Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

'". 8 ~ • , o .... Cl> '" ~ w Z W d > (J Race Narrows To Rice, Romero And Aldana Into Story by Ed Youngblood Photos by Youngblood and Ed Cunningham NAZARETH, PA., Sept. 6, 1970 - The 55-mile race over Nazareth's huge one and one-eighth mile dirt track is the great bike killer on the AMA circuit. It is too short for a rider to hold back and wait for an opportunity, and it is too long for the endurance built into most engines. Consequently, it puts a life-time of wear on a motorcycle in 50 fast laps. For example, eight bikes of the starting 20 completed the 50-lap grind this year, and the winner himself was shuffling along at well under half power. But that win was as good as any, especially for Chuck Palmgren, who achieved his first Championship victory of 1970, and the first ever for the Yamaha 650. Furthermore, Chuck cannot be accused of merely outlasting the competition, since he was never running lower than fourth, and led the final for 33 of the laps. The day began as many have this year, with Jim Rice pushing his BSA to a fast lap and an easy heat victory. Jim's timed lap on the howling Three beat the old record of 42.06 held by Fred Nix. Rice's time was 41.19. Following Rice in the first heat were Cal Rayborn, Don Castro, Larry Palmgren, and Frank Gillespie. The second Expert heat was taken by BSA teammate Dave Aldana, riding a twin. Dave squeaked to a difficult victory after dicing with Mert LaWwilI for the duration of the heat. Following the two were Gene Romero, Mark arelsford, and Bill Eves. The third Expert heat was delayed as George Roeder crashed. on the first lap, sliding into the concrete wall in the final tum. George, one of the great AMA milers, received a broken right leg, but appeared otherwise uninjured. Don Castro leads Eddie Mulder, Keith Mas~burn and After the restart, Gary Nixon took the flag, barely beating out Chuck Palmgren, whose Yamaha twin was apparently matching the Triumph Three for horsepower, and probably out-performing it in the turns. Tom Rockwood and then Canadians Yvon DuHamel and Dave Sehl followed for the final transfers. Final entrants in the National via the non-paying semifinal were Ken Pressgove, Dave Smith, Eddie Mulder, Norm Robinson, and Keith Mashburn. Amateur heat winners were Al Kenyon, and Rex Beauchamp, setting the stage for a final that would replay their ferocious Santa Fe battle. The two yellow.platers were a study in styles, as they dueled for the class feature. Kenyon rides aggressively, with a great deal of movement and muscular action at the controls of the bike. Beauchamp, by contrast, achieves a Ken Pressgrove. smoothness that belies his tremendous speed. Kenyon put his BSA in control early, but on lap three Beauchamp moved abead, passing both Denny P~gren and Kenyon on the front straight. Three laps later Kenyon took command again, but on the next four Rex took the lead, and held it to the fmal flag with Kenyon hustling on his rear wheel all the way. The Championship race, the great· bike killer, began with the Experts staged in four rows. Jim Rice, Dave Aldana, Gary Nixon, Cal Rayborn, and Mert Lawwill composed the first row, with Rice characteristically choosing the outside pole. The second row was composed of Chuck Palmgren, Don Castro, Gene Romero, Tom Rockwood, and Yvon DuhameL Mark Brelsford, Larry Palmgren, Frank Gillespie, Bill Eves, and Dave Sehl with Cal moving away from the field and Mert moving away from Cal. Then on the 11 th lap Dave Aldana spilled in the turn while attempting to move in on Rayborn. Chuck Palmgren took advantage of the traffic and pulled ahead of Rice and Rayborn. Chuck bore down on Mert, and on lap fourteen took the lead, with Rice following closely as Mert dropped back to retire one lap later, his rear tire shredding from the heat and punishment. Rice continued to pressure Palmgren, but he couldn't seem to get that necessary extra horse out of the Three. Riders were dropping out rapidly with motor failures, and many were stopping for desperate repairs, losing a couple of laps, then re-entering the race. Suddenly Palmgren appeared in the distance ou t of the final turn on lap twenty.nine, and Rayborn followed. Rice had disappeared, and fmally he came into view, pushing the big Three (PletUe turn to pg. 29) AMA NATIONAL Nazareth, Pa. Sept. 6, 1970 Gene Romero (3), Jim Rice (24) and Gary Nixon (9) dice for position. filled out the third row. . And completing the field of twenty on the final row were Ken Pressgrove, Dave Smith, Eddie Mulder, Norm Robinson, and Keith Mashburn. Lawwill and Rayborn showed who has the edge on power by blasting their XRs into distant leads at the very start. And on they continued for ten laps, Chuck Palmgren leads Dave Sehl EXPERT FINALS 1. Chuck Palmgren 2. Gary Nixon 3. Don Castro 4. Dave Sehl 5. Dave Smith 6. Frank Gillespie 7. Eddie Mulder 8. Cal Rabyorn 9. Mark Brelsford 10. Keith Mashburn 11. Jim Rice 12. Gene Romero 13. Yvon Duhamel 14. Dave Aldana 15. Tom Rockwood 16. Bill Eves 17. Norm Robinson 18. Mat Lawwill 19. Ken Pressgrove 20. Larry Palmgren AMATEUR FINALS: 1. Rex Beauchamp 2. Al Kenyon 3. Rik Holly 4. Dennis Palmgren Yam Tri Tri H-D Tri Tri Tri H·D H·D Yam BSA Tri Yam BSA Tri BSA Tri H-D BSA Tri H-D BSA Tri Tri

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