Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

.ENORTHERN DATELINE ~ E Tom Odekirk in flight at Marysville Marysville hosts Supercross Amateur qualifier By W.H. Spencer MARYSVILLE, CA, NOV. 11 Round two of District 36 qualifying for the 1980 Oakland Bay Area Supercross commenced at Riverfront Park with great racing ... 32 action on a fast and much improved tracle Mike Preston won both motos of the I25cc Expert class on his jorgy/ Bosch RM while jim Ellis out-pointed Dean Wiggins for the 250cc Expert win and jim Fisk reversed the Open Expert score on BrianJodry. Charlie Sexton's Marysville facility is becoming one of the finest tracks on the west coast with the city gelling right into the thick of things by spending money on improvements that will see a big time, Pro show in early january. Today's turnout of over gOO entries saw another 100 riders being seeded into the Sportsman portion of the Oakland Supercross weekend. Mike Preston led the action off by leading most of the two 125cc Expert motos and winning both_ Tom Odekirk led off the first lap of the first moto and was working hard in the second when he crashed. Odekirk combined a pair of threes for second over Tim Mulvey who was in for third with a 6-4 count. Rick McManning out-scored the very large class of 125cc Juniors with gI finishes while Rick Cervantes, who won the first round, had to come from a 20th spot on the first lap of the second moto to a 12th place finish and a disappointing sixth. Jeff johnson took second overall with a fine2-7 on the Nor Cal Suzuki with scootin' SCOll Dorman in for third with an 8-2 count, tied with Gary Krahmer at 5-5 and Dave Bollinger with a 4-6. The first of two full divisions of 125cc Novices went to Derek Wells with a I-I perfecto on his K~ 125 while Kevin Iacovoni did the second best thing for second with a 2-2. Mark Boggeri was diversified enough with a 5-g for third overall over Kevin Heino and Tom Anderson. Wells came from out of the pack in both motos to win overall each time in good style. In the second division Eric Mashvir won the overall with a 4-1 score when jack Barton had troubles off the line in the second round after easily running off in the first on his Yamaha of Salinas YZ. Lillie jack scored a bonus trophy despite his 19th place second moto finish. jim Blintker, Brian Bowen and Mike Lui r ally had a good ball Ie in the first round, trading spots over the sandy two mile track that borders on ~he Feather River. Russ Wyant won both parts of the Vet class and took top junior trophy while jim McClinton won the Expert portion over jerry jackson. Steve Scholle rode an ancient age CZ to the Novice win after Frank Carevich fell while leading on his IT Yamaha. The 250cc Expert show was yet another thriller and Jim Ellis was definitely the man to beat out of the hole on his Bohner Suzuki. His first moto holeshot lead was SO great absolutely no one could get near him. Pat Wilson took second the first moto just in front of joey Schlag while Dean Wiggins rode the Petaluma Maico up to fourth over Keith Myers. In the second round Ellis once again took the holeshot around the hard left hander but Wiggins waited for only one lap to make the pass and he made it stick. The 17-year-old whizzer hadn't been riding for five weeks but looked everybit the II Blue Plater he will soon be, winning the second moto and second overall behind Ellis. joey Schlag and the Cycle City Maico took third overall. jim Saitone added some points to his tally in trying to keep his II Old Timer plate but, with the enduro points being combined, it will be a thriller. Saitone easily won the opener but had trouble with Gene Higginbotham and the Cycle Riders Supply Maico in the second round. It was Bill McClinton taking the win on the Dick Mann Specialties TT 500. john Komtved had little trouble winning the junior portion on his Maico while Glyn Long was the Novice portion winner over big Vince Bertran and H. Noell. Randy Pearson aced both ends of the 250cc junior while Sam Foord captured second overall with a pair of threes and Jim Tovar was in for third with a 4-6 count. Chris Raney came from deep in the first moto to take a very credible second but disappeared after one lap in the second round. jack George couldn't overcome his poor start in the first moto but finished a fine second in the final. Greg Pennington rode the All American Honda CR 250 R to a pair of 250cc Novice Division I wins and is obviously ready for the Junior ranks. Dann Silva took second with g-2 motos after dicing in the first moto with Kirk Wood. Silva diced with Dennis Ambrecht in the second round and Ambrecht wound up third with a 5-g. Bonus trophies went to Jack Eison and brother Steve Ambrecht. It was a real close division two event, if you don't count lillie jack Barton's effort. In trying to get as many points, as early as possible, the former Black Plate Mini rider is trying to ride two classes; and owning only one motorcycle, that's tough under D-g6 rules. What makes it embarrasing is that his bike is a 125 and he literally smoked off the competition but had to be disqualified. The win went to Rick Trossglauser in a close duel with Nick Bishop and Jeff Verlin. Grossglauser led Barton on the first circuit but got tied up with Verlin and then Bishop and Brian McNay. Right on Rick led out the second round but got passed by Bishop for the win and held off Mark Boggeri in a good battle. Tony Serpa took both ends of the combined lOOcc class, winning the Sportsman division over Tim Hackett. Rick Carrel took the Mini end over Brooks Perry and Kelley King was the only Powder Puff to sign up in that class. Brian jodry led all laps of the first moto of Open Experts with jim Fisk in for second over Brad Emery and joe Schlag. Mike Skrivanek was on his way to a fine fifth on the D & D four stroke Honda when it quit and Dean Wiggins, who had the holeshot, got center punched into the first tum sand. Then, while trying to recover from last to around 10th, Wiggins hit a ure and bent his shifter and while trying to unbend it, he broke it. Fisk led every lap of the second round over jodry with Schlag in for third over Charlie Smart and Greg Nilsen, Open junior Ron Knarr rode home to a first moto second behind leader Mark Hannum but he won the second round after Hannum had trouble making the required laps and finished out of the money with a 1-9. Second went to Don Steele with a g·2 count and the bonus trophy went to Donny Hawkins with a 4-g. This was one of the classes where everyone who signed up for the qualifier made it because almost half of the riders had qualified from the Sears Point race. Proving that you don't have to win to be a winner, Ron Sturgeon in the Open Novice took a pair of seconds to the overall win by being just as consistent as he was in the Sears Point mud run. The same went for jimmy Souze who took third place finishes in both motos for second overall. Anthony Able won the first round easily but couldn't make up the deficit in the second and took a fifth. john Columbe won the second moto but had his share of troubles in the first; he took eighth and a bonus trophy along with Tom Bracamonte. Results 125 EX: 1. Mike _on ISuzl; 2. Tom Odekirk ISuzl; 3. TIm MuNey lSuz). 125 JR: 1. Rick McManning ISuzl; 2. Joll Johnoon ISuzI; 3. Soon Dorman ISuzl. 125 NOV DIV I: 1. Derke Wells IKowl; 2. Kevin lacovoni ISuz); 3. Mark Baggori ISuz). 125 NOV DIV II: 1. Eric Maohvir IHoo); 2. Brian Bowen (Sul); 3. Jim Blintker (Yaml. NOVICE: 1. Frenk Szezy ISuz); 2. Don Church (Kow); 3. Kris CordeIlISuz). JR: 1. Tommy Soidal IKowl; 2. De.. Azevedo ISuz); 3. Walt BevansIKaw). VET EX: 1. Jim McClinton (Mail: 2. Jerrv Jackson IMail; 3. M.C. Deatrick IHon). VET JR: 1. Russ WyaneIMai). VET NOV: 1. SIeve Schon.ICZ); 2. J. Laisar IMail; 3. Frank Crevich (Yam), 250 EX: 1. Jim Ellis ISuz); 2. Daon Wiggins IMai); 3. Joey Schlag IMai). eo eo OT EX: 1. Jim Saitone IMai). OT JR: 1. John Korntved IMail. OT NOV: I. G.L. Long IMail; 2. Vinee Bertram IMai); 3. H. NoeIIIMail. 250 JR: 1. Randy PoarsooIC-Al; 2. Sam Foord IHoo); 3. Jim Tovar lHanl. 250 NOV DIV I: 1. Greg Ponning.on (Han); 2. Donn Silva IHusl; 3. Dennis Ambrech.ISuzI. 250 NOV DIV II: 1. Rick Grougla.- IMai); 2. Nick Bishop IMail; 3. Joll Vorlin ISuzJ. 100 SplmfPP: 1. Tony Serpa ISuzl; 2. Rick Correll ISuzJ; 3. Brooks Perry (SuzJ. OPEN EX: 1. Jim Fisk IMail; 2. Brian Jodry IMaqi); ,. 3. Joey Schlag 1M.. OPEN JR: 1. Roo Kan IMail; 2. Don S.oeleIYam). OPEN NOV: 1. Roo Sturgeon IMail; 2. Jimmy Souza IMaiI; 3. Anthony Abet IYam). 19th annual 4ger Enduro may be the last at Foresthill By F. L Showers. Jr. FORESTHILL, CA, NOV, II The Polka Dots M. C. usually hold their annual 4ger Enduro in April of each year. However, the National Forest people have been requesting for over two years that the enduro be held in the Fall, at which time the terrain is better suited to such an event. Heavy rains had fallen on the entire area the weekend before, but during the week before the event the weather cleared and race day was mild with low temperatures only at night and early in the morning. As in the past yean, the starting a~a was located in a county park just one block off the main street in Foresthill, In order to use the park this year the Polka Dou we~ notified that they would have to sha~ the clubhouse with VFW people who were holding a buck stew complete with live country music, The feed was okay, but some of the riders had the misfortune to park close to the clubhouse and the music lasted until ~:oo a.m. Some of the riden got little sleep, which would show and tell by the end ofrace day. The sound of a motorcycle was the fint thing heard on race day, At 6:00 a.m. the fint sweepers left the starting line to check out all course markings. The course was located in Tahoe National Forest, Bendix Lumber Company, BLM lands and a dozen or so privately owned parcels of property. Dealing with so many property owners is causing a lot of difficulty in promoting this event; so much that this may have been the last Foresthill 4ger. Riden started leaving the staning line at 7:g1 a.m. At 22 mph, one mile from the stan, they got their first taste of many slippery areas to come. At three miles they hit the mileage marker and many riders chose to stop and wait for their time to come up. In D-!!6, enduros less than 100 miles can have a check at three mile intervals. At !!.!! miles, the fi[Jt of 17 speed changes occurred. This one was the start of a test area for the "A" riders. This test a~a took riders over a!!.!! mile course litte~d with limbs and branches, twO steep downhills, a creek crossing and into the fint check; all at !!!! mph, A rest was used he~ to put most of the riden back on time. After two mo~ speed changes and 15 miles, riders hit check two which was the first of two tie b~aker checks. Riders left he~ at 2!! mph. At 17.5 miles out, the sixth speed change occurred. Leaving at 14 mph on a gO foot wide road, most riders thought this would be the area to make up time. Those thoughu we~ to be short lived. This particular section of roadway has come to be known by some as "black ice." This stretch of road is always in the shade and during winter months it's like riding on a wet sheet of glass. This a~a saw many riders, including Exerts, sliding down the road separated from their motorcycles. Check three was next and many riders were coming in early, causing some questions about the mileage. Right after that, riders were confronted with a long, slippery downhill. At the top was a sign dedicating the hill to the Dirt Diggers Nonh M.C. After the hill, riders we~ routed down into check four and across famous Indian Creek, which in past years has been crossed as many as 1~ times in the same event. From that point, the route took up a hill, leading into the town of Iowa Hill for gas and five minutes of free time, From Iowa Hill the course was, for the most part, easy for the Experts and yet a good challenge for B and C riders. At about 85 miles out riders faced a long, rocky uphill with a reset at the top. The day the club had taken the mileage the hill was a little difficult, so some free time was allowed in anticipation of rider delays at that point. After four hoUrs and 50 minutes,

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