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/125718
'" - n Did. ... '" ",' N .t: .. ~ ::< e McLaughlin pursues y Hardwick in the . Below: With Fisher sight, Hailwood and catch the Kid in early ~ w Z W ..J U >U INcredible! But they were nearly a lap behind Mann's BSA... not a hope unless the two leaders blew. And Mann knows how to keep a machine together. No so Smart. The Triumph was smoking like a chimney now. Smoke poured out of the breather hose - a very bad sign. Paul Smart parked the worn-out triple in the pits and the crowd went crazy. Just like last year, Bugs was going to win! No questioJ;l about it. The fans waved and hollered their love as Mann toured the dwindling laps. Not even leaning very much on the turns, setting a new record every lap with ease. From somewhere back, Don Emde began to make his bid and passed Rieman for 3rd. Rieman's engine chuffed noisily with !h-mile to go, It had swallowed a piston, but he finished on one cylinder. In Victory Circle, Mann collected the glory he deserves for becoming the 4th man to win two-in-a-row 200 milers. He had hit a pylon back on lap 27, in a nasty excursion off tum one, and injured his foot. Feeling was just coming back, replacing the numbness, and it hurt. Mann won $5.000 prize money, plus about $1,625 lap money, as well as contingency prizes from Bell, Champion spark plugs and Bates Leathers. Bates paid him $1,000 and $500 to 2nd place Romero and $250 to Emde for 3rd. (Results on page 30) APPARENT DISCREPANCY OVERLOOKED During the customery teardown and measuring of the winners, it was suggested that the gas tank capacity of the top three machines be checked. AMA rules specifically limit the road racers to 6.2 gallons maximum load. This works a particular hardship 00 the fuel-guzzling two-strokes, which have to make two gas stops in the long races like Daytona. Officials of the AMA pumped 6.2 gallons into Mann's tank and stopped. "It's legal," they said. But the gas was still an inch or two below the filler neck. Six-point-three gallons were dumped in to Romero's tank before the pump could be shut off, and 'it still had capacity to spare. Officials had to measure it four times before it came out at 6.2. Meanwhile Reiman's 4th place Harley was measured, just in case of disqualification. It was 6 gallons exactly, even with the neck filled up and the vent plugged. I don't know if the BSA-Triumph tanks were deliberately made oversize (without the riders' knowledge or consent, of course) or if the factory innocently substituted the large Imperial gallonage for the U.S. measure. But the rule was intended to apply to all - not just the two-strokes. In cheating, as in pregnancy, there's no such thing as "just a little bit. n Motocross action brought extra thousands to the Speedway on Saturday, who stayed to watch the Yamahas win the 250cc road race. Above: Carruthers in action in the 250. The swift Aussie decided to stay in the States to race & tune for himself and Cal Rayborn (below), who was runnerup in the lightweight classic. repeat of 1970, with Gene (1) Top Right: Rider/tuner/winner Lower Right: Dixie Cycle News' TON A.5 ~.E E.D.~WEEK.