AMC-MX at Carlsbad Raceway
AMC
at
Carlsbad Raceway
Sunday December 15, 1974
By: SCM Staff
Have you noticed? Noticed what? Have you ever noticed how the year has gone by so fast? It all seems too short, but I guess that's the hidden meaning behind the phrase "gee, time flies when you're having fun." And fun it was for AMC's last Carlsbad race of 1974. When I woke this morning, I woke to the tune of church music; I knew instantly what day it was, race day, other people call it Sunday. Those other people usually go to church, but my "church" is MOTOCROSS, I pray to God Motocross Scat if I'll win the 125 Novice class today and I thank the Goddess Pit Tootsie for bringing me alive and well to another day of racing. Bette had in store five-hundred whole U.S. dollars to give away to the Pro riders today, datz a lot of greenbacks, whooie! The first to go for the cash were the 500 Pros, like always, on the gas.
Out of the box in first was Jeff Szeuber on his Takahasi Yamaha Monoshocker with Scott Cavness on his Bui and CZ-mounted Jeff Browning tagging along close behind. Working his way from a sixth place start was Scott Montgomery of San Diego on his Bultaco, picking off riders at a steady rate, he passed both Cavness and Browning. The Alba Bultaco rider was aiming for one goal-Szeuber. But the mono rider had built up too much of a lead for Scott to catch him, Scott just cruised it and had to wait till the next moto.The second moto began with Coast Moto Cycle's Jeff Browning pulling the trigger on the rest of the guys. Again AAA Bultaco rider Scott Cavness started in second, and again Scott Montgomery started in about mid-pack. This time, Montgomery immediately passed (fie offief riders earf y enough to take third by the third lap. First moto winner Jeff Szeuber was lagging behind with a poor start, slowly picking of f riders with every lap. When the leaders came around for the fourth go-round, both Cavness and Montgomery had passed Browning on the downhill, Montgomery would have had the top money sewn up if he stayed in second with Szeuber way back there, but he didn't like being in second, so he passed Cavness on the downhill. That move was a smart one, 'cause Szeuber was now smokin' it and driving his way through the pack to the top three, when he passed Cavness, he was in the top two, now it was either to get Montgomery, or get second place cash. Scott, like Szeuber in the first moto, built up a tremendously lone lead, Jeff couldn't get within sight of the fast Alba rider. Scott took home a big chunk of that $500 purse. Szeuber was a sound second, while Cavness collected for third.
The 250 and 125 Pro ran their motos together, only with a split start. Terry Hugueley and his reliable Bui grabbed the holeshot on the rest for the first moto, followed closely by Rich Franklin and Chuck Rouse. Brian Barrgher and Dale Luedtke were tossing their Yamahas around dicing out for fourth, playing a racing tug of war. While this was going on, the 125's jumped off the gate with Terry Turner of the Carlsbad Raceway Team breaking the dirt fastest to grab the lead. Ron Turner was right behind Terry and passed him before the first lap was completed. Although the two Turners aren't brothers (not close relatives either), they looked like it by the way they stayed close at very quick racing speeds. Both were smokin lap times of under 1:50 on the bumpy Carlsbad track. It looked like a continuation of the race they had the day before at RTMC. Again, let's switch back to Banzai Billy with the 250's, Rich Franklin had now moved past Hugueley for top spot while Dale Luedtke, Brian Barrgher, and Chuck Rouse battling it out for third. Dale had enough of it and pulled ahead slightly to do battle with Hugueley. Dale just couldn't get his YZ going around fast enough to get by the Bui rider, he tried all ways to do it, outside, inside, out-breaking, out-gassing, just couldn't do it. Chuck Rouse was fed up with dicing out with Barrgher, so he gassed his Yamaha past Dale and left Dale to battle once again with Brian. While this was going on, time was running out with Franklin still out front by a long ways.
Ron Turner and Terry were still inches apart and still holding a steady 1:49-1:50. While those two tirelessly fought it out, Scott Clifton and Mike Johnson were riding their yellow D&G Hondas in third and fourth. Terry was getting too much dirt on his Scotts and had to slow to pull them off, dropping considerable time, he was now off the pace and couldn't quite get back at Ron, so Ron took the first moto win, Terry second and Clifton third. Ron and Terry had actually passed the 250 riders, including first place Rich Franklin, those two were going incredibly fast! Rich couldn't believe it, or could he? Anyway, he wasn't too worried, he clinched his moto with Hugueley finishing up a distant second. Chuck Rouse was able to hold back Dale Luedtke for third.
This time it's The Scene's turn to do the 250's and the Banzai Kid to do the 125's. This time Brian Barrgher and his Yamaha pulled the drag-out on the 250 Pros for the second moto. But alas, all good things must come to an end, so Rich Franklin decided he wanted the lead back, this time he skipped very far away and out of sight. Again, the battle was for the other remaining places, Eric Watral and his Husky was in second for a while, but Terry Hugueley didn't like another guy in his spot, so Terry quickly grabbed second away from Eric.
By this time, the 125's had started, Tim Buck and his red, white, and blue Honda pulled the trigger for the holeshot, Terry Turner fell down in the first comer, ending his hopes of a first place handful of money. Ron Turner watched for a while the trick looking Honda, but got tired of it and passed Buck for the top cash. Clifton and Johnson were smokin it and also got by Buck to get into second and third. Terry was now up and going again at top speed, quickly catching up.
Chuck Rouse and Dale Luedtke were once again fighting it out in the 250 Pros, only Chuck had an easier time when Dale's bike ran out of compression. From there, all was cool, except, here comes the 125's. The one-two-fives were smokin again Ron Turner was well ahead of the pack while Scott Clifton tried desperately to keep teammate Mike Johnson at bay. But Terry Turner was gassin' it too, he caught up to the D&G racers and mingled with them for a while, but the desire to win was in his eyes, so he hooked it up full open and passed both of them and he found himself in second. Terry had to settle for second because time ran out for him, anyway, Ron was too far ahead.
And with the ending of the last moto ot the day was the ending of the AMC year here at the famed Carlsbad track. 1975 guarantees an even more fantastic, fabulous, fanatic, and fun year of motocross. Put a lot of emphasis on fun, pure fun. But for now, it's good bye 1974, until...hmm, two more weeks. Then it's time to begin 1975.
