ADVENTURE CALLS - MOTORCYCLE HARE SCRAMBLE RACE IN MOJAVE DESERT

[Music] la [Music] hi I'm dick Simmons your host for this half hour and believe me this one coming up is what you might call Harry can you imagine this idealic desert scene with its inherent quietness suddenly Shattered by the Roar of a motorcycle or to be more truthful the Roar of 309 motorcycles well it's a motorcycle hair scramble that's going on a motorcycle at Breakneck speeds across 84 miles of the roughest terrain to be found in the Mojave Desert so if you like action stick around we'll be right back It's Not Unusual to see a vehicle like this out on the Mojave desert in California but this one is on a special Mission it's loaded it's loaded with lime powdery White Lime sounds Sinister like we're going to bury a body somewhere well it isn't but it is exciting or at least it will be for this is the day before a big race a mass motorcycle race and the lime is being used to Mark the course the Cycles will Roar over a 32m closed course four times around they call it the National Hair scrambles and a bit later you'll find out why the marking isn't done by one Rider it's too big a job for that this sand buggy will help and so will other cyclists of the antalope ramber motorcycle club sponsors of the race since the course covers such a big hunk of the Mojave it takes a lot of marking that's why they do it the day before it's dry country and they don't have to worry about an overnight rain washing it away [Music] where you see these three white lines across the trail watch out if you're a rider that is these lines mean the part of the course coming up is especially dangerous not that any part of it could be mistaken for a super highway that yellow ribbon hanging on the bush there oh no no no some girl didn't lose it from her Bonnet it's there to Mark the course in case the racers obliterate the lines and here's another danger signal it could would mean a steep drop [Music] ahead race day Dawns over a silent desert silent but not empty for many of the competitors officials and their families arrived the night before and camped out but but a lot of others including many who've come to watch the Thrills pull in early on race day [Music] morning at least one fella had a soft night's sleep nothing's more tantalizingly appetizing than an early morning breakfast in the great out ofd doors from all over California from from all over the Southwest they're pouring in now and unloading their mounts there are entries not only from California Nevada and Arizona the area covered by District 37 of the AMA but also from as far away as Kansas most of the competitors are members of AMA sanction motorcycle racing clubs subscribing to AMA rules and regulations you'll never see these Fells riding their bikes on streets they're ridden only in competitions such as this they will be racing today for points that will determine their AMA ratings at the end of the season the season well it runs from January 1st to December 31st it's time to warm up the motorcycles and check them out it takes a machine in top condition to withstand the grueling test that's coming up most of the bikes are referred to as sleds because they have a piece of heavy metal welded beneath the frame so if an itinerate Rock should hit it won't wreck the engine the Supreme Court of judges for the race will be Tom Hodges on the left president of the sponsoring Antelope Rambler cycle club and Jean Carter on the right president of District 37 of the American Motorcycle Association these fellas truly ride for Glory and for not much else they pay an entry fee as they register and there are no prizes no cups or medals just a swig of beer or Coke for the winner and maybe a kiss from the wife or girlfriend and oh yes uh the points points that will improve their AMA ratings and tell the world what kind of daredevils they are Tom Hodges traces the course on his map but not for the Riders they're not allowed to know the route or go over it beforehand today's race is three times around this torturous 28m course the orientation is for officials safety monitors and those who man the five checkpoints to make sure nobody Cuts Corners this is how they make sure each Rider has a card taped to the back of his helmet at each of the five checkpoints he's required to come to a dead stop so an official can mark his card and verify that he didn't take a shortcut H hour is almost here and there's just time to make sure everything is ship shaped that means clean goggles checking out every bit of equipment putting on safety helmets many a competitor brings along not only his own rooting section but his own pit crew if you've ever raced a motorcycle you know why these shoes need reinforcement it'll be scraping the ground plenty on Sharp turns you know it's more fun watching a race if you have summoned a root for and we've picked our own favorite he's a young man named Ron Nelson he's 21 and hails from Palmdale California Ron isn't exactly a rookie he's raced for six years both amateur and professional but this year he's out to move move up in the ratings last year he didn't compete too often so he was 141 on the rating list as indicated by the number he wears today now that's the way the writers are numbered according to the ratings of the previous year a win or a close finish would earn Ron Nelson a lot of points though you can be sure he'll be running wide open [Music] as in any big race of any kind there's last minute meetings in giving the Riders their instructions especially to stress the need for safety there are Thrills enough in this kind of competition without anyone pressing his [Music] luck but now all the preliminaries are over and the racers head out to line up for the start of the hair scramble the wildest roaring as motorcycle Derby you've ever seen [Music] now you know how kuster must have felt when he looked up and saw all those Indians there's smoke way out there and there's a reason it's a smoke bomb that marks the starting point when the flag drops all 309 Riders will break across the desert for that column of smoke and there's the signal they're off this is a vital because it's a race for position first ones to reach the smoke signal are the first ones on the course and there's nothing like starting out with a [Music] lead now you know why they call this kind of a race a hair scramble they're just like a pack of wild jack rabbits scrambling through the Sage Brush and SK oh but wait a minute Ron Nelson's in trouble right at the start he has engine trouble and has to go back for repairs he's back in the race but can he make up for all that lost ground and now they hit the main course and off they go toward checkpoint number one you stake Riders like this to that kind of a lead and you've got yourself a big long [Music] handicap you've not only got to be part Jack Rabbit over a course like this but Park Mountain go [Music] too here are some of the followers as the Feld strings out in a link in line across the [Music] desert if you wonder how the race committee found such devilish terrain it wasn't easy they sent out scotting parties weeks in advance this area is about 27 Mi north of the town of Mojave about 120 Mi north of Los Angeles while it may look like no man's land it belongs to Kern County and the sponsors are always careful to get County permission to use it [Music] the race heats up as the Riders flash through checkpoint number two [Music] [Music] now leaving checkpoint number three [Music] [Applause] you can bet these two have a favorite in the race and his name is either honey or [Music] daddy checkpoint five where the race eventually will end and here comes the first Rider to complete the first lap a quick stop a mark on the helmet and off they go again Rider 707 and five checkin hey there a couple to keep an eye on [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] in a cross country scramble like this both riters and machine have to make a stop for refueling [Music] radio cars are spotted around the long course to report trouble and to summon help if [Music] [Applause] needed by the second lap many of the Lim lines on the course have been wiped out by roaring Wheels and a little traffic direction is much appreciated yep they went that away [Music] [Applause] yeah I wonder if she spotted her [Music] guy here comes number 141 Ron Nelson and will you look at the ground he's made up after that bad start rounding into the second lap he's right on the Treads of the leaders [Music] now the race is beginning to take shape number seven there number [Applause] five and number one they're all among the leaders number one by the way is Jim Bronson of Sunland California and he was last year's champion in AMA District 37 but today he's got all theom competition he can [Music] [Applause] [Music] handle Ron Nelson still chasing but getting closer all the time rough and tough and daring as this race is there are surprisingly few injuries that's because these men are expert writers they'll push themselves to the Limit but not Beyond it should anything happen though there's a doctor on hand and there's the radio car communication system to report trouble and to get the doctor because he's one of the Riders there are also roving first aid men on motorcycles who follow in the wake of the racers they're into the final lap now the heat growing the dust thickening and the tension winding up to a squealing pitch officials feel it too as they check their watches approaching checkpoint 3 for the final time it's number seven Gary Conrad of Palmdale California in front Ron Nelson is very much in it now this is one place that's all right to pass on a hill number five Larry burquest of Los Angeles up and over followed by number 707 Phil bars of San Gabriel [Music] and very close now Ron Nelson it'll be a dust blanket finish for sure in the pressure of the final drive is now or never and one straining Speedster almost makes it never even the spectators have to be daring in this race and now they're on checkpoint four for the last time and head into the stretch who win well we'll find out in just a [Music] minute at the Finish Line they're tense with excitement and here comes the winner it's number seven Gary Conrad of Palmdale California but it isn't official yet not until he check his helmet card to make sure he turned all the corners and took no shortcuts now it's official Gary Conrad ran a great race LED almost wire to wire and now for the first first time in 84 Hot Dusty rugged miles he can [Music] relax it's no disgrace to finish second in this kind of competition but Larry burquest would rather have settled for first and here comes Phil Bowers in third and right behind him our hard luck hero Ron Nelson Ron ran out of room and at the very end as he was pressing the leaders but he did a great job to finish fourth and that won't hurt his point standing at all the champion didn't quite make it this day for Jim Bronson a frustrating fifth place a swig of cold beer and a little rehash of the race with sponsors and officials and better luck next time it's all in the game but Ron Nelson's happy as he gets out of his gear happy to relax and to receive congratulations on some great riding in spite of a bad break Jim Bronson is just glad the day work is over if you want to know just how tough a day's work it was take a look at the desert debris clogged in the motor of his bike and so a happy ending for some if not for all well that was a hair scramble something to see wasn't it but then that's just one of The Many Adventures we have in store for you so until our next program this is Dick Simmons saying so long [Music] la