Sambo's-CMC Have A Filling Day Part 1
CMC
at
Saddleback Park
Sunday April 20, 1975
By: Joel Jamieson
Today CMC and Sambo's Restaurant presented a $1000 purse to the Pro riders and all the pancakes you could eat for a mere 50 cents. The first time they tried this it rained for most of the day, but today you couldn't have asked for a more perfect day.
The first Pro race of the day was the 500 class. Bill Rubly really cleaned house as he got the holeshot in both motos and was never really challenged for the lead. The first moto got under way with Rubly getting the start. Frank Fitzgerld second and Jon Derhammer third on his Maico. Jeff Jenning held on to fourth.
Soon Jen-ning began to pressure Derhammer for third spot.Fitzgerald started to move on Rubly but Rubly held the Husky ace. Jenning drops back to let Jeff Eierstedt move into fourth. Eierstedt began a charge which would put him in second before the moto was over. Remember this was Eierstedt's first Pro race. Derham-mer stayed in third after being passed by the Bultaco rider.
Moto two got going with, you guessed it, Rubly smoking everyone off the line. Dei-hammer held second over Maico mounted Russell. Eierstedt had gotten a better start than in the first race and was in Fourth. A few laps later Eierstedt had gotten by Russell to take over third position. And that's the way things finished.
In the 250 Pro battle, Rex Staten proved he can win on just about anything he rides as today he showed riding a CZ for Triumph-Suzuki of Pomona and took two firsts over a strong field of riders. The first moto started with Bob Stem on a Bike Shop CZ jumping out into the lead Danny LaPorte mounted on a Franks 250, held second Dave Pessy was third on his Montesa. In a few laps, Radical Rex was fourth and movin.
Danny LaPorte and Bob Stem were having it out for the number one position with Stem holding off the Franks rider. Hannah, on a Steve Kurd Husky, was trying to sneak past Staten but Rex then overtook Pessy for third. Pessy is now fourth and Hannah is fifth. LaPorte gases on by Stem for first. Hannah gets under Pessy to move into fourth. LaPorte is now beginning to stretch out his lead over the rest of the pack but look out cause here comes Rex, who had passed Stem and was now in second. Stem drops to fourth and Hannah is now in third. A couple of laps later and we have a new leader. Rex Staten. Danny LaPorte stays with Staten but is beginning to be pressured by Hannah for the second spot. Danny drops back and Rex now has a clean lead. Hannah finished second unable to catch Rex. Stem finished third in the first moto. LaPorte was fourth.
Bruce Baron on a Yamaha grabbed the holeshot in moto two with LaPorte real close in second. Staten was third with Hannah fourth. LaPorte was just waiting for Baron to make the slightest mistake so he could take the lead. Hannah and Stem are having a good race going on in the fourth place spot. LaPorte dropped back which put Staten in second and Hannah up into third. Stem was now fourth. Everyone knew it was going to happen and in a few laps it did. Staten was once again in the lead. Baron managed to hold on to second though. Hannah finished third with Stem in the fourth spot when the checkered flag waved.
The 125 Pro class was so full of riders that they had to run two qualifier motos with the top 8 in each moto transferring to the final. A third moto would also be run to give those who didn,'t place in the top eight, in the first two, another chance. The final was one of the better races of the day. The winners of the qualifiers were Warren Reid and Dave Williams. Reid was mounted on a Honda while Williams was riding on the D&G bikes.
When the final rolled around, it was getting late. The start had Gary Den ton on a D&G Honda out of the gate first with Reid second and Chuck Lunde third. Tim Lunde passes Chuck for second and Mark Tyer (Welcome Back) passes Turner for fourth and a little later zaps Chuck Lunde which puts him in third. Denton has fallen back and now Reid has the lead with Tim Lunde second and Tyer third.
