Racing Review
RACING REVIEW
PEPPERELL MOTOCROSS
Back in the days of the Green Mountain Motocross at Grafton, the Challengers MC came up with a motocross of their own, on an unimproved track at Pepperell, Mass. Charlie Vincent was the open champion, and got a trophy almost as large as he was. The Challengers MC never got back to promoting events there, but the following year, when the Bob Hicks Generation formed Intersport, they were able to secure the use of the course for a motocross event starring Torsten Hallman. Since then, Intersport has had the exclusive use of this location for their Inter-Am and other events. Traditionally, they have had an event on the first day of daylight savings time—a rather welcome phenomenon for any promoter.
Charlie Vincent has switched from his 650-cc Triumph to a lighter CZ, and he has stopped campaigning the regular New England season events. Another big winner that opening year was Joe Bolger. Joe broke two ribs at the Inter-Am last October at this location, and was at Pepperell only as a tuner and sponsor this year. Joe had an Italian Gori there for Bob MacDonald to ride. MacDonald had not ridden in several years, and had not seen the bike before the morning of the event. Yet he finished 7th in the first moto, and about the same in the second, in a field of 23. The only problems he had were with shifting the Sachs engine. Bob’s hands couldn’t take the punishment (he refuses to wear gloves), and they did not enter the third moto. It looks like Joe Bolger may be joining the specialty importer field shortly, with a machine that looks like a winner.
At the other end of the motocross spectrum we have Walt Stober. A high school student, Walt started scrambling a year ago. He earned his transfer to the amateur class on July 4, and rode his first race as an amateur at Monson the next day. When he won it, he was invited to ride with the experts to fill in the field. After leading the race for the first three laps, he finished 3rd behind the Jim Ellis-Gregg Spooner wrecking crew. This year he showed up with a new Bultaco, with cardboard yellow plates covering the white painted ones, as he expected the transferto expert status momentarily. He earned his transfer at Pepperell on Saturday, and rode his first professional motocross on Sunday.
In a repeat of his first amateur event, Walt led all three motos in the early stages, and finally finished 3rd. It should be mentioned that the tie-breaking system used by Intersport is based on the highest finish achieved by either tied rider. This system does not reward consistency at all, since the rider who placed higher in one moto had to place lower in at least one other moto. Walt was tied for 2nd-place points with Jimmy Jordan, and though Walt’s performance was consistently better, he had spilled in the first moto. Walt’s 8th dragged down his 2nd and 3rd, and cost him the decision in the tie-breaker. Another rider who suffered from this tie-breaker was Jimmy Ellis, who wound .up in a three-way tie for 2nd in the 250cc class.
Since the Pepperell motocross was held on a two-day weekend, running novice and amateur class riders on Saturday, and the professionals on Sunday, a largish contingent of Canadian riders came down to collect some gold. The Canadian system of advancement is sufficiently different from that used in New England that in some cases the Canadian riders were quite a bit better than their local counterparts. John Terry got an early promotion out of the junior class, hence made “expert” early also. That hurt him. He wound up riding against the professionals on Sunday. His brother Brian, considered an equal, or perhaps even better, rider than John, is still in the senior class, and rode with the amateurs on Saturday.
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In spite of an AMA professional motocross at the Road Atlanta event, several noted riders from areas outside New England showed up at Pepperell. Top among these was Jimmy Weinert, newly engaged by Maico. Also present were Gunnar Lindstrom, Tore Jonsson (Ake’s younger brother). New Yorkers Bob Harris and Bob Ismailof, Pennsylvania rider Gary Deel, and Canadians Seppo Makinen, Norm Richens, Heikki Ylonen, and Bob Fisher.
In the 125cc class, Walt Stober pulled out early leads, only to lose them to Bob Fisher in all three heats. In the first moto, after Walt dropped back, a tight duel for 2nd developed between Gregg Spooner, New England’s new Maico star, and Bob Bertrand, riding a year-old Dalesman. Toward the checkered flag, it looked like Bob would get the best of Gregg, but Gregg settled the question by spilling. He remounted to finish a distant 3rd. Bob sailed in easily for the flag. Some unauthorized piston lightening kept the Dalesman out of contention for the rest of the afternoon. Gregg slacked off a little in subsequent motos, and finally finished 4th overall.
The final moto was another corker. It looked like young Walter was going to regain the lead from Bob Fisher in the final two laps. Walt had gained on Bob and was right on the Canadian’s rear wheel, when his arms got tired, and he dropped way back to 3rd. Meanwhile, Jim Jordan, who had ridden an uninspired first two motos, was coming on strong, and when Fisher pulled a no-no, Jim copped the win.
Jim Weinert won all three 250cc motos on the new Maico. With the first moto split due to the large field, Peter Lamppu won the other. Peter, the only rider all afternoon to win money in both the 250cc and open classes, didn’t do really well in any moto after this one, but how many riders riding two classes could? He wound up in a tie for 2nd overall in the smaller class, but was kept down in overall placing in the open class by a spill.
Bruce Maguire had a new CZ in the 250cc class, and while he had a 4th, an 8th, and a 3rd, he was best while dicing with Fred Dolliver and Bob Harris in the second moto.
The colorful Maico jerseys showed up 'in the open class also, as Tore Jonsson chased Gunnar Lindstrom in every moto. Gunnar, fresh from conducting a motocross school at Unadilla the week before, was in superb form, and not to be denied the win. Tore was right behind him all the way, and these two quickly outdistanced the rest of the field.
Rain fell Saturday night, and the track, which had been hard and dusty on Saturday, turned soft and moist. Hard berms were formed and the better riders used these to go through the corners quicker. Best rider on the berms was Husqvarna rider Glenn Vincent, who finished 4th overall in the open class.
This was the most complete program of sportsman racing presented by Intersport in several years. Their bag, though, is professional competition only. This event, in fact, was intended to get riders turned on to this sort of thing, and interest them in promoting motocross racing on their own. To do this, sportsman racing was held on the Saturday preceeding their professional event. Furthermore, they decided to cut their Pepperell dates to only two events this year.
RESULTS
SMITH TURNS 8.97-SEC. QUARTER
Joe Smith became the first motorcyclist to break the 9 sec. barrier when he powered his 102-cu.-in. H-D to an elapsed time of 8.975 sec. during qualifying for the Bakersfield Fuel and Gas Championship Drags.
If the record books had been open, Smith would have a national record to go along with his motorcycling first. As it stands, though, Dave Campos, also H-D mounted, still holds the official record at 9.14 sec.
Campos had difficulty with a new engine at Bakersfield and was defeated by Boris Murray, riding the only twinengined Triumph at the meet. Murray, however, blew his front engine going through the traps. Still, his 167.59 mph was top speed of the meet.
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Meanwhile, the clutch on Smith’s H-D had weakened. Boris, realizing that Smith might not be able to complete another run, disconnected the blown front engine on his dragster and decided to face Smith with 750cc. Smith won, by 3 sec., but Murray's single engine propelled him to an impressive 129 mph.
BAKERSFIELD RESULTS
SINGAPORE GP
Before a holiday crowd of 100,000, Geoff Perry (Suzuki 500) won the 1 20-mile Singapore GP and completed an impressive three-race sweep for the day.
On a track lined with trees, curbs, and ever present ditches, Perry’s job was not easy. During the first half of the race, he and Trevor Driscomb (350 Yamaha) battled for the lead. After some wild antics, though, Driscomb crashed into a ditch, while trying to lap a slower rider halfway through the race. His only injuries were a sprained ankle and lost pride.
Perry's troubles were not over yet, however, as he then blew a hole in his right expansion chamber. He spent the rest of the race hoping his engine wouldn’t seize, especially on the milelong straightaway.
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After Driscomb’s crash, the race for 2nd became the one to watch, with Gerry Looi (Yamaha) finally edging out Sonny Sah (Yamaha). These two battled all weekend and, with more racing under their belts, they should become top-notch racers.
Also of interest was the Honda 750 of Kofi Ohta of Japan. The bike was very fast, but Ohta had problems handling the big beast. He finished 4th.
The checkered flag fell just in time as Perry’s Suzuki was completely out of gas. He probably couldn’t have gone another lap.
After the race, Perry said he would like to come back to the U.S. in October for the 200-míle AMA national at Ontario Motor Speedway. He also would like to run all the AMA nationals in 1972.
In the 60-mile GP preliminary, Perry scored impressive wins, with teammate Driscomb again falling by the wayside with mechanical ills.
In the final preliminary race, Perry clipped 11 sec. off the 8-year-old, 15-lap record.
SINGAPORE GP RESUL TS
60-Mi le GP Preliminary
45-Mile Class Race
MIDDLEBORO OPENER
The first race of the season is always interesting just from the standpoint of who is riding what. Most notable among the machine-swappers was Gregg Spooner, who lost a tight battle for second overall in the 125cc class last year. Gregg was mounted on Maicos in both the 125cc and 250cc classes this year. Jimmy Ellis had a pair of Yamahas in the same classes, and was expected to dominate both, as he did the 1 25cc class last year. Bill Hobbs swapped his 125-cc Bultaco for a 400-cc Maico. Doug Annis had a 360-cc Bultaco engine mounted in a much-modified 125-cc frame. Bob Bertrand had last year’s Dalesman, thinking that the six-speed cogbox in this year's machine was not legal. Maico must have straightened that out though, as NESC officials assured everyone that Spooner's six-speeder was legal.
The brother of one rider was so angered by remarks that the ecology thing had gone too far that he stalked off after saying that airborn asbestos particles from automotive brakes are causing a rise in the incidence of lung cancer. This same young man, however, had just told us that he thought the battle to get racing bikes to use mufflers was a lost cause because of the power loss associated with mufflers, and because it was the nature of bike riders to enjoy making noise. Luckily Dick Bettencourt doesn’t think that way, and is offering a $20 cash prize to anybody who wins a class final on a muffled bike. One rider had an Ossa Pioneer with muffler, but the quietest bike on the track was ridden by Glenn Scott. His new Ossa hadn’t arrived, so he borrowed Frank Hanson’s Yamaha enduro machine, complete with lights and VDO speedometer. Unfortunately, he was in one of the most competitive classes, and did not transfer to the final.
Gregg Spooner showed the way home on his Maicos in both classes, while Jimmy Ellis tried hard in the I25cc class. Bob Bertrand had his Dalesman smoking in the heat, but couldn’t make up for a poor start in the final. This class has shown such a transfusion of talent now that the NESC has lifted its restriction against riders competing in two lightweight classes on the same day. Besides his 125, Ellis has a DT-1-based, 250-cc bike with twin pumper carbs mounted on a Y manifold, and lots of other modifications to the frame and engine, but he couldn’t make it move in the 250cc expert class.
Peter Lamppu practiced, but declined to ride, leaving the 250cc class wide open for new faces. This class has always been a hotbed of activity, and with a couple of new riders and machines, it might continue to be so.
Look for yet another rider and machine to make it shortly, as Roger Godin took the 250cc Amateur class by about half a lap, in both the heat and the final. Roger, who started his riding career on a Ducati, is now happily mounted on a 250-cc Greeves, and should sweep himself out of the amateur class very quickly indeed.
Track conditions made for a unique turn of events in the open class. A few years ago a separate 500cc class was established for riders who did not want to compete against the faster 650s with their smaller machines. Then as the two-strokes started to take over, fewer people showed up on the big bikes, and the open class was merged with the 500cc class for lack of Open riders. Today, however, the slippery clay held the best two-stroke back to 5th, as former 125cc rider Earl Durkee rode a 650-cc Triumph to the win, grinning from ear to ear. (Most of today’s riders can’t remember Earl on a 125, as he campaigned a Montesa against the Ducatis of Les Beach and Gary Morrell a decade ago.) “Smiley” Hulbert rode his ancient Victor to 2nd place in the open; Roger Durkee was 3rd on a Honda.
