Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

Then In the Main Event, rapid Randy wor ked his way past Jones on lap 12 for second spot, which he held to the checker , ThIrd at the finish Wd.5 Lacher ahead of Jones, Lloyd Houchins (BSA) Phil Todd ( BSA). Keeter 's new track record stands at 5 minues, 47.93 seconds, as opposed to Haaby's old mark of 5:59.52. .. Rockwood Routs Amateurs ~ Q) § ..... tI) :It r.;z Z u ::... u Back in the s wing of things after spilltwo weeks In a row, Trlumphmounted Tom Rockwood won his heat race and the Amateur Main Event decislvel y. Leading the yell ow- pla te point standings not only at As cot but over the entire U.S., young Tom was never headed in the final, but acc idents caused three r estarts in his heat race and narr owed the field from nine to five before the race was finally completed. Runnerup in the lO-lap feature was another hea t race winner , H- D mounted Don Harms, who is also second inpoints. ThIrd pla ce went to Nor m Ell edge (Tr iumph). Honda r ider Jack Wilkins on and Triumph-mounted Dave Smith unloaded without injury on lap 8, putting them out of contention. Ing Exp.rt Main Event action finds #44x DeWayne Keeter In the lead and there he stayed Ihroulhoutthe 15 lapper, breaklnlthe track record to boot. Others visible are runnerup #17x Randy Say, #18x Phil Todd, #'JJ Chuck Jones, #28X Larry Earhart and #20y Lloyd Houchins. end. Fortunately, Kelmlives close to the track so he scurried home, buttoned in a new engine that had been prepared for his other rider Shorty Seahoume (sidelined for a few weeks with a broken ankle received last week), then husUed back to the Gardena oval. Third In the last turn and leadlnlto the checker for his first Trophy Dash win, #17x Randy Say (BSA) turned back #27 Chuck Jones (BSA), #37 Mel Lachlll (H·D) and DeWayne Ke.ter (BSA) In thrllllnI3-lapplll. KEETER COPS ASCOT CASH, TRACK RECORD story by Carol Sims Photos by Dennis Greene Last Friday night during practice at the Ascot Park half-mile, the Dick Kelm BSA ridden by De Wayne Keeter scattered its lower Keirn's persistance and haste paid off, as did the same qualities in his rider, for Keeter, most improved Expert of the year, not only took his heat race but won the Main Event wlre-to-wlre. Instyllshly and strongly turning back the troops, Keeter broke the 15-lap Ascot track record by over a second and a hall! And to top off his best ntght ever In profess ional motorcycle competition, Keeter had the satisfaction of taking over the season point lead from Dan Haaby, whose 1966 track record he had smashed so resoundingly. (Haaby Is now competing on the National circuit In the east.) Another sensational performance was turned In by BSA-mounted Randy SaY. Second to Chuck Jones in their heat race, Say stormed to a last-turn, last-lap victory (his first ever) in the Expert Trophy Dash, one of the closest and most exciting a-tappers seen In many a moon. Second went to Jones, third was Mel Lacher (H-D), fourth was Keeter. Tragic Novice Night The brl1llance of Novice point leader Keith Mashburn's latest Main Event win, his fifth of the season aboard a siZZling Yamaha, was dimmed when tragedy swept across the Ascot oval. On the second lap of the 8-lapfeature, Bultaco r ider Don McAlear hit the first turn fence, sustaining serious head injuries. Hospitalized immediately, Don never regained consciousness and died soon afterward. The likable and enthusiastic 33- yearold second-year Novice, long a desert and s crambles competitor (and member of the Hilltoppers M.C.), leaves a wife, Arlene, and three ch1ldren. His death is a shocking blow to all his many friends, and the loss his wife feels is shared by the entire motorcycle racing fraternity ... Don McAlear was a really nice guy, whose sincerity and fr iendli nes s won't soon be forgotten. But the race went on. Again a start, again a crash on lap two, this time in the north turn. Again the ambulance rushed to the scene where several riders had spilled, and once more a severelyinjured rider was hurried to the hospital _ Yamaha-mounted Larry Mane. His condition remains critical at presstime •. On the third and final restart, Mashburn took the lead immediately and held it throughout the event, finishing ahead of Don Dudek (Ya maha) , Dave Stroman (H- D) and Dave Aldana (BSA). ( Res ults on page 16) HORRIBLE BLUNDER DEPT, Frlnl. b.n.fIt fo, Dash wlnn.r Randy Say was pres.ntatlon of Mont.sa trophy by Viva Girl Joy Wilkinson, bounteous movl. and TV actr.ss. Prollam Dlr.ctor Don Basile (I.ft) looks on approvlnlly. K.lth Mashburn (1011) won his 5th Ascot Novlc. Main Event ahead of fellow Yamaha rld.r Don Dudek (128r) and Harl.y-mount.d Dave Stroman. Amateur Main Event wl....r #20x Tom Rockwood (Triumph) leads H·D rider Don Harms (directly behind), t165r Norm Elledle (Triumph), #31q Jack Wilkinson (Honda) and #29r Marshall Jennlnls (BSA). ' Last week's Ascot ParkAmateur Main Event r es ults (and lap chart) were grossly in error. Harry Buchner, #47r from Denver, Colo. who came to . Ascot In late •67, wasn 't given credit for a job well done, and neither was the owner of the bike he borrowed to do the deed on, the BSA of Russ Bacarella, well-known tuner and former racer. (Both men work at Long Beach Honda.) Buchner, who usually rides his own self-tuned BSA, was offered the Bacarella bike because the regular rider, involved in an automobile acc ident with his wife, was unable to compete Friday. So Harry took over the controls of the unfamlllar mount, set fastest heat race time of the night and led the IO-lap Amateur final til the 9th lap when he went wide and wound up a blanket third. But in the heat of the Main Event action, we mistook Buchner for another 47, #47y Mark Brelsford, also a BSA rider, who although usually a feature event starter, went to the pits in hlsheatrace. The Bacarella-tuned BSA will sport a BIG " R" on the number plates in the future, and your reporter will sport magnifying glas s es or binoculars to compensate for a sincerely-regretted error, especially in the face of such commendable effort by both tuner and rider. - Carol Sims Left: Here's rapld Amateur Harry Buchner, #47r, walllni al"'l on the Russ Bacarelll>' tuned BSA. r.;z oJ

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