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IAbovel Jay Orendorf rompin' around in the desert.IBelowl Bruce Ogilvie took over for injured partner Lee Scheffers and won. IAle photos.! Ogilvie/Scheffers take Rovers D·37 team race By Joyce May 22 LUCERNE VALLEY, CA, AUG. 12 Bruce Ogilvie took over for in- jured partner Lee Scheffers to ('am the overall win at the Rovers Team Race, held in the rain-soaked Soggy Dry Lake area. Competition was LOugh as tht' team ract' drt'w many ridt'rs who only race a ft'w of the bettt'r 0-37 t'vents. Tht' rains had fallt'n in somt' areas on Saturday, on tht' campsite Saturday niRht and t'arly Sunday morninR, and on St'ctions of the courst' throughout the race, making most of tht' course fast and dust free, Tht' start was dust fret' and a joy to watch, Bill Saltzman hit the bomb first with Bob Balentine not' far behind. Balentine grabbed a bit more throllie and soon took over the lead. About three-quarters of the way around the first loop Balentine, still in the lead.. hit a road crossing. His transmission jumped into neutral. which spelled disaster as he twisted the throllie for more power. When ht' heard the high-pitched singing of his engine, he knew he was in trouble anti went over the bars. Ogilvie and Mike Six berry ,reached him first and got him off the trail before someone else came through. It was some time before Ogilvie hit the trail, once more. Other riders sLOpped to help Balentine (who was taken to the hospital, reportedly suffering a broken pelvic bone), so Bruce headed out to make up time, Into the pits off the first loop in the lead was Saltzman again, followed very closely by the Ed Zarp/Max Eddy team and "Sizzlin' Six" Sixberry. Mike had ridden hard to make up positions and literally feU to the ground as he pulled into the pits and gave the armband to his partner, the "Quiet One," Rick Jones. The 'Rich Zajic/Chuck Miller team was the first 250cc team to pass the home check, with Ogilvie in the fifth overall spot. The Checker team of Benny Padilla and Kevin Hasten (Open Expert) was next, followed by Kern Park (250cc Expert), whose parmer Jeff Kaplan got a quick armband change and headed onto the second loop. Amateur Robin Busse moved into the Open class to team with Morgan Malocco. Behind this team, riding as wild as ever, was "Wildman" Charlie Hamill ("C" Expert) berzerking it into the pits, where he turned the race over to his parmer, Kent Pfeiffer. First Amateur duo was the team of Terry Lowell and Tom Mallox (Open) of the Clleckers, with the C Expert team of Rick Schumaker and John Foster in next. "Super Senior" Gary Charters had teamed up with AJ Guzman (C Senior Expert) and was running 13th overall, with SCOll Pfeiffer and Cordis Brooks (two guys that are super fast, but also super choosy about what and where they race) moving their Yamaha 250 through in the next spot. First 250cc Amateur team was that of Tim Fagg and Ken Wolf, followed by the Cartledge brothers team of SCORE Baja fame, Mike and Chuck, this time aboard a 250cc instead of their usual 125cc. In the Veterans class, the first team was Hoyt Statham and Dennis Rosenberg, followed very cloSt'Ly by the Veteran Heavywt'ight tt'am of Lynn McGraw and Bob Torgt'rson. First Ironman into the pits for gas was Open Amatt'ur Jerry Lt'ighton, with the first Old Timer Heavywt'ight tt'am of Gus Paull and Bob Doig through home check next. The POStel brothers, Pt'te and Bill, were first Amateur C bikt' through, while the Amatt'ur/Expert Trailbikt' team of oill Mattox and Oren Beck It'd tht'ir cia,s. with the Trailbike Expert counterpart of Pete Andelman and Da rren KelSt'y right b"hind, Tht' first Women's combo was next. made up of Trudy Beck and Lori Farmt'r. whil<' 250cc V..tt'ran amatt'ur lronman Tom Holmt's follow..d a cou'plt' of bikt's back, Tht' first Novict' t.('aon w... mw up of a pair of Dans - Dan Ht'nsley and Dan Smith (Open). Birthday boy Lou Ortali and partn..r Roger Zela (250cc) wt're nt'xt to t'xchange rides. They wer.. followed by the 250cc ovice team of Paul H..nkt' and R. Pearson. The Beginner group was led by the team of Jim Morrison and Mike Cantrall (250cc) follow..d by the Novict' C team of Paul Palmer/Butch Peick and the Open Veteran Novice Tim Sayerssing/Dt'nnis Lanski efforL Novice 250cc Ironman Bruce JoSt'ph was next. Off the second loop, the lead had moved LO the Eddy/Zarp combo, with Scheffers dogging their every move. Verlin Van Zee, Saltzman's partner, had dropped back aways and was being pushed by Rick Jones. The _ Hasten/Padilla and Zajic/Miller duos wt're next. !'he Novice lead remained in the hands of the "Double Dans." The Beginners began finishing as they came off the second loop, with the 250cc duo of Cantrall and Morrison earning the overall win. The team of Kerry Schmidt and Gordon Nickel finished second Beginner, first Open. Second 250cc honors went to the team of Mike Casey and SCOll Holmes. Mitch Bulawsky and Bill Conn earned the second Open spot. Finishing fifth overall was the first C team, made. up of Mark Zela and Dave Schneider. Next to finish were two Novice "Ironmen" riding Trailbikes: John Goatcher of the Master Links and Chris McDonald of the Viewfinders_ The first Veteran Beginner team was comprised of Larry Williams and Bob Freeman. One more Novice Ironman to finish was Phil Medoza (Trailbike). The Beginner class had numerous Ironmen finishing, including Jeff Calmien (125cc), nan Williams (250cc), Gary Gorth (250cc), Marc Yoakum (175cc) and Veteran John Iverson (250cc), Off the third loop the lead position had moved into the capable hands of Ogilvie with Eddy moving through into the second overall spot·. Bill Saltzman came in right behind the rear wheel of Eddy's Husky. There was a lengthy wait before the next bike appeared. It was the Miller/Zajic team, followed by Park. There was one more loop to complete before the checkered flag came out. Ogilvie had come in with a flat tire, which he hurriedly fixed and ,then took off cross country to intercept the COUTS(' and to see how his partner was doing_ Lee came by his position in fine shape, so Bruce cut across to a check further along on the course where he sat and watched the riders with a Rescue 3 unit. When be saw Lee go by missing a visor and with the handlebars all bent. be hollered at him, but Lee JUSt kept on moving. Bruce finally caught up with Lee and when Scheffers realized that it was his partner, he tried to stop but the throllie was stuck. When he finally fell off, he handed his armband to Ogilvie and told him LO finish for him. Bruce took the win, but later found out that Lee had a broken leg. Ironmen who finished wt'rt' Jerry Lt'ighton (Open Amateur). Tom' Holmes (250cc Veteran Amateur), Marvin Van Sicklt' (Open Senior Expert). Mike Holbrook (C Expert), Jan Morrison (Open Veteran Amat"ur), Gt'org.. Jaggard (Open Novic..). Bruct' JoSt'ph (250cc Novice) and "Watenruck" Rice (250cc St'nior .W€tI)f a • ~ • • • ill • • ~ . . . . . II • • II • • • -II