Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Lue.me V8IIey - Red II-uIn - ...... City - s-ch1lPt -Sldewlader Roed - SupeosUtlun ......... - ....n - Rend MountMIs - Luc.,... V8IIey - Red M. ... Desert Hotline Tralunga wins CRC Gringo Enduro 0(') By Mike Klinger 00 ROSARITO BEACH, B.C., MEXICO, AUG. 14 0') The 10th annual California Racing Club Gringo Enduro is history now, but it will never be forgotten. Over 400 riders (Above) Thol1Uls Ceros took second in the 260cc A c..... (Below) Riders hed to cerry extre ges in pecka becau. of the long loops. .50 and their families inhabited the small town of Rosarito Beach just 17 miles south of the border with the race headquarters stationed at the LaBarca Bar, the hot spot. The later-than-normal starting time sent the rirst rider out at 9 a.m. under dark skies just threatening to pour rain. Because of the location, a goodly number of District !l8 riders decided 10 compete with the CRC regulars and were awarded D-!l8 points. One D-!l8 rider, Burt Tralunga, turned in an impressive score 10 win the overall by loosing only nine seconds over the 9O-mile course. Early rumors listed Grant Palenske as the overaJJ witmer with a score or II seconds and Larry Roeseler second with 15 seconds. Ronald Platt won the overall for one-loopers riding the Mini B c1a~ and lost only !II seconds contesting a 4.'l-miJe loop. As many other years, rider had 10 be ready ror Mexico. There are a lot or flat din roads paralleling barbedwire rences and sometimes occupied by oncoming cars and trucks spilling over with people. Besides watching the terrain, route chart, clock, speedometer and arrows, now your radar must also be set ror vehicles, r.e<>ple, cows, dogs and rence posts hke tree stumps. That's Mexico! It's challengingl Both loops started with the same trail ror about eight miles. The trail ned across wide open farm land, diving up and down into some small canyons. Once cresting the roothills the first test was evident by a real tricky, dusty downhill which led into a tunnel or shade trees. As riders bombed through the trees to stay on time, the trail staggered through a small creek and the first tie-breaker check was approached. Most riders hit the check on time and some fast guys burned it. Leaving check number one, the course again played through the farm lands and dropped into a canyon ror another tie-breaker check, just a little over four miles rrom'the rirst. At one point on the course, the riders could actually see the south end or Tijuana all the way to the sea. Winding up the first loop was a fast !lO-mph section over rolling hills which made for a real rine ride. Four miles before the rinish, the course crossed a wide stream and jelled between Lall weeds like a maze. The loop ended at about 4!1 miles, which is a long distance ror any bike with a small Lank. Many ran out of fuel. Mini B rider Ronald Platt bested the other 40 one-loop entries with a score or !II seconds. Platt was the only one-loop rider 10 zero the course and he did it with a very good score ror anyone who completed the rirstloop. Second overrall went to Rick Swarrord (25Occ C-16), losing 1.25. Billy Huston, Randy McWilliams Jr., (jrst woman Terry Nelson, Scott Daw and John Blair Jr. all scored in the ones ror the lOp seven positions. Number one woman plate holder Kathy Herndon again won the 200cc A-Woman class, losing !I.205 despite being lost ~'€8' ~~Ct~: ...... '" . I • The rirstloop turned out to be very easy ror the riders competing on both loops and looking at the results, a lot or riders thought the second loop was not very challenging. Nineteen riders zeroed the 9O-mile event and 81 riders lost only one point and some seconds. Needless to say, the scoring was very tight. With the start of loop two cutting orr at the eight-mile mark or loop one, the course turned inlO a rock pile with a goat trail thrown in. Everyone concentrated on their vitals because they knew layout man Larry Langley would throw a check in this hell hole. Miles and miles of rQCk went by along with a 1000 sun bearing down and no check. The IS-mph section ended and a well-deserved reset ror nine minutes was really appreciated. The course edged along more rarmlands and hit some virgin trails which encountered the decisive tie-breaker check and the bottom or a silty downhill. This check is where a majority or the riders lost the points. After the tie-breaker, it was only a short distan.ce to where the course met with loop one and it was back home. Jim Bollingmo Jr. placed filth ovet'all and was the first rour-stroke. It was good to see ex-Honda ractory enduro rider Jay Tullis competin~. Tullis rinished 15th overall and second in the 250cc A Senior diviSIon. Ray HoHman turned in the best SCOTe ror a B rider, 60 seconds, and rinished l!lth overall and rirst Open B. The best C score was by Tim Gingell, a 1.51, and £irst in the 200cc C c1a~. A couple or special notes about some injuries. One of the fast Kemp boys, Randy Kemp, crashed hard OIl the first loop. Randy was able 10 walk out or the hospital Sunday with only a neck brace. District !l8 rider Scott Mathison had some real hard luel. Mathison broke his leg at the beginning of the rock pile on loop two. Due 10 the location or the fall, CRC was unable 10 get rescue vehicles to Mathison on Sunday. Food, water and the comfort of three other brave; soles lasted the night with Mathison . until Monday morning when a small four-wheeler got to the injured rider. Along with Kemp and Mathison, two other riders broke bones but everyo~ is OK. ,. Results OPEN AA: I. Gr.m ...'.n....; 2. U1rry R...."'.r. OPEN AA·SSR: I. '-rold HoIaed. 260 AA-V: I. IWndy Liebig. OPEN A: I. Jim Nichol.; :C. John 0-... 260 A: I. TIm Curti.; 2. 'Thomn c..,.; 3. R-..dy PrMar. 200 A: I. Mil; 2. Jerry Smith; 3. (tie) Bob s.nz;o.ve Thornbe" y. 260 B: I. John Badnr. 2. Kr~ Moor.; 3. Scott ~nce. _lei 200 B: I. Doug Johnoon; 2. Rid< Power. MINI B: I. E. PIMt. OPEN B-4ST: I. Sltip Crilly; 2. Steve 'ngr..... OPEN B-SR: I. _ But'.,; 2. Tom Brun; 3. G.ry Smith. . 200 B-SA: I. Denn~ bm.....1. OPEN B·SSA: I. Jim BoIIlngmo Sr. OPEN B-V: I. Bill McNen; 2. S.m Dempsey; 3. JoIyForbei. 260 B-V: I. Steve HoII..-v: 2. John Bing.om.n. 260 B-W: I. T.rry Net.on; 2. Mimi S.IIy. OPEN C: I. John Forr••.,; 2. Milt. Kling...; 3. Jody Smith. 260 C: I. M.re Crowd.r; 2. Gr-V Z.I.m.k: 3. SCot Furgerson. 200 C: I. Tim Ging.,I; 2. Andr_ H.wtt•. MINI C: I. T""V B"'mier. 260 C-l8: I. Rick S _ . OPEN C-4ST: I. Robert Bush; 2. Dick P.rIter; 3D.vid Rutledge. OPEN C-SA: I. Ken cerpemer; 2. F.B. W.ybright. 200 C-SR: I. Phillip R. Leyve. OPEN C-SSR: Forrllt Ely. OPEN C-V: I. Gery ~II; 2. Bryen Deweld; 3. Mi"" Lee. 260 C-V: I. Chri. St.pllton; 2. Bob Steven.; 3. Frenlt Wllliemo. 200 C·V: I. Steve T.1bot.

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