Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125525
NILI fJKLAHQNA .. - ...; q, .c S <> o hartnl toward tile first tum III tbe Experts at t.. sWi of tbe OkJa.... CltJ 9-II'to "atl.ol Ch.,l.shlp. Vlslbl. . . . . . . 50_, To_r (7). Col Rofbom (25), Bob SIIoII, (91). ROCor R..... (55), JIIlIlcM.,... (11r), Garr .. 1x0ll ('), ...., K_ (10), GH'p Roeder (M), Dick .... (2)" wln_ Freddl. "Ix ('5) wIIo led fr... start to fllIlIlI. ...... -:--_~~ NiJ( Takes 9-Mile : NiJ(on New G.N. Champion _~ Harley-Davidsoa . . 1IIe lIatIIe lilt I.st 1IIe ... II was a de. .iled Fref. lIie lIix wIIo lell1lle !-Mile lIatia Cm....lSllip wire II wire last S-daJ In Utlall_ ClfJ, Rid.s frlm 24 states all gall.... at lIIe Fairgllllll4ls' IlaI....Ue track .. lie fllal episelle in lIIe 19&1 lIati.nal ClIlIlIpI.lsIIlp sa1es• • "Ix ·H••'s how th., looked In tho later 111II" ('5) I.ods .. Ixon ('), Tooner (7) "nn (2) and Rood.r (M). Tho blp, IIIIrrow &fOGv. Is ovldent. In second place and cUnching his claim on the Number one designation for 1968, was gallant Gary Nixon. Nix, whose bometown is Lawton, Oklahoma, and Nixon, another Oldaboma native, both immaculately attired 10 good-guy wbite leathers, played out the dramatic AloIA point race to an almost anti-elimactic conclusion. Hoping A gainst Hope George Roeder, runnerup 10 Grand National ChampionshiP contention on two previous occasions, went loto the 18-lap f1na1 with an outside chance snatching the Big Number one from Nixon, who was leading by 40 points. He would have bad to win the 9-Mlle and bope tbatGary f1n1sbed farther back than sixth place to or salvage an 11 th bour victory. Roeder, Harley-mounted, wound up In fourth place behind sammy Tanner, who was riding one NIxon's spare Triumphs. F1ftb place Dlck Mann (BSA) fell back from third after sUpping off the high, close-to-the-crashwall groove. The plucky new Grand National Champion rode the entire program with bls tbrolUe-band surgically plnned owing to a fracture sustalned 10 last week's Carlsbad 250ec road race event. Fastest In Urne trials was Roeder, wbo toured the Fairgrounds' course In 26.44 seconds for a new one-lap track record. Ten-lap Expert beats went to Nix over Roeder, Roger Re1man and Sid Carlson: to Mann ahead Ntxon, Bob Sbolly and Tanner; and to Nell Keen 10 front or or or .nm Okioholllioborn Fred "Ix WIIS a f1ttlnl victor at tho ho"'mll. SUSOll flnol •• Looklnl coaton.d lIft.r a Job well don. (\lIs 3rd ..alIonol win or th. ,._), Nix holds his ,_Id bllb, Ihl oa tbe bnk of bls Hart." "II. his elI_lal wlf. smll.s hllPpll,. McMurren, Cal Rayborn and James Hen- ry. Crashes Mar Program several spllls disrupted the now of action as riders fought to ma1ntaln traction on the slick, nearly-square-sbaped track. On the first lap of practice Dick Hammer unloaded bard In the tblrd turn and was bospitallzed with a concussion. Fortunately be regained consciousness that nlgbt and sbould be on ~ way borne soon. Also treated and subsequently released were John T1bben, wborecelvedabroken collarbone while trying (a bit too bard) for a fourth-place transfer spot to the final, and Carl Patrick, one California's leading Amateurs, wbo crashed 10 practice. Others to hit the deck, without injury except to equipment, locluded Shorty seabourne, Joe Messaros and Sid Carlson. In fact, no Expert Consolation race was run, due to a sparsity of men and macbines to fill the field. or (ContiDued on page 8)