CMC-MX at Irwindale Raceway
CMC
at
Irwindale Raceway
Friday January 31, 1975
By: Buzz Baty
Lawrence of Irwindale did it again! The YMBB Lawrence, however, had to do it the hard way tonight. Running second to Rob Zamora in the first moto, Mark waited until the last lap and the last corner to make his pass, and did it going around the outside of Zamora to take the win. That was to be Mark's best finish of the night. Moto two found Mark and his Crown Cycle Yamaha flip flopping around on the ground with four of five other bikes and riders about fifty yards out from the starting gate. Mark's brake handle was busted off and unrepairable, but he rode motos two and three, making the restart in moto two, and finishing second to the win of Doug Anderson, ending up the night getting third in the final moto behind Vince Van Hook and third moto winner, Lance Bryson. When you consider that Mark rode the final two motos without front brakses, that ain't too shaggy a showing for the YMBB. I'm not sure if this win puts Mark into the Expert Pro category, but if it doesn't, he's so close that the next win will surely do it. When you leave the 125 Intermediate class, you get in with those, literally screaming, time-bombs, that are the 125 Pros.
Speaking of which, their show tonight was a win for the Flying Machine Factory Honda and Tim Lunde. But, I have to say that the gutsiest ride of the night was put on by David Taylor. David was far, far back in round one, having great difficulty in getting around Mark Arsenault, but when he did, he closed fast on Lunde, and was actually rubbing wheels with Lunde when the checker came out for Lunde's first moto win. Third to Taylor's second in this first moto was the extremely improved, Ray Lopez. Lopez, who didn't do much riding in '74, appears to be coming back with the '72 '73 WFO style of riding that got him so many wins in that period. During that time, Lopez was on a Penton. Taylor got crowded, pinched off, and dumped hard in round two, down the starting line straight. From my vantage point, it looked as if Tag Turner shut the door, driving Taylor into the course markers and banners, putting David on his butt. With a few choice words, Taylor set out after the field, which was now three-fourths of a lap ahead of him, and by the time the checkered flag came out for Lunde again, Taylor had worked his way back up to ninth in the thirteen man field. I^ess there be any doubt concerning this young man's ability and dedication, David came out in round three and blew the entire field into the weeds, with the exception of Ray Lopez, who stayed close enough to be a threat, but it was Taylor taking the checker, Lopez second, and Lunde for third. That last moto win of Taylor's plus his get-up and go get 'em ride in the second moto, earned him third overall behind Lopez's se :ond overall, and Lunde's win.
We can get the 250 Pros and the 500 Pros out of the way with little discussion. In the 250's, Maico mounted Jeff Vidic, now riding for Wheelsmith Motorcycles and Smokey the Bear, Greg Smith, blitzed the field, sweeping to victory, CZ's Will Harper was second, and Val Tamietu third. In the 500 s, Joe Johnston had no problems with his Maico, sweeping all three motos to Bill Rubly's three seconds, and Jeff Jennings getting third overall. The 250 and 500 Intermediates had almost the same kind of a story. Honda mounted, No. 99, Larry Lutz blew the number plates off the 250 field, sweeping for his victory, ahead of Yamaha mounted, Ernie Roberts, and Suzuki mounted, George Snyder. Cliff Hicks finished second in round one for the 500's aboard his Suzuki, behind Brian Armstrong's Maico win, but rounds two and three were all Hick's, with Armstrong getting a third and a second. The final tally was Hicks, Armstrong, and the CZ of Trent McGee.
The Mini Expert field, down a bit from previous weeks, was literally owned by little Ricky Simmons. In three motos, from the drop of the starting gate to the checkered flag, there was never anyone close enough to Simmons to get a picture of anything but Simmons by himself. Running three deuces for second overall behind Simmon's win, was last week's winner, Bill Fancher. Third overall went to Jim Hall.
Thirty-seven Mini Junior riders were divided into two divisions. Division one, and it was sweet revenge for Andy Guth, beating out last week's winner, Jeff Dye. Andy and his Honda did it with a pair of wins and a second, while Dye had finishes of first, second, and third. Finishing third overall was Kenny Aplanalp. Mini division two belonged to little Eddie Glover, and did it belong to him! In a complete sweep of all three motos, Glover was long gone and hard to find. Finishing second behind Glover's Honda, in a field of fifteen Hondas and four Yamahas was Geoff Brooks with third going to Mike Palumbo, completing the Honda sweep.
As usual, the 125 Junior field was loaded, three divisions, sixteen riders in each division. Division one, each mo to was won by a different rider. Yamaha mounted Bob Brammer took round one and first overall, backing up that first rnoto win with a second and a third. Second moto winner, Ed Marshall was second overall aboard his Honda, while third round winner, Mike Curtis was not quite consistent enough with third overall going to the Yamaha of Ernie Ruiz. Division two had three different winners, but Darrell Hutchins, who won round one, broke and was not a factor for the rest of the night. Round two winner, Joe Gregorio ended up third overall, while Greg Rodriguez, winner of the last moto, was first overall. Doug Heil, with consistency, finished second overall for another Honda sweep. Carabella mounted, Jim Lowe came the closest to sweeping a division with a second in the first round for division three, and then winning rounds two and three. Second went to Billy Koemans, third to Steve Wagner.
A short 500 Junior field was Henry Osborne's meat, knocking off the small field in rounds one and three for first overall, while Craig Robertson, winner of round two, finished second in rounds one and three, ending up second overall. Ed Miller took the show money, making it a CZ, Maico, Husky finish.
I'll bet Roy Holsheimer was thinking about that first place trophy he was gonna get when they started round three. Roy had really done the job on the 250 Juniors, winning the first two motos. But, round three, and his Maico sounded like a ninety-year old man with a case of whooping cough, ending up thirteenth in the final moto, and third overall to Morris Mena's win, with Jeff Hulecki in for second overall for a Honda, Yamaha, Maico finish.
Barry Knight took the measure of the 100 Junior field, populated by a liberal mix of Suzukis, Kawasakis, Yamahas, and Hondas. Finishing second behind Barry's Honda, was David Meloy's Yamaha, third going to the Yamaha of Jeff Berry. Thirty to another night at Irwindale, and if you didn't have your long woolies on, or sufficient blankets, backed up by sufficient anti freeze, the likes of Jim Bean or Auntie Green Spring, you were a cold, cold spectator or photographer. Come on— SUMMER