Saturday Saddleback Motocross Racing
S'Back Assoc
at
Saddleback Park
Saturday February 8, 1975
By: Tom Corley
In last week's article I wrote "If you didn't race in this SAM event because you feared a muddy track you really made a mistake." Well, to be quite frank with you, I can't really say that this week, the race was a real mudbath but only nature was at fault for that. However, the few waterholes that messed up the track could of been drained earlier by the Saddleback Park people but I couldn't complain because I got a few out-rageous mud shots.
Later on in the day some sun rays did appear through the heavy clouds and the third moto was excellent. OOOOOOPS! I better clear up a few mistakes that I accidently wrote in a couple of my past SAM stories. First of all, Lorie Watson is a DG Performance Specialties racer, I was talking to her on the phone a few days ago and she said that the business is solely owned by Gary Harlow, a real casual guy, while Big Dan is out of it. Second of all, I said that all three of the Tiner racers were brothers when I was writing about the 100 class race. Actually Chris and Steve are the two brothers while Greg Tiner is their cousin, but how's one to know.
On such a sloppy day, the Expert race was superb. Before the race I saw Gary Semics in the pits just cranking up and down on the kick starter of a new Kawasaki 250. He didn't get it started from what I saw and then he left the park. Gaylon Mosier was also gassin' a new Maico about, but he didn't race either and just tore up the track afterwards.
The line-up of Experts was excellent but as you'll soon find out several of these shoes were knocked out by the weather. The two fast guys on Orange County Cycle YZ's, being Bruce Baron and Mike Gillman, really were on the gas in the first moto they were 1-2 and were constantly changing places. The contest was to see who could get round the mudholes first. I think I saw both of them cut each other off at one time or another. John DeSoto was hauling on his new Moto Villa 250 and was getting ready to zapp those two when he went through a mudhole and the thing burbled out. I asked him what happened to the machine and he said "I don't know" and wanted me just to write that.
The bike looks like the new KTM's with the slanted shock set-up and the set looked like the one on the large bore Penton as well. Then it was Baron's turn, he hit a waterhole and his machine quit firing as well and he said that the water wigged out his motoplat. So Mike Gillman ran away with it today in that moto and he did like wise in the second moto for the overall win. Pete Maly hung in second on his Coast Moto Cycle CZ and even he had trouble with his bike. I talked to him down at his shop that night and he told me that he was riding like an old lady because of bike hassles. "Super Muff" Steve Montague hooked third over Ken Martin.
Ray O'Brien of Harry's Cycles Sales in Orange smoked the 100 class and this was one of the first if not the first time that I can remember him racing in SAM. The rest of the class may of had a chance but everytime that I turned around one guy or more would land in the mud. But Ray didn't get off scott free either because I saw him slide out on a corner as well, Greg Apostolon (Kaw) and Richard Hawkins on a Hod took second and third.
Back to the super fast lady racer Lone Watson. Ya believe it or not when it comes to motocross, even the Women get muddy.
Lone races in the 125 Intermediate class and she had to borrow a bike because hers wasn't working. She said that the bike was kind of a toad but she didn't have a chance of winning because she would fall. So the 125 Intermediate class win went to Leni Fass, who I usually just see race at OCIR, Gene Maple and Nick Hein.
Each week it's hard to remember alot of the details of each race so I'm reading this book that may help, it's called "How to Develop a Super Power Memory" by Harry Lorayne. It's suppose to help you remember names, faces, numbers, events, facts, ideas and Motocross races!
