CMC MX at Irwindale Raceway
CMC
at
Irwindale Raceway
Friday April 11, 1975
By: Buzz Baty
If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. I reckon we've all heard that all our lives. About six weeks ago, maybe eight weeks ago, Steve Glatts had won the first two motos, and looked like a shoo-in for first overall, when up jumped the devil and rolled him a pair of snake-eyes in the form of Mark Lawrence. Lawrence had finished second to Glatts in the first two motos, but in the third moto, Lawrence took the lead and the win, while the best Glatts could do was a third place finish. Lawrence came out the overall winner on the best finish last moto rule. Well, in talking to Steve tonight, he had already won the first two motos, and he was talking to Steve Cross and myself about how he had never won a first place at Irwindale. He had a room full of second and third place trophies, but no first placers.
I said, "Steve, you know what you have to do. If Van Hook gets the lead, follow him around like a hound dog on the scent of something good and you're home free. Just don't get into a dice with him, fall down and let somebody pass you." Well sure enough, Van Hook took the lead in the final moto and Glatts followed him like there was a two foot rope between them, with Van Hook doing the towing. For the first time ever, Steve Glatts came out with a first overall win in division two of the 125 Intermediates.Van Hook, last week's winner, finished second overall with third going to Darrell Hutchins. Fourth overall went to a brand new Intermediate rider, (up 'till now you've seen his name and his picture as the winner of many a Mini Expert class), Bill Fancher by name, 52Z by number, on a box-stock, brand spanking new, 125 Elsinore. For the first time out, Bill acquitted himself admirably, with finishes of sixth, third, and fifth for his fourth overall. Congratulations, Mr. Fancher! Well, I've often said that deuces never loses, particularly when you have three of a kind, and as far as Rick Fiore is con¬cerned, his three deuces in division one of the 125 Intermediates was just fine. Steve Schilling won moto one, Steve Cross won moto three, and in between John MacGregor won the second moto. But it was Fiore on top overall with his deuces, MacGregor second and Cross in for third overall.
Lots of trouble for a couple of 125 Pros who have a habit of winning. David Taylor had a Honda tonight that just flat wasn't making any horsepower and sounded like it. David's Honda finally expired in the final moto. Gary Denton, who led round one for the first three laps, only to have his Honda quit, got it fired back up, but could do no better than fourth. The rest of the night was just as bad with his Honda finally giving up the ghost in the last moto. The rest of the evening was taken up by runaway wins on the part of Tim Lunde in the first two motos, and a show of brotherly love in the last moto. After Denton's Honda expired in the first moto, it was Tim by a wide margin to the finish.
Tim then won the second moto without serious challenge. In the meantime, Don Bongiorno had finished second and third, while Rob Zamora had a second and a fifth. Chuck Lunde, meanwhile, had compiled finishes of fifth and third. In the last moto,, brotherly love came to the fore when Tim Lunde, far out in front, had time to slow down, survey the field behind him, and see that his brother Chuck was run¬ning in second place, holding off Rob Zamora. So what did brother Tim do? Why, he slows down long enough for brother Chuck to come by and take th'e last moto win, giving him second overall. Tim took second in the last moto which, of course, was good enough for first overall. This little bit of chicanery then dropped Bongiorno from a sure second to a third overall, and Rob Zamora from third to fourth. Who says blood isn't thicker than water?
Let's make short work of the 500 Pros. With but very minor changes, read last week's report and results over again..-Same players, same results one minor change. Bill Rubly swept them all, but Jeff Jennings hobbled on the start and could only get a fifth in the last moto, while last week's third place finisher, Curtis Lessel put together three thirds for a second overall with Jennings dropping to third overall. It just doesn't hardly seem right. I mean things happening like Jeff Vidic not here to ride in the 250 Pro class. Rex Staten is here, but on an Ossa? That's almost blasphemy. The only thing that was as it should be was that Val Tamietti was on his Maico. Val was the catalyst for the first two motos since he really kept things scrambled up with Pessy and Staten. David won the first moto with Staten second and Tamietti third. Staten won moto two with Tamietti second and Pessy third.
Coming out to the last moto you figure it's gonna be a real barn burner between these three, but good lord in heaven, the world has gone beserk. Everything is upside dowa Who's that in the lead, number 96 you say boobie, that can't possible be, number 96 is John Mc-Manaway. He's never been out front of the likes of Pessy, Staten, and Tamietti in his life, but sure enough number 96, riding a Maico, John McManaway led David Pessy, Rex Staten, and Val Tamietti for three and a half of the five laps, and he did it with a grin that was going from ear to ear. John ended up fifth overall in that final moto, but I'll tell you one thing folks, for three and half laps, John McManaway was high hog at the trough and he loved every flaming second of it. Pessy got around him first, then Staten, then Tamietti, and oh good lord, you know what John did on the last corner, he dropped it. John got it back up in time to finish fifth, which was good for fourth overall behind the first, second and third of Pessy, Staten, and Tamietti. You may not have won it John, but it sure was fun, huh? Robert Gray didn't win any motos in division one of the Mini Juniors, but he did take first overall. Andy Guth won the last two moios, but a seventh in the first moto forced him into the second overall spot. Chuck Okimoto got in for third overall. In division two it was Mike Palumbo out in front in all three motos for his first overall. Kavin Bowden took second overall, with third going to Ron Baumgartner. Lance Moorewood came back to race with Irwindale's Quarry Warriors tonight and took first overall in the Mini Experts with a sweep. Ricky Simmons and Little Joe Tucci came in for second and third place respectively. North Hefley won the first moto for the 250 Juniors with Mark Oldar getting a second and Jon Burgstrom third. But Jon came back and won the last two, taking first overall away from North, who had to settle for the second overall spot, while Mark Oldar got in for third overall.
Sixty-two 125 Juniors showed up to try their luck in the Spring Motocross Championship Series and raced in four divisions. For division one Dan Hendricks took first in the first two motos and a second in the last round for his first overall. Robert Broguiere took second overall with a pair of seconds in the first two rounds and a win in the last moto with David Rogers getting third overall. Steve Wagner took his first overall in division three with three deuces. Gary Bowden took second overall with third going to Fred Gardeazabal. Even though Mark Braunwalder took a seventh in the first moto for division four, he came back and won the last two for his first overall. Mike Reina and Shawn Beal took the second and third place spots. In division two it was Jim Gallager for first overall with one, two, one finishes. Jim Harris took second overall with finishes of three, one, two, with Randy Skinner getting in for third overall. Pat Nash did it again to the 100 Juniors, getting three firsts for his first overall for the night. Jeff Maas finally made it back up in the top three tonight getting the second overall spot with John Wilson settling for third overall.
Roy Holsheimer took first overall again tonight in the 250 Intermediate class with Mike Harris getting in for second overall, third going to Larry Lutz. As usual, the 500 Juniors and In¬termediates raced together tonight, both having small classes. But, not as usual, a Junior was out in front in all three motos. Jeff Jackson swept his Junior competitors for the first overall and all the In¬termediates too, even though, since scoring is separate, Byron Hendricks took first overall for the Intermediates. Trent McGee and Cliff Hicks took the second and third spot behind Byron for the In¬termediates. Terry Hindson and Rocky Vanzant took second and third behind Jackson for the Juniors.