AME-MX at Valley Cycle Park
AME
at
Valley Cycle Park
Sunday March 30, 1975
By: John Grout
Today's motocross racing program at Valley Cycle- Park-an event being run under sanction of Jerry Shore's American Motocross Enterprises group-developed into not only a fantastic show on a colorful and sunny Easter Sunday, it also attracted a majority of the BIG talent for an 8"^-hour, full-bore donnybrook on the extended dirt track.
Meeting on the European-style course at the complex-one that had been magnificently prepared by Dick Zahnter and crew-overall victories, following two 30-minute motos in their respective Expert riding divisions, were to go to Kenny Zahrt, Tom Zahnter and Randy Berkeley. And all three of them made it to the winner's circle by way of the grand slammer route, by getting to the checkered first in both of their heat races and by turning in almost equal displays of bound-and-bounce savvy.
The two event that involved Berkeley, who was straddling one of the big Maicos against the Open Pro division, led off in the first race as one that would be cloaked with an ample supply of two-wheeler clout. Unfortunately, however, it didn't end as such...Two of the major contenders for wins in the class found themselves out of the day's action within the initial laps of the first moto. Forced to withdraw early from the competition were Bill Payne and Don Draz.
Payne, who was holding a narrow advantage over Berkeley at the time, slid out in the ess turns just before the scoring booth, sustaining a reinjury to a leg ligament that has been troubling him for quite some time. While Draz, involved in somewhat of a freak accident, suffered a gash on his knee. Needless to say, as both riders engage in their racing for the same cycle shop, the two misfortunes dealt a severe blow to "Uncle" Louis and his Revell Raiders. With Payne and Draz forced to watch the contest from the sidelines, a redhot and rapidly-improving Berkeley scorched to wide-margined landslides in both motos over hard-charging but out-gunned Rick Salmon (Mai) and Jeff Wright, who was aboard a quick CZ from the Mid-Valley shop.
Zahnter, who captured both events for Pros on the 125cc machinery: Well, what can you say-really?? Not only is he one of the true veterans of motocross sport but if he's able to extend his present racing acumen to any fuller extent, the remainder of the contestants had better start going to the line a whole week earlier:: They'll require something of a head start. Astride a King Kong-type Honda, Zahnter who, notwithstanding the fact that his dad happens to be manager at Valley Cycle Park, does not engage in contests all that often at the facility, grabbed first-lap leads in both 30-minute events for the lightweight running gear. Grabbed-hell!!! Orbited might be closer to the actual happening.
During the first lap of each race-at the precise moment when the many spectators in attendance would (normally) expect to be treated to a batch of back-and-forth dicing among the riding field as they sailed down the steep "Devil's Hill" sector of the course—it developed into a Big Band performance by a solo entertainer... Zahnter was quicker than Swaps, Citation, Silky Sullivan and Seabiscuit all running as a single entity at the peaks of their careers. I mean, it was some type of godawful inundation! Perhaps a hying saucer; a weid invader from the outer reaches of distant space!!
Zahnter was aboard a bike that could chase the breeze into the day following forever. It was a machine that had more snap than all of the dragons in all of Richard Wagner's operas. It, I think, had enough power to convert coconut juice into whipped cream. Among those finishing as runners-up to winner Zahnter were Tony De Latorre (Pen), Steve Hickok (Hon) and Dave Urquhart (Hon).
Kenny Zahrt, who was astride a Bay Area -tuned Bultaco, scored come-from-behind wins in the two motos that involved Pro riders on the 250cc machinery. While racing against a 25-rider field of mid-bore Pros, Zahrt's two triumphs came at the expense of Tracy Oswell (KTM) in the first event and Mike Todd (Ossa) during the second go-round.
Among others in the division whom were looking good and doing the right things at the right times were Don Hansen (Mai), who finished the afternoon as second runner-up; Mike Sixberry (Bul), Andy Segali (Bul), Dave Zahrt (Bul), John Hateley (Mon) and Dave Haugh (Bul). They just weren't able to catch the overall victor. In a special "egg race" during half-time intermission-a race in which the riders taped a fresh egg to their saddles, hoping that they would not come up broken in a two-lap event-Kenny Zahrt won the Expert racing classification, while Lionel Isa gained a win for Sportsmen. Each received $10 for their efforts. Valley Cycle Park will continue with both Saturday and Sunday motocross racing this weekend. All classes are invited for two days of fun and close action on the long course.
