Racing Review
RACING REVIEW
CAROL SIMS
CASTLE ROCK, A SMALL HAMLET in southA western Washington, found itself in the spotlight of the motorcycle world recently when the AMA National Championship 30-lap TT was presented there. Advance planning and good publicity by the sponsoring club. Mt. St. Helens M.C., brought more than 3.000 fans to watch time trials the night before the race. The crowd jam-packed into the local speedway for the big night numbered over 9,000. This was said to be the largest audience ever at a dirt track race in the WashingtonOregon area, including the 4-wheeled kind. Local fans got their first look at the best riders from California and the east. Dick Dorresteyn set fast time, qualifying at 25.94 for a lap record. The main event
started with sixteen expert riders, reduced from the originally announced 24 when officials wisely decided that two dozen riders were just too many to put on the track at one time.
Eddie Mulder took his usual early lead only to be passed by Dave Palmer and Dick Hammer on the third lap. By the halfway point, Bart Markel moved up from eleventh to third and he, Hammer
and Palmer then raced on to show the fans why they are national champions. On lap 21 Markel took over the lead and proceeded to lose all pursuers except Palmer. With two turns to go, the duelists caught up with a gaggle of slower riders. Markel went high around them while Palmer dove low, around the traffic and into the lead at the finish line. Markel followed by two bike lengths and Hammer won his share of the $3.300 expert purse by finishing third.
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National point leader Dick Mann was the first to drop out of the final. His old reliable Matchless G-50 quit on the 18th lap, forcing him to finish the race in the infield. Dorresteyn got off in his heat race while contesting the lead with Skip Van Leeuwen and did not compete in the final.
Dave Clarke carried off the 15-lap Amateur main by winning an eleventh-lap bid for the lead and staving off the efforts of Oregonian Steve Nason, who came in second. Harley-mounted Jim Nicholson, after winning his heat race in a decisive manner, unloaded early in the final, while running third.
TIGER CANYON TRIAL
In the Blue Mountains of Northeastern Oregon, just over the border from Washington, the Walla Walla Valley Motorcycle Association and the American Motorized Sportsmen recently sponsored the Tiger Canyon Trial, and “tigerish” was not a misnomer for this 2Vi-mile run. Ted Berry, Walla Walla dealer and winner of the AMS Trophy Trial earlier this year, was responsible. With an assist from a couple of friends, Berry laid out one of the roughest courses ever to greet the eye of a Sunday morning trials rider.
Overall winner with 95 marks lost was Gary Buttice (250 Greeves).
Starting in an almost dry, stoneand boulder-strewn creek bed with tight, rocky turns, the path led to a reverse camber uphill turn over wet tree roots. Then mud, and more mud for about 40 yards (it seemed like 400) to the end of the first section. Two similar sections preceded a steep climb over loose dirt into a sea of dry pine needles covering a slope. The next four sections were nearly the same, with difficult descents and sharp turns around logs.
By the time the 45 starters had reached the last section, three had dropped out and spectators were cheering the others on. Gary Buttice, Greeves mounted, emerged from Tiger Creek victorious, losing only 95 marks to become Overall Winner. The remainder of the field was divided into over-125cc and up-to-125cc classes. Jerry Yount with 97 marks lost took first on his Greeves for the overI25cc trophy. Honda 90 rider Mike Jackal carried home the up-to-125cc trophy with 144 marks lost.
PI = 1
In the field of geometry, pi stands for 3.1416 hut in European moto-cross a
Spaniard named Pedro Pi stands for #1. at least in two international events recently held in France. Pi used his Montesa to beat out the French Champion Vincent Clerici, both at the Moto-Cross International de Cavaillon and the St. Thibery International Moto-Cross. Clerici, who rides a Husqvarna. was second both times.
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SEA FAIR CITY ROAD RACES
Ninety-degree temperatures greeted riders who assembled, leather clad and sweltering, for the Sea Fair City M.C.’s road races at Pacific Raceways 2.25-mile cir-
cuit near Kent, Washington. Sixty sportsman class competitors entered the AMAsanctioned event, representing Oregon, Washington and British Columbia.
Four heat races, each ten laps in length, were divided into two classes — two heats for the 175cc-to-Open machines and two for the under-175cc bikes. Mike Sutley, H-D mounted, took home the Open trophy with a first and a second to his credit. Overall second place went to Don Matheson (Norton Manxman); third was Ken Molyneux (Norton Domiracer).
Hard-fought 250cc battles found Aermacchi rider Mel Buttaro winning out over Doug DuBuque (Yamaha TD1-B) and Tim Coopey (Honda). Competition was also extremely keen in the under-175cc division with Gene Hess grabbing the first place trophy on his home-built “Hess 90“ (a Tohatsu Supersport 50 with Honda S-90 engine). After losing out to Gene Brown (CR-93 Honda) in the first heat, Hess charged back to win the deciding race. Dick Powell was second on his Suzuki 150; Honda Benly mounted John Bradshaw finished third.
Final race of the day was the 12-lap Grand Prix, open to all comers and divided into Open and 250 classes. Don Matheson returned to win first Open, Ken Molyneux bettered his earlier finish with a second, and Norton Manxman rider Gary Meed picked up third. Among the 250s, Doug DuBuque and his TD1-B reigned supreme. Scotty Brown brought his Ducati from the back of the pack to second and Gordy Campbell followed him across the line for third.
An early mishap put Canadian ace Pete Kellond and his Norton out of action
while he was leading the Open class during the first heat race. Kellond, along with a predicted field of 120, is expected on the grid September 5 when the Sea Fair M.C. again plays host to American and Canadian riders at Pacific Raceways.
INDIANA HALF-MILE CHAMPIONSHIP
When the Jr. Chamber of Commerce of little Rockport, Indiana (pop. 2,500) held their recent Class C half-mile and State Championship events, a record crowd of 3,100 people attended. Twelve AMA experts, nine amateurs and 17 novices competed for the three-star purse.
In a repeat of last year’s performance, Joe Haas moved into the lead on the opening lap of the Indiana State Championship, followed by fellow Harley rider Bob Farmer. Don Beasley (Triumph) engaged Farmer for two laps and after securing second place, began to close the gap on Haas. Beasley repeatedly challenged, pulling abreast on the 5th and 6th laps before Haas powered away to a eight-length lead at the finish. Behind Beasley and Farmer came Harry Pipher, whose effort was the best of the day; Harry is 64 years old. (Average age of the State Championship riders was 39V2, which must establish a record of some sort.)
Fastest expert qualifier was Allan Smith, National No. 54 on a long-stroke vintage 1952 Triumph Tiger at 31.40. Second fast time trial of 31.50 was turned in by J. C. “Babe” Robertson of Flopkinsville, Ky. In the only spill of the day, Robertson suffered fatal injuries when he ran off the track on the last turn after a close six-lap duel in the second expert heat.
The novice events were a walk-over for Doug Pate, Chattanooga, Tennessee, on a Harley-Davidson Sprint.
Amateur heat race winners Floyd Johnson and Charlie Southgate, both BSAmounted, ran one-two in their final until Southgate’s magneto disintegrated on the 6th lap, moving Carl Onstott (H-D) to second. Third was Wendall Hans (Matchless) ahead of Paul Brase (BSA).
George Bartel (BSA) and Allan Smith were the expert heat winners, and Smith went on to victory in the Trophy Dash after a thrust and parry fight for two laps with amateur Floyd Johnson.
The expert final found Bartel, National No. 92, whizzing into the lead on the first turn followed closely by Smith, who repeatedly attempted to pass for four laps. During the remaining four tours, Bartel pulled away, tucking in far back in the turns with a style reminiscent of former Ascot star Stu Morley. George Holter (BSA) was third; Bill Jasper (H-D), fourth.
The next race at Rockport, scheduled for Labor Day, September 6, will be a benefit for Babe Robertson’s family, and a tribute by his many friends to the popular and respected rider.
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS
After eight Grands Prix (U.S., West Germany, Spain, France, Britain, Holland, Fast Germany and Czechoslovakia) the International FIM standings are as follows:
JUST FOR FUN
Intermission entertainment can be a colorful and exciting addition to any rac ing program, as the accompanying phot~ graphs show. At the recent Lancaster (Calif.) short track events promoted by
Grant Vartanian, fans were given an ad ded treat - backward donut-burning by former JAP short tracker Kenny Brown, and the impeccable wheelie stylings of multi-talented Eddie Mulder.
TWO-FIFTY TITLE TO MANN
Riding his 250 Yamaha with precision and style, national point leader Dick Mann traveled eighty miles in one hour, seven minutes and fifty-five seconds to capture the AMA 250 National road race at Nel son Ledges, Ohio. Averaging 73.43 miles per hour over the tight, twisting 1.2-mile circuit, Mann paced himself well and came from behind for the win.
At the start. twenty-two experts roared into the first turn led by Roger Reiman (H-D), Mann, Mert Lawwill (H-D) and Jody Nicholas (BSA). Reiman soon retired and Yamaha-mounted lony Murphy, a California favorite, moved up to challenge the front runners. His bid was shortlived, however, for he and Law w ill tangled on the back stretch and unloaded at speed. Fortunately, neither was injured.
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Nicholas now led. followed at a distance by Mann, who wasn't gaining — but then, he wasn't falling back. The next thirteen laps were a steady go-around for those two, but riders back in the pack had their own private duels going. Gary Nixon and Bart Market repeatedly passed each other while Ronnie Rail, who couldn't seem to get perking in the early Ians, stormed by the slower riders. Lawwill finally managed to get back on the course, hopeful of gaining a point or two with his badly damaged machine.
As the race progressed, Mann slowly closed the gap. but the anticipated battle for first place never materialized. Nicholas pulled in with a dead engine on the 22nd lap. ami Mann motored on to the checker alone, finishing well ahead of runnerup Larry Schafer (Fl-D) and third place George M o n t g o m e r y.
What a race the amateur final was for the first forty miles of the 60-mile race! Robert Winters, top amateur qualifier on his Yamaha, broke in front of the field, followed closely by l.ennie Waldo (Yamaha). When Waldo fell on the third lap, last year's winner Dick Gariepy (Bultaco) moved in to challenge Winters. Lap after lap they went at it. Winters leading on the straightaways, Gariepy screaming by in the corners, sometimes a little too fast and more than slightly out of shape. Another ten laps and Gariepy's luck ran tail. Down he went, though his engine never quit running, and when he rejoined the fray Winters was three-quarters of a lap ahead. Gariepy still clung to second, however (the leaders had lapped the entire field), and timing clocks showed him to be gaining on Winters. But seven laps later he unloaded again. Though losing precious seconds (and all hope of victory). Gariepy did manage to finish second ahead of Donald Gerhardt. Winters, a happy first-time amateur national winner, averaged 67.77 mph for the distance.
The 40-mile novice final went to Bill Dutcher (Yamaha) with an average speed of 64.83 mph.
BOY SCOUTS STAGE "CHICKEN ENDURO"
The world's only hoy scout motorcycle group. Explorer Post 305 of Madera. Calif., deserves a special merit badge for the job thev did in staging their third annual Chicken Enduro recently. Sponsored by the Madera Braves Motorcycle Club, the scouts checked 136 entries over their 100 mile course, laid out after school and on weekends through scenic mountain terrain.
A HIGH TIME AT ASPEN
Perched 7900 feet above sea level on the western slope of the Colorado Rockies, the town of Aspen is noted primarily for its miles of magnificent ski trails which attract winter sports enthusiasts from all over the world. Action is not confined strictly to the slopes, however; the Aspen Sports Car Club has constructed a short but very tricky road race course in Woody Creek Canyon, 8 miles w'est of town.
An enthusiastic crowd, largest ever seen at the track, gathered at the start of the annual sportsman road race sponsored by Harry's Roamers M.C. of Denver. This year the under-lOOcc and 100-175cc classes were run together, with two trophies for the smaller machines and one for the larger class winner. The lOOcc bikes were surprisingly quick, finishing ahead of the larger class in some instances. AI Davis of Pueblo easily outdistanced the field on his rapid 175cc Montesa, and Boh Dove of Roswell, N.M. took the smaller class trophy with his Honda S-90.
Veteran Howard Utsey of Denver rode his Bultaco to a decisive victory in the l76-250cc class race on the twisting 1.1mile paved circuit. Utsey best showed his ability in the turns, pouring his machine into tight corners at an astonishing rate of speed, but always under control. His competitors rode with less abandon; perhaps the huge boulders lining the roadway gave them cause for concern.
Larry McB ride of Denver put on a good show for the fans as he won the 500cc class with his Harley KR despite a had fall on the 17th lap. He remounted and got hack in the race without losing his position. Meanwhile, hack in the pack a battle royal was raging for third between Dick Hackenberger and Darrol Powell. Powell lost out when he fell on the 19th lap. Lee Parker (BSA) finished second.
Rider Raymond Dceley of Albuquerque stopped to clean up some oil which wfas spilled when he dumped his bike on a curve. The sponsors awarded him a special trophy for sportsmanship; not everyone would withdraw from a race to clean up his own potentially dangerous oil spots. •
