Cycle News

-E&...e comes SaD'a ClaDS! Oal ia Ihe Mojave? • ~ E check. CRC's mileage and times were righ t on and the check was fairly well hidden down in a gully which caught somes riders by surprize. It didn't look like there could be a check hidden anywhere in the valley. Famous enduro rider Wandering Ron Cassell hit it two minutes early and was double surprized that, A) there was a check there, and B) he was still on the course. Leaving the check we hauled for three miles and then waited for our minute to come up and started timekeeping again. After awhile we were into a 21 MPH section. That is kind of a weird enduro average and a lot of the riders didn't quite know how to figure it out so they rode around 20 MPH and hoped for the best. Actually guys it's. 7 mile every two minutes. CRC historically likes to throw a check in the 21 MPH section, so we were ready when it popped up on us, well hidden again. On their last enduro some checks were very poorly hidden and they promised to do better on this one: t!'ey did. By Larry Langley 'Well, I'll be..:a trophy. A real,live trophy." LUCERNE VALLEY, CAL., DEC. 9 Over 700 enduro riders, lured by fantastic riding weather, 100% fmisher trophies, and CRC's in- creasing reputation in the family enduro field, showed up to ride the Santa Claus Enduro Sunday. The weather was absolutely superb. Ahout 65 degrees, just a wisp of wind, and s~ clear you see for miles. The first rider was out at 8 :01 on a long easy first loop. CRC, along with most family enduro organizations, has settled on the easy lust loop, harder second loop run for their riders. We left on the 18th minute on a nice easy 20 MPH average up the road for aways. Where we turned cross country the average dropped to 18 MPH for three miles. CRC k.ept the terrain easy as the loop was laid out with the Powder Puffs and kids in mind. The schedule changed to 24 MPH as we turned back across the valley towards the pits and hit the lust Some more 21 MPH stuff into a tie breaker check in a se!'Pentine wash. Then into the last speed change of the first loop, 18 MPH for 12 miles. We enjoyed outselves over some nice easy rolling terrain, ate some dust (Lucerne Valley's finest), as usual as we looped around to Soggy Dry Lake and turned left for the last leg for home and what's this?? A water crossing?? You've got to be kidding!! Sure enough, right at tlie edge of the dry lake, a pocket of water was left from the recent rains and CRC couldn't resist the urge and ran the course right thru it. It was hilarious watching the different styles going thru (and under) the water. The mud was extremely slippery and one slip and it was snorkel time. It was fun, though, and I didn't hear too many complaints. but I guess it depended on whether you made it through or not. Right after the water crossing was the only real challenge of the. loop (other than the water crossing) an uphill trail which wound up a neat little hill just above the dry lake. It gave a few of the neophytes a challenge but it wasn't bad enough to cause any major problems. CRe was worried about it before the enduro but I'm glad they left it in. Then we were within the free zone (3 miles) of the finish so we wicked it on and headed in for the end of the 40.5 mile first loop. Here the Powderpuffs, minicycle riders, and Under-16 picked up their nice Santa Claus Enduro Finishing Trophies instead of the usual pins. I saw a lot of thrilled kids and Powder Puffs so it was a good idea to come up with the trophies. After a 30 minute lunch break we took out on the more challenging 37.8 mile second loop. The schedule looked in teresting, ranging from 24 MPH to eight MPH so we were looking forward to see what CRC was going to throw at us. We started out at 24 MPH cross country for 7.2 miles, changed to 21 MPH into some little hills which had some twisty narrow trails (and I do mean narrow) which were fun and challenging. Then we changed to 18 MPH and were bored for a ways as they took us onto a dirt road for what seemed forever. Then we turned and went up over a hill into the first check. on the second loop just before the eight MPH section. A lot of riders figured the check was going to be in that section so they were caught a little early here. The eight MPH section turned out to be a hairy rock downhill trail which CRC fondly referred to as the "goat trail". Down we went verrrry slowly as there was a nice 75 foot drop off to the left. At the bottom we started breathinl( Koji Masuda tried night short track MX-Califomia style on his works RN Suzuki 370. Orange Bowl MX By Tom Corley EL TORO, CAL., DEC. 7 Orange County International Raceway was visited by Suzuki works racer Masuda of Japan to- night! Masuda took his thousands worth.of U.S. Suzuki Motocrosser to the 500 Expert gate dropper where he met one of the most rapid'Maico stars to hit O.C.I.R. yet - Bill Rubly. Rubly was leadin' as this race was as close as the one between Carlson-McDougal last wee.!<. They hit the comer before victory hill and both keeled over their bikes and had to fire up their exotic engines again. Then they were off and haulin'. Masuda not only came over Lover's Leap jump work.s style but did a big eat that looked work.s also! Luke Messer on anothr invading Maico came up quickly for the finish along with Rubly and Bryan Becker. Masuda was great in this lust moto but looked faster at Saddleback.. In this nigh t race the battle was between the German combat racer Maico and the work.s Suzuki racer; Maico came out the victor. The second and third motos were sold to the two Maico greats Rubly and Messer as Masuda couldn't squirrel around these Americans on this short track. The overall 500 Expert money for the night was written off to Bill Rubly, Luke Messer and Bryan Becker! Out·a-sight!! There's going to be real money for the 'crosser who's an Expert in the Pro Bowl Of Motocross series at Orange County International Raceway. A whole $1,500 per night will be paid to the Expert classes with the money going down to tenth place! A Powder Puff race with a Honda Elsinore for the grand prize will be handed out by American Honda. :# Zahrt gets rich quick By Jack Collin VALENCIA, CAL., DEC. 9 It was a great day for racing at Indian Dunes today and AME members flocked to the line to race for $1000 in purses for Seniors, guaranteed by Quick's. Super Red, and 40% trophies for sportsmen. It was grand prix time and the international course was extended out through the back sand wash, where the starts were lined up, and luUshed then on to the regular course going counter clockwise. The big race of the day was the 250 Seniors_ Thirty-five riders showed up to scrape at the horns of Ken Zahrt's Bay Area BuI, but nobody could touch him through the first two motos. Danny La Porte (Pen) caught him at the fmal of the last event, winning it. Zahrt took overall honors followed by Rick Salmon (Mai) in second, with Pete Maly (CZ) third. The 500 Senion also had Zahrt to contend with (as did the 125ers) but were no more successful against him than the 250 bunch. Zahrt took OA followed by J De Johnston (Mai) and Terry Clark. The 125 Seniors not only had Zahrt to fight off, but dark.ness as well. Neither riders nor dark.ness had a real chance. Dan La Porte took the second moto leaving the rest for Zahrt. Zahrt captured overall followed by La Porte and Bob Brooks took third. Zahrt rode away with over half the total purse. The results columns have shown Nancy Daggs on top the Powder Puffers with increasing regularity lately, sometimes with little or no competition. Well, today it was Nancy and her YZ Yamaha again with a cle~ sweep. tl

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