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/125686
ALDANA TRIUMPHA T; By Chuck Clayton TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA, Aug.15,197DIt looked Uke it was going to be a Rice Day again at tilts 2D-1ap Halt-Mile AMA National Championsb1p. Jim Rice, the yoWlg BSA Ace, bad set fast time in quaUtying by bettering Don Castro's 26.64 second lap by one bWldredth of a second. But rookie David Aldana bad plans for 1IIe $1000 wtnner's money. David let the $50 for fast quaWter go and concentrated on the feature. The 60 Experts entered were whittled down to 36 by quallfy1ng. Then the preliminary races began, which would reduce that number by afurther two tlltrds, leaving the twelve fastest men to slug it outlor the national glory. Twn favorite riders were knocked out of the beat races by pure bad luck. After quaUtytng, a fan bad given a four leaf clover to Gene Romero but it didn't seem to belp. His Triumph refused to start for the tbtrd beat race and a disgusted Romero left it lying on the track while the first alternate look his place. Don Ernde (35) holds commanding lead over Rick Holly (13r). John Hateley (43r) and Don Emde (35m) ready themselves at starting line. John managed a second in the Amateur Main and Don a 12th. Dave Aldana takes the victory for the second time this year. Then, National No.'s one and two, Mert LawwW and Dick Mann, waged a terrific beat race passing duel with Mann finally gassing it out in front of Mert, whereupon the number one H a r 1Ii yDavidson quit completely and LawwW coasted past the yellow flag, fal.llng to win a transfer even to the semi-final. Dave Smith of California, riding a Triumph, just edged out Jimmy Manness, Atlanta Hatley-Davidson, for the first two transfer positions out of the semi and the tbtrd and last transfer was Cal Rayborn. This year's remarkable amateur racer crop got to do its tbtngs before the big 2D-lapper. California's John Hately cut out a swift victory in the first heat race and IlPpeared untouchable with his skimming, horiZontal slides around the rim of the bowl shaped track. But his heat race time of 4:38.67 seconds was eclipsed by a smooth unspectacular Master racer named Rex Beauchamp on a HarleyDavidson XR .. out of Drayton Plains, Michigan. Beauchamp's winning time was 4:36:56. In the Amateur Final two men went into the wall causing the race to be stopped. Rick Holly limped away for the day, but Don Emde straightened his handlebars and restarted. It was Beauchamp's race all the way. Hately moved \Ul to witl11n strlktng distance, but was never able to do more than breathe on the neck of his adversay. Emde ran in the first five for several laps, but faded with a sick engine to a DNF. FtnaUy the perfectly tunl!d Expert machines rolled to the starting l1ne. As the 5,OOO-plus crowd watched in hushed ant1ctpaHoo, white clad, Duke PeDDe1l stepped tnto the starter's circle ADd waved them away.