Competition Etc
COMPETITION ETC
HOPETOWN
MAUREEN LEE
HOPETOWN. From 1958 to 1973 it lasted, the two-day running of the best and certainly the biggest dirt event in the United States. Now it’s over. Bob Hope, who purchased the ranch from “Crash” Corrigan, has sold it and houses will probably follow. The question is, when?
Corriganville was formally a movie ranch, with various sets including a complete Western town. Many a film was shot there. Fans of old TV Westerns often spot the very trails they’ve ridden their motocrossers on, as the Lone Ranger or Bill Elliot disappears into the sunset.
The riders who rode the first Corriganville, then called the California State Championship Scrambles, didn’t know what they were getting into. It was a pleasant surprise when they came through the gates and saw the course laid out by the Dirt Diggers Motorcycle Club. It was a challenge for any rider. The earlier events there were a little tougher than recent years, but even this last running was not a place for the faint-hearted or inexperienced rider.
For anyone with a dirt bike and competition in their blood, Corriganville-Hopetown was an event looked forward to all year. Just about anybody who is anybody has ridden it.
The late ’50s and early ’60s were days of just a few classes. The Triumph Cub was one of the top machines and early winners did battle on them. There were 200s, 250s, lots of big 500 Singles, plus the Twins. That was all until the foreign invasion of the smaller twostrokes. With their arrival the whole racing scene changed to encompass hoards of 100 and 125cc bikes often ridden by very young riders.
Around 1966-67 two girls rode with the men and finished. The following year the Dirt Diggers put out the word that if the gals could come up with 12 entries they could have a separate Powder Puff class. Bushes were beaten and just over 12 entered. Soon the ladies were no longer staying home. The class grew and grew, although limited to 125cc, and this year they started a flight of 68 Powder Puffers, the front runners demonstrating that a good rider is a good rider, whatever the gender. Janene Pennington Turton on a Bultaco won this last one in tremendous style with a 40-sec. lead over 2nd place Marcia Holley on a Penton.
The 15 years has also seen a collection of first and wild happenings. The Dirt Diggers M.C. seems to have a natural affinity for being involved in upheavals of some kind, usually emerging on top.
Not a few of these events have involved the AMA. Torsten Hallman came alone in ’66. That year he proceeded to show America how a world champion motocrosser rides. Tales of European riding prowess had been scoffed at by many a hotshoe on these shores until Torsten and his Husky appeared. That year at Hopetown the clouds opened up and it poured. The worse the going got, the faster Hallman went. Malcolm Smith, also riding for Husky, put on a fantastic effort behind him. No one else even appeared in the race. Years later Hallman was to remark that Malcolm was still the best American rider he’d ever seen.
To make things legal that year, an FIM sanction was obtained through the ACA, then the FIM body in this counto enable Hallman to ride. The eekend was advertised as the Corriganville Grand Prix and First International Motocross. Boom, the AMA got mad and fireworks flew, shaking the head office at Columbus to its very foundations. Before the battle ended, District 37 almost seceded from the AMA, the Dirt Diggers lost their club charter and the race sanction as well. They renamed themselves the Striped Crusaders, applied to the AMA for new sanctions and were again accepted into the fold. This was to the delight of everyone who enjoyed seeing the AMA getting the wool pulled over its eyes.
All was finally forgiven and the Dirt Diggers took their proper name back. In 1967 they threw the second International Motocross along with the Grand Prix. Joel Robert, Roger DeCoster, Dave Bickers and the other Europeans who made the early visits here rode and again stunned the crowds.
Even the Rickman brothers came one year to preview their newest models. Then in 1968 an international incident took place. Bryan “Wild Man” Wade, a Greeves factory rider, promptly got himself into hot water with the ACA’s Wes Cooley who was riding the InterAm’s for Edison Dye. Wade rode and was threated with the loss of his license for missing one of the latter to ride Corriganville. However, he had previously obtained permission from his home FIM body. Fur flew, along with phone calls to England and the mess was finally cleared up but the ACA never got a firm footing with FIM sanctions again. By then the AMA was glancing the way of these early motocross efforts, but glancing was about all.
Early Corriganville-goers had the fun of going into the Western town to sip refreshments at the bar or be entertained by movie stuntmen re-enacting “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral” or “The Shooting of Sheriff Brady.” The set was almost destroyed by fire one year along with other property. Deer inhabiting the hills were driven down to the lake and forest section, but the race was run in spite of the heavy damage.
Last year the European sidehack motocross champions came to show the difference between their riding abilities and our hackers. Again there were rumblings from the AMA, but the problem was resolved and the Europeans had a ball. There were troubles this year as the Diggers tried from January on to obtain a professional sanction for just one of the races. This would have enabled many professional riders who live in the area to compete, make a few dollars and not endanger their licenses. The AMA never issued one, disappointing many, with the excuse that the Phoenix motocross was the same day. So much for that idea.
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Naturally, everyone wanted to ride this “last” Hopetown and many classes filled up the first day entries were accepted. Some people entered only to sell their entries for profit the very day of the race and business was brisk in that department.
Northern California’s Carl Cranke, who left immediately after the racing Saturday to ride a Nevada desert event, won both the 100 Amateur-Expert and the 250cc Expert classes on Penton machines, and set the fastest time of the day doing it.
The 250 Expert fracas turned out to be some of the best action of the day. National number 98, John Hateley, was aboard a sanitary Triumph 250 Single in a Trackmaster frame which has to be one of the fastest 250 thumpers ever built. He took the lead at the start, but Carl Cranke had other ideas. Cranke is the type of rider who sits back and watches for a few laps before making his move. As the race progressed he moved up smoothly and steadily. “Little John” got into a spot of bother in the mud hole and Cranke was right there to take over and pull away. Third position went to John’s brother Mark, on a Kawasaki.
The 125 Amateur-Experts were noticeably antsy on the line and kept jumping the flag. The problem was finally resolved with a hand-on-helmet start after the riders were warned that any repeats of jumping performances would result in a dead-engine start. Kawasaki’s AÍ Baker won it, chased by Danny LaPorte (Penton) and John Hateley, this time on a Steen.
The day was over and thousands of people headed home. No overnight camping was allowed except for Dirt Digger members and a few honored guests, but the ones who did get to stay over had a ball. Campfires were lit and much California grape was in evidence, the liquid kind.
Gates opened at 6:00 a.m. the following morning and the vans came trundling in, followed by hordes of spectators. In two days, about 1500 riders competed and 32,000-plus spectators paid through the gate. At three bucks a head, this made the Hope people very happy. Four-stroke fans again got their thrills as Bob Hosford, on a potent Honda, dominated the 350 Combined class. The Old Timers had fun, toc^ There were over 95 of them, all suA posed to be 40 years of age or over. If birth certificates had been checked some of them would have been chucked out. Some riders just can’t resist a bit of cherry picking. Bill Todd won it, but the crowd had its eyes on a Husky ridden by John McCowan, the tank carrying another Old Timer, his 11year-old dog, Kookie. Kookie rides every event John does, balancing himself on a thick pad of carpet and grinning like a Cheshire cat.
Bultaco rider Ken Zahrt took the 500 Expert from start to finish, an impressive ride, and has been tabbed by the Bultaco factory to go to Europe to compete there. He’s a real comer. Only Terry Clark (Husqvarna) and Tony Rodgers (Maico) could come even close to this fast-running youngster.
The Open class was well populated^^ with professional stars. Jim Wilson, who^P normally does his campaigning on twostroke motocrossers, rode a Triumph this time and had the early lead. But John Hateley, who was sliding around in typical Hateley dirt track fashion, started working up, along with Terry Dorsch. As the laps progressed, Hatele~ took over and started showboating with wheelies in appropriate places, giving the conservative Wilson a chance to gain on him. Dorsch faded, as the win went to Hateley with Wilson closing. Amateur George. Elliot on (Maico) was 3rd.
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Last race was the 500 Novice, a class that attracts hundreds of entries but only the earliest postmarks get a berth. Two qualifying heats were run, with the top 32 in each going to the main. Russ Mortenson (Maico) racked up many laps for his well-earned win. Then it was over. The last Hopetown. Or is it?
HOPETOWN RESULTS
LITTLE RHODY TRIALS
BY GENE DWIGGINS
The Rhody Rovers M.C. have made an excellent attempt at adding a change of pace to the trials scene in Rhode
Island. With a European format of one long loop covering 40-70 miles on a tight time schedule, the first “Little Rhody” was held in an area of diversified countryside well suited to such an event.
The Little Rhody was actually 41 miles in length, and used less than five miles of paved road. Coupled with an 18 mph speed average, riders were kept hustling and could only spend a few moments looking over each of the 20 observed sections.
New Englanders are quite proud of their beautiful land and their trials, as well. The terrain is extremely challenging, and the success of this year’s running no doubt had much to do with Wie fact that in 1974 it will be expanded no a two-day run.
EASTERN CANADIAN TRIALS
St. Joseph du Lac, Quebec, a little town 15 miles southeast of Montreal, was the host of the Eastern Canadian Championship Trial held in October. Fifty-five pre-entries were received, including five No. 1 riders from all over North America, a tough group, made even more interesting by the fact that they were competing against each other at the same time.
Both days the weather was beautiful, helping the workers as well as the riders. The Fall colors were at their peak; and the fallen leaves made the rocky, muddy climbs quite slippery.
There were 36 finishers during the two days. Top man in the Master division was New England’s Don Sweet bn his recently acquired Yamaha, who lost 115 points. Second, on a Bultaco, was Indiana’s Mike Markely with 144 points, and 3rd was another youngster, Len Thompson of New England, on an Ossa, with 181 points.
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In the Senior class it was Harry Grant of Rhode Island, riding a Bultaco, coming in 10th overall. Second senior was Mark Brown of New England with 265 points. Third was Bill Ross, again a New England rider. The Experts and Seniors rode all sections four times, while the Juniors went three loops. There were 13 sections each day, with number 8 having a sub section.
Best team entry was New England No. 1, consisting of Don Sweet, Len Thompson and Wally Scheffer, with 13 points.
Next year the same club, the Quebec Trail Rider Federation, has been granted the Canadian National Championship; again to be a two-day event in the same area. Anyone interested can contact the club at 2598 Perrot Blvd. Ile Perrot, Quebec. They are looking for more riders, and the terrain has everything one needs to make a tough but safe event.
BARSTOW TO VEGAS '73
BY STEVEN PARKER
Mitch Mayes, riding a 400 Husqvarna maintained by the factory Husky team, ran a superfast 3 hr., 45 mm., 150-mile
Photography: Dennis Greene
Mitch Mayes/400 Husky
Barstow to Vegas run, followed by Jim Fishback, just 12 seconds behind in 2nd place. The largest field ever assembled for a motorcycle race (3200) started in two waves just outside of Barstow, Calif., in near freezing temperatures, the first wave at 8:30 a.m., the second a half hour later at 9. Sidehacks, dunecycles, and anything else that wanted to make the run, got a chance to try their luck.
A crowd of spectators and pit crew members estimated to be at over 35,000 watched the start of the event and jammed the freeway as they headed the first pit stop, some 40 miles away. When the riders reached the second gas stop, the halfway point in the event, Mayes was in the lead but Fishback, on a 400 CZ, passed him in the pit area. They diced back and forth in the desert, with Mayes taking control just near State Line. At the finish area, about 5 miles outside of Las Vegas, Mayes held on to take the win, Fishback was 2nd and Scot Harden, on a 250 Husky, was 3rd. Mayes capped a successful year
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with the victory, after taking the Mint 400 and Baja 1000, as well.
A sad note occurred when two riders met death during the event in separate accidents. Larry Pfutzenreuter, 34, of Corona, Calif., was killed as he tumbled off his bike after colliding with a rock, and Larry Blair, 19, of Lakewooi^ Calif., was mortally injured after fallil^P off a cliff in the rugged area. Both riders were well-known and will be missed.
SUPERNATIONALS-DRAGS
BY STEVEN PARKER
T.C. Christenson of Kenosha, Wis., won the Top Fuel Final at the Ontario Supernationals at Ontario Motor Speedway. Christenson beat out a field that included 10 other riders to cop the overall win. While a large crowd watched drag racing’s Don Garlits set three world records in the four wheel top fuel class, they were also able to watch a number of under 9-sec. runs by the big bikes.
For the most part utilizing twin engined machines, the top speeds recorded were over 170 miles per houn Harley-Davidsons were dominating t^P entry list, but the winner, Christenson, was astride a twin engined fuel burning Norton. Christenson, also the winner of the 1971 Supernationals, ran the final race against Jim Preisler of Minneapolis, Minn., Preisler and Christenson had eliminated such competition as Dave Campos and Sonny Raslawski to have the chance to meet in the final event.
With Christenson in the tower lane and Preisler on the grandstand line, the staging lights flashed to green and the two took off. Preisler, on a Harley Twin, got the hole shot, but T.C.’s Norton was able to get the advantage halfway down and motor on to win. The fairing covered English machine managed the quarter in an elapsed time of 8.48 sec. Preisler was fantastically close with an 8.52. In fact, Preisler was even faster in the speed departmery^ with 170.13 mph to Christenson^P 167.91. That’s how it happens in drag competition. [5]
