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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125635
Jim Rice picked himsell to win, "1'11I Illy own Inorlte In this race" but he ended up third behind Ro..-ro and Palmgren. He's cot his arlll around Gene Romero's lather here.. He was close to the lamily all clay. The nalion's best at the start at 25 miles 01 thrillioe action. Nete Bart (4) Markel dolne gymnastics to get on the hleb side 01 Dusty (32) Coppage. (Upper left). Halfway through the event Mann'S engine started to sputter and it was a three By Dewitt Thuett Photos by Dennis Greene & Eric Raits sacramento's eleven year history has some outstandlng bigblights but 1969's running outclassed them all. All but one track record was tossed out of the book during the record shattering day tbat hosted some of the most outstanding dirt track raclngever turned in on any track. The only track record tbat was not broken was the one lap E:rpert time trial mark that is still held by the late Fred NIx. The Triumphs and BSAs were out in force. Baltimore and Duarte had gathered their forces for the final mile outing of the year and the results proved that it was no waste of time. In fact it's a whole new ballgame for the 650 & 750 twins and three's from Merry old Engls,nd. Chuck Palmgren and Gene Romero, the new Triumph Tigers, took two of the four beat race wins. Rookie Jim Rice scored ooe for BSA and Cal Rayborn got one for IIert (18) La_III slides past -IIIJ (7) T _ , owlne be could wrap up the championship with a win. He ellended his Iud but _Ins In ..... cb 01 R_o and Rayborn. rider fight right down to the checkered flag. Not overlooked by many of the more than 25,000 fanS was the great ride turned in by Bart Markel. The all time dirt track ace from Michigan, limPed into the race on a badly bruised and swollen left ankle and foot. So bad in fact that shoeman Ken Maely built a specla1 brace just so Bart could get into the time trtals. Markel was fourth in his heat race, the last direct transfer to the final from the heat. The F11nt Ironman started the final in 15th position, got off the groove at least twice and still came on to finish a closing fourth place! Who said the older 750 sldevalves are dead? Mann held on for a sputtering sixth place, heIng passed for flfth by Lawwill who again stretched the national points over Rayborn who ended uP in ninth. Two time national winner Larry Palmgren returned to the west for the first ...t" ..... (20) R_o... Dick (2) . . . bad the best sut In tile .....sa as the lead cllapcl alllOSt evwy lap. First JI. (801) Rice••• Harley-Davidson. Rice and Romero were both under the old eight mllemarksetby Sammy 1'anDer back.in '64. Romero was the fastest of the two with a new olflclal mark. The only non BSA, Triumph or H-D win came in the well fought Semi-Main when Tanner. mounted on a 750cc Enfield Twin, regained the lead out of the last turn to take the win. Sammy was inches ahead of National Point leader Mert Lawwill who made the f1na.1 the hard way this year • The 25 mile feature was the race of races and the best ever turned in by the AMA Pros who race for a living. Palmgren, Romero, Rice and Dick Mannputon a four rider fray that may never be topped in the West. All but Mann took turns leading. Amate.. wi_ at the Ascot TT National, Frank Gillespie was optimistic about his chances: ". cot a brand new engine Irom the Triu."" people and it's going great!" Frank Ilnlsbecl l...rIb. time in IDlUIY years but could pull no better than a distant eighth and was never a contender for the front spots. Earlier, be finished second to Romero -- and the eventual wlnn_, Chuck Palel&'en picked up lap money. in the record beat race for his best showing. Triumph and BSA dominated the twenty rider final but only two of the three cylinder machines made it. Rice rode a BSA three and Tom Rockwood was on a Triumph three. Rockwood went out with a broken piston and Rice nearly won the race. The key point in the final found Rice in front of Palmgren and Romero. Going into the first turn Jim left about six inches too much open and Palmgren squeezed in, knocking Rice off the groove and baclt to fourth place. Rice then worked his way back uP but could never again take the lead. '/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// CHUCK PALMGREN WINS FOUR·MAN,25· MILE ,////////////////////////////FRACAS,////////////////////////////.