Draz, Harper, Haugh - Indian Dunes Champs - AME - Indian Dunes Championships - Race 2
AME
at
Indian Dunes
Saturday December 28, 1974
By: Chris Hatounian
Mother Nature burst liquid sunshine around the Dune’s Shadow Glen circuit, leaving the trade into an impassable muck for the entire day. It was a grim sight for the riders but the best for the spectators watch the small turnout slosh and slither through the mire. Instead of thinking of the rider’s that finished as finishers, it would have been better to describe them as survivors.
Expert turnout was really down, leaving the ones that did show up an easy time of getting some points. Willy Harper was the sole entrant in the 250 Expert race, leaving him with just an afternoon cruise in the mud for first place. What else can be said for the Revell CZ rider, who, after today, has pretty well established himself as the next 250 Pro champ of the Old Reservation. Not your hardest earned win, eh Willy?Things weren’t much worse for Bultaco-mounted Dave Haugh as his only competition for the day was N.B.R. rider Tom Claire, and Willy Harper again on an Open class Maico. Well, as you probably guessed it, Mr. Haugh powered, slided, slithered, slipped and sprayed his way to his second overall win of the series.
As for Harper and Claire, the last time I saw Willy, he was walking away from a half submerged Maico, shaking his head. And Claire came flying through a water hole, leaving his CZ with no spark to call it’s own. I’ll say one thing, some of the better racing of the day was the Junior and Beginner racing. You have to give credit to the guys that even showed up!
100 Junior rider who has really been putting it to the troops lately is young Mike Harnaker, who took the overall win in the first series race. Harnaker came back to win the 100-Junior class today aboard his Suzuki getting his only pressure from even younger Johnny Welchel riding a Suzuki of Van Nuys sponsored bike. Welchel took a second in the first race and came back today to take another second in all the muck. I don’t even see how the little guy even hung on to the bike let alone ride it the way he does!
It’s hard to believe that any Powder Puffers would race in the mud but they did! Janice Kline showed up as did Roxan Doughterty and won the Powder Puff class for the second week in a row with little trouble from the track, her bike and Roxan or Viki Hendrix, who also showed.
R. Arnold (sorry, his first name wasn’t listed) took a hard spill while battling it out for the 125 Junior lead last week and took a hard spill that put him out for the day. The overall went to Willy Simons. This week, it was Simon’s turn to have the problems as Arnold slithered to the win. Simons took a sour running bike that quit a few times and racked up a second for this week. Willy is in a good position to win the 125 Junior championship next week at the final. Arnold’s first race crash will make his chances slim.
John Oswald took the 125 Intermediate victory for the second week in a row making him about the best and only candidate for the 125 Intermediate championship.