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/125668
BRADLEY DOMINATES SMRA~ By John Blanton AUSTI~, TEX. AprU 12, 1970 - Rusty Bradley, the 19 year old winner of the 100 mUe Amateur event at Daytona, totally dominated SMRA Road Race competition bere Sunday, wI.nn1ng the 500cc Stock Production. the Open Class Grand Prt.x, and the ()pen Class Final. Tbe University of Texas mechanical engineering student also rode bls Trlumpb into second place in the Stock Production Open Class, behind Bently Hard- . wick's Norton. Hardwick was lead1I!g Bradley in the Open Class GP, when a flat tire forced b1m out of the race. Prior to the road races, a motocross event was beld In the 1nfleld to the delIgbt of the spectators. First In the 125cc class was Jack Hicks on a Penton. In the 250Cc class, with three stralgbt win, was Jack O'Leary on a Yamaba.RoblHolbert on a Husqvarna won the 500Ccclass, with two wins and a second place. Road racing then got underway, as the Stock Production 250Cc class was won by Tommy Byars, on a Suzuki. He was followed by James Blackwell (Kawasaki) and Larry McPhail (Suzuki). Bradley, on bls 500cc Trlumpb (the ex-H.A . Cardwell bike), bandUy won the 500Cc Stock Production class over Bently Hardwick (Suzuki) and Tommy Byars (Suzuki). Bradley and Hardwick were at It again in the Open Production class, and thts time Hardwick's 750cc Norton bested Bradley's three-cylinder Triumpb. In the GP classes, 125 winners were James Lutz (yamaha), Pee Wee Gleason (Hodaka), and Gordon Duggan (Montesa). In the 200Cc class the winners were Jerry Brust (Ducati), James Gardner (Honda) and WWard Kelley (Honda). Fresh out on bls new 250Cc Yamaha, Bently Hardwick won the 250Cc GP over Darryl Hurst (Yamaha), MIke Cone (Yamaha) and Bennie Campbell (Kawasaki). • Tbe 500cc and Open GP classes were run concurrently, with Hardwick and Bradley leading the field. Hardwick dropped out with bls flat tire, and J.C. ,Klusmeyer managed second overall on his falred Norton. He was followed by Terry KIraly (35OCc Yamaha), thlrd overall and first in the 500Cc class. Tbe power for Larry Beall's Kawasaki three disappeared in a cloud of blue smoke, and Paul Beardon's 350Cc Ducati and Bennie Campbell's 350CcYamaha rounded out the 500cc class• . After dogging WUlard Kelley's Honda from the start of the race, James Gardner took over the lead for keeps, when Willards brake stay arm came adrift on the thlrd laP In the 200cc Grand Final. Always second behind Gardner, but at an ever increasing distance - was Danny Madsen, also on a 175cc Honda. Tbe early portion of the 250Cc Grand Final was marked by a terrific three-way battle among the Yamahas of Cone, Hardwick and Hurst. But Cone had the obvious edge, and be soon bunt a sizeable lead. On the last lap, Darryl Hurst became overly excited, and be slid off the course while entering the pit esses, He quickly remounted and restarted, trying desperately to stave off a Ducati that had come up tram the backfield to take advantage of his misfortune. He never reached the finish line, Instead throwing bls TD2 away into' the crowd of spectators, who have become accustomed to standing on the pavement adjacent to turn eight and the finish line. Bennie Campbell moved up into Hurst's thlrdPlace, behind Bently Hardwick. Campbell was destined for even better fortune in the open class. When Hardwick's ' second place Norton went rough half-way through the race, Campbell moved up (but not very close) behind Bradley's Triumph. Klusmeyer's Norton was third, followed by KIraly's Yamaha . and Eddie Patton's Honda f our • After the death knell had sounded for Austin Raceway Park, motorcycle racing returned to tbls Central Texas course, due to the cancellation of the meet sched uled for Dallas International. Many of the track's fac1l1ties were absent because of preparations for converting the grounds into a mobUe home park. Least missed, however, were the steel guard ratls that had haunted riders f or the two year blstory of the track. (Results on page 19) A motocross was also hlld to make a full day d raelnl In Austin.