Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

54. Int. Sechstagefa It 10. - 15. September 1979 Neunkirchen'S egertand By Dale Brown Photo by Gary Van Voorhis Daadm. Stegslcopf Freudmberg. Siegen. By the time the '4th /ntemo.tional Six DGys Trial is over, the 4/ American riders and their support crews wiU haw some of these names etched forever in their memories. They are some ofthe cities and areas in West Germany where the /SDT will talce place Sept. IO·H. To get to know the riders a little better, we mailed them a qUllstionnaire with a few basic questions, aslcinlI them for a little personal baclcground and their answer to why they devote so much time and money to riding Six DGys. And it worked. Most all the riders responded and we discovered that our representatives in the "Olympics ofMotorcycling" liJce the challenge, haw a strong sense ofself· worth, a burning desire to live life to its fulkst, and regard represmting their country in world·cl4ss competition as a prirJl1ege. We also discovered afew other things. LiIce Terry DGvis' chance meeting with his wife in the Washington woods. And Ray CosgTow's A14bama version of Saturday Night Live. These 41 riders will be representing you in West Germany. Come al4ng now, and we 'u introduce you ... Trophy Dick Burleson Huaqvarna Blacklick. OH When the AMA sent out the list of the top scorers in this year's Two-Day Qualifying Series, there was a category for "previous ISOT experience." It ranged "none" for some competitors to "SG, S, DNF" for others- to "forever" for Dick Burleson. Bur1eson, Husqvama's Cmu Country Racing Coordinator, thanked wife Jill, Jon StiUman and Sandy Billen and family for their suppon, along with sponsors Husqvarna, Electro Helmets, Dunlop Tires and Hi·Point AcceslIOnes. The five-time National Enduro Champion and father of two enjoys racquetball and four-wheel driving in his spare titne. "Personal challenge" is what motivates "King Richard" to compete in the Six Days. Jack Penton Huaqverne Amherat.OH For someone who's only been around for about a quarter of a century, nine medals from ISOT competition - five of them gold 10 - is an awful lot. But Jack Penton, riding this year for Husqvarna instead of on the familiar Penton/KTM bikes, is certainly ready to go to West Germany and bring back medal number 10, most likely gold. Though Jack didn't win the 2S0cc class at any of the Two- Day Qualifiers this year, his three second place finishes put him to the head of the dass in total points. Frank Gallo KTM Usbon.OH "More than anything, it is the people 1 meet along the way that makes it all worth it," says 22-year-old Frank Gallo, who topped the American scores in the 1978 ISDT, of his motorcycling endeavors. Frank, who works in his father's lilwnmower shop and enjoys hiking, water skiing and "anything that's different, or a challenge," will be making his third ISDT start in West Germany. Don Rosene and Jack Lehto at KTM America and John Penton and Larry Meiers at Hi-Point helped Frank in this year's Two-Day series, and he'd alao like to thank Doc Hill from Macon, GA, Ab Cora from Parkersburg, WV and the Davis family of Tacoma, WA. "Th~re are many more," he says, "I just want to say thank you for all the help." Larry Roeseler Huaqverne Fontene.CA Larry Roeseler's name is synonymous with the deserts of Southwest America. He took number one plates in southern California's D-!!7 desert racing in three different classifications, and he's won just about every major off-road event at least once. Last year, Larry enlarged his scope to include the Six Days, and Frank GlllIo. top AmerIcen In I8at ~'. ISDT. Ie8da this ~'. aqued. bagged a gold medal. When he's not blasting the competi. tion in the desert, or in Two-Day Q.ualifiers, Larry enjoys being with gtrlfriend Sharon, buying things ("anything"), jet skiing, snow skiing, bicycling, and spons such as racquet· ball. On his thank·you list is of course, Husqvarna, and sponsors like Torco, Scott Goggles, Malcolm Smith and Husky Products.· But Larry alao tips his duckbill to fellow Husky riders Dick Burleson, Bob Popiel and Greg Davis for helping him in the eastern qualifiers. Larry has had problems with ~ knee since the middle of last year, but things are looking up. A doctor put him on a therapy program this summer and since then he's competed in two 24·hour off-road races in France, and won both. Why does he ride the ISDT? "A feeling of sdf-satisfaction. 'Yes 1 can do it' - 'Yes 1 did it...· Kevin Lavoie KTM Chepachet. RI "A gold medal was a goal 1 set for myself back in high school. You couldn't put a dollar value on a gold medal. But 1 wouldn't trade it for anything," says 22-year-old Kevin Lavoie, adding "the reward is doing it itself " Kevin, who tends bar and does maintenance work at his parents' restaurant, would like to thank KTM America and Hi-Point Racing, along with a special thanks to Doc Hill, and to Larry and Edna Davis, "who put up with us and took great care of us during the Washington and Oregon Two-Days." A bachelor, Kevin enjoys skiing and car racing, and alao likes to spend titne with friends outside of the motorcycle environment. "Ask Frank Gallo about Chepachet on the Founh of July and you'll know what 1 mean," he said. The Two·Day Qualifier Series was "uneventful" according to Kevin when asked about any outrageous or humorous incidents happening during the Series. But he added, "But if you want to go back over the last few years, I've got some good ones for ya." Ted Leimbach KTM Vermillion. OH One of the reasons Ted Leimbach rides the Six Days is because "I, Paul Theodore Leimbach, agricultural economics student at Ohio State University, can go to Europe with 40 other Americans and represent a country of 220 million people. OK, they don't all ride motorcycles, but that "USA" on the side of the helmet stands for 220 million. With an honor like that, who needs tangible rewards?" "Outrageous describes my season perfectly," says Ted, who won overall in the Tennessee Two-Day. But then little things, ranging from fouled spark plugs to brakes undoing themselves to getting lost to fla t tires struck, often when he was leading his class, or overall. "Special thanks goes to my main sponsors, KTM, Hi-Point, Mom and Dad, and to Bob Hill, who pours the best gas in the world," Ted wrote. Ted enjoys swimming and skiing and, outside of riding. he "doesn't have enough time to like or dislike things." This September is a good example, we'd say. The Six Days ends on the 15th of the month. Classes at OSU start on the 19th. >

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