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/126937
Promoter Ben Cheatwood (right) was greeted by ·riders wearing all kinds of garb at the start. This guy appeared set to switch from a bike to skis, The new Yamaha YSR50. was ridden by several competitors. including Greg Harrison. editor of American Motorcyclist magazine. True Grits fun run By John Getrich Photos by Bob lenk and Getrich UCHES; GA, OCT. 26 For the fifth straight year, motorcyclists seeking some good old fashioned fun flocked to TWO Campgrounds in the north Georgia mountains for the True Grits 50cc Road Reliability Run. Among the entrants on hand to compete for no prize money and hand-me-down trophies, which were donated by those who had won them last year, were motorcycle racing legends John and Jack Penton and Gary Bailey, the professor of motocross. Also on hand were the not so legendary Dave Despain, host of television's MotorWeek Illustrated, and Greg Harrison, ediLOr of American Motorcyclist magazine. What is the True Grits 50cc Road Reliability.Run, you ask? Well, it's a bunch of motorcycle enthusiasts. of questionable sanity, who strip themselves to SOcc motorcycles and ride them 97.8 miles through the north Georgia mountains. Granted, the Georgia mountains are nouhe Alps, buton a SOcc mOLOrcycle, they compare at least with the Rockies. The True Grits extravaganza is the brainchild of Ben Cheatwood. To kick off this year's event, promoter Cheatwood hosted an AU American All You Can Eat Grits Breakfast. There were fried grits, boiled grits, hroiled grits, stewed grits, grits with red-eye gravy, grit ala mode and the most popular, grits thrown away. . John Penton, former National Enduro E:hampion and owner of HiPoint Racing Products, liked the run but not the breakfast. "The s enery "'as heautiful, the course was well laid out, and my bike ran great. But why did they give me wallpaper paste forbreakfi!.st?" Needless to ay,John's a Yankee. The machinery ridden in the run was as common as box sLOck Honda MB-S's and as exotic as Yamaha's soon-to-be-releast'd YSRSO. In between there were a few watercooled Zundapps, a moped or two, a 1967 . Harley-Davidson M50S, and a tricked out MB-S from Duluth, Georgia's ProLine Honda that leaped most of the mountains in a single bound and that ProLine Honda swore up and down was legal. 'I'll(' ridns \\TI"(' eqllally hiZ:ll're. Floridian John Wiser was dressed as an ear of corn. When asked why, Wiser replied, "How in hell can you dress like a grit?" Makes sense. Wise had the misfortune of getting lost on the 'Course. Getting directions was not easy. "The first guy I asked just backed away and wouldn't even talk. The second guy talked but wouldn't come close enough 10 look at my map. The third guy. though, was really weird. He gave me directions .just like everything was normal and everybody rode around looking like an ear of corn and then went back to raking his leaves," Wiser recounted. There were some unusual training methods for the True Grits event. Dave Despain bought a copy of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Every night for two weeks prior to the run, Despain put the book on the floor, sat on it, and tucked his arms and legs as close 10 his body as hecould get them. Dave's wife, Wendy, then beat him with a 2x4. D~spain said, "If you're six-feet, sixinches tall, try it. Then they'll know ",hat ii feds like to rid(' a :,0('(' hike 0\"('1' 97.H miles of III 01 II II a in roads. Professor Bailey's program was much simpler. Every night for a month he sat on a blender turned up to full speed. Editor Harrison, one of the larger entrants at 220 pounds. plus, did not train atall. "I figured I didn't need to. My ",eight ~ave mt· a bid advantagT going- do\\'n Ill(' hills. Ne\\' year I'm goi ng to \\'ork on I-;'ell ing lip the ot her sides... Frank Cheek. owner of TWO (Two Wheels Only) Campgrounds, has hosted the run since its inception five years ago. He's the perfect host with the perfect facility. TWO offers motorcyclists a place to camp. a good place LO eat, and a great place to bench race. It's-located in the middle of some of the best riding in thecountry. TWO is a must for motorcyclists traveling through north Georgia, and the annual True Grits SOcc Road Reliabihty Run is a must for anyone seeking a fun day. Gary Bailey said it be t: "This is one of the most fun. things I've ever done on a motorcycle. Today it seems like everything connected with bikes is so serious, and that's not what motorcycling is all about. We need more things like tbis; we need to start having fun again." The trophy presentation wasaJmost as long as the run itself. There were trophies for the Bt'st Dressed the Fattest, and the True Grits trophy for the overall winner, Glen Bailey. But then. everyone who participated left a winner. • Results OVERALL: Glen Bailey (Han). UW: 1. Erv Dailey (Hon); 2. Dale Barris(Hon); 3. Tim Weaver (Hon). M/W; 1. Vern Morten (Hon); 2. Rick Burnett (Han): 3. Ken Miller (Han). . H/W: 1. E.C. White (Hon); 2. Terry Cunningham (Hon); 3. Cunis Carpenter. YGTOBK: 1. Mike Church (Hon); 2. Malcolm Cit • ron (Hon); 3. Jim East (Hon). NERO: 1. Dave Despain (Hon); 2. Leroy Powell (Hon); 3. John Penton (Zuo). OLOEST BIKE: 1967 H-D M50S (Mike Kayula). LOST: John Wiser RABBIT: Greg Hansel (Han I. LADIES: Jeannie Lappebendere: 2. Debbie Cheatwood (Han}. 4 Watkins wails at CamptownMX By Susan William CAMPTOWN, KY, OCT. 19 With community support and haTd work Camptown MX Track opened with a $3400 purse divided between riders from five state'. Yamaha rider SCUll Watkins and Honda pilot Mark Mel1011 ended up the LOp money winners. The first moLO of the l25cc Pro class saw. Kel1lucky native Watkins lead the field around the naturalterrain track. Melton. who recently signed a contract for the '87 season with Yamaha, was riding one of hi,,last races on a Honda. The white £lag lap saw Watkins secure themoto win· when Melton wt'm down aJld lost valuable time, taking- the heat off Watkins, Melton ended up second and Kenny Bollmeier claimed third a[rer passing Billy Abel. Moto two was again a dogfight for first place, but MelLOn was out front with Watkins in pursuit. Watkins was on the rear fender of Melton's machine for over half of the moLO, then Melton had a second wind and passed Watkins for the lead. BolImeier also was able to pass a fading Watkins. MelLOn rode on for first with Bollmeier'second and Watkins third. Abel fired off the line in the first 250cc Pro maLO with Melton hot on his trail. Mdton squet1zed in close to - Abel and cut by on the inside. Abel gassed it in an attempt to repass Mel-' lOn, but W,IS unable to. Melton clung LO first with Abel taking second place.. Abel ag-ain was quick -out of the g-Jte with Watkins in second. Watkins got by AbelLO lake the lead. but he went tOO wide in a turn and Abel got by to reg-ain the top spot. By lap thJ'ee, the winner of the moto ",as decided as Watkins repassed Abel for the lead and held it to the checkered flag. Third place was up for grabs as Polling, Bollmeierand Melton fought for the spot. MelLOn got by Bollmeier then opened the throllle, in pursuit of Polling in the thiJ'd position. MelLOn went do\\'n in the \\'hoops and dropped off the pace. Polling held onto third at the finish Results 250 PRO (' ST MOTO): ,. Mark Melton (Han I; 2. Bill Abel (Honl; 3. Todd Polling (Han). 250 PRO (2NO MOTOI; 1. Scan Watkins (Yaml; 2. Bill Abel (Hon);3. Todd Polling (Han). SR: 1. Harvey Whitaker (Han); 2. George Palmeri (Yam); 3. David Duff (Han). 125 B: 1. Steve Drake (Kaw); 2. Kevin Pooack (Yarnl; 3. Rod Foley (Kaw). 250 B: ,. Steye Orake (Kaw); 2. Brian Campbell (Han); 3. Eric Davis (Yam). . , 25 PRO (1 ST MOTO): 1. Scott Watkins (Yam); 2. Mark Melton (Han); 3. Kenny Bollmeier (Yam). 125 PRO (2ND MOTO); 1. Mark Melton (Honl; 2. Kenny Boltmeier (Yam); 3. Scott Watkins (Yam). 5DAUTO: 1. Jake Morris(Yam); 2. Melody Campbell (Yaml: 3. Chris White (Yam). • NeV: ,. Billy Gilbert (Kawl: 2. Bobby McQuinn (Kaw); 3. Chris Whisman (Kaw). SR MINI; 1. Brett Melton (Hon); 2. Scott Kittrell (Suz): 3. Robert Dealon (Kawl. JR MINI: 1. Chuck Drake (Kaw); 2. Robert Deaton (Kaw); 3. Bo Morris (Kaw). PEe weE: 1. Chuck Drake (Kaw); 2. 80 Morris (Kawl: 3. Ryan Duff (Kaw).