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/125641
Van Leeuwen Wins Ascot TT Cut Short By Tank Slapper ROll PI_co . .II.. .n.. celtllt' a kill IToIi L.aaa Pale-. Bob Balle' Is 011 "slid to coltcrabllato lho Troph, Dull wloltO'. TIId (2651) $1_ alld Toll (114) Lanewlth battlod for SOl:OIld plac.. Tod panod Tod to tako lho spot boIIlnd Joltn Ibto .., In lho NoYlce Flul. By Dewitt Thuett Photos by Eric Raits All !be top guns in TT racing were back in tbe saddle at Ascot Friday II1gbt for tbe weekly TT outing. Some were sIlot down but some survived even though the big bike tinal was halted just past !be haltway mark due to a spectacular by root1e Ron Pierce. Dave Aldana and ~ White opened the action by falling r1f. in the opening lap before the pack even got to the jllJIlP. White bBlliid off on turn one with Aldana play1ng Ttcer ear~ and ta.ll1ng on turn three. Both were back in for the re-start r1 the heat that was won by Skip Van Leeuwen. Aldana pushed Skip all the way with his usual fII1l-bore riding, taIdng uP much of tbe race track most 01. the way and most of the time. 'Mert Lawwtll was on hand for the first time since wrapping uP !be National point title. A late arrival at !be plt gate placed him on row two for the heat race. Still, he came trom the back but falled to t1n1sh high eoough for a direct transfer to !be tinal. It did give him !be pole for the Semi. The three heat races were balanced and talent loaded to tbe extent that scrambler Terry Dorsch did not make II out of the Semi. Don Castro failed to t1nlsh high enough in the heat race to Qua111:y for the Semi, Dallas Baker made ' it to the Semi but had problems and did not ride the event. Lawwtll led the Semi from start to t1nlsh with JIm Rice and Gene Romero running a distant seeoDd and thlrd to also transfer to the tinal. Coppege took the lead and held all Van Leeuwen until he missed a gear sh1tt coming off the jump on lap five. Skip then looIt over but was unable to shake Dusty and Ron Pierce. Lawwtll came uP fast trom the back and was making it a four rider duel. Then Pierce tried too hard coming on the troot chute on lap eJght and got into a lock to lock "Tank-Slapper" at the type seldom seen in a TT event. On the half mile, yes, but not in TT' s. Alter lbe handletars had beat lbegastank a few doZeD times !be machine pllcbed Roo stricbt uP and high into tbe air. Luckily he did not make contact with the wall and all of lbe other riders missed and passed with 110 contact.' The black flag lben came out and the race was declared over. Van Leeuwen was the winner with Coppege secoDd and Lawwill lbird. After about five minutes Pierce climbed of! tbe stretcher aDd walked to the ambulanee wbich took him to the hospital for obserrat1on. JolIn Hateley was Mr. Fast again in the Novice 250cc class and won tbe ligbtweight final for the lbird time in four weeks. He was ott the line first and held it to the line. Point leader Too Sloane was off to a poor start in about 8th place. Sloane then got moring aDd put on one of the f1nest displays at Novice riding ever seen at Ascot or any other TT track. Lap a1'ter lap and rider after rider was passed until be was t1nallY in secoDd. The laps ran out before Sloane became a serious cba1lenge to Hateley wbo again closed the point gap 011 SloaDe. Ted Loogwith held dI !be late cbarg1ng Al Kenyoo to take lbird. Ray VanderPool turned in a fine ride in tbe heat race but could pullllO better tba.n t1tthin tbetlDal. The TT riders share !be nclDc _ lb1s weebOO with !be balt milers. TIle TT goes 00 Friday II1gbt with tile baJf mUers return1nc for !be first times1llce !be national to cOlJlll8te for lbe state CbampionshlP title on SUurday nJcbt. This will be tbe f1Dal balt mile r1 !be year at Ascot. Three more TT remain for !be Ascot Fr1dIIY nJcbt SMSOII. (R8SlIlts 00 page 20) Sachs Power Dominates I.S.D.T. Sachs rider Bill Uhl only American to win Gold edal with Lightweight machine American Sachs Team riders, Bin Uhl - Gold medal, Herb Uhl, Pres&oa PeUJ. AI Baker - Silver medals, Cbulie Hoene - Bronze medal, lead tile te. . of t1reaty fiBisJlers. Overall, Sac"s machiJles captured 6 Gold, 11 Silver and 8 Bronze medals. Sac1ls powered aadaiaes with IlailtJ 6Jlisllers tallied 9 Gold, 13 Silver and 8 Bronze medals. Sachs and Saehs powered uehiaes repleseated by 321 staIters with 3)7 finisllers, this represented about 25~ Df all 'finishers i. the I~S.D. T., lpIite an aCCOl8plishment from a lightweight .International Six Days Trial 25 % of all finishers go with Sachs power Dealer In(Jurles Invlled Importer and Western Distributor IS: SACHS HERCULES 0151. LTD, lU2 Color.do 51. Santa MODica. Colil.90404 PH: (213) 45t~721