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Gary (9) Nixon vainly chases Yvon Duhamel in the lightweight race. Gary took his turn in the big race with his first National win of the season. NIXON'SIACK By Chuck Clayton Photos by Don Woods LACONIA, 'N.H, June 13, 14, 1970- With soldiers aeployed for a riot that never haPpened, the last big National champion.ship road race of the year ran off last weekend near Loudon, N.H. Naturally, the general news media went home disappointed that no heads were cracked or cars tipped over, but those that came for the real show - the four AMA motorcycle races - got their monies worth. Nixon Takes Big One Gary NiXon, overcoming a long streak of bad luck and apparently fully re- covered from a slow healing broken leg, parlayed a smooth, intell1gentraceintoa Triumph Trident victory in the 100 mlle National Championship feature, Sunday. The 1wo time former National Champion picked up $2,700 for the win, as well as $250 for fast qualifying time. The complexion of things to come was apparent' Friday during practice, when BSA factory rider, Dave Aldana crashed horribly, completely demoUshing his Rocket Three. He walked away from the wreckage, unhurt and replaying to an anxious spectator that he was "invincible." His bike was completely rebuild by race time Sunday. Then, during the first qualifying heat, Cal Rayborn unloaded whlle leading into the first turn and fractured his wrist. Nixon won the race, and Canadian ace, Yvon DUhamel captured the secqnd qual1fy1ng event. The 31st running of the New Hampshire classic saw Harley rider, Mark 'Brelsford, grab an early lead, with Nixon close behind and Suzuki factory rider, Jody Nichols and Duhamel's Yamaha dueUng it out for third. Brelsford began to stretch out his lead, and by the fourth lap, he was already starting to pass the slower riders. On the sixth lap, Suzuki rider Jim Odom crashed and was taken to the hospital. He was apparently not badly hurt, although there was no official report by press time Monday. Nicholas, an early favorite to win the event, zapped Duhamel and battled Nixon for second place. On lap 14, the 500cc twin Suzuki passed Nixon's 750cc Triumph three, but on the very next lap, Jody went down and pushed his machine into the piis. Tom Rockwood also got into the pushing act on that 15th lap. With Nicholas out of the race, Nixon and Duhamel went at it in a repeat of Saturday's Lightweight race. Gary would have the advantage on the uphills and Yvon on the downhills. But California's Mark Brelsford was still in the lead. On the 30th lap, Don Castro crashed and. Dick- Mann· signaled his· pit that he had mechanical problems. Chuck Palmgren crashed on the 34th lap and was taken to the hospital. Meanwhlle, about halfway through the 63 lap race, Nixon began to drop back, and Duhamel began to chop about 1wo seconds a lap off of Brelsford's 20 second lead. Then, on lap 38, Yvon passed Mark right in front of the grandstand. But on the very next lap, he unloaded at the very spot where he took the lead. He got up and restarted, but by this time Brelsford and Nixon had gotten by, and he came back into the race in third place. Dave Smith had steadily moved up through the pack and was nowrunnlng fourth. Brelsford continued to lead until the 52nd lap, when he didn't come around and Nixon emerged as the leader. Mark pushed his bike into the pits with ignition problems. But'the race was far from over. Nixon had a 35 second lead and pretty much maintained it for the wave of the checkers. But Smith, who had dropped back to fifth on the 52nd. lap, was beginning ,to make his bid. Ronnie Pierce, who was running third, crashed, and Don Emde and Smith both passed Duhamel. Dave, running faster as the race progressed, passed Emde for second place and his best finish in a National event. _ Lane Laps Novice Field Mike Lane, a high school sophmore from Bakersfield and riding his first professional race, blew minds in winning the Novice 60 mller that led off the speed feast on Saturday. First, Lane fought to take front spot away from JIm Metrando in the early laps. W1nn1ng that, the young rider proceeded to crank it on, riding nearly 1wo laps for all the rest of the field'S one. Lane's style on his white and yellow Yamaha was as smooth as Uquid butter, with all the lumps melted out. Breaking a record a lap, he bent so low around the twisty, hilly, mlle-plus course that fans in the stands saw only his top and bottom as he flipped his immaculate bike over between turns. Jeff March, running in second place, couldn't accept being lapped by the leader, and waged a fierce duel with Lane, unlapping himself after Lane's brake petal brc.ke off. The rest of the field, except Metrando and Ron E!arringer, who went out near the end, might as well have. Duhamel ·Does Lightweight .Tiling With that for openers, tile 250cc Ami Ex. 75 mUer exploded from the grid in a crowd of two-stroke smoke, almost before the spectators got their breath back, Don Emde, showing the same speed that had won Talladega for him, led the charge, but this time Gary Nixon, Yvon Duhamel, and Cal Rayborn were racing a track where sheer speed is not the whole decider. Nixon, riding Dusty Coppage'S works Yamaha, after his own had come up shy of a bearing in a pre-race teardown, took over after five laps, and Rudy Galindo, an Amateur from California, challenged Duhamel to fill out a fiercely flying pack of flesh and steel. Yvon found the throttle, then,andlostGalindo, taking on Rayborn'S snub-nosed 350cc H-D. Galindo'S Yamaha soon seized and he fell off. Nixon's black and yellow number nine bike was the leader, followed by Emde. Then Yvon got past Emde and closed tightly on number nine. Rib to block ~-~-----------, around the course they sPed, neither adversary giving a quarter inch. F1nally on the 11th lap Duhamel did it. Gary repassed Yvon, who passed him back again. They were slicing traffic Uke 1wo hot blades. . Meanwhile, young Dave Smith, after starting nearly one lap late, fought forward to. 10th place. Records were shattered lap after lap, as the leaders increased intensity - 72 mph the first twenty laps, 73 mph at 25 laps. Gary and Yvon passed and repassed like marching feet. The crowd exhaled with one breath at Nixon's 10th dangerous passing of Yvon. Then it was all over but the checkered flag. Duhamel screamed pas the grandstands without his gallant pursuer. Gary came wa1k1ng back to the pits. Bad luck had not deserted him, yet. More Kawa Dough For Bradley Sunday dawned clear and warm lovely weather for racing motorcycles. The first question to be decided was whether the Texas Tiger, Rusty Bradiey could win the last of 1970's big Amateur road races, and deplete Kawasaki's contingency bankroll by another $2,500. The second and larger question in the air was, what about Gary Nixon. Would misfortune always ride with him? , . . Question one seemed to be answered, Ever wonder why those Kawasakls are painted green? It s to match all that with Bradley'S first defeat on the Boston money they offer to winners like Rusty Bradley. , ................................ "~ ............................. .••(.ContinlLed. QJl.p.age .16).