CMC MX at Carlsbad Raceway
CMC
at
Carlsbad Raceway
Sunday March 9, 1975
By: The Scene & Bonzai Billy
Do you ever get frustrated when you get blown into the weeds because your competition has the track wired? Does the same ol' track, week after week, ever bore you? So, what's new? Except, wow! Did CMC ever have something in store for the MX'ers at Carlsbad today!! The idea behind it all was to set up a TOTALLY different track. I mean TOTALLY Because of the week's rain and all, the Carlsbad GP course was too mutilated to prepare. The track looked like a soup bowl (hmmm, the Souper Bowl") and it looked pretty much unrideable. The Continental Motosport Club is well noted for running races RAIN or shine, without fail. Even if it means changing the track around a little bit, or in this case, all the way. The "European" Carlsbad was a gas, most of the riders liked the new layout. Many of them want to run it this way more often.
Practice was extra long to allow the riders to sort out the new version of Carlsbad. The start area was the only section of the track being used from the GP course, from then on, it was a different world. Yep. It looked like Europe, with all the grass, mud, turn after turn, up and down, 100 percent TRACTION; Roger, Adolf, Gerrit, and a host of others would have killed to get a peek at it today. The sky was patchy, with sudden burts of sunlight and darkness, but it didn't hinder the racing for today. With racing at it's finest-CMC; where everyone from squid to super Pro has someone to battle it out with. Here goes: Joe Johnston grabbed the holeshot on his big Maico in the first 500 Pro, with Wheelsmith's Bill Rubly, CZ-mounted Sherman Schneller, and Wayne Boyer right on his tail. Johnston appeared to be running away with it at first, until Boyer began to move up in his usual steady style. Wayne nipped away Johnston's lead until it diminished. Boyer soon began to really stretch it out as the moto wore on. Frank Fitzgerald moved into fourth spot on his quick Husky when Schneller's CZ just plain quit after falling in the mud. Doug Sherman was rapidly moving up from a mid-pack start to mingle with the front runners.On the last lap, Boyer got out of shape in a slippery section and dropped his new '75 CZ and the lead. Joe Johnston cruised in for the win, with Rubly finishing second, Fitzgerald in third, and Boyer finishing up a fourth in the moto. The next moto was an instant replay, as Boyer quickly grabbed the lead, only he held it on to the finish. Johnston was slowly motoring around the track as Fitzgerald held fast to second, just ahead of Sherman on his big Maico. Jeff Jennings was doing a lot better in the second moto as he grabbed a fourth at the finish. Boyer went home with the top cash when Johnston finished up a poor tenth in the second moto. Frank Fitzgerald collected up second, while Sherman took third by placing 5-3. Joe Johnston got fifth overall anyway, while Coast MC's Jeff Browning grabbed fifth with two consistent sixths. Dan McKee pulled the string on the 250 Pros in the first moto on his Bui. Privateer Rich Graf ton quickly took the top position away from McKee. Wayne Boyer was really doing his thing as he rode the 250 class also, right behind Richard Grafton and ahead of Husky-mounted Robert Elliot. Clark Jones followed the front runners in fourth, while Ron Blanton and Ray Topham had a little dice going on. Rich was sailing way out in front, when all of a sudden his chain decided to break. DNF. Boyer inherited first spot, as Elliot moved into second, followed by Blanton and Topham, who both got by Jones after the Kurd Cycles rider fell. Grafton didn't let a DNK get him down, as he holeshoted the second moto, closely followed by Robert Hannah on a Husky. Rich pulled away from the pack, leaving Boyer, Elliot, Hannah, and Jones to fight for positions.
About three laps to go, Rich stopped, appearing to adjust his brakes. Boyer caught and passed him, along with Elliot. Grafton played it cool and zapped them both on the next lap. Enough time to grab the top spot in the moto and sixth overall. Elliot worked his way past Boyer on the final lap to take second, followed by Hannah and Ron Blanton. Robert Elliot's sponsor, Steve Kurd Cycles, must be proud to have the quick Husky rider, as he took home top cash with a consistent and cool-headed race of two second place finishes. Consistency pays off. Wayne Boyer rode his CZ for a second overall finish for the day, while Ron Blanton grabbed third on his Bui, next came Robert Hannah and Clark Jones. First time out in a while, Bill Urban was back to his old tricks as he once again holeshoted the 125 Pro class. CMC's No. 1 Mike Bell wasn't too far behind the fast WTE rider, as Tony Wanket, Bob Stem, and Terry Turner followed up in the top five.
Urban had his blue and chrome Honda WFO (OTG? BTW? TFA? KB?) to finish up in first without any kind of hassle. Mike Bell rode steadily to take second. Tony Wanket got hung up in the rocks, allowing Stem, Turner, and Moates to get by. Marty Moates gassed it past CRT's Terry Turner when he got out of shape on a bumpy uphill. Bob Stem was really flying on the new stone stock 125 Yamaha Monoshocker. Stem finished up third, sighted by Moates, Turner, and Wanket.
Billy grabbed the hole position again in the second moto, but he was quickly passed by Moates on his Elsie. Mike Bell, Terry Turner, Stem, and Wanket came around next. On about the fourth lap, Terry Turner was going WFO down the main straight when he clipped his bars against a post on the fence, throwing him off onto the track. Bob Stem at the same time had his Mono OTG and ran right over Terry's back.
The Pros weren't about to slow down. The front runners didn't pay attention to the yellow flags. The race had to be red flagged. As Mr. Croft (Tommy's dad) held out the red flag, Moates came by slowly, but Urban came by flying like nothing had happened and he almost ran me over. The ambulance had to leave the track, with Terry in it. (As of late, Terry's condition is fair with three cracked vertebrae, pulled back muscles, and a badly bruised leg. Bad news. He'll be back at it in no time, watch out. Heck, he's only sixteen.)
Urban holeshoted the restart, but was once again passed by Moates in the first few turns. Then the skies gave out a cry as it began to lightly rain, messing up my glasses. (I guess I need wind-shield wipers.) Mike Bell was circulating in mid-pack, not nearly up to his usual speed. Moates held his lead all the way, with Urban a ways back. Bob Stem ended up third, followed by Tony Wanket and Mike Bell. Billy went home with a check for first place, Marty Moates took a second, Stem grabbed third, fourth went to Mike Bell, while Tony Wanket went home with fifth.
Whew! Another typical day with CMC. That is-LOTS of racing. This time on the "European" track at Carlsbad. If you missed it, you missed it. But you never know, they may use it again. You never know what Stu and Kel have up their sleeve. Next week: Sambo's is coming to Saddleback for breakfast. Fifty cents for all you can eat, it's worth it to go out there just for the pancakes! I am, I'll Banzai on those munchies.
