America's Ironman of Motocross Wins A Trip To England
AMERICA'S IRONMAN OF MOTOCROSS WINS A TRIP TO ENGLAND
JOHN SHEDD
SINCE FOUR-TIME world champion Torsten Hallman first churned his wheels in American turf, motocross has grown in the United States by giant strides.
In 1967, when Husqvarna and CZ each sent a three-man team to compete in the States, they completely annihilated the best American motocrossers, and at the same time they instilled an ineluctable desire in the Yankee enthusiast to test his skill in Europe. The cost of traveling to Europe and racing there is so great that for most it is just another unreachable dream. The California Moto-Sport Club decided it was time to make a dream come true for some deserving American rider.
In January 1968, a group of Califor nia motocross buffs decided to form a club solely for promoting motocross. They contacted Larry Grismer, co owner of the Carlsbad Raceway, and obtained the use of a small parcel of land adjacent to the dragstrip and mo torcycle road race course. Only one month slipped by before the first race. The paucity of entries was enough to discourage any new organization, but the CMC was dead-set in its plan to promote one good motocross a month.
The word of a great new motocross course at Carlsbad, Calif., spread rapid ly. The list of entries tripled by the club's second event, and before the club had been in existence six months, riders were being turned away because the rough, tight course limited the number who could compete safely. As the en tries continued to grow, classes were broken up into two divisions and run separately; at the last meet, 18 months
after the first event, the 125-cc junior and 250-cc junior classes had to be divided into three divisions. Still, over 25 riders (more than attended the first CMC event) had to be turned away.
Although entries grew, club members began to drift away. Most were more interested in riding than promoting, and the AFM-affiliated club was destined to go under. But the group’s hardest working members, Stu Peters and Kelvin Franks, refused to let what they had worked hard for fall apart.
Stu, who is from Hollywood, Calif., met Australian-born Kelvin while the pair were racing motocross in Europe. The knowledge they acquired, after many seasons on the international circuit, was greatly responsible for the success of the Carlsbad course. When the club folded, Kelvin and Stu took over completely, and the CMC became a race promoting organization similar to the ACA or the AFM.
One by one their ideas began to materialize. The course soon boasted a sprinkling system, which minimized the problem of dust. A public address system, almost unknown at sporting events, became a reality. Programs helped spectators to understand the races, besides identifying the riders. The senior riders were no longer plagued with what to do with the many trophies they were acquiring. They began to receive cash for their efforts.
Perhaps the biggest idea, and the one farthest from reality, was the plan to send an American rider to Europe. It took months of planning and fund raising to make the trip possible; then came the problem of selecting a deserving rider, while giving everyone an equal chance to win the trip.
The Golden State Series was their solution. A series of six events would be held, with the winner of each class receiving six points. Three of the events would be held at the motocross course in Saddleback Park in Orange County and three would be held at Carlsbad. A rider could tally no more than six points per day, regardless of how many classes he entered or how many points he earned. Since the juniors didn’t have to compete with the senior riders, it was possible for a junior to win the trip.
At the end of the first Golden State Series round, held at Saddleback Park, the day’s eight winners were tied for the trip. The second event, which was held at Carlsbad, reduced the number tied in points to four. Gary Bailey of Compton, Calif., won all three senior classes, thus he was the only senior rider in contention. Junior Bruce Baron had accumulated 12 points for his efforts in the 125-cc class, and brothers Paul and John Harber from Las Vegas also had two wins each. Paul picked up his points in the 500-cc class and John his in the 250-cc class.
As the series reached the halfway point, Bailey, Baron and Paul Harber contested the lead. Baron and Harber seemed to be winning their classes with ease, but Bailey was competing with the cream of Southern California riders. And they really made him earn his points.
Baron failed to win his class in the fourth meet, leaving Bailey and Harber in the chase. The teen-ager from Las Vegas had less than a year’s riding experience, but he seemed to be invincible on his 360-cc Greeves.
For Bailey, the fourth event was almost disastrous. While trying to pass a rider in the early laps of the first 250-cc moto, his clutch hand and handlebar hit a post that supported the banners outlining the course. It was a nasty spill, and no one would have been surprised if he had retired for the day. Gary usually rode all three senior classes but when the 500-cc class started he was unable to ride. He could not keep up in the second 125-cc leg, but his superhuman efforts (and a big mistake on the part of Bill Silverthorn who mistook the last lap flag for the checkered) won him the second leg of the 250-cc class.
Bailey was unable to open his clutch hand by the time of the final race. He had to slide it over the end of the handlebar and painfully hang on, not using the clutch at all. He lived up to his nickname, Ironman, as he held off the pack of senior riders, smashed hand, bruised body and all, picking up the needed six points.
Harber failed to win in the fifth event of the series, so Bailey, who won his class, took the series lead by one point. Harber and Baron were tied for 2nd, with one race to go.
The final event of the series at Carlsbad was held in conjunction with the Carlsbad-Cyc/e News Motorcycle Circus. The two-day affair was comprised of road racing, trials, grass-track, motocross, and a jump by motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel on both days.
For Gary Bailey, who is probably the best motocross rider in America, it was the most important race in his 10-year racing career. A class win would give him the trip to England, but a 2nd would tie up the series again if either Baron or Harber won a class. He had blown the engine in his 125-cc bike at the grass-track race, so he would be riding only two classes.
While leading on the last lap of the first 250-cc race, Gary blew his chances of winning that class. He had forgotten to check his gas before the race, and with half a lap to go he sputtered to a halt. Bill Silverthorn won the first round. Even if Gary could win the next two, it was almost certain that Bill would win the class. For Gary, it was win the 500-cc class or else. He won the first moto, with Jim Wilson breathing down his neck all the way. In the second round, Jim nosed him out to take the win.
Bruce Baron had already completed his last race and had won his class. This tied him with Bailey, since Gary had placed 2nd in the 250-cc class. Harber had his final round to ride, but his bad finishing position in the first leg was almost certain death for his chances.
For Bailey, it was all on the line in the final round. It was Gary all the way, but young Jim Wilson followed him closer than the seat of his pants through every twist and turn. When he wheelied past the final checkered flag of the series, with a smile on his face that spread from ear to ear, Wilson followed close behind.
It was over, and all Gary Bailey could say as he pushed his winning Greeves into the back of his blue van was, “It’s great to have won, but I’m glad it’s over.”
The tall, slim supermarket clerk is sponsored in the big bike classes by Nick Nicholson Motors, and in the small bike class he rides a factory-sponsored Penton for the Torsten Hallman Racing Team. Though sponsored, he maintains all seven of his motorcycles. The garage of his Compton home is as neat and orderly as an operating room.
Gary’s ability to compete in three classes in one day, and win them all, is responsible for his nickname, Ironman. He stays in top physical condition by riding many, many hours each week, and he navigates the most difficult courses with the agility of a cat.
Gary started racing at the age of 15 in the desert, but switched to scrambles and then advanced to AMA Class C professional racing. When motocross came along, he was one of the first converts, and he soon became the man to beat.
When Gary arrives in England, he will be furnished with motorcycles by the Greeves factory and will ride in three events if all goes as planned. At the end of his three-week stay in England, he will travel to Germany to become a member of the American Vase Team at the International Six Days Trials. He will test his skill there against the world’s best on a Penton.
Gary Bailey is a bit unsure of what the future holds after his trip to Europe, but one thing is certain. It will involve motorcycles, and the tall, blonde, always smiling Californian will still be the man to beat.
