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/125618
.... .... ~ Q., Fast amate.. Dave Ald..a tumed 42.26 on a BSA Rocket TIlree. Ald..a reportedly b... rowed the machine from Yvon Duha_l. Consistent Mert Pu lis Away From 2nd Place Battle' Gene Romero streaks past thi f1al durlnl a practice run. Gene finished third In thelllain. Aldana Continues Streak' Bart lIIarkel chases Gary Nixon but leads him In the point sfandlnls, 133 to 131. They hold positions four and five. By Betzel Smith While Mert Lawwlll keeps stretching his point lead, several other riders bave bunched uP for second place as the AMA national circuit starts moving into full swing. Although Mert holds a 51 point lead over fellow Californian Cal Rayborn who has a 136 total and Gene Romero is only down two points from that total, a tight eight man duel is expected to come out in the next few weeks. Just behind Romero is Markel with 133 and Gary Nixon with 131. On the strength of his Nazareth win, Fred Nix has jumped from 26th 10 seventh with 90 points and Dick Mann holds 68, though more than a hundred behind Lawwlll, Mann can't be figured out of the running. With three successive half mile races at Reading, Pa., Livoina, Michigan and Louisvllle, Ky. on successive weekendS, it is difficult to determine who wlIl be in the saddle when the circuit moves to the West Coast for the July nationals. Mert could be heaaed for the Grand National crown as he has been the most consistent rider to date, but Markel always flourishes on the half-miles and is in the thick of't't despite coming uP with. blown engines in two of the last three races. Fred Nix Jumped from 26th to sevenlh In the point slandlnlS on the stren&th Of his win h.e. lIIert Lawwlll holds a 51 point Iud over Cal Rayborn, In second place with 136 points. tion that results on the lumpy, bard clay at aver 100 mlles per hour took its toll on Don Castro, and he continued his run of bad luck by retiring early with a carburetor snapped off at the head. Robin Martin, as twice before, followed Aldana to the checker. For the National Championship twenty experts llned uP in the order of E. Varnes, Markel, Nix, Nixon, Mann, C. Palmgren, Romero, Rice, LaWwlll, Wirth, Rayborn, Brelsford, Haaby, Dallas Baker, Dave Sehl, -L. Palmgren, F. Varnes, Duhamel, Cunha, and ShollY. When the flag waved s~tlng theflftylaP grind, the National pack rllfed for the first turn on street-tanked bikes, heavlly laden with the necessary fuel. Nix, Nixon, C. Palmgren 'and Markel led to the turn, with Nix money for the first laP. Immediately the fierce vibration began to work on the machinery, and Markel b'Jdng was the first to pull off, only to return for another try with a fa1llng electrical system. Then Brelsford, Wirth, and Cunha were out for good, and by lap fifteen the field was reduced to fifteen riders.Haaby and Duhame1 also were off and on the track repeatedly, and Mann and LawwiU lost their motors entirely. In the early laps it looked as if Nix's . wlnnlng streak on the mlle was about to end, with Nixon collecting lap money from lap three through lap eight. But Nix regained command on laP ten, and. from there stormed on to the flag, lapping all but the first seven riders for a time of 35:06.95. At the end, only eleven of the starters remained. Some had doubts aboutNazareth,feartug a night race run at over 100 mUes per hour along the concrete walls designed to stop speeding cars, rather than human bodies. But fears were unfounded. 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Available for Immediate Delivery lOO-125cc Pentens only If = . S&4~ _~nton Including practice, time trlals,. and races. not one fall was taken in either class, and most riders, in spite of the severe vibration, loved the track. It may become a favorite on the National circuit. (Complete results on page 20) SACHS PENTON .. Speeds approached 120 mph on the strallh~ away and Cal Raybom tucks In II pL The hard clay was fast but the bumpy surface caused vibration problems for many. Nix hasn't been able to get the right combination together until the Nazareth race, but 11k Fred, Gary Nixon has been coming on stronger in the past two races. Romero has been in the thick of things with a secooP, third and fourth and is likely to be sitting pretty good if he can pull off one of the half mlles in the next COuPle of weeks. Most impressive rider of all on the young national circuit has been amateur Dave Aldana of Santa Ana, Calif., who is still unbeaten in the amateur class after three races. He has succeeded in posting fast time, in addition to wlnnlng a heat race and the feature in each d. the three races to go along with his Houston short track win. (Point Standings on page 16) ~. I.S.D.T POITIll' •. Ava lIa ble at 110 Walt Axthelm's Tri umph-Suzuki Motors 1049 West 5th SL. Pomona, Cailf. (714J629-8642 Mission Hills Motorcycles 8730 Sepulveda Blvd. Sepulveda, Cal. ala 7 • •- . . . . . • . •