc" Norman stayed in there for the Senior win, finishing eighth overall. Greg Thomas (another Thomas sponsored by Dick Allen's Yamaha of Newhall), survived his bout with the barb wire and finished ninth overall. Cliff Thomas became ' one of the drop outs, leaving the first Trail honors to O ren Beck,Jr. Oren's sister Trudy also was one of the casualties of the course, while gutsy little Kelly Kline survived to get first girl honors. Lorni Rebec was the only other gal to take .the checkered. There were 103 survivors of the fun three loops , bringing the total finishers • to 140 out of the start of 240. 35

• Cover