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/125564
....... . - """ Start of the 5 mile Nati ona l with Markel. Mann. Rail , Nixon, Lawwl ll. Nix, Warren. Rayborn and Chuck Palmgren sliding pretty for the pe ople. By Frank R. Mayer Photos by C. Clayto n & F rank May er On a day that started out and ended sunny and very warm, with onl y a few showers in between , Ronnie RaIl fr om ' Man sfi eld, OhIo r uined Bart Markel's hopes of 3 National wins in succession. ThIs was Ronnie' s fi r s t National ride s ince he was put out of commiss ion with a: broken wrist and co llarbone afte r hIs throttle s tuck on a Michigan ruili-mile last yea r . He has entered and won two 4-star race s this year at Portsmouth and ChIllicothe, Ohio , Livonia, MichIgan, a suburb of Detroit, was the s i te of the Second half of Mansfie ld' s one-two amateur punch , Joe Brewe r, looking good. s-rntler , Local a ce Bart Markel, former 3time Gr an d National Cha mpion, popped off the line In first place on his HarleyOlvi ds on and managed to hold it for 4 laps , but Ronnie Rall (52) als o on a rigid Harley , was in there strong living up to hIs reputation as the "Wor ld' s fastest gentl eman farmer, " and put the hex on .. Beautiful Bart" In the 4th t urn of the 5th lap. F r om then on, Ronni e stretched hIs lead as Bart had done in winning the past two Nationals, the ,12- mile at Reading, Pa. on May 19 and the 13-mile at Richmond, Va. on May 12. Ba ck in the pa ck, #2, Dick Mann, who was riding in reminiscent style , had worked up to third position and held it until the day's fastest qualifier , Na ti onal #1, Gary Nixon, took it away from hIm by about one inch a t the finish line. Markel's 2nd place moved hIm up to first in the Grand National point standings, and Rall moved into the top te n. Back in the Ama teur final , Mansfield , Ohio was again In the spotlight with Larry Darr (4 0F), who has just completed a year In Vietnam taking the wm- . ning pos i tio n after be ing fastest Amateur qualifier. Joe Brewer , also from Mansfield, had a tight grip on third place until the r Ider in front of him fell off. Then he had clear salling to the fln1s h line and second place . Bob I\lalers of Lansing. Mieb. (80E) piloted his Gold Star to third and (76E) Dave Atherton just m1ssedgettingklssed by Alanah Tison of Farming, Mic higan, the same lovely trophy girl who rewarded hIm after winning the Great Lakes Novi ce Charnptonshtp in 1967. It was a very ex ci ting and pleasureable da y of racing a t the beautiful, smooth Detroit Race Course, enjoyed by 13,000 Mi chigan fans . (Results on page 16) Danny W are of Lawlo n, Okla. enjoyed the well prepa red half ยท mlle surfac e. Bashful Champion Ra il gets his trophy from AMA official ,DIck Pearson and Alanah Tiso n. But no kiss! Heat race winner Mert La wwlll zeroes In on Markel wh ile #11 Jim McMurren and Nell Keen fo llow up. P ride of Mansfie ld, Ohlo' s amateur conti.. gent. Larry Darr, ye llow plate victor. Michael Farre ll of San Franc isco proves that profes sio nal riders are str onge r than dirt.