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/127811
.GRAND P:RIX· Elsinore Grand Prix got to white flag the lead-off pair, saving the white flag for Harden instead, and they added insult to injury when they forgot the .checkered flag as well. "They gave Smail the white flag then they gave me the checkered flag," said Davis. '1 knew something was messed up, so 1 said no way and just kept racing. 1 liked it so much I thought 1 would ride in more dust." • While the rest of the field pulled into the pits, Smail and Davis put in one more fast and furious lap, but the standings didn't change. "1 don't think the last lap counted, but it really didn't matter anyway," Smail said. "1 kind of knew it was a mixup but 1 kept raeing hard. 1 wasn't Open-class riders was exactly the same one through 200, so it was impossible to tell who was who unless you could see their riding style on a challenging section of the course. All anyone knew for sure was that early Legends leader Gary Bailey had slipped back, leaving KTM's Scot Harden locked in a battle with his ex-Baja ]000 par.tner Brent Wallingsford for the number-one spot, and that Lance Smail was keeping Ty Davis about three feet off his rear wheel in the Open class. The race got even more confused when Smail and Davis passed the Harden/Wallingsford tussle to take the overall lead. Course workers were so entranced by the Legends that they for- (Above) Just like the original race back In the late '60s and early '70s, the sldehecks provided plenty of ectlon. (Above right) The Elsinore GP stili attracts all kinds. (Right) Sheak wowed the large crowd all weekend long. (Below) Desert reelng legend J.N. Roberts returned to action. (Below right) Lamson scored the win In the $5,000 Hamel 100. going to let him pass me regardless, and I still got the win." By the time the race winners pulled in, the spectators were so focused on the Legends that they hardly even noticed them. All eyes were on Legends' winner Harden. ,,"My anns pumped 'Up about the size of Popeye in the beginning," Harden said. 'Tve been injured so it's been about four months since 1 raced and 1 was totally unprepared. But 1 just got going and 1 didn't stop. This is a wonderful event. The minute 1 heard that ·Breker was doing this 1 called up and said KTM wants to be here. We need an event like this in Southern California. This is what we need for the sport, to bring these pe0ple back out and get it going like it was back in the early '70s." The second Legend spot went to Kawasaki-mounted Wallingsford. "1 got right alongside Harden and we ended up hitting each other. It was all clean racing - we were just trying to occupy the same space at the same time, but that put me back a bit," Wallingsford said. "This is a great course and a great event. I've got to commend Goat Breker. He's probably the only promoter that could ever pull this off." Third-placed Bob Rutten praised the course because it was easy on the riders. "There are no triple jumps out there it's just a good all-around ride that anyone can do," Rutten said. "Goat is the ultimate promoter. All he cares about is that the riders are having £un and 1 can't say enough about him. He is sticking his neck out to try this again and I hope it's successful."