OCMC Great Bear Grand Prix at Riverside Raceway
The Experts race away from the start at the Great Bear Grand Prix. The OCMC really did a fine job of putting on such a large race. Wright photo.
Orange County MC
at
Riverside Raceway
Saturday April 5, 1975
By: Steve Van Wormer
The Orange County MC has out done themselves this time. They put on a difficult fast moving, yet lots of fun Grand Prix, complete with camera-computerscoring system and a system for starting the races that worked flawlessly. Everything was timed to the minute. Riders meeting at eight, impound open at eight-thirty, and the race began at nine on the dot. The first race was Saturday morning, it was composed of: Powder Puffs, all classes of 100's, 125's and 175's. First overall was Jim Fishback, 125 Expert, number 28 who pulled some kind of class swithcheroo that enabled him to start some three rows ahead of anyone else in his class with the exception of number 27, who pulled a similar trick, and started right next to Fishback and placed second overall. There was no number 27 or 28 in the program and no one was able to tell me the identity of rider number 27, I wonder why? Third overall was Jim Connolly on a Bultaco. He started in position number 97 with the rest of the 125 Experts, except of course number 27 and 28. He had to work his way past 55 175 Amateurs and Experts to catch the leaders in his class. For my money, the winner of the 125 Expert class with the best ride of the day was Jim Connolly of the Dirt Diggers MC.
Fourth overall starting from spot 61 was Dave Urbina on a Puch. Dave was first 175 Amateur in the unofficial results. Fifth overall and second unofficial 175 was Richard Barada, number 49 of the Viewfinders. Sixth overall and first 175 Expert was number 18, Frankie Keepers on a Penton. Towards the afternoon the Big Water-truck in the sky started doing it's thing and the choking dust that was a problem in the morning obscuring goggles and number plates was destined to be no more.The monkey tucks in behind the pilot of this hack so he won't get mudded out while racing the Great Bear. There were some real lakes scattered all over the ten mile track. Wright photo.
The afternoon race was made up of all classes of 250's. And number 31, Larry Roeseler in his Barley-Davidson put on a fine show for everyone. With a minute and a half lead at the white flag he won easily despite the fact it was raining harder by the minute. As the rainfall increased people lined the fence along the asphalt areas to watch the 75 yard slides as riders were unable to negotiate turns on the slippery pavement at high speeds and they consequently separated from their machines and many of them departed the course on the seat of their leather pants.
Half the fun of racing Great Bear this year was making it through the mud and not loosing fire. Wright photo.
Second overall and also on a Harley was Bruce Ogilvie of the Desert Zebras MC. Bruce started in spot 57 and did some hard riding to pull off second. Third was Bob Balentine of the Invaders MC on his Husky. Fourth overall was Phill Stumbo, who was first unofficial 250 Amateur on his CZ, talk about doing some riding Phil started way back with number 124. Fifth overall was Mark Adent of the Rams MC on a Penton. By the time all of the finishers were in it was really pouring in some places. Then the winds died down and the rain subsided till Just after dinner time.
Rain throughout most of the night did not dampen anyone's spirit although we heard it did dampen some of the uncovered bikes in the impound area. The whole program for Sunday morning was set up one half hour to allow the Riverside Raceway track maintenance people time to remove the standing water from the paved areas of two courses. For the morning race another fourth of the nearly 2000 entries-lined up and departed. The Sunday morning race was all the unclassified 100's, 125's, 175's, and 250 riders and the Lightweight and Heavyweight side hacks and all the Dunecycles. Because of the weather the race was decided to only be for eighty miles instead of the planned one hundred. The track was very muddy and throughout the race it sprinkled lightly. First overall for Sunday morning was Tom Lamar on a Husky, number 64. Second was Gordon R. Ducan on a Yamaha number 35. Third overall was number 28 Richard Breedveid on a Yamaha and fourth spot was taken by number 19, Phil Lawrence on a Honda.
As you finished a lap you were watched by TV. Actually, it wai for scoring the event. It makes things much easier on everybody. Wright photo.
The rain let up again and the sun came out, alot of the mud cleared up and OCMC announced that if the weather held the afternoon race would be allowed to run the entire ten mile laps. The Sunday afternoon race was made up of all the 500's all the Opens classified and unclassified. The race began and after two laps people began making pit stops. One of these was number 400 Richard Dashley who came all the way from Las Vegas to race on his brand new 360 Bultaco. He fell victim to the old three gallons of gas in the tank, one on the bike and one on the ground with the pit crew smoking trick. His bike went up in a cloud of Black pre-mix smoke that could be seen from anywhere on the course. The fire was put out in a very few minutes although a few nearby gas cans were relocated by some quick thinking bystanders just in case. We noticed John McCown, 221 on his Husky run the first lap without Cookie, probably to make sure the ole boy wouldn't be washed away in one of the water crossings. We saw him aboard later in the day, very considerate of you John.
First overall in the afternoon race was Jim Fishback. No one knows whether or not he would have been able to hold the lead through the entire race, we never will as it was called off for saftey reasons about halfway through. Scored for second overall was Jeff Wright, 70 of the Checker MC on a Mid-Valley CZ. Third overall was number 37 Alan May on a Husky.
This year, they let everybody ride the Great Bear. Can you imagine riding one of these for 100 miles. Wright photo.
The reason this race was stopped mid point was it was hailing ice crystals as big as your thumb nail and the pavement sections were so slipperey nearly everyone was unloading. So for that race all riders that had completed four laps received finisher pins. One of the last men on the course headed into the camera slot, slipped on the icy pavement and sent his Yamaha careening into the soggy haybales and the rider slid across the finish line at which time he was given the checkered flag and a standing ovation by all present.
Everyone said it was a great course and the OCMC deserves a big hand for a job well done!!