Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

GO ~ Q., ~ lo:I :e lo:I ...:l U By Dewitt '!buett Photos by Eric Raits As the crowe! 1Dcrease each Frtda;y nlght for the Ascot half miles Itbecomes more and more apparent that Tom Rockwood and hls Danny Maclas tuned TrIumph 15 the comblnation to beat. '!be comblDatioo of veteran tuner, teenager rider, and tile Triumph 550 15 the most conststent. TIle trio has rtgured 1n the tInal win in six of the previous seven outlngs. Rockwood posted the fastest Ezpert time and won h1s heat before going uP against '69 point champion Mel Lacher 1n the Trophy Dash. Over the years the three lap Dash has become the favorite event of the college grad from San Diego. He 15 nearly unbeatable. Lacher and Rockwood squared off 1n a thriller that had Lacher in front but Rockwood's front wheel passing 1n front three times in the last two laps. Lacher took the win by inches, h1s second in three weeks. '!be Main Event was a dlfferent story with Dewayne Keeter and h1s Norton 1n front on the firstlapandRockwoodb1ast1ng by to start the secood round. It was "Kawasald Nlgbt" at Ascnt with the KawasaId firm postlng addltional lap money for the leader of each lap. Keeter, Lacher and Jimmy Odom stayed with Rockwood the first seven laps. Then Triwnpb's DeW ace started to open the pp with a flawless ride of the type that has hroulbt h1m tile win, or near win, just about every Friday n1gbt. With first place and the lap mooey secured by Tom, the race was a battle for second. Odom, charging harder than ever. was rigbt on top of Keeter at the end of ten. Lap tblrteen had Odom moving to second and Keeter appearing to tire but still holding off Lacher. '!be last two laps was a Keeter-Lacher duel for tblrd with Keeter holding. At the f1n1sh It was a Triumph one-two for Rockwood and Odom with Norton and Harley-Davidson taldng three-four. G Tam Rockwood lads tile 110•• an his way to victory In II. Expert IIIln.t A.cot Frlu, 111111I. Rockwood picked uP close to $1,000 for wtnning the Main, leading 14 of the 15 laps in the final and taldDg second in the Dash. '!be Ka wasaId COI11PlUlY a1so gave away a new "Tra1l Boss" mach1ne. '!be winner was Mr. Larry NLmn who came all the way from Demming, New Mexico to view the races over the holiday weekend. John Hateley f1Dally found the w1nn1ng way once again in the Amateur final. He held off Don Emde all the way for In most eases, the longest ~ou'll have to wait for ~ele elothing at. Valerian's is two or three minutes. Our supply of Darner Motocross leathers is exceeded only by our supply of Torsten Hallman leathers. Which is exceeded only by our supply of Champion leathers. ~ . . _-aiJt-.. . . . 00 ·~~,~t~~!:"~td. Los Angeles. Ca"f~mla 90064 - Telephone: (213) 475-4541 Sales - Service - Accessories - Paris - Rivetts Champion Leathers HUSQVARNA' JAWAlCZ· SUZUKI' PENTON' MZ' MONTESA' ZUNDAPP' MINI-TRAILS open monday through saturday h1s tblrd win of the year. Emde had earlier set fast Amateur time, won h1s heat and placed tblrd 1n the Dash but could not find the way around Hateley in the ten lap final. Chuck Hart came from the back row in tile final, after wtnn1ng tile semi, to f1n1sh a closing tblrd. Kenny Robertsstartedanewwinstreat 1n the Novice class 00 h1s Suzuld by winning both the heat race and the final. Some anxious moments came before the wins, however. Gary Scott returned to half m1le actioo and switched to the K&N Yamaha. Scott also won h1s heat race, three seconds faster than the time posted by ~j timichro'me .~~-/$hlnes Sllddelll, ~ ~h(C" •• I :; \ OMPETlTlON ~ • • . SI",I ehr_ i •• hOlley quick ••• bu.y Tubl51 CHEMICALS C.n $3.50 704 W.\hlnclon Ave •. low. F.II., 1_ 50126 Riders & Racers! our machine shop can answer your needs ... .. - . - _ ..... _'<01 , hu IIOW WCII\ .Iz III the w.. klr fat.... Roberts. In the final the race was won off the startlng l1De with Roberts getting another perfect start and Scott following sJl the way for second. Bob Hill, Al Bater and Roo Moore followed the Roberts-Scott comblnatioo across the llne 1n tile 250Cc flnal. Rockwood, Emde and Roberts are the three point leaders at Ascot after seven weeks of half mlle racing. Brand wise it reads Triumph, BSA, Suzutl. '!bere 15 talk now of again increasing the already guaranteed $2100.00 weetly purse due to the ever increasing crowds that keep coming every Friday nlght. '!be actioo has never been better, or closer. It wUl sJl be leading uP to the two nationals at Ascot, the TT 1n Ju1)' and the half mlle national 1n September. (Results on page 22) Ir.· Spec:I.llzecl Triumph - HCII\u RI.. CU.tllll R.cllli • Enllnl. . .chi....ark • Metl... Kit. Crl. Borllli • Had Portllli MIKE BURKE MOTORCYCLE SPECIALTI ES 1517. R.Y"'lr St. V. NUJ.~ C.I. 91406 Te'lphCll\I (213) 7'u·0779 DESERT SET UP SCRAMBLES CURNUTT SHOCKS $39!O pr. • IIElI-ARC WELDIC ,....-ISTEELJ (Fill 1"RED . .Ill • FORI TUBE STRAIGIITEJIIIG • CYLIIIER . . . • c.tI£SSIOI RELEASES IISTAlLED • WllEELuc. • HElJ.all.S IISTAUED (;)Jill

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