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/125580
.. '" ~ .Q e OJ o Headl ng down the back st.retch._ _ But Fred (95) Nil Is rlgll t at home on his Oklahoma track and sets up a hlgll swoop, brush down to where the tract ion I s_ . i Sn(Jtc!les PDint Le(Jd lit 9 Mile N(JtiDn(J1 PhowsbyDaveFriedman Eugene Romero l ays hi s Tri umph Into the corner, closely lo llowed by Chuck Palmgren••• OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. , Sept 29,1968 - Fred Nix was the number one gues t at his "Home- track for the second year in a row. The s tate fairgrounds played hos t to Freddie and for the second straight yea r the only top rider in the nation tha t cal ls Oklaho ma home won the race. It was Nix'S sixth national wi n of the year and along wi th it he took the national point l ead away f r om Gary Nixon. Nixon !lnished a distant seventh in the race thai eliminated four contenders before the end of the !lrst Iap, Roger Reiman fell during lap one of the eighteen- lap final, taking Bart Markel , Dan Haaby and Yvon DuHamel down with him. None of the four wer e hospitalized but Haaby came up with a cut chin . DuHamel changed a bent wheel and was on hand for the re-start but was not all owed by the officials to start the rac e. The exac t reason for thi s decision r egarding the Canadian waS not completely known at press time . Eager Starter - Nix Markel , Haaby and Rei man did not return to the starting line that saw Nix jump the starter so badiy that the black flag was again brougbt out and the rider s lined up fo r the third time . California's Gene Rome ro l ooked like he was on hi s way to his second national win of the year until the!lnal lap when Nix again found tha t super - hors epower that has been evi dent all season long and took the l ead and the big win. Nixon was never tn contention and fi nds hims el! nine big points behind Nix as the riders agai n head West fo r the !lnal national of the year at As c ot Park In Gardena, California on Saturday ni ght, OCtober 12th. Rayborn Surprises Cal Rayborn surprised many by posting the fas test time trial but i t was NIX, Haaby and Markel coming through as the three heat race winners on a track tha t was rather bumpy and slick national racing. Nix now joins Markel and Joe Leonard as six time national winner s in a si ngl e season, Should he win Ascot on the 12th (and he Is one of the favorit~s) he wi ll establish a new nationalAMA single season record . Nix won a regular season Ascot event two weeks ago in his onl y appearance this year on the Gardena oval. In taking over the national point l ead Nix bec omes the four th r i der to l ead the national standings this seas on. The le ad has now changed nine times fo r anothe r record in the battle of the points. Call!ornia sent two of I ts best Amateurs to Oklahoma and carried the load In the yellow-plate event . Mark Brelsfo rd and Ji m Rice ranone-two anddomlnated both the heat r aces and the !lnal. Early In the rac e the announcer had said that Mark and Jim m ust be good, "to come so far for so little money." Th e tw o Nor thern California r acers made tha t sta tem ent come 100% true as they made the r est of the field appear to be rank novices . It was Brelsford' s sixth win at a national ev ent thi s year . All of the national riders now head Into Ascot for the next two weeks and the big one on the 12th that will decide the Grand National Championship for 1968. It Is conceivable tha t neither Nix nor Nixon could win the eight mller ye t still tak e number one. Nix Is a heavy fav or i te but there is midnight 011 burning In the Tri umph camp •••• (R esults and point standings on page 16) Far Lelt: New leader In the AMA Grand National Cbamplonshlp points race, Fred Nil • ponders the best way around 1IIe home track. Lelt: Mark (47y) Brelslord goes through the Amateur pack like oses touring tIlrough the Red Sea. Mark notched up anather yellowplate win to make blm tile highest scaring Amateur a1the Nallonal Pratesslonal season. *******************~ : THE TWO-WHEELER ~ * : ANOTHER FINE PRODUCT Di s tri buted by Triumph TR6CAir Cleaner FOR COMPETITION (or a racey look l or your street machi ne) ... Washable F1 LTRON Element Polished Alloy Finish - Easv Installation $29.00 Send 25¢ In st amp or coin lo r cat. 223 W. CAM IN O RE A L, MON ROVI A, CA L IF. 9 1016 SUZUKI ~: *-Ready for Inmediate Delivery ! : * * 867 w. Colton Ave. San Bernardino, calli; (714) 885- 3445 ~***************** imichrome \ ~~"'"' S hines Su dden ly Si mic hrome is a hone y Cl eans quick e a bunny n ( OMPETITION T ube 8S<: CH E MICALS Can S2.95 704 Wa shi n gt on A vea. Iowa Fa lls Iowa