AMC at O.C.I.R.
AMC
at
Orange County International Raceway
Friday March 21, 1975
By: Tom Corley
Well what do you know, there was a race for a change! I hope that all rain clouds will disappear from now on till summer time so that OCIR racing can start picking up again. Two Fridays ago it was quite clear that the night of racing was washed out but last week a few others and I made the mistake of motoring out to the track without calling the SCM Hot Line ahead of time and sure enough the gates were chained!
The show got on the road a little late tonight and everyone at the riders meeting wanted to race for the three full motos even if it would be a 12 o'clocker. And just before the race everyone was entertained by a couple of circle freaks who kept on sliding out on the Speedway track.FLASH!!! According to the track's fine announcer Dan Skahill the Speedway track will be a burnout area for the MX'ers starting next Friday. This is a good idea because several hot dogs have been known to wipe-out on the unlighted stretch behind the grandstands. Just tonight I saw a guy on a wild machine fly right into the track fence in that area.
It looks like the World Mini Gran Prix kind of sapped most of the fast Mini contestants out of the night's racing and there was no Intermediate or Expert classes at all. I thought that the 100 class was especially hot tonight though and out of the pack a new shoe is finally arising into victory circle and this is Steve Sandoz who races a Suz to win in the 100 Beginner class. All of the 100 classes naturally scramble around together and Steve was doing exceptional against the fast Expert Bill Taylor until he dropped back towards the end of the night. Dale Himmereick on Yamaha trailed Steve and beat out Don Germain who I believe was messed in the start of one moto when he hooked machines with Bill Taylor and went down at the jacknife corner.
Tim Murphy was doing excellent on his new Elsinore that was sleeved down in the 100 Junior class for the win but lacked competition so he diced with Bill Taylor who won the Experts on a Yamaha. Murphy had bike problems in the final moto of the night, I'm not sure what it was but I was at the now modified corkscrew corners and his Elsie just quit for a spell.
The fourth race of the night was the 125 Junior and Intermediate go and these guys really haul with some of the Junior people being easily as fast as the Intermediates. Huff Hadley of DG Performance Specialties whipped the 10 man Junior class despite what looked to be like a dragging down-pipe in the final moto. Huff hooked three firsts over Gary Stophel and Leo Saul(who is now battling tough competition) but the real action was at the front of the pack where the top Intermediates were. Dave Bush of Torrance Cycle Parts was one racer who I remember right away from CMC Ascot action and his match was made when he met Larry Luwellen. Larry has his lucky 24L No. plate on for good now and he diced equally with Bush for a close race and finally buzzed by Dave in the second moto. But overall Bush bushed him while Kevin Bushmier and Arnold White held down the tail end of the pack.
Dave Bush wasn't the only racer who flew with the Torrance Cycle Parts jersey on because Tom Mayfield who was Maico mounted did also and won the 230 Intermediate class in the same manner. And what do you know, the Southland Cycle ace Russ Stark viewed his way from behind May field's machine in all but the second moto in which he won, Steve Brady on the 54A Maico flew in for third for the night. Mark Abrahams of Westminster Sport Center was really flying in the first moto in which he took a second in the tough 250 Expert class. Later I believe the machine wigged out on him or something so he didn't do so hot but at least he didn't have worn brake shoe hassles like he did in Hi School action awhile back. From then on it was a great battle between Competition Cycle Products Mark Marinez and John Estes who were both on Maicos. Marinez had both of the last two motos wired down but due to a poor first moto landing his overall position was hurt drastically and Estes who had 1-2-2 finish took home the wallet full of money.
