Eastern Enduros

EASTERN ENDUROS

BOYD REYNOLDS

THE 1967 ENDURO SEASON is history. And, it appears again to be a victory for Bill Baird and Triumph as, with two events to go, his 110 point lead will be difficult to top.

The National Enduro Champion is selected from the top ten point winners, regardless of engine class, in each of eight contests across the nation. Two of these events are on the West Coast, three in the East and three in the Midwest. The top scorer receives 30 points, 2nd 20 points, 3rd 15, 4th 12 and so on down, in national points.

Bill Baird went to the first of the Eastern events with 65 points followed by Dave Ekins with 60. John Penton held 45 points and John Young had earned 40. At the conclusion of two of these events, only these four remained in contention and Bill had almost doubled the score of his top competition.

Sept. 17 at Cayuta, N.Y., the Illinois Triumph rider edged out a dark horse rider with a 918 score to win the 150-mile contest. Michigan Honda rider Jack McLane, Jr. was a newcomer to the National contest who made a good showing with a 912point score.

Cayuta was something else again as compared with enduros over the past few seasons. Ridable going had been the procedure in order to interest a large cross section of riders, but this year, layout crew chief Dave Barnes believed a little rougher event was in order. At the noon layover, the National Champion was heard to comment, "They really took us over the coals this morning," and how correct he was, as this was merely a preliminary to the afternoon section. The course included familiar places, such as the Connecticut hill mudhole — high up, but just like a lowland swamp. However, 33 percent of the trail was all new terrain. It all ended with a first gear section that brought the riders into the final check not quite fresh out of a crowd-jammed mudhole. Many tired riders doffed their helmets and sat down on the grass to rest before riding the two miles into Alpine junction where the contest started.

Baird, riding in a comfortable 38th position, was able to clip along over the difficult terrain. However, his 82-point loss this year,as compared with 20 points lost in 1966 and 29 points lost in 1965, attested to the severity of the 1967 course. This is the fourth time Bill has won this 150-mile Championship. However. John Young, another Illinois rider, won the event last year on a 17-point loss. This year John was in third place in the Mediumweight class with an 889 score.

an Third man down the point ladder was a fellow who has been in the winner's circle longer than some of the other contestants have held driver's licenses. Sal Scirpo, Harley-Davidson dealer from Hartford, Conn., amassed 899 points score to follow Jack McLane in the Lightweight class.

Going to Sandy Lane, Bill Baird had raised his National total to 95 points. John Penton was in Poland at the International Six Days Trails and John Young could gain only 8 points. Jack McLane still was out of the picture, now with 21 points.

Paul Brumfield, who puts up the arrows in Southern Jersey's most prominent sports contest, must have had a talk with Dave Barnes, as he also took the contestants to task. The morning section was much like past Sandy Lane runs, but the huge 296 entry really got the works after lunch. Three major obstacles in succession dropped all but 52 riders with expedient precision and separated the adult males from the youths. The swamp section was 0.9 miles long, with the final 100 yd. under deep water on a slippery cross-log bottom. Jack McLane, riding in the number 26 position, was the first rider to arrive some 25 minutes after key time for the number one rider. Following him were frustrated, tired, wet, muddy and disgruntled riders by the dozens. John Penton, fresh from Europe, dropped his chain in two feet of murky water. National Champion Bill Baird dumped his mount onto its side three times, completely submerging the engine. Each time, within three or four turns of the crank, the engine started, but finally Baird was forced to team up with another rider to get both motorcycles out by brute physical force. John Young became so exhausted he just sat for five minutes, knee-deep in water, resting. Riders slung water and mud over the few spectators and photographers who were able to locate the swamp in this Jersey wasteland.

swamp Jersey Using civil defense communication trucks to relay scores by radio back to the finish, the more mathematically inclined members of the Meteor Motorcycle Club were hard at work adding up the tally. The swamp had taken its toll and this is where Jack McLane, the Michigan newcomer, jumped from an obscure 21 points to 51 points by winning the contest with a 980-point score.

Baird took only a 2nd in the Light Heavyweight class with 949 points, to add only 15 points to his National score. His total was now 110. John Penton added 20 points to a total of 65 with a first in the Light Heavyweight class on a 955 point score. John Young added 12 points by placing third in the same class with a 948 point score.

With a substantial lead, Baird may have the Championship in his pocket for the sixth year if he can place in the Jamestown, N.Y., 100-Mile event or the St. Louis 200-Mile run. Any of the contenders could win by narrow margins by being 1st or 2nd in both events if the champion does not gain additional points. A 4th place in point earnings, or 12 more points, will put him one point beyond reach of any of his competitors.

One factor should be kept in mind about this enduro season. If Jack McLane gets a better start next spring, with the same skill he now seems to possess, he easily will capture the championship for 1968. ■