Cycle News

-JOSE Above: Keen (10) duels with Wirth. Photos by Dan Mahony SAN JOSE, CALIF. APRIL 20- Described as "the best racing I have seen", by one veteran race- watcher, the San Jose half-mile finally lived uP to its promise. On the smooth,immaculatelyprepared track the AMA champions got to do their thing. Neil Keen, fresh from the midwestern farm tracks, found all the power he could use in a new Triumph Bonneville and ignored the crowded groove, preferring to ride the rubble on the outside instead. His plan.m1ght have worked, too, had not Gene Romero and Eddie Wirth, both on powerful 650' s (Triumph and BSA respectively) neatly cliPPed his wheels and sent him back to 5th place in the main. Romero, his Triumph finally wired uP properly, led the experts to the flag. Even the hometown favorite, Jimmy Odom couldn't touch him. Wirth was a conVincing second. Wirth led the first three laps of the feature, then Keen took over on the Len Castner-bIDed Triumph, by going around on the outside. "It only works three times out of five, " Neil said, commenting on his att-the-groove style. One time it didn't work was on the 9th lap of the 15-lap feature when Romero skipPed past, into the lead. The other GI.. Romero gives the vlclory sign after his San Jose win. With him Is Don (l1y) Castro and Fred (101r) Edwards. They were livened by the fence- busting technique of Stan Hill, 24R on Ray Hensley's 650Cc BSA. He'd ner! the fence coming out of a turn nearly every lap and won his heat. John Hately spiced interest in the Novice show by taking the turns completely Edwards led the novice parade at San Jose in this fashion. Ho....um. So, what lise Is new? time was in the last lap, resulting in the 5th place finish. The Amateur races were dull, followthe-lead show, ditto the Novice event. Above: Wirth In action at the Tulare TT was a force to be reckoned with. Same goes lor Wirth at San Jose hall-mile.Potent BSA 6SO has the suds and Eddie knows what to do with It! sideways, lifting his foot halfway through. As usual, the San Jose officials were unable to cOPe with the standard AMA program. Time trials were run, but so completely fouled uP that the times were discarded and qualifying heats were used instead. (Results on page 21) Below, left, 265 Tod Sloan, below right, Tulare wiMer Dusty Coppage. COPPAGE COPS TULARE TT $$ Don Castro tries the outside around Ron PiercI In Amateur-Expert Tulare TT. TULARE, CALIF. April 19 - Dusty Coppage thundered to a Triumph-ant win in the combined Amateur-Expert main event, but not without beating back the challenge of Eddie Wirth and new Expert Ron Pierce. The track layout was similar in design to the Ascot TT, but with a COuPle of extra holes where fence-posts were temporarily removed, making for a little extra offthe-ground motocross action in the infield turn. Pierce was truly moving while the track was damp and tac.ky. "He looks like he's hooked to a rubber band," was how one spectator described his Triumph'!! chain- pulling prowess. Pierce would snap past three bikes at a stretch. Later, when the track dried and grew slick, his rear wheel spun gallantly, but he was not able to make his spectacular drives. A hometown favorite, hailing from nearby Bakersfield, Pierce became an Expert only last year, but he definitely has the talent to set the othezsback a place once be learns the tricks of the trade. ' One trick he learned the hard way while trying to jet past Eddie Wirth on the outside for second place. Dash-winner Wirth gently crowbarred the hotshot into a neat highside, dropping him back to fifth. Novice Todd Sloan seemed to have his own rooting section in the grandstands. He won the Trophy Dash. They cheered lustily every time he chaliengeQ Freddy Edwards and not to disappoint them, Sloan fought the battle of the main all the way. There ~ no denying Edwards, however. He avenged his Ascot flattrack defeat the night before and locked uP first place gold. (Results on page 21)

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