Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

Cycle News 1968 08 22

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

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• On the tenth lap as Dick Mann (BSA) By Maureen Lee Photos by Dennis Greene Freddie Nix captured his second National Championship of the season at Santa Rosa, Cal. one-mile dirt track. The stylish Harley-Davidson charger streaked to victory ahead of Bart ' 1of rkel and Mert Lawwlll, also on H·D's. a was going into turn one his rear axle GARDENA, Calif. July 26-27 Triumph's favorite TT Tiger, Skip Van Leeuwen roared again Saturday night at Ascot Park to make it his third National in a row and become the only man to win the 50,lapper twice. Dan Haaby (H- D) set the fastest qualifying time of 46.59 with Van Leeuwen second at 46.67, but Skip's heat was the fastest of the three (3 :07.70) and he won it handily, although behind him there was qui te a battle between Gary Nixon (Triumph) and Cal Rayborn (H-D) with Nixon getting the checkered -ilag first. Skip Wire To Wire The Main certainly didn't settle down to a ring around the rosey by any means with everyone playing follow the leader and the finish was a crowd-pleaser if there ever was one. The Flying Dutchman led right from the start but there was considerable soring out in the pack behind along with the usual share of bad luck for some of the riders. Dick Hammer (BSA) was forced out on the 20th lap with mechanical troubles and Dlllas Baker (BSA) was in fourth place and having a real good scrap with Gene Romero (Triumph) when electrical problems put him into the pits. broke and the rear wheel came off and went down the track. With great skill Mann didn't go down but brought his machine to a near-stop up high by the wall before stepping off and then jogging back off down the track to look for parts to get him going again. Finally waved off by officials, he ent back to his machine, but it was unrepairabla, By now the front- runners had settled down into what would be their final finishing positions. Dan Haaby was firmly in second place, taking that spot on the 25th Iap, Dusty Coppage and Gene Romero were third and fourth with Cal Rayborn and Ralph White (Triumph) next with these two each having had troubles passing Gary Nixon who was in seventh. The leaders had also lapped just about the whole field and then Haaby started moving and move he didl Haaby Hauls On lap 43 he was four seconds behind Van Leeuwen who was lapping at 47 and a halt. As he lapped the fifth place rider, Cal Rayborn, there was now no one between him and Van Leeuwen and he got up to within a halt-a-second away from the Triumph's rear wheel with the crowd holding their breath and Skip's pit crew giving him "faster" signals. But as Skip said atterwards, "I just couldn't GO any fasterl" Haaby's drive wasunsuccessful and he finished two seconds behind Van Photos by Willlam Clark and Dave Friedman SANTA ROSA, Cal., July 28 - Is Freddie Nix the new mile track King? If you can believe the official results then the Oklahoman really is just that. Fred captured the lO-Mile National on the one mile-track at Santa Rosa last Sunday with the same style and ease that carried him to the 20-mile win at Portland two weeks prior. It was a wire-to-wire breeze for Harley-Davidson's only directly-sponsored dirt track rider. Nix now has a totai of five National victories, three on the miles, two on the halt-miles. Portland Repeat The only thing Freddie did not win was fast time honors. The title and the trophy went to Bart Markel. Bart was also fast qualifier at Portland but had to come from a distant third in the early laps to overhaul Mert Lawwill and grab off second place at Santa Rosa. NiX, Lawwill and Markel, the same top three at Portland, were oU and running right from the start of the first National ever held on the Northern California track. Nix broke a thirty-three year old record that was set by Joe Petrali at Syracuse, N. Y, away back in 1935. (Continued on page 5) The West Coast's two top Amateur mile trackers, Mark Brelsford and Tom Rockwood, went at it again in the eightmile yellow plate tinal. Rockwood took an early lead with Brelsford playing catch-up atter twice . getting off the groove. Mark then took over with Rockwood hanging dratt inches behind. On the tinal two laps Rockwood tried to pass tor the lead on four occasions and the two were wheel to wheel until the final turn. Close Amateur Final Brelsford and his H-D were a fewfeet ahead of Rockwood and his Triumph for the closest Amateur finish at a National this year. Bill Cody finished a distant third. The same three riders finished in the same pos1t1ons at Portland. Fast time Amateur honors went to Dave mith and his Triumph but due to o,l1ng problems Dave could pull no better than seventh in the final. It should be noted that Smith was second fastest qualilier at the Castle Rock National rather than Jim Rice, as last week's report reported. The heat races were closely contested with Gene_Romero and Gary Nixon running wheel- to- wheel in one of the Expert warmups with Nixon in front by inches at the finish. Closest Amateur heattound Tom Rockwood coming from dead last to miss the win by i nches from Dan Harms. A capacity crowd saw Marshall Jennings hit by another rider in practice. Jennings W'l.S hospitalized. Amateur B111 (Continued on page 9) 90806 . ... • ~ ..... , ... ~", ...... " • H • • .'-. J"1 pJU'InoB q:tIlB JU O qlJtN Lnl l IIUJOjIJI:) lll:tlll SMJN JDA) :" .' ' ot.

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