Saturday Saddleback Motocross Racing
S'Back Assoc
at
Saddleback Park
Saturday March 29, 1975
By: Tom Corley
Today's exciting SAM race seemed more like an Inter-AMA and had more stars in it than any local race that I've been to in quite awhile. This stars are now back from the big money races such as the one in Texas and Daytona and met up against each other during the two 40-minute motos in which they were right in shape for.
But out of the pack a couple of them were forced to motor on home early due to machine hassles. To the suprise of some of the big names Bob Stem, of The Bike Shop in Orange jetted out in front to an early first moto lead. Stem was leading the entire 250 Expert pack but soon got squided down by a couple riders who he was trying to lap and lost his title. Bob also bashed machines with Honda factory racer Rich Eierstadt, who fell in front of him, and naturally the CZ ace had catapulted over the bike and ended up doing an urreal front wheel header. Rich was out for the rest of the day.John DeSoto was berserking it side by side with Mike Runyard at first but then berserked out. John was gassin' it but had a stuck throttle or something and shot right back into the pits right on a swappy straight and flew off of the track two corners before the finish line area. But once Stem had trouble with the slower half of the pack the big boys rambled on by so Robert Hannah, Runyard and Yamaha's Bruce McDougal hooked the first three positions. In the second and final moto the Can-Am star Runyard in black and white just wizzed ahead and hung in there over McDougal, who got a better start, and Hannah of Steve Kurd Cycles.
The Can-Am man Runyard ended up handling the overall bills as the 250 Expert winner over Hannah, McDougal, Bob Stem, Bill Clements (who took a mean one), Steve Montague, John Petty and DeSoto and Mike Yorba who both went out early. Gary Semics who is now dressed in green for Kawasaki rambled at the top with those racers and won the 500 Expert class over Ted Hamner.
Rick Sieman, of Modem Cycle, is really turning on to SAM racing. He is always at the top of the 500 Junior bunch and was doing excellent in the final moto where he literally smoked everyone. But Jack Pelitt on a Bui had the better finishes in the first two hot motos and landed the overall win over Rick, Jim Beltnick and Steve Hazen. Mike Williams of the 125 Novice class rode his race in the same manner as did Rick Sieman. Mike, on his DG racer, cooked in the last race and dusted up the Saddleback soil in front of twelve other competitors. But Joe Rivello on a Vulcan, swept the first two goes so Mike was pushed back into second over Rick Guthridge, Kym Kirschenmann, David Gomez, Bob McMichaels. David Ayala, Pat Orescanin, Mike Chandler, Rick Hill, John Mosby, Gordon Tamn and Ben Weisneaver.
