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/141009
co " .. MALCOLM HEAP FAST '" e, ~ AT SOBOBA GRAND PRIX . By Hal San gu in etti g: SAN J ACI NT O , CAL ., Feb. 13,1972 - .g The Soboba Indian Reservatio n exploded into a fury of earth-shaking ~ sound and confusion. Not an uprising or w revolt, but the annual Soboba Indian Z Grand Prix. sponsored by the So bo ba ~ M.C. with all proceeds going to the ~ Indians. A beautifully clear day greeted U almost 500 racers and an estimated 5000 spectators who came for the second running of one of the most picturesque, exciting, and challenging 100·mile . Grands Prix in Southern California. Promptly at II :00. the flag went up. and, as expected, Malcolm Smith on a new 250 5-speed Husky leaped into the lead. never to be headed. Leading by a minute and a half after the first lap, Malcolm increased h is lead over Steve Subith on a new 250 MX Yamaha and Bob Messer on an Ossa. The positioning remained much the same until Subith did a big number and his p it crew had to change his handlebars . Somewhe re along the line, Messer lost some of his steam and Jack Morgan. former desert trailbike No. I, pulled into position on a 175 Puch . Subith overcame much of his pit-stop handicap and. as of press time. is the prime contender for second place with Morgan. The exact results will be announced in about a week. Pit stop played an im portant part in the race. Malcolm consistently pitted for gas within 20 seconds. but the quickest stop of the day among the hard runners has to go to b ig John Rice. At his first stop after four laps. John's crew had him in and ou t in less than 15 seconds. John was lo o king very strong and probably had first 125 and good overall positioning wra pped up, b ut a bro ken chain ended his chances with only lap s to go. Several Powder Puffs finished the grueling race. along with a husband and wife team. A num b er of teams met with u. The start of Soboba : (reading numerically in decending order from L. to R. starting with 5 and ending wi th 2) Ja ck Morgan. S te ve Subith, Ed S teff an and Malcom Smith lduh winnah) . untime ly fmishes for one mem ber . while the other did well; the team of Jerry and David Ashley is a case in p o int. Jerry seized his 250 8-speed Husky before the pits o n the first lap. while h is son, David, rode a smooth, consistent race to finish strong aboard his new 125 Penton. Ma ny were in vario us stages of disintegration. ra nging from crumpl ed and missing fen ders to hanging expansion chambers. Ve ry few inj uries were rep orted. the brother of AMA firecracker John. grabbed two wins in the final heats involving the 250cc Juniors - yet was still beaten for the overall cup. And that does seem a shame, when you consider that this talented ride r was able to co me from ninth to second during th e firs t lap of the second moto. Wins went to Rick Arnold (Yam ) and Russ Newman (Bul). J ay Ga lloway got the best tab ulation over Open J uniors, as he turned back Bill Inman and Gen e Martin. T his Sun da y 's motocross at Indian Dunes Park will again fea t ure the pros. The lone sidehack finished . as d id about one-quarter of the starting fiel d. wo rst being a possible b ro ken an kle . A ll in all , it was a very en joyable day; with tem peratures in the lo w 80's an d a cool breeze, most everyone h ad a good time. Ne xt year's plans incl ud e a revis ed course and limi ted entry, and, h op efully , concession stands. S ee you then. Young & Green Baldwin Sweeps Dunes Juniors By J o h n Grout Photos by Racing Photos VALENCIA . CA L., Feb . 20, 197 ~ Fifteen-year-old La nce Bald win of Lan caster , wh ile riding in the fif t h motocro ss race of his young career, tod ay swep t all t hre e of th e h eats for th e 125cc Juniors at In dian Dunes Par k in Vale ncia. Baldwin slid hi s swift Yamaha to a grand slam victo ry at th e ex pe nse of Rand y Stubb s (Bul). A llan Knutson (Yam) and Dave Johns (Bul). Mike Keena, the Long Beach J awa p ilo t, finally go t everything going in the - right direction as h e scooted to a 7-2-1 gro up of placings in the th ree mo to s to win the 250cc Seniors. Finishing behind Mike on the day's final resu lts were Gary Hymes. who scored a 2-6-3 tally for his efforts. Sherman Andrews (Hus) whipped Rob Morgan (Hus).Jerry Hunt (CZ) and Maico whistler Mike Marsh, as he snatched an overall win among the Open Seniors. Andrews gai ned long-margin vic to ries in both this first and third motos. In the conflicts for the 125 cc Se niors. it was a case of too many high-flying Bultacos, raced b y too m any full-bore hotshoes which included Sh an e McDonald, Chris Mogense n, Gary Huber. Dennis Ha ile. Brad Blair. Keevan Acevedro and "j oltin" Joe Granatelli , astride the S.T.P. racing special - every 'cycle in the b unch, a Bulto prod uct during the afternoo n - h ead ed fo r th e day's largest trop hy. Ron Acevedo, however, a winner in his first two heats, and who was also ridi ng a Bu ltaco, clinc hed th e d ay 's overall win when Mogensen, seco nd and fourth earlier. was u nable to get his running gear fired until the fina l heat had been pounding down the course for a respectable two-minutes. He still took second overall, however. After a splendidly wild battle among the IOOcc Juniors . a pair of Rickman riders. Nick Hale and Chuck Herbert. emerged as overall big guns. "Mar k Lawrence (Yam) and Rick Reihms (Hon) were following the leaders. The three divisions of Old-Timers were beaten by Tom Hoyle (Hod), 52-year-old Dick Bower (Bul), and Novice rider Ron Smalley. who was trying his ability on a Montesa. A young track b urner nam ed Mark Hateley (so und familiar?). y o unger First race will form behind the starting barrier at 9:30 a.m . If the Gods are smiling, broadly. we might again see o ne of those tremendous , wh eel-to-wh eel rippers between "Gentleman" Jim Wilson. J ohn DeS oto , Jim Hoov er, T im Hart, et aI...