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Cycle News 1979 09 19

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AMAIN ATC Observed Trials Championship Series - Final round Cota cats take 1-2 at Donner By Keela Wicker NORDEN. CA. SEPT. 5 The famed Donner Ski Ranch was the site of the final round of the AMA/NATC National Championship Trials Series for 1979. While the trial was rather anti-climactic because the Number One plate had been de· termined at the Arizona round, it is a tribute to the riders that the competition for the remaining ranking was so fierce. (Above) Marland Whaley. title clinched. still rode brilliantly at Donner. (Below) Jack Stites took second place. 14 Trialsmaster, Bruce Monighan provided a good variety of sections which made for a fine day of riding. As Tom Cullen said, "There are only two people who can provide water sections for a trial, God and Norm Sayler." Norm, who owns the Ski Ranch, opened a reservoir gate which sent water rushing through several of the sections_ The high elevation of the trial site made for a cool day of riding as the first rider departed at 8:50 a.m. The loop was ridden twice with 20 sections for the Championship class, and 15 sections for the Sportsman and Senior classes. One of the most crowd-pleasing sections was number four. Located in a wet creek bed with a large step midway through, the section took its toll of five mark losses from many riders, including Whaley, on the first attempt. It was the step that' caused most of the problems, but Dave "Crash" Cooper added to his legend hy not only failing the section, but also going back and malting two more attempts to negotiate the rock step before accepting failure. The challenge of many of the sections led riders who had fived early in, to pick up their feet and attempt to "clean" the remaining portion purely for their own satisfaction. Section 17, for the Championship class only, demanded both riding sItiIl and bike control. A huge rock slab climb with a left turn at the top leading to a large rock step, then a right turn to descent another steep slab to the exit. Several lines were available. Whaley was the first rider to clean the section, while Jack Stites followed his lead. Newcomer Scott Head bashed into a large rock and holed his case but managed to complete the day. At the end of the first loop, Whaley was ahead in the Championship class with 28 marks lost, Stites in second with 50 lind Marv Heath was in third with 52 marks. Wiltz Wagner held a three-mark lead over Jack Batchelor, Sr. in the Senior class and Dave Pyle was the leader in the Sportsman class. . The ~ond loop proved to be quite mterestmg as over half of the Cham· pionship class riders lost more marks than they had on the first loop while the Sportsman and Senior riders improved their scores. Dave Burke earned a listing in the records book on this loop by posting the only clean of the day on section 10 and the first recorded clean in the last two years. The most difficult section was number 20 which also posted only one clean ride. Whaley was the man, but there were several excellent attempts and near misses by other riders. Young and upcoming Scott Head, in spite of choosing a difficult line, had a very good ride. At the end of the day, Marland Whaley had claimed his sixth National win this year and regained the United States title that he had lost to Bernie Schreiber last year. Jack Stites was second overall and Marv Heath, absent from most of this year:s Nationals, was in third place. DaYld Burke, who had claimed his ftrst-ever National win two days earlier in Oregon was fourth. Senior class winner was Wiltz Wagner who took top honors as he had done for most of the series. Gil Smith was second. Th~ fiercest competition of the day was m the Sportsman class which ended with only a four mark difference in the fmt four places. Rick Bieniak, fourth at the end of the first loop, really turned it on for the second go· round and jumped into the overall win with 85 marks, Tom Foy with 86 was second followed by Dave Pyle with 87 and Pete Rudhick with 88. That wraps it up for the 1979 Nationals. It was personal triumph for Marland Whaley who overcame the frustrations of a disappointing 1978 season, and proved decisively that he had lost none of his flair and sItill. The outlook for the 1980 series is very exciting with many new, young and strong riders who helped to make this year so memorable with many remarkable accomplishments. Now everyone has scattered for home, back to riding local events, but the memories and personal victories will be recounted many times. Along with, "If I ~d only" and 'lust wait till a next year ... And that is what trials is all about! • Results s_ NATIONAL: 1. Marl8nd ~ (46.2): 2. Jack 16Bl; 3. ~ . - (861: 4. o.vid Burtce CB7l; 5. Scott Heed 1911: 8. Denni. Seiler 19.151; 7. Morgen ~ 1941; 8.ll

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