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- po YQLUME !II , "UUn i «America's only weekly newspaper covering the motorcycle sport" SP"G'::lifyLCHN"Ix ON NICKS Gar~ Nixon leads eart Markel (1), as lh.~ ella.. leader 11m Lawwtl Ihe bll win. EM WEEK OF AUGUST 25 through AUGUST 31, 1966 It seemed to be a Harley-Davidson day and a Harley track at Springfield, lllinois state fairgrounds last Sunday. The temperature was humid, the one-mile track was rough. San Francisco's Mert Lawwill found it just to his liking. The starting nag was the lanyard and Mert was off like a shot--' way out front with over a 15 second lead. The race settled down for second place where Gary Nixon, Fred Nix, Dick Mann and Sam Tanner waged a battle of champions. lIel Laber (37) and Roger Reiman before he dropped oul 10 give Nixon , AMATEURS AT SPRINGFIELD SOUTH GATE RACEWAY TT - 8/21/66 ACA TT • ~xperiment California's Jerry Seguin was the fastest qualifying Amateur with a one mile time of 40.79. In the yellow-plate main event he cballenged the leader Jack Warren for four taps until Jerry's skid shoe moke, and he finished next to last. Dick Yaeger closed UP from 8th place to challenge Warren, but the leader then merely stretched his advantage to five lengths. In the first Amateur beat race. Seguin was leading when it was stopped at three laps owing to a serious crlrSn which took the life of a racer from Marion, Ohio, Bill Corbin. Northern California rider Rick vetter was taken to the bospital with severe bead injuries, Joe Schmidt of Concord, Calif. suffered minor fractures and Tim Harris walked away. Tbe" crash occurred when Jack McNairy went down and the otbers went wide to avoid hitting bim. McNairy was not involved. California hotsboe Jobnny Isaacs failed to make the show. Sunday saw the first experiment in short track TT racing at South Gzte Raceway, near Los Angeles. Nobody knew what to expect on a course of this size, but as it turned out, riders and fans enjoyed themselves and an excellent event. Stars of the day in the lOOcc class were Keith Mashburn on his Honda, Ray McCarty on his Husqvarna and flying, sliding Steve Scott on his Bultaco. The lOOcc trophy dash and main event went to Keith Mashburn. Second place went to Paul Wilde on his amazing little 50cc Yamaha. Paul had previously won his heat race, beating out all the 100cc's and qualifying for the trophy dash. The fans as well as the riders were absolutely amazep. at Paul's ability to get around the co..rse on his small bike so quickly. Third place went to Gary Calkins on a new Yamaha Twin. The 250cc tropby dash winner was Ray McCarty from Lancaster on a HuSQvarna. Ray thrilled the fans with his unortbodox riding skill. For many years, Ray competed in Europe and developed a European type dirt riding habit of going through the comers in full slide with his feet on the pegs. Even though Ray won the 250cc trophy dash, he had mechanical problems in the 250cc main event and did not get started until three laps had been completed. 25.occ TrQllhx Dash winner Roy McCaty I.ad" Paul CoverJy, The 250cc main event went to steve (615), John Riggen (592) and Chuck Saxton over Ihe jump SCott from T.housand Oaks on a Bultaco In line slyle. and second place went to John Riggen SOB06 'me:! 'q:Jeas :Iuo, q:Jeas :Iuo, 'N LU9 'PAIS SM3N 31JAJ White ·crashed· on lap 20 while duelling Mann for second: Nix was next to go out on lap 30, leaving Nixon and Mann to fight side by side. This time ·We Trv Harder· was Gary's slogan and he held number two slot. Then Sam Tanner unloaded on lap 31, while running in the top five. Meanwhile, back in the pack, Bart Markel and Roger Reiman began to close UP and by the last seven laps 30,000 fans stood cheering for their favorites. It was a four-way go for second place. Only half the field was still racing and the 6th place man had been lapped. Maybe Mert Lawwill was running that Harley awfully lean, or maybe the plug was jus t a heat ran ge off. Some Ii ttle thing like that put a hole in one of his pistons and blew Mert's chance at the 50-mile title and gold for the second year in a row. Just as he crossed the finish line completing his <18th mile, LawwilJ's piston let go. He chuffed once more around the track, losing his 17 second lead and finally retired to the pit , one lap shy of finishing. Bart Markel, his rear P irelli already sbredded to tbe tube by the hard track, took over the lead on the last lap. Out of the final turn Reiman passed Mann for 3rd position. But it was N hon and Markel, wheel to wheel [or the last 200 yard" Iu t:.", fini sh and at the crucial Une Gary led it by just six inches over Bart. Last year Markel lost a similar decision to Ralph White by one foot distance. Reiman followed nearly touching Bart's back wheel. It was that close. WHAT HAPPENED TO EVERYBODY ELSE Gene Romero flew in fresh from his Friday Night Ascot TI' win only to crash on lap 2 in the Championship. He missed 20 laps but got back in to finish 17th. Larry Palmgren went out on lap 11. Babe DeMay retired on lap 12. Mel Lacher was out by lap 17 and Chris Draayer w€nt out on lap 32 with engine trou bles. Only half of the 20-man field finished the National. Eight Expert riders showed up for a crack at tbe ricbest purse in American dirt racing. Don Haaby blew a pis ton in his beat race. Jim Nicholson waS not seen at Springfield. Of the other Californians who qualified for tbe heat races, Mike Van Ness ran slow, as did Al Gunter and Cal Rayborn. Elliot SCbultz blew in his heat and his stablemate Guy Louis was not fast enough. Nor was Johnny Hall, from the Bay Area. Heat races took the first five to tbe final event. Gene Romero set fastest qualifying time on his Triumph at 39.77 for the mile. He won the first heat race as well. Race #2 was a c lose one between Dick Mann (first) Sam Tanner (2nd) and Gary Nixon. Heat race #3 finished in this order: Markel, Nix, Chuck Palmgren, Neil Keen. Babe DeMay and Eddie Mulder dueled all the way for 5th, with Babe getting it by exactly half a length. Dick Hammer failed to win a transfer position. Heat #4 was the fastest of the 10mile battles with Lawwill running away to a 6 minute, 45.2 second victory. Nixon's win was the first for Triumph at Springfield. It was tuned by Baltimore technician Cliff Guild. In seven years there have been seven different winners at Springfield. (nesults on page 16. For Points Standi ngs see Finish Line.) (lI'Iore photos on page 24) lVI~31VW 031VO SSV1J ONOJ3S