Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

~ BRADLEY MAKES IT 3 AT AUSTIN By John Blanton AUSTlN, TEX., August 9, 1970 Austin's Riverside Drive is a quiet city boulevard, which begins as a country lane and widens to four lanes as it wanders through the sleepy Travis Heights section and plunges into the downtown commercial district. Near its end, on the banks of the Colorado River, Riverside Drive becomes the fastest stretch of urban street in the U'S' as once a year the big Triumphs, Hondas, Kawasakis, BSA's, Nortons and Harleys roar down the straight in the Aqua Festival Motorcycle Road Races. In the first running of the event two years ago, Rusty Bradley, then a little-known sportsman racer from Dallas, won the Open Class feature on a punched-out Triumph Bonneville. Rusty returned last year to win the event again, this time on one of the new threes, Naturally, as race day approached, speculation was running high that Bradley would take the Festival Open Class again. First indications were, however, that this year's outcome would be radically different. The IU"st two laps of the Open Class heat saw the Triumph climbing up from sixth . place to third, charging very hard. Then on the third lap Rusty threw it away at high speed on the Auditorium turn and did not re-start. Race leader Jody Delgado, riding a kitted version of the Honda that he rode to· second place last year, scrapped his mount at Bouldin Avenue on the fifth lap, letting Harley-mounted Larry Beall into first. Second was Bradley's teammate, Virgil Davenport on another Triumph, and third. wa·s Tommy Smith on a Harley. On the first lap of the Open Class feature, Bradley came by dead last, behind Smith, Davenport, Beall, Delgado, Mickie Wooten (Norton), and Bennie Campbell (Yamaha), who H E R C U L E S MOTOCROSS JIOC)-rS was not even in the race but was running for grins, as is allowed under the loose Texas racing regulations. By lap six Bradley had worked himself up within striking distance of Tommy Smith, and on the following lap he took the Harley right at the starting grid as it began to falter and to drog back to eventual fourth place. Finishing second was Virgil Davenport, third was James Lutz (N orton), who finished behind non-entry Bennie Campbell. This year's program featured . production classes, and 500cc winner was Jack O'Leary, Jr.,. on a 350cc Yamaha over Joe Joiner (Yamaha) and Phil Terranella (Kawasaki). Virgil Davenport's stock Triumph took the Open Production Class over local riders Eric Lloyd (Kawasaki), in his first-ever upper division entry, and Nonnan' Fulkes (Harlev-Davidson). Surprise 250cc winner was Jerry Brust (Ducati) over Darryl Hurst (Yamaha). On the tenth lap Brust passed both Hurst and Ducati-mounted Tommy Hall, who had been dogging Hurst for most of the race. Wi~ no ohanges in position from start to tinish, Bennie Campbell (Yamaha) took the 500cc Class over Jerry Brust (Ducati) and Philip Terranilla (Kawasaki)'. In previous years, the motorcycle races were run in conjunction with sports car races, but for the first time this year, the bikes' put on the whole s\tow, and it appears froth the good turnout that the all-bike program will be a standard feature of the annual Rusty Bradley on his way to victory, pageant. The promoting club, the Kapital Katz Motorcycle Club, had proposed for this year a professional event with a $4000 purse, but, although the City regularly spent upwards of $10,000 to promote the annual sports car races, the fmance committee did not have enough confidence in the motorcycle box office appeal to put up the loot for the bikes. Hopefully things will look up in the future. Present plans call for the construction of a special road course in a city park near the present course. Many National riders (Mert Lawwill, etc.) have expressed interest in racing in the Festival event, so it is likely that, with the Austin Chamber of Commerce backing such a scheme, the race could becom~ a National classic. Anyone wishing to help promote' the event can help by writing to the club at: Box 6306, Austin, Texas 78702. Aberg Wins SOOcc World Title LUXEMBOURG, August 8, 1970 Bengt Aberg won 'the 500cc World Motocross Championship this Sunday on a dusty, unusual track in the miniature country of Luxembourg. At the start of this last round any 'one of the three top riders could have won the title: His leading rival for the crown was Arne Kring who h;od racked up 80 points in the series before bei,ng himself "racked up" in. a crash in the Belgium G.P. Kring's injuries were primarily to his back and they kept him out of last week's race; This week Kring's Husky was waiting for him in Luxembourg and Kring himself wal'ted to ride, but the doctors said no. Kring needed only a fourth in this crucial Luxembourg race to win the title. And if he could manage fourth, it didn't 'even matter what anyone else did. , At the start of the Luxembourg G.P. Ake Jonsson had 67 points, only 4 less than Aberg. Not only that, he had been doing very well in the weeks immediately preceding. But bad luck, gremlins and man-caused failures ruined his chances. He fouled a p'lug on his big Maico on the starting line. By cleverly blocking the-gate he was able to give his mechanic a chance to change it. Next, he was rammed from behind, mere yards from the start by a rider who neglected to slow down for a turn. He got back up and continued bu.t as he worked his way up, his bike started handling poorly. A mechanic had failed to tighten the fork clamps. Even so, Jonsson somehow got up .to fourth. place. But then he ran out of gas. His earlier crash had, unknown to him, split the fiberglass fuel tank of his Maico. According to Motor Cycle News of Great Britain, Jonsson commented that, "Next year we must have :illoy fuel tanks on the Maicos and I want to bring' my own mechanic with me. The fork clamp bolts should have been checked two or three times". While Jobnsson was battling bad luck, Aberg was running a smooth race to take second place behind Adolph Weil (Maico). Aberg's team member Chris Han1margren (Husky) finished third in the IU"st 45 mile moto. In the second moto, Jonsson didn't start since 'he was out of it anyway. But Aberg had to finish in the top fpur in order to beat Kring. Being a disciplined rider, he tried to do exactly that: he got into fourth spot and attempted to stay there. Adolf Weil and Willi Baur, however, went out (one with a brOKen chain and the other with, a de-spoked wheel) and Aberg finished .second behind Paul Friedrichs, Freidrichs had no effect on the standings because he failed to finish the fmt moto due to a sheared key on the flywheel of his CZ. The track at Luxembourg was unusual in that it included some 200 yards of asphalt and some wet slippery boards in the form of a 'bridge' at the' edge of a mudhole. Neither surface is renowned for its tractio.n under knobby tires. TrelleborgTires did it again. THE VIKING SERIES IN 1970. Incomparable old world craftsmanship providing the ultimate in fit, finish, comfort, safety, appearance and unsurpassed durability for the motorcycling enthusiast. Presented by Hercules Distributing and available through SACHS dealers throughout the West. Consult your telephone directory for listing of your nearest SACHS dealer or write direct to: Hercules Distributing Ltd. 1812 Colorado Avenue Santa Mon~, Calif. 90404 . , Distributor of SACHS and PUCH Motorcycles West of the Mississippi ALL RACES WERE WON ON TREl.LEBORG TIRES. Top motocross riders including: Arne Kring, Torsten Hallman, Bengt Aberg, Heiki Mikola, Torleif Hansen ride exclusively on Trelleborg tires. 300 x 21 350 x 18 400 x 18 450 x 18 Follow the Champions' choice. Stop Flash. Congrats to Bengt Aberg for winning the world championship on Trelleborg tires. DEALER INQUIRIES ONLY Exclusive U.S. distributor: TORSTEN HALLMAN RACING INC 5345 Timken St., La Mesa, Calif. 92041, (7141460·1402 Suppl ied by: FRED'S DISTRIBUTING, 1935 South East 3rd. Corvallis, Oregon 97330 COMPETITION ACCESSORIES, Rfd. No.2, Xemia, Ohio 45385 MOTOCROSS ENGINEERS, Wilbraham Industrial Park, North Wilbra'lam. Mass. 01.067 •

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