RTMC-MX at Carlsbad Raceway
Rolf Tibblin MX
at
Carlsbad Raceway
Saturday February 1, 1975
By: The Scene & Bonzai Billy
Remember not too long ago when the new year 1975 started? Yep, it only seems like yesterday. It's one down and eleven more to go, months that is. January went by so fast that if it ever turned into a racer it would have lapped me thirty-one times around the Grand Prix track.
I guess January was only a warm-up. February at RTMC has a lot in store for the high school hot-shoe. Ever heard about the Super Bowl of Motocross High School race? Surprise. Qualifiers for the first ever HS Coliseum Cross begins on February 14th & 15th at Carlsbad for HSMXers around the San Diego County area. Nothing too exciting happened to me today, mainly because I didn't race. I just got started again, and guess what, I stopped again. But not for long, I'm gettin' everything together and I'm going to give authentic play-by-play, corner-by-corner reports on the races, that is, only if I race it. Otherwise, I'll still give you the usual spectator view of the races, but a race-report with the reporter racing in the race wouldn't be too bad. Right? BBF comes up with new ideas all the time. Enough of that, let's get down to the haps of the first day of February, 1975.Like usual, the Experts and the Open combined class took off of the gate first with Terry Turner of the Carlsbad Raceway Team out in front with his Elsinore, nestled almost on his rear fender was Scot Prante on a brand-spankin' new Husky 360. Man, was he smokin' it, second time out on the bike, besides practice, he was flyin'. Chuck Rouse on his Mono 250 and Nelson Whitehill with his Husky were having a little battle for third, while Mike Tague held a solid fifth on his quick KTM. Terry began to pull ahead into the distance while Scot held down second like he owned it. Rouse was able to get away from Whitehill, it appeared that Nelson was suffereing from sagging forks. It looked like it was going to stay this way for rest of the moto.
Until some force from wherever put in some drastic changes. Nelson Whitehill pitted with leaking forks, shot. Mike Tague took over fourth. The long gone leader, Terry Turner, stopped at the bottom of the downhill, with another blown crank or a piston. Scot Prante came around the downhill corner, took over first, gassed it for another hundred feet and his chain jumped from it's tracks. Scot's loose axle nut gave it all away to Chuck Rouse, the Monoshocker went the rest of the way to collect top money. Mike Tague collected up a second in the first go-round, while Mark McNulty t Sorry for calling you Mike in my last article) grabbed third on his new Yamaha 400 Mono for Lemon Grove Wheel Works. Then came Ray Baum on his Maico and Sandy Pulford on a sharp looking CZ. Mark McNulty grabbed the holeshot in the next moto with Scot Prante right behind. But the pair was quickly passed by Mike Tague and Chuck Rouse, who had a first turn tangle. Rouse soon passed Tague and was never seen again. Prante and Tague traded spots, then they retraded, the rest of the moto stayed the same. So Chuck Rouse grabbed another first for Yamaha of San Diego, while Mike Tague, Scot Prante, and Mark McNulty followed in a ways back.
The Minis had something going today with only one 100 running with them. Sarkis Spanjian pulled the holeshot on his YZ80 ahead of Sam Ryan on a Suzuki 100. Ryan quickly got by the mini rider when the YZ loaded up going up the uphill, which allowed Ralph Longo (YZ) and Mike McEntee (XR) to get by. Ralph of the Carlsbad Raceway Team then had a tug-of-war with big Mike McEntee. Ralph would pass on the uphill, Mike got him going down, Ralph got the uphill, Mike the downhill. I practically got seasick just watching them trade off. Ryan finished first, Mike beat out Ralph for the "contest", while Sarki had a hard time.
The second moto was an instant replay. Sarki took hold of the start, Ryan got by, Sarki loaded up, Ralph battled with Mike. Nothing to it. But, where did all you mini riders split to, anyway? Hurry back! Ron Jermiyn had his Yamaha Monoshocker tapped out as he cleaned up the whole house in the 250 Intermediate Junior race. Behind Ron was a tremendous tug-of-war, no one ever came around the next lap in the same position as the one before. Do you ever wonder where your competition went to? Maybe he's at RTMC. Anyway, after a lot of changing around, Curt Johnson finished up second in the first moto on his CZ, while Yamaha-mounted Tim Vincent cleaned third, barely ahead of Mark Allen on a Bul.
Mike Hamel picked the fast line in the second moto to grab the start on the other 250's. Mike powered his Honda way into a wide lead, not knowing that Ron Jenniyn was quickly catching after a tangle in the first corner. Ron smoked past Hamel, but Mike held it for second and fifth overall. While Tim Vincent grabbed third for second overall behind Curt Johnson in second, but still going home with a first overall trophy in the 250 Junior class. Dale Wallace beat out Mark Allen for third spot on his Honda. And, of course, Ron Jenniyn was way ahead to take top honors for Monte Vista in the 250 Intermediate class. Jim Lesniewski grabbed the holeshot in the first of the 125 Junior Intermediate motos. He had his blue Honda cookin' so fast no one could touch him. Shane Smith of Kon-Tiki and Ron Laffranchi on his Honda were having it out for second, until Ron's throttle began to stick, in the wrong places...pit to repair. Gerald Schooler (Hon) then took over Ron's spot, while Randy Hanna (Hon) took over Gerald's old spot. David Clavier (Hon) and Mark McNulty (Hon) finished up the top six.
Shane Smith grabbed the hot line at the start of the second moto with Mark McNulty and Jim Lesniewski flying after the quick Kawasaki rider. It only took Lesniewski one lap to get by Shane and boogie into the distance. Gerald Schooler, David Clavier, and Randy Hanna followed neatly in order. Things looked spot on for the finish. Then Lesniewski's bike loaded up badly in the front section of the track, so while he tried to dear it up, Shane Smith got by, along with everybody else, only with Hanna in front of Clavier for the top four. Smith had it made, until he lost his shifter and the lead. Gerald Schooler grabbed the win and first trophy, while Randy Hanna grabbed second overall, David Clavier third, Mark McNulty fourth. Shane still got up to finish sixth that moto and fifth overall.
While on the subject of Shane, he's only fourteen years old, but his riding proves differently-fast as well as older. Fourteen, hmmm? Kon-Tiki is building him a fast new engine, while his is now a stock Kawasaki. Tamali Smith, his brother, is going to nde one of those green wonders also, a whole new set-up, to go fast. Kon-Tiki has three good shop workers, two mechanics and a super hot machinist, two of which are Argentine. Pretty sharp, by the way Kon-Tiki is going, riders ought to look into the shop. Talk to Frank, George, or Groucho. They're spot on! Everything went so fine and without hassle, not perfect but almost there. Nothing's ever perfect, but RTMC gets close enough, enough to make me want to race sooo bad. On February 14th & 15th, don't forget, HSMX qualifier. Remember not too long ago when the new year 1975 started? Yep, it only seemed like yesterday....