Saturday Saddleback Motocross Racing
S'Back Assoc
at
Saddleback Park
Saturday March 1, 1975
By: Tom Corley
Today was really pretty strange. At first, Saddleback Park was completely fogged out, I was in the pits and I couldn't even see the hillsides that surrounded the track. It wouldn't be that good for the • racers but it would really be hard for a flagman to warn an approaching racer if someone would of happened to fall on a comer. Some people pulled off of the track, Mr. Deley, for example, gave his son Luc the cane when he felt that it was kind of unsafe to race his CZ in the fog.
BUT THEN A MIRACLE HAPPENED. The sun said SHINE IT ON and luckily the day was saved as sun rays appeared through the sky and the weather was then excellent. But as the Saddleback Park tractor man said tc me before I left "We came about that close to stopping the race"!Well, I must say it's kind of hard to write this story when someone has the TV on. Hey! What's this on channel two? Alright, a broadcast on motocross from Dallas, Texas! Man, I hope you saw that because it was out-of-sight, Weinert, who has occasionally raced in SAM action, was cookin' and was on top of the $20,000 purse race. I especially wish the best of luck to consistent SAM stars Bruce Baron and Mike Gillman, who are traveling the circuit together in their moto truck.
Those two are naturally leaving the 250 Expert class in peace for awhile and today the shoe of the class proved to be Steve Hurd Motorcycle racer Robert Hannah. Robert finally made it to the top in this class today while he hasn't been able to do that in the last couple of weeks because of the real fast competition.
Jim Cooke, Scott Miller and Jeff Adams hooked the next three places in that contest while the new Bike Shop ace Scot Gillman roosted on 500 Expert class decisively while all three other competitors who were Steve Marusic, Jeff Whitherell and Ron Blanton all DNF'ed.
Jeff Henneke is always racing in SAM and this Saturday was also his turn to pick up on the money but in the 125 Expert class. Harry's Cycle Sales racer Paul Schones probably would of snuffed the class if it hadn't been for top end problems in the first moto. Paul motored on down to Orange County Honda and bought a new piston, slapped it on and dramatically blew everyone off in the second and final moto. Because of that Henneke took the win overall while Joe Rumney finished second over John McGonigal, Ron Knarr and Paul Schones.
Another very good race was in the Mini-100 contest where the battle was between Tony Gomez of the Mini Junior class and Dwayne Franks of the 100's. Gomez usually struts on a Yamaha or Elsinore in the 100 class but he was really hauling on a little YZ 80 against Franks who whipped a Kami-Mini-Cycle with a Hod engine. In the third moto it was really clear that all Franks wanted to do was whip it for the camera and have fun while clearly out in front. Then before he knew it Gomez snuck on by him on a downhill with less then a lap to go. They were about two corners from the checkered flag when Franks with the faster mill powered on by for the 100 win while while Tony Gomez of Venolis whipped the Mini Juniors. Bob Climmings snuffed the Mini Beginner class that tailed the two fast guys all the way with Andy Orescanin and Ryan Eide taking second and third.
