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/125680
to .... ~LAWW'LL ~ to:I ~ By Dewitt Thuett to:I "I made more money tonlgbt than I -l U made all last month." That was thefirst >.. statement trom Mert Lawwill 11gbtatter the Ma1n Event at Ascot last Friday u night. Harley-Davidson's number one rider returned to Ascot action and swept the boards. Clocking the fastest lap in time trials this year with a roaring 22: 92 was just the first of four I1lII& for Mert that were to prove winners. The expected renewal duel between the Harley ace and Tom Rockwood never came off. A last minute switch foUDd Tom with one of the newly approved Triumph 750cc engines that just did not seem to get the job done. Instead, it was Norton mounted Paul Conserrlere who pushed the Champ in the heat race, trophy dash and main event. Passing Paul and his Harold Alllson tuned Norton gave Mert all the competition he wanted until the ftnal few laps of the final. The last lap of the Expert Main found rookie Keith Mashburn and his Yamaha trying Conserriere for second and failing atter a near crash on the f1nal turn. Earlier, on lap seven, Mel Lacher and Mashburn tangled on the North turn with Lacher going down and' out of the race. It was a rough night for the "Kids". Dave Aldana returned to run third in his heat race behind Lacher and Mashburn. Rockwood missed the dash for the first time this year in time trials and then ran third in his heat back of Lawwill and Conserriere. The Semi pitted Rockwood, Aldanaand Odom uP tront. Odom, rldtng teamMacias with Rockwood for the first time this year, came out of the last corner to nip Aldana at the line with the win going to Rockwood in a close tbreerider battle. Sammy Tanner scored his 394th half mile win since 1956 by w1nn1ng his heat race over Dave Smith and Odom.Sammy came back to pull a seventh in the final behind Rockwood. Amateur action was highlighted by the appearance of the midwest's toP amateur, Rex Beauchamp trom Michigan. Beauchamp was the amateur' winner at the Columbus national two weeks ago. First indications made it look like Bob Fulton was f1nally going to put it all together on his new Triumph mount. Bob, younger brother of road I'acer, Walt, won his heat with the best yellow plate time of the night and then took an early lead in the f1nal only .to once again be sidelined with mechanical troubles. Then Iowa'S Lynn HollowayonhisVelo took over only to lose it to Beauchamp who had charged hard and smooth trom the second starting row. The midwest Triumph rider led for two laps before giving way to Ascot's own, JohnHateley. Hateley led the ftnal four laps with Beauchamp holding for a strong and well deserved second ahead. of the sliding TOPS ASCOT Holloway, the pride of the Marines. Don Emde returned trom the east to win his Amateur heat but troubles in the f1nal, with tires, kept him out of contention all the way and a seventh place f1n1sh. Novice Donny WatIers returned trom the east and an undefeated string that found no losses in the east for the entire triP. The Riverside Yamaha rider found Ascot to be faster than the back east ovals and crashed in his heat race, thus stopping the longest green plate win streak go1ngin AMA racing. The Scott-Roberts duel again flL1led to come off in the flnal. Botb won their heat races once again but Roberts came uP with the engine troubles this week and Scott went on for his third win of the season. Surprise rider at the n1gbt in the Novice class was Yamaha riding Steve WIlson who gave both Scott and Roberts all they could baIId1e most of the way in the 250 f1na1. WUson was 11gbt there at the fln1sh for second with Ron Moore in third. At Ascot watching the action for the first time were the two CpD8cUpns, Dave and Doug Seb1. Dave 15 already a two time natiOll81 half m1le winner at LouisV11Ie and Columbus on his H-D wh11e brolller Doug, the amateuf who rides TrtlllllPh, 15 the leading amateur in the east on dirt. 'Ibe1r mAChines did not arrive in time to compete but both stated after the races that Ascot 15 tbetr Idnd of tracIt and they will be in action for the "Yamaha Night" on the 17th. (Results on page 22) Approximately 250 riders showed up at Ascot Thursday night for the weekly Motocross competition and the result was a lengthened program. John DeSoto was the main standout with victories in both the 250cc Expert-Intermediate classes. John Maynard (~i) finished second in th~ soo and Bob Mess (Bul) took second in the 250. Gene Cannady topped the 125cc Ex-I nt. held. The program lasted tIll the early-mom ing hours, giving the near-capacity crowd its money's worth. (Photo by Bruce Braly.) ~ ~ . ..... ~~ - ~ ~~ SCRAMBLER MOTORCYCLES 1101 W. Ilurbank Illvd• • rbank, Calif• ...,.SSOl ar 145-1131 Ea. 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