RTMC-MX at Carlsbad Raceway
Rolf Tibblin MX
at
Carlsbad Raceway
Saturday March 1, 1975
By: The Scene & Bonzai Billy
Boy, am I tired! Whew! Racing for those ever precious Coliseum HS Qualifier points really gets you pooped. But that's racing, and RACING it was. By the turn out in today's RTMC race, you can get a very clear picture as to how many people (uh, urn, high schoolers...) want to get to the Super Bowl of Motocross HS bash-a lot! Let's see-now, for confusion's sake, the RTMC gang decided to separate the Qualifier racers from the usual Rolf riders. Smart, there's no way you can get mixed up in something like that. With three races of 125 Juniors and Intermediates, a couple 250's and 500's. Experts and HS Experts, it should come out to a very long day. But it sure didn't seem like it as most everything went smooth, as typical of RTMC.
And for the reader's sake, this article is on the regular RTMCers. Don't confuse it with the last article two weeks ago, as that was the wrong thing also. Here goes: There is only one thing that Ron Turner can ever do, and that's win. He wins left and right, up and down, sideways and straight, what can I say, he's hot Ron and his blue Honda teamed up to take the 125 AMA District 38 Number one plate for the past season, and he did this as a privateer.
Last week he came out and won, about a month ago he came out to RTMC and won, the week before that he did the same thing, and guess what he did today? He won again. Jeff Borden grabbed the holeshot in the first moto of the Expert class, but his lead was cut to a little over a lap as Ron Turner swept by him on the downhill. Coming up behind the Maico rider was CRT's John Smith on his trick red Honda. It didn't take long for John to get by Borden and chase after Ron.
Ron was OTG because he knew that Smith is very quick and WFO. About halfway through the moto, John lost a master link off of his brand spankin' new chain, allowing team-mate Terry Turner to get by and take a second. John got going again to take third, with Jeff Borden back there with a DNF. The second moto seemed like an instant replay, Ron was out in front with Smith frantically trying to catch up. Ron just held it to the stops as he was long gone at the finish line, John just couldn't get it going right to get Ron. Terry Turner was a little slack from his usual form, but it began to pick up quite a bit at the end of the second moto, the Honda really flies with the Kerney Mesa sixteen-year-old.
Ron collected up the cash for first, Smith took second, and Terry Turner grabbed third ahead of Jeff Borden on his big Maico. Sandy Pulford grabbed another first in the 500 Intermediate class on his CZ by winning the first and taking second in the second behind Scott Thompson on another CZ, Jeff Olsen took second in the first moto, but he was unable to out do Scott in the second for a first on his CZ. Ray Baum ran alone today in the 500 Junior class, but he took home a big trophy anyway.
What's consistency? Dave Brinton ran away with the 250 Intermediates by winning both motos on his Husky-mounted Mike seconds, just behind Haas on a sharp looking red and Yamaha YZ with two thirds. Yes, what is consistency? Mike Hamel powered his way to two moto wins on his Honda, with Roy Smotherman (Yam) grabbing a couple of seconds, while Tracy Trup taking thirds on his chrome paneled Kawasaki in the 250 Junior division.
DSI's Danny Dilkey boogied his Suzuki to a first in the 100 Junior class, beating out comeback John Moyer on his ol' Yami, followed by Sam Ryan on a Lemon Grove Suzuki. Mark Guinto totally dominated the Mini class with his new Powroll Honda. Behind Mark was a lot of dicing, especially between Ralph Longo and Mike Fratta. Those two dudes were really going at it, wide open into all of the corners, it made you wonder if they even had a throttle. Mike finally pulled away to grab second, while Tim Woods aced Ralph in the second moto for third spot on his Honda.
In typical Adolf Weil style, Shane Smith grabbed the holeshot in the first moto, of the 125 Junior class. Shane's new Monoshock Kawasaki (with Elsinore forks) had problems still needed to be sorted out Out in front about half way through the moto, the Kaw began to belch. Yep, it appeared that his ignition was going away. Keith Villalobos went on and took first overall on his quick Honda, while Mark True grabbed second, ahead of another come back rider, Paul Woods on another Honda.
Ron Laffranchi went home with a first place trophy in the 125 Intermediate class, blazing Joe Padilla from Competition Cycles grabbed second on his Husky. Bob Murray took third on his Honda in the Intermediates. Padilla, who usually rides desert, didn't have too hard of a time getting around the track "As long as I was going straight, it was fine, but when the turns came up..." There, that's the regular RTMC race for March first. A whole big wrap-up on the Qualifiers will coming your way in about a month or two when the Qualifiers are over, then it's off to the Coliseum...
