Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

.. ,., , , . .... . ..t.. ... ••• ,.. ........ ... ..•• .. r1' . ' " CI) -' -, " By Terry Pratt .....CUMBERI;AND, MD., May 3,1970- Mert Lawwtll made experience pay off and " ~~l~ the checkers away from first year li:."ller t Dave Aldanatc repeat last year's victory In the Cumberland Half-MUe National Championship. Most people thought they would never see the day when young Dave could be caught being too careful but after leadIng 16 laps of the Final Aldana relaxed just that tiny fraction too much and Laww1ll cashed In on Dave's cautiousness by sliding his hot Harley around Aldana on the outside coming out of the final turn. Later Dave sald, "1 figured 1 had it won so I was trying to coollt and not fall off. In the last turn 1 had seen Mert back there but I had the Inside sewn up and just didn 't think he could pass me on the outside." Lawwill kept up his charge, made the bold outside move and stopped the clock at the finish line In new record time of 9:10.53. That's some 20 seconds faster than the old record. Mert's Harley-Davidson team mate, Mark Brelsford led the first two laps before giving way to the snapping Triumph of Larry Palmgren. Aldana had moved to second and on the next goaround Dave pulled his BSAinto the lead. All this time Lawwill was loping along In about sixth place where everyone was packed together like the corwd of 6000 In the grandstands. Mert began working his way through and on lap 13 he passed Palmgren to move Into second place, 150 yards behind the fleeing Aldana. Keith Mashburn riding a new Yamaha flat tracker was fourth from flag to flag. Laww1ll crept up on Aldana from lap 13 until the flnish. Dave was making time in the turns. His engine was running on less than' peak form . In fact after working for hours ,on a blown engine Dave came out for qua.l1fyingrunning on one cyllnder. He dead last and went to the barn Saturday night as first alternate. Miraculously Dave was in the program on Sunday and ran off with a win In his heat race. La wwill also won his heat and Larry Palmgren picked up the third Expert heat. • The outstanding preliminary race was the 5 lap consolation match. As In the heats only the top three transferred to the Final and there were some top names slugging it out for a chance at the big one. Jim Rice, Don Castro and Gene Romero came out on top after a really hair raising dice with riders like Cal Rayborn and Dick Mann who did not make the 20 Iappara, Jim Rice, winner of the last National at Atlanta, Georgia, didn't fare as well Sunday and broke aprimary chain In the first lap of the Feature. Another repeat performance was the Amateur race which was dominated bY , Doug Sehl, winner of the Amateur por- tion of the ' Atlanta National. Dougpushed his Triumph way out In front of Ron Butler and Tod Sloane who picked up the next two spots. Young Sehl gave a hint to his devastating race winning ab1l1tywhen he qualified ahead of everyone that unloaded his trailer. That's right, Doug was first at 25.90 and Mert Laww1ll trailed at 25.96. Those two were the only ones under 26 seconds. Doug says he wants to be an Expert. We guess it won't take long. The program went off with clock work precision and no groans were heard from the riders or the crowd despite the cool overcast weather. Bart Markel was on hand. He wasn't suited up but he says he w1ll be as soon as his collar bone knits together. Gary Nixon came out but just wasn't the same old Gary. But like he says, "Only two mor e weeks until Talladega." (Results on page 19) SPEEDWAY IN FULL SWING By Mike Capallte quarters of a lap behind the leader. Before Woods could get a chance to set COSTA MESA, CALIF. May 1, 1970Larry up to pass him, Helnselmanpulled speedway racing opened with a roar in off the track with a sour engine. This left Orange County Friday night, as the "S.R.O." crowd of 4,700 fans broke all ' , the win to Woods with Kanie second and Cody third. ' attendance records for this fairgrounds After an impressive handicap consoletrack. Promoter Harry Oxley assured tion win by Jim Gresham, the HandlC4P the fans that by next Friday he would MaIn Event rolled to the llne. construct seating for an additional 1000 With Larry Earbart jumping to the patrons. lead at the start, it was Dennis Glldehaus The Scratch MaIn Event was the one right behind him, Sonny Nutte r spun out everybody was waiting for, as The Great while trying a little too hard to get Bear Racing Team had their Fair-Haired through the pack. But his spin-out was , boy, Larry HeinseIman, In against two brief, and he was right back Into the race teammates from the USA Racing Team, almost ' Immedlate ly. Then it was Terry Bill Cody and Mike Konle, Last man on Graham's turn to do the same thing and the ' llne In this race - and deflnitely the he also straightened it up and continued man that the other three were concenin the race. Graham's action was short trating on was Rick Woods. Off the llne, lived and he spun out again on the next Helnselman grabbed the lead, by virtue lap~ Meanwhile back In the lead, Larry of being in the pole position, while Woods E:arhart was being pressured by Dennis ~ stormed around the outside, driftinglnto Glldehaus with Dennis trying to get a some of the loose surface thrown out by wheel under Larry In every corner. the previous races. He almost lost it as Then, coming out of the last corner for he dropped back to fourth place trying to the checkered fiag,Larryworrledalittle control It. Coming out, it was Helnseltoo much about how close Dennis was and man, Cody, Konle and Woods. As Rick as he turned the wick up a little too high, . moved up to pass Kanie, Bill Cody spun the machine just broke loose , and he out In the corner, but both Woods and couldn't get the needed traction. That Kanie mlssed him as this now put Woods was all Glldehaus needed, as he slid by Into second place. Cody kept the machine on the Inside for the Handicap MaIn win. running and was back In the race, but no (Results on page 19) longer in contention as he was three- Baker,fleld rid .. Jeff Sperry ca .. the hometown crowd a favDrlle 10 rDDI for. By Mike Capallte Konle to back Cody for the USA racing team, It was Sonny Nutter backing He1nBAKERSFIELD, CALIF . May 2, 1970selman for the Great Bear Racing Team. With the grandstands at the Kern COWlty As the riders llned uP to start the race, fairgrounds packed with mostly newWoods jumped the gun and broke through comer to speedway racing, Rick Woods the tapes, and by shear reflex, one of the helped make a number of permanent tans, as he turned In the first Grand "other riders also went across the llne. Slam of the young speedway season, As they llned uP again, Instead of going wlnn1ng every race in which he was to the Pits, Rtckwas Inllne and the startentered. ing gate went uP and the race was on. In the special team match race, Woods Nutter just sat on the llne thinking the and Larry Shaw were pitted against starter would black flag the race and Sonny Nutter and Larry Heinselman, the disqualify Woods for his false start. pride of the Great Bear Racing Team. When he realized that the race was not Woods grabbed the lead Into the first going to be stopped, he took off, but the corner, but much to his surprise, Nutter rest of them had to great of a lead for took It away on the first Iap, But Rick him to possibly overcome. (The rule poured it on, took the lead, and started state that if one rider breaks the tapes, Playing his slow down game, whereby he he Is dlsqualifed, if two or more go goes into the corner In a full lock slide across the line on a false start, no but keeps his foot down, dropping it hard, matter who actually breaks the tape, it and slowing his speed through the corner. Is a restart). Victory number two for As he takes up the whole line through the Woods. corner, he Is hard to pass, and to avoid At the start of the Handicap MaIn, Jim a, collision, the riders behind him must Gresham took the lead, with Graham and cut their speeds also, thus, giving his Cody right behind him. Following Cody teammate a chance to move UP. Luckily was Dewayne Keeter and Woods. Woods his strategy worked, as Shaw was able had just passed Keeter, and as he went to get around Helnselman, and as they Into the corner behind Cody, Bill went came across the llne, it was Woods and down and Woods and Keeter were able to Shaw wlnn1ng with a score of 4-2. miss him by Inches. Woods then moved The second Division MaIn Event was past Terry Graham into second place. somewhat of a heartbreaker, as local With only one lap to go, the crowd was rider Jeff Sperry had engine trouble on • going crazy and cheering like mad, as the llne and had to set the race out from this was the same situation that had the beglnning. Tommy Bannon took the happened In the semi, where Woods 'had win In the 2nd division main with Steve been able to rattle Jim enough to let Gresham and Les Chanky pushing him Rick s neak under him. Jim's luck was just not with him. As he came out of the hard. The Scratch MaIn Event looked like the corner for the checkered flag, Woods same llne uP as Friday night at Orange got underneath and nipped him by only County, with Rick Woods, Bill Cody and Inches for the win. Larry Helnselman. But Instead of Mike (Results on page 19) Mann To Ride For ,BSA Showlnc his full lock, rIOt up style, Bill Cody slides on to a reature win at the Orance County ope..r, VERONA, N.J. May 4, 1970-DickMann, winner of the Daytona 200 and current AMA National points leader, has been signed by BSA as a factory rider for the rest of the 1970 season,itwasannounced today. Mann, who was s1xtb in the point standings last year, rode for the company until a parting of the ways before the start of this season. According to a spokesman for the company, the 16 year veteran w1ll be aboard a BSA In all National races, starting with the road race at Talladega, Ala: on May 17. Mann wlll still compete on his Ossa in races cI. 250Cc or less. = ..:I ~ ~ ;,) ?- ;,)

• Cover