Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126513
CHAMPIONS RELY ON Western hotline ~"~~.i~ CONGRATULATIONS TSUBAKI TERRY VANCE V811C8 a NIne....... - 11m" G5 1100 PRO STOCK WlNHER- HMO QATORNATIONALS C.......YI.., FL, March 12·15 NEW RECORD 8.62 E.T. at 153.32 M.P.H. 0' Terry'. dtoIce chaIn to hook up the colo.'" horsepower to the ,round? TSUBAKI ask your dealer for Tsubaki ... the chain more racers use and win on by choice! ~ IIIIIIIIIIIIia 5 Imported & distributed by L.I CI c:: c::i Men Pritchard rode consistently all weekend for the top spot. INTERNATIONAL CORP 1824 E. 22nd St .. los Angeles, CA 90058 (213) 747·5173 Pritchard tops 2xJ-day V.G. T.E. St. PatrIck's trIals By Len Weed DRINKWATER FLATS, CA, MAR. 14-15 Matt Pritchard doesn't quite qualify as a true son of the Emerald Isle, but he comes close. He's part Welsh and just the Irish Sea separates Wales and Ireland. .... lEGIlIlEO CAS1al PE1RllBII BASE. CAS1al ANllfOoIM, ANfI.lEAK FalTfE)1'M)C{C!£ CWEJGH1S.5, 10. 15,20 WIlAlE LIBICNIT 1lWIS LlIRCANT CAS1al FalTfE) "'-' UNA LUBR1CANTS: USED AND ENDORSED BY THE NATION'S TOP ENGINE BlM. DERS AND TUNERS. MAXIMA PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS 1401 PIONEER # 14, EL CAJON, CA 92020 DEALER/ D1ST.-SEND FOR FREE PRODUCT PACKAGE TROUBLE FIND' PARTS? GENUINE YAMAHA PARTS? Large Inventory. Ship UPS Daily Call Us: (916) 36 - Ottt; _M', 4284040 . _,__ --... a-.c..... IUD "III The former American Trials Association president, 22, has been doing super since becoming a member of SWM imponer Ron Saum's national trials team. Matt, who fInished third in the ATA last year. made his switch after he began running out of bikes rather rapidly - late last year. First, V.O.T.E.'s Schreiber Cup demolished his Bultaco. He demothballed his Suzuki for EI Trial de Espana the following day and promptly twinked it. Pritchard. who works in Advenising at U.S. Suzuki, opted for a SWM and has ccnainly taken to the Italian mount: three wins in six staru. His consistency was remarkable as he dropped just three fIves over the St. Patrick's week· end. The eighth annual wearin' -of-thegreen event had ATA champion Scott Head hoping he'd sec his green clean machine in time for the trial, but it was no soap, Irish Spring or Palmolive. The ltaljct-sponsorcd feet-upper failed in his bid for a second straight St. Patrick's win on last year's Bultaco. Pritchard won by 1.4 poinu on Saturday and then scored a seven point victory on Sunday. In a change from past years, the ATA decided to treat the classic Irish feeutakes event as two separate oneday poinu trials rather than a single two-day event. The trial also awarded AMA District 37 trials poinu. The trial site for the second year running was Drinkwater Flau in the general Newhall area. Drinkwater was also the site for last May's national round. The traditional Texas Canyon location, used for the first six years of the trial. had to be abandoned last year because of the Forest Service's concern over erratic marksmen. Shooting, ~portcdly, has since been banned in Texas Canyon, opening up possible usage of the a~a in the futu~. A major portion of last year's Nationa1loop was used, giving the riders two l2-mile laps that mixed twisting canyons, rocky stream beds, switchback descenu and ascenu. ridge running and some fIreroading. Twenty-one sections challenged the contestanu. V.O.T.E. Vice President Gary Conrad honcho'd the section selection as Clerk of the Course. His main terrain conspirators included V.O.T.E. president Kurt Hathaway. Joe Ige, Jay Ebinger, Bob Morris. and Bob Schlatter. The killer part of the course came at the beginning. Loco Canyon. also known as Amateur/Expert Canyon. Loco did get iu horns trimmed a bit, compared to last year, courtesy of the Department of Water and Power. But they could only go so far and plenty of gnarlincss was left intact. After fInishing Loco Canyon, or being fInished by it, the riders descended Dog Leg Canyon and headed for the ever popular Dry Canyon where, naturally, aU the water sections were .