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/125681
MANN TAKES lVATIONAL TT, .: REGAINS AMA POINT LEAD By John Bethea CASTLE ROCK, WASH., July 11, 1!l70'The Generation Gap closed briefly tonight and the experience of age prevailed. For 10 laps, Dick Mann, the oldest "Man" on the AMA National Circuit, and Dave Aldana, the "Sensational Rookie," battled for the lead in the 30lap TT National ChampionshiP before an overflow crowd at the Castle Rock Fair Grounds. 'The two only briefly came in contact, but when they did everybody knew it. Just into the start of the first turn in the 19th lap, Aldana, who had held the lead most of the time since the sixth lap, was slightly bumped on the rear wheel by Mann. Aldana lost control andfllpped his bike, sheering off the right handle bar. 'The rookie walked away, however--uninjured. Mann then won handily. When the incident occurred, both Aldana and Mann were well in front of the rest of the pack, but this was not the case throughout. Both riders had to move through the midst of the front-runners befor.e they could battle for first. Aldana was third and "Buggs" fourth near the end of the second lap. By the fifth, Super Rookie had moved up one position whlle Mann had fallen back one. In the sixth, however, Aldana found his opening and passed Don Castro and Mark Brelsford while Mann moved back to Dick "Bugs· Mann shOWing not a scratch from the handlebar banging he and DaILe Aldana did. Dick came away winner and new national point leader. The customary high laceup boots have been replaced with motocross boots. Don castro (in chair) and Gary Nixon (foreground) enjoy sights and sounds of Castle Rock. fourth. Two laps later, the Daytona wInner also passed Castro and Brelsford to take over second and started the close fight for first that ended 11 laps later. After Castro jumped to the lead off the Une and Brelsford captured it before the lap was completed, the pair rode consistent races. Similar to the race for first was the race for third between these two. Castro mainta.1ned the advantage and finished second with Brelsford third. 'The victory by Mann was his second of the year, and the 53 points he picked up now places him atop the Point Standings with 345. Jim Rice is second with 320. Rice barely made it to the finals, as he took seventh-In the qualltyingheats. 'This put him in the semi and there he appeared to have regained his form, as he took first. 'The MaIn was a 16-manrace, so the top four of the Semi were added to the regular dozen. In the main, Rice's machine began to lost its drive, and he pulled out of the race two laps after Aldana's crash to take 15th• •''The track is a little on the small side," said Mann later, "sothere'svery little strategy involved. You just had to go where the other guy wasn't." Aldana, who moved from fourth to first in his 10-lap qualltying heat, ex(Continued on page 6) Amateur wi nner Chuck Joyner squi nts in late afternoon sun prior to battle with Darryl Cotton for wi n. Darryl came off second after leadi ng for nine of ten laps. Mark (87) Brelsford leads at start, then Don (11y) Castro got by.