Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

/ ~ ~ 00 00 0') ....... ... 0') ....... .... V ,.0 0 ..... U 0 Allen Satterlee (5 0 8) gets the jump on Pete J ohn son (1). Chris A llen (503). Dave Russell (3) and Eric Swortsfigure at the 750cc GP start. AHRM A Historic Cup Road Race Series: Final round Eric Swortsfigure won both the 750cc Grand Prix and 750cc Sportsman classes on his 1971 Norton Commando at Sears Point Raceway. Swort sfigure takes two at Sears Point By Brian Catterson Photos by Henny Ray Abrams SO NOMA, CA, OCT. I Eric Swortsfigure was the star of the Sears Poin t Historic R oad R aces, riding his Du n lop-sh od 1971 Norton Commando to wins in two" classes. The local Mountain View, Cal ifornia, rider used h igh superbike-style handlebars and an aggressive, dis tinctl y non -cl a ssic, kneeskimming-the -tarmac-style of riding todefeat 1987 750cc GP number one Pete Johnson, amongst others. T he meeting was the final round of the AH RMA H istoric Cup Series (and a round of the California Vintage Racing Group Series), and as a resu lt, many class champion- · ships were settled here. There were 59 entries. Swortsfigure's first win came in the first race of three, in the 750cc Sportsman division. Leading froin start to finish to pos t a 5.16-second margin of victory , he was trailed by Rob Tuluie on a 1972 Norton Commando and Rick Weber, who opted for a BMW R 75/ 5 rather than his camera hack (Weber offers a sidehack-Ior-hire service for TV and motion picture cameras). T ul uie's second-place fin ish gives h im the 1988 class cha mpionship. Mike Green cap tu red the 250cc GP class, riding his Avon-shod West Coast British Ra cing Du ca ti up through th e pack, eventually fin ishing fourth overall in front of a number of larger machines. The win was Green 's nin th this year in AH RMA and CVRG 250cc GP competition, 'and he is assured of the CVRG class champ ionsh ip; he finished th ird in th e AH RMA class standings. Green was followed home by Jeff Hecox on another Ducati and Charles Sexton _ a Bultaco. Sall y on Schwarz rode her pink 1965 Ducati, dubbed " Luci fer) Roachclip ," off course in tum seven on lap two and retired with mechanical probl ems. Fifth-place finisher Ken Baker and his 1969 Ducati are the new 250cc G P champs. ' The second race combined five classes _ . 750cc GP, 500cc Sportsman, Two-stroke GP, Class C and Pre-40. Swortsfig ure won the 750cc GP class , desp i te riding a Sportsman-class mach ine against a field of mos tly thoro u ghbred racers. The win didn't come easy, as he had to pass Johnson first, doing so with a da ring downh ill maneuver between turns four and five. Johnson finished second on his 1970Triumph Triple, with .Allen Satterlee taking ' the third spot on his 1972 HarleyDa vidson XRTT. Californianturned-Texan Rob Tuluie pulled off the. track in tum two, re-entering o n l y .to re tire his 1972 N orton Commando in turn 12 on the same lap. Dave Walden led the 500cc clas s on his 1960 Triumph, working his ' way through the majority of the 750cc competi tors to post a sixth overall pl acing. Andrew Saunders took second in class on another Triumph and David Webster was th ird on a 1956 BSA DBD 34 Gold Star. Michael Montagn on posted a DNF on his 1970 BSA B50, pulling off on lap three. Gregg Will s, in ' f ourth, took the class championsh ip on his 1969 Triumph TIOOR. Sco tt Wa ter s, ri ding a 1972 Yamaha .T D2B, beat the other two riders in his class - Sexton and Kevin Murray, both on Bultacos to take the-Twa -stroke GP win; Ollie Auer rode his 1961 BMW R50 to victory over Fred Mark on hi s 1950 No rton Manx in Cla ss C; and J ohn Ray, the only Pre-40 entry, too k h o m e the trop hy on h is 1939 Velocette KSS. The third and final race featured Premier 500cc, 350cc GP and 200cc GP. In hi s last race with the number Mike Gree n w on t he 250cc Grand Prix and f in ished t hird in the 350cc GP on his. 1965 West Coast British Rac ing Du cati 250 Diana. , , one p late, J ohnson showed why he Results was the 1987 champ by winning the 750 SPTSM N: 1. Eri c Swortsfigure (Nor); 2. Rob Tulu ie (Nor); 3. Riel< Weber (BMW); 4. Randy 500cc G P on his 1969 Drix to n Bradesku (Due); 5. Ma rc Field (Nor). framed Honda. Dan Ph ill ips pos ted 250 GP: 1. M ike Green (Due); 2. Jeff Hecox (Due); 3. Charle s.Sexton (Bul); 4, Kevin Mu rray (Bul); 5. a second-place finish on his BSA . Ken Baker (Due). . with Walden taking th ird on his 750 GP: 1. Eric Swo rt sfigu re (Nor); 2. Peter Johnson [Tri); 3. All en Satterlee (H-D); 4. Chris Sportsman-class Triumph. Mike ' A llen (Lav); 5. Chris Scott (Nor). Wilson ran up front at the start on 500 SPTSMN; 1. Dave Walden [Tri); 2. Andrew Saunders (Tri); 3. David Webster ( BSA~ 4. Greg his 1956 BSA Gold Sta r, but pitted Wills [Tri); 5. Randy Decker [Tri). on lap four. . 2-STRK GP: 1. Scott Waters (yam); 2. Charles Sexton (Bul); 3. Kevin Murray (Bu/). The 350cc GP class was won by ClASS C: 1. Ozzie A uer (BMW]; 2. Fred Mark another local , Scott Borern, riding (Nor). PRE-40; 1. John Ray (Vel): Mike Lyman's Motorcycle Machine PREMIER 500: 1. Pete Johnson (Han); 2. Dan Service-sponsored Ducati. Lyman 's Phill ips ( BSA~ 3. Dave Walden [Tri); 4. Ja mes bright-yellow machine is an interestBanko ( BSA~ 5. Quie Auer (BMW]. 350 GP: 1. Scott Borem (Due ~ 2. Craig Mclean ing story : the 1969 350cc Scrambler ( N or~ 3. M ike Green (Due); 4 . Jeff Hecox ( D ue~ was built from a box of parts in less 5. Fred Mark (Aer), 200 GP; 1. St eve Peterman [Tri). tha n a month (after Borem cras hed ANAL POINT STAN DINGS his Bu ltaco late las t year), an d many PPREM IER 500: 1. Dave Roper (6796); 2. Peter Johnson (6610); 3. Pat Moroney (5135 ); 4. Dan of the pa rts (includi ng the factory . Phillips (253 2); 5. M ike Smith (2 1731 Kawasaki four-leading shoe front 750 GP: 1. Dave Roper (71 7 5~ 2. Peter Johnson (4B05t, 3. Pat Conroy (34 30 ); 4 . Robert Smit h brake and Ceriani forks) are garage ( 2 63 5~ 5. Bill Wei dner (2 600~ sale refugees. Craig McLean fini shed 750 SPTSMN: 1. Rob Tuluie (3670); 2. Robert second and clinched th e class chamSmith (243 5); 3. Robert Goodpast er (2205); 4. Jesse Morris (2200); 5. Terry Wolfe (21 92). pionship on his 350cc Norton Manx. 500 SPTSMN: 1. Gregg Wills (4940); 2. Dave Third p lace was Green on his 250cc Wa lden (4365); 3. Ja mes Wahon (3035): 4. Chris Hellan d (2700); 5. Jimmy Snoddy (1767). .Ducati, 350 GP; 1. Craig Mclean (4235); 2. Joe Laehniet Br et Morshead, CV RG 350cc (3535); 3. [TIE) Ma lcolm e Tunstall / Scott Borem (2B35 1 5. Fred Mark (2635). : points leader coming into th is race, 250 GP: 1. Ken Baker (641 0); 2. Gordon Pulis brok e in practice and did no t mak e (583 5); 3. Mi ke Green (5000); 4. Jeff Hecox (3205) ; 5. Tom Keiste r (1635). the grid; his last mechan ical problem 200 GP: 1. Robert Batsleer (2000); 2. Jo n occurred at thi s meeting two years Stauff er (1700); 3. Jonn y An derson (1670); 4 . Denny Jawo rski (1500); 5. John Long (1000) . ago. . 2-STRK GP; 1. Keith Gonyou (4835); 2. Kevin Steve Peterman "won" the 200cc Roberson (4340 ); 3. Tim Richards (3135); 4. (TIE) Dave Bishop/Scott Wat ers (2000). G P class (he was the only entry), bu t CLASS C; 1. Beno Rodi (5735); 2. AI Knapp was ridiculed by a n umber of COlD(3705); 3. M ike Smith (3600) ; 4. Dick M iles (2755); petitors for going dangerously slow ; 5. Butch Baer (2300). PRE-4O; 1. Beno Rodi (7000); 2. AI Knapp (450 5); his Triumph barely made it up the 3. George Wilson (2670); 4. John Ray (1835t, 5. Maria Bat sleer (1400). hill to tum two. .• 11

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