The U.S. Motocross Grand Prix
THE U.S. MOTOCROSS GRAND PRIX
GEBOERS ROMPS AWAY WITH THE FIRST 1971 TRANS-AMA.
BOB SANFORD
FOR PERHAPS THE first time in five years of competition, U.S. motocross riders are showing signs of budding International potential.
And for perhaps the first time ever, U.S. spectators demonstrated their willingness to support in large numbers this rough and tumble, European dominated sport.
An estimated 12-15,000 paying (and lord-knows-how-many unpaying) Sports Fans were on hand at Carlsbad’s somewhat remote Southern California track, as Northern California CZ rider Brad Lackey (notably), and a large handful of other Yank riders, clearly showed that they are catching onto the tricks of the motocross trade, including masters of such things as stamina, consistency, strategy and properly prepared machinery.
Despite the absence of such greats as Joel Robert, Roger DeCoster, Ake Jonsson and Heikki Mikkola, and despite the fact that the best American, Lackey, was only 4th overall, it was clearly evident that U.S. riders are now within reach of the Europeans. And it was further evident that Englishman Dave Bickers really meant it this year when he said that U.S. riders are “improving” and are in the “same class” as many top Europeans.
The race was the first in this year’s Trans-AMA series, as well as the United States’ first grand prix, a designation for the races used in determining each year’s world motocross champion. Points toward the crown, however, were not awarded at Carlsbad this year, since an event must be successfully held for two years before the Federation Internationale Motocycliste (FIM)—the world-wide sanctioning body, of which the AMA is an affiliate—will allow it to> count toward the world championship.
But in spite of the absence of championship points and the previously mentioned motocross stars, the event was undoubtedly the biggest thing yet on the American motocross scene, with the record breaking crowd, the record breaking purse ($16,000), the adequate organization by the AMA, the morethan-adequate promotion by TrippeCox & Associates and the surprising performances by the Americans. Additionally, ABC’s Wide World of Sports filmed the event for a December or January showing, although there are reports that they plan to can the film because of the small number of participating Europeans (only five of the publicized 30).
One European, though, who was conspicuous by his presence was Belgian Sylvain Geboers, the factory Suzuki rider who was runner-up behind Joel Robert in this year’s 250cc world title chase. Geboers, with a 2nd place in the first moto and a 1st place in the second and third motos, took home overall honors, as well as over $2000 in prize money. Geboers’ only real challenge came from Swedish Husqvarna rider Torlief Hansen, who took the win in the first moto and chased the thin, redhaired Belgian around the long, hilly course in the next pair of 30-min. rounds. Dave Bickers, the 17-year motocross veteran and former European Champion, powered his CZ to 3rd place overall, primarily on the basis of his hard-riding 2nd place showing in the final moto.
John Banks, the burly well-to-do Englishman, overcame mechanical problems in the first moto to score a 5th and a 3rd place in the final rounds, for a 5th place overall. Banks was aboard a CZ for the first time, after a brief flirtation with Husqvarna and many long years as a BSA factory rider.
But Brad Lackey was the darling of the partisan crowd. Looking smooth, spectacular and tireless, Lackey parlayed a 3rd, 5th and 6th into 4th place overall. It was evident that the longhaired young rider from Pinole, Calif, had learned his lessons well while traveling the motocross circuit in Europe this past summer. In the second moto, Lackey even led briefly, until a determined Geboers shot past on the long, downhill straight.
Gary Jones, on a prototype Yamaha that has carried him to numerous recent victories, showed once again that he may be the American threat of the future. The lanky teenager placed well in all three motos, including a 4th place in the first round, to walk away with 6th place overall, and second American. His bike, incidentally—or one very much like it—may also be the threat of the future on the European Grand Prix circuit.
John DeSoto, who has perhaps capitalized on motocross racing more than any American thus far, had a rather disappointing day, as he fell by the wayside in the first moto with electrical problems and finished 10th in the second go-around. However, in the final race, the former Hawaiian champion looked incredibly fast and finished in 6th place, for a 9th-place-overall finish. DeSoto and former American Motocross Team Captain Russ Darnell are currently campaigning considerably reworked Suzuki Cyclones for U.S. Suzuki.
Crowd response to the day’s racing wasn’t what you might call totally enthusiastic, since toilet and refreshment facilities were, at best, inadequate, and the number of European participants was, at worst, very, very disappointing. However, it was not totally the fault of the promoters, who could not have anticipated such an enormous crowd, and who had run into contract problems with some of the riders that had been advertised, including Joel Robert and Roger DeCoster.
The Trans-AM A series is making an 11-stop swing through the United States, concluding at Saddleback Park in California.
