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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125582
wbeIl Mark re1e&sed tbe clutlch. !be ma- "" chine took off once apIn. But too late. ~ The nation's leadtng Amateur .was able off only Emick before the f1n1sh. which foUDd a joyous Rockwood w1nn1Dg his first National event ah ead of Pederson, Chtnowskt, ' Rice. Brelsford and Emick. Tommy'S time for the 7 m.fie.s -..as 6:24..58. a new track record. thtrd to be set d ur i n g evening's festivities. Lacher bad earlier broken the Expert 10-lap mark set by Markel In 1962. and Lawwill bettered Haaby's 2o-lap clocking In wtnnIng the Expertfinal•..!1tt1ng testimony to the excellent track conditions and full-bore co mpe ti ti on that transpired throughout the evening _ an even1Dg that left spectators limp but tremendously satisfied at the sklli and dariDg displayed by America's flnestprofessionalracers. (Results on page 16) to pick Tis I s bow dose It was, and U. Uti. would ... to Nix but D. a It. r and G l1li .ro spoll.d Freer s ella as. bad nosed ah ead of National Number One. Then. up from ruth came Palmgren. takiDg over third on the final cl rc t and protec his Triiunph cohort trom the ces of Phil Todd. Nixon -..as still in the runningl Glazed with excitement, thousands of eyes were on the 12-man fi eldassla.rter tey Lyons dropped the flag for the start of the 8- Mile National. After 0Ile lap Romer~ held a slim lead, closely taUed hy Lawwill. Jones and Lacher. But on the second go-roUDd La...built up a def1n1te advantage. w1Jl Lap three sa... Jones unload without injury in the south turn, while Romero slipped to 6th one lap later. Wlthfive !aps completed the standin gs were Lawwtll, Lacller, Haaby. Nixon (up trom lllhl). . NIx, Kee ter and Romero. Front-running positions remained the same for some time. but as Mert increased his lead, desperate st:nJigles took place behind him. Romero and Keeter were metbodtcally thread1Dg the1r way through tramc - Gene getting by JIo"lx on lap ll. Keeter passing them botb by 13th. Keeter Thrills Crowd om.ro and on. fromslips to w ...cuts Nix wi.. lip off and also cut his chanas of Nat' l Number Dn•• 1t was a c lose Th. wI..ors: Mort u .... U willi a peat rid. (1&); DeWa,ne It ....r (441) had a fan ta sti c rid. to hi s best Natlo I sllowIJI" alld Dao Haaby (22) aDda peat lblrd willi till thlOttll lo cked wldl OD . . . i= s s Then, as the crowd went w11d try1Dg to mentally figure e po t gap. one of the greatest late-lap drifts ever seen In Ascot history tooIt place. Keeter. astride the Dick Kelm BSA. powered his way past Lacher. as did N1xon. With one lap to go, DeWayne emrted lbat last btt of effort aDd na11ed Haaby for secODd - an almost m2bellevable performance ClXIstder1Dg he worked from 10th place ;,.o; t Q oo·tt..·_ l " ....... , .. , .. ~ ... .. , . ...... r :yi= == 5i •__ =ii,ii6 ei: o i rAS C • " ' The"final rundown: "LawwtU. Keeter. Haaby. N1xon, Lacher. Romero. NIx, Palmgren, Rayborn, Seabourne. U tch and non- fin1sber Jones. It 1lIlLS r eally bard to tell who was more jubilant: Lawwtll, vic torious 8- MUe Champion on 10 practla _ It was anybody's 11Ie1l! T DIll Rockwood set a OIW record 10 till Amatb a 6:24.58 for SlVln mil s lIIur IIaI 0 aIloard a Dudlll Triumph. Rockwoo Rocks A ateurs AIIIa Tom Rockwood Sit fast qual lfylol for lbl Y I fll; till Expw ts and a oow l ~la p rl cord to boot. Start Df thl Amatour Malo EVlnt b_.t Mark Brolsfard to till first tum load, Dnly 10 kill thl fl.. 10 his HarllY and III slYeral conlllo"'" by b,",," I.ltlollt ID IIfl alaln. his Dud Perkin s -sponsored but se1fThen be thanked everyone from the track maintenance cre... to hi s 94-year-old tuned Harley-Davidson. or Nixon. once again National Number One by a mere grandfathe r. who along with numerous nine points over NlxI other r elatives. was on hand!or the glory • • . night. Mert was equally gracious In NIXOn Nixes NIX giving credit to his sponsor for assistWhen asked what his pre-race strategy ance through the years. and thus ended bad been. Gary answered succin ctly. the most fantastic 8- MUe National and " Go. bl o.... or put a hole in the !ence." AMA poin t battle ever held. Not all the act10n centered around the Experts. by a long shot. Plenty of attention was focused on the finest crop of Amate class competitors to come along in several years. Three r iders had to be considered favorites before putting a wheel to the clay- Mark Brelsford, winnerofhalf-adozen Nationals this season, Jim Rice. four-time yellow-p13.te National winner . and Tom Rockwood. second placef1n1sher In four 1968 Championship events. Heat races ...ent to fastest qualifter Rockwood on the Joe Dudek Triumph, Brelsford on Dud Perkins Harley. aDd Steve Pederson aboard Ernie Pico's mellow Vel0. Rice finished second to Rockwood, Ascot Amateur point leader Don Harms (H-D) was runnerup to Brelsford In the quickest preliminary event, aDd Royal Enfield r ider Ted Yoder warted trom mid-pack to second In Pederson' s heat. Thus the s tage was s et for a closelymatched Amateur 16-lap final. Into the lead shot Brelsford. ahead of Pederson, Rockwood and Alex Chtnowskt (BSA). Close behind were Harsm, Rice and Geezer Em ick ( BSA), who had earlier unloaded hard in his heat race but made It back for the restart and a transfer psotion. Brelsford' qui e kl y gained half-as tratghtaway on the field while two threeman hattles were tak1ng place behind him. Rockwood moved by Peder son for second on lap 7 and Rice got Emick on the 9th. Tben, coming out of the north turn on lap 10. Brelsford' s machine slowly drastically and appeared to have blo wnl Brelsford In Trouble Rockwood. Pederson. Chinowskt, Ri ce an d Emick all got by him before Mark's Harley pic ked up s team again. It bad suffered a mom en tary " flameout. " which occurs when a backfire causes gas to Igni te In the air cleaner. After s hutting off for a second. the fire went out and montesa JACK ENDERSEN OF BURI EN ONTESA, B uri en, Washington has been a Montesa deal er for one year. T he reason he sell s Mont esa i s tha t it i s ~ very st rong and there i s no other mach i ne l i ke i t . It i s the best dirt bike money can buy" , JACK EliDERSEN BURIEN 0 TESA 145 Southwest 152 Seattle. Washi ngton 98166 \VA MONTESA MOTORS, INC. Sale U.S. Distributor 3651 Bever ly Boulev.rd lDs Angeles . c.l .forn .1I 9OOl)C .. a.. ~ ::; r-: CD ~ ~ Q O!: '" Sl:: r.:z O!: r.:z d ::.. U