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/141042
CMC Saddleback by Buzz Baly/Creative Im ages IRVI N E , CAL ., Jan. 2 1, 19 73 - Bill y Clemen t s h eaded a' hefty p ro gram t o day in CMC actio n at Saddleb ack Par k , b ut he kinda got lo st in th e sh uffle o f some o u tasigh t race s in all ranks. The works-Husk y rider scooted b y Rich Eie rs t ed t (Mai) in each o f th e two 25 0 E xp er t shows , built up a fair iead only to ge t badgere d again b y the Americ an Moto cr o ss ace. But, Billy held him off each tim e fo r a health y two-heat sw ee p . R ick Ruckma n (CZ) an d T om my Cr o ft (~1 ai) swapped thirds and fo u r th s, but R ick's fin er sh owing in the finale decided the tie . Cl ements th en te a med up with fell ow factory Husky mate Mar k Blackwell and took o n th e 500s. It looked like the 25 Os al l over ~ again as he p assed American Motocrosses newl y ac q uire d Rex S tate n in th e early stages t o h old it all th e way . But this was rou nd o ne .. . Up th e hill they we n t an d cra m me d th emselves in to the swe eper first tum. Th is time Marty Tripes (CZ ), wh o to ok th ird in round o ne passing Blackwell three lap s fr om the end, was gassing it at the po int and Blackwell smelled th e fum es. Billy was running four th when th e bike so u red on lap one ; two lap s later Billy calle d it a d ay. T ripes pounded o u t th e win in th e final and ov er all, b u t Staten m aintained second O A d espite trailing Bla ckwell in th e second ro u nd . Mark finished third and Clements claimed four th. Me ttco Pen tons piloted b y Ch arlie B ow er and Danny LaPorte t o ok on e-tw o ove ral l in the 125 E xperts, but S tu E gli (Bul) came cl o se at break in g up th e co m bo. He an d LaPorte tied on p oints, seconding and th irdin g it each, bu t Danny did it b est in th e las t. With th e very large turnout o f both riders an d spectato rs, th e infield lo o ked like a bi g-bucks Pro race as th e trac k was lin ed wi th large crowds ch ee ring on t he Experts. Tha t crowd quickly ev apor at ed , how ever, wh en the In termediates and Juniors to o k to th e Saddleback turf.i.shame, shame. They missed so m e fin e all o u t duels. Like th e 100Jrs... Andy Graham too k a soli d 18th in th e firs t round of th is newco me r cl ass. He m ust h ave done so me quick pit work on th at Yamaha of h is, ' cau se h e th en turned ar o u nd and banged o u t a th ir d and th en th e win, only to fall sh ort to T racy Freeland (Yam) for th e ove ra ll tro p hy . In the same class, T om DeV ore (Hod ) w on the se cond round an d watched Ken Gab rie lson (Ho d), La rry T heobald (H on) an d Randy Bums (Ka w) al l scurry b y for m o re p oints in th e o ther tw o . Alas... T o rn to ok six th . A go od indica tion as t o th e tightness o f the races, o nly Jon Miller (25 0 Jr. II ) m ad e the clean sweep, t h ree-fo r-th ree sh o wi ng . CZ 's Brad Lynch an d Ted Scruggs were the o nly .on es to even attem pt to hassle Mill er' s Maico. Joh n Pe rry (Mnk) came about th a t cl ose (gap? I don't see n o ga p) to sweep ing th e 125 Jr. II , b ut th at close t urned o u t to be a broken arm. In th e fin al round, he was heading through th e fast b ack section downhill when he unloaded hard. After making out the ambulance report, he ramled off to hi s o w n car to go to th e hospi tal , his arm in a splint. Kelvin Franks, co-p ro m ote r for th e CMC, jabbed his head in John's direction and co mme n ted, "Jee z, it's a pity. He won anyway .. . th at may chee r him up a bit. " L et's hope so. No t t o b e outdon e, several fin al m otos la ter , Daniel Steele (C Z) was putting alon g out fr ont. Having won th e first t w o ra ces , h e too k a f re in d's th u m bs up gesture in stride as he cam e aro un d near th e finish lin e. S u dd enly , wh en h e sh ifted , n othing happened. He roll ed to a stop and looked d own. The ch ain d anged with a big grin .. .well , it at least exposed the rear sp rock et' s teeth. Dan finished and w on overall ahead o f Scott Ferke, also CZ mounted. Mi ke McCl ung (Y am) made th e b est possibl e use o f Steele 's misfortune by winning th e final e, but could only manage third ove rall. Who is that Team Mexican MX ace behind the Jofa? Why . none other than David Aldana gett ing in a litt le Sunday 'trailing in the Expe rt 250 class. Rich Eierstedt and Clements went at it too, before Clements bike soured. 8, ., Q. M .... ell o' M e ., .., ~ w Z W ..J U > U -: ~ ....""'-;""....'" "~ 1-:,..... ' ~"-,, ,.;. Remember when these guys did a Husky - eSA comparison? Billie Clements and "Feets" Minert did it again at CMC Saddleback ; did better in the 250 go. Rex Staten made his first appearance on an Am erican M otocross 400 Maico. It didn"t seem to slow him down. And Marty Tripes (CZ) took the overall win in a very professional mariner.