Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

••• 38,500 Watched Mann Win 200 Gary Fisher get'un with it. 16 Mile Novice Race DAYTONA BEACH, FLA., March 12, 1971 - The fellows down on the starting rid sitting on their machines and thinking about the coming race haven't yet acquired the near magical status of Expert, but each one, in his own way, was just as serious about racing and just as determined to bag this one as each of the experts would be in the 200 miler on Sunday. Over eighty riders had signed up for the 76-mile Novice road race and the list of bikes amply demonstrated the solid preference for two-stroke machines, as a mere fifteen percent were four-stroke thumpers. As the starters flag dropped, it at once became obvious why the Japanese two strokes are so popular as the first twenty or so positions were held down by them. Graham James, riding a Yamaha out of Florence, Ala., held the lead after five laps, although Bellflower, California native Scott Autrey was pressing him on Autrey won every race he was in all evening, but got a little nervous toward the end of the feature and, tried to dirt-track the machine for the last two laps. 1t didn't work and three other hard charging young riders made it a big night for Ossa as Mike Johnson, Scott Brelsford and Dale Furst took one, two and three on their little bears. Friday night brought the largest crowd out to ever try and attend a short track even t. In past years, since the stands are sold out anyway, the promoters have looked the other way when hundreds of spectators stand on their trucks and peek over the wall. This year, the local gendarmes added to their income by taking some of the more hardy of these peekers to their local streamlined 'court' where the 'judge' pounded cash register keys instead of a gavel. In order to make the program, a rider had to win his qualifying heat against 5 riders. Although Junior rider Kenny Roberts had dominated the indoor races at Jacksonville a few night before and won his first regular heat and 'one of the semis, he couldn't get it all together for the feature and went across' the line wi th a respectab Ie th ird. The surprise of the evening was first year Expert Rex Beauchamp, who won every race he was in. Rex spent the whole night showing the rest of the riders that four-stroke engine aren't dead yet as his little Harley Sprint walked far ahead of the rest of the field. Gary Scott, who took the Junior IT race at the Atrodome proved that you don't have to be an Expert to do well as he came across the line in the feature behind Beauchamp. Former World Speedway Champion Barry Briggs had won his heat and got a second in his semi, but the fast slick track surface did him in in the feature and Barry had to be content with seven th place. Saturday's short track started at the same time and in the same place, but it was a different race altogether, as the qualifying heats brough t in an almost totally new field. After out-running Briggs in the first heat of the night, Junior rider Ed Salley of Dalton, Georgia went on to zap all competition in the 10 lap feature. The only time during the evening's activities that Salley had any trouble was in the Troph y Dash, when Briggs got everything working right and took the gold away. Right behind Salley in the fe ..ture was Mike Gerald who was one of the few riders that made the feature on both nights. The Baton Rouge, La., rider brought ·out the now indisputable fact that these young Junior riders are getting faster and faster every year. Never in the history of the short track races at Daytona have so many young riders been in the thick of things with the seasoned experts. (Resul!s on page 30) another Yamaha. Riding yet another of the popular twins, Douglas Teague of Grosse Point, Mich. was beginning. to move up. They ran that way for ten laps until Teague began to slip off the pace just enough to let a hard-charging Howard Lynggard pilot his Yamaha into the third slot for a three-way duel with James and Autrey. John Long of Miami, Fla. also got by Teague and began closing the gap on the leaders. By the 21st and final lap Lynggard, who hails from Duarte, Calif., had won' a shoulder-to-shoulder four-lap duel with the stubborn Autrey and flashed by to take the checkered flag. Long had James but was unable to get the goods on Autrey and had to settle for third place. Kenneth Adams drove steadily from the middle of the pack in the early laps to a shaky sixth by the fifthteenth lap. Not liking the uncertainty and insignificance of the spot, the Dalton, Ga. ace found a little more steam and scooted up to fourth by the time the flag dropped. Way· down the line, following 19 phenominal Yamahas, to be exact, was S t. Augustine, rIa., native Don Hollingsworth, who had the distinction of bringing in the first four stroke as his Harley Spring breezed by the flagman, with 9 more Yarnahas breathing down his neck. (Results on page 30) Short Trac' Races Traditionally three highlights of the Daytona Speed Week are the short track races. This year was no exception. Starting Wednesday night with the novice races, the three nights of racing pack the little Daytona Memorial Stadium to capacity. The Novice races were more popular than ever this year with the largest crowd ever to see the first year riders going for the prestigious win. Scott Autrey, a young Bellflower, California rider, got quite a different type of ride for this event. Barry Briggs lent him his speedway-type Yamaha twin. Autrey proceeded to keep the corwd on its feet all night with his version of speedway style. Weight Liftin~ GET IT LP WITH A'FLOATER' SUPER LIGHT 21tH FRONT WHEEL '= $5995 .~~ $6995 ~1;l!~HT can Downswept Chambers CZ 250/360 $39.95 Northridge Cycle Products 18854 Muirkirk Dr. Northridge. Ca. 91324 (2131 360·7251 l t f o l For alllIuItaco 5 _. eaolly be _ _ and We haYecombined .tain.... spokes and double seated bearings to give you a ligIrt Might ~ _ . Tho FLOATER ~ Need f.af extra power? st_ -=r:,t II'" 11111bo..alloy wheel 101be. bolh w~h_. Uliversity Honda Bultaco Kavvasaki & C Z 5908 Roosevelt Way NE seat tie WeIah 200 LM-e2!32 • • • •SEND • • CATALOGUE, • Viewfinders M.C. Presents 4th Annual GRAND~PRII Kel Paces Cal In 250cc By Don Woods DA YTONA, FLA., March 13, 1971 Thomas Vardeman, a Junior class rider from Cypress, California, finished 39th in the 100 mile combined Expert-Junior 250cc road race here today. Vardeman's feat may not sound especially significant until you realize that he and the other 36 riders in front of him were all on Yamahas. Twisting wrenches on two of these bikes was an Australian by the name of Kel Carruthers. You may remember him for another of his talents. He won the 1970 version of this same event. Carruthers and teammate Cal Rayborn blazed away from the field at the start of this year's event and except for two brief challenges by Rayborn, Carruthers had an easy time taking his second straigh t victory. Rayborn said that the only time that he could stay with Kel was when he was drafting him. Carruthers commented that his tachometer broke sometime after the start and he was really worried about when to shift gears. He said that he "just wound her up until it went 'blaaah' and then shifted." About the time his tach broke he pulled a 5 second lead on Rayborn and kept it for the remainder of the race. Finishing third was a young, first-time rider from Milford, Mich. Duane McDaniels. Duane could not keep with 'the two experienced Experts and was almost two minutes behind at the finish, although still quite a bit faster than the other 63 entries. An estimated 23,000 spectators were on hand to see Carruthers set a new record for the event. Kel averaged 101.366 mph, almost 3 mph over his winning 98.857 of last year. Stalling his bike on the starting line and having to make up almost a full lap on the field, first year Expert Rusty Bradley was the only rider to gain on the two leaders. Rusty made it into lOth spot by the time the checkers came out. Making a charge in the last half of the race, GAry Fisher, who spent last season dueling with Bradley, worked his Yamaha into 4th at the finish. Finishing in 8th and the first Junior rider was young Harry Cone of Sherman, Texas. Harry was one of the top Novice road racers in 1970. Coming in 5th and 6th were Steve McLaughlin and Ray Hempstead. McLaughlin, of Duarte, California, was involved in a 4-bike duel for 3rd early in the race and finally fell a little off the pace. Hemsptead, who finished 3rd in the 100-mile Amateur race last year, was one of the seven first-year Experts in the top ten finishers. Carruthers picked up $1,400 of the 5,500 dollar purse. It must have pleased him, for now the 18-year veteran of world wide road racing competition says he'll remain the states this year and compete in all of the national champ ionsh ip road races. (Results on page 30) A.M.A. SANCTIONED DISTRICT 37 POINT RUN DISEII', SCUM.US AID .Olouoss SAT & SUN APRIL 17&18 Mail entries to: Viewfinders M.C. 7439 Craner Ave. Sun Valley. Cal. 91352 --------------------------------------------- I VIWFINDERS MOTORCYClE aUB, INC. Motorcycle Race Entry ~1IONI I NAME - . -..- - - - - - - . _ _ _ AGE _ PHONc.E _ I I AO::lRESS ---------------_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Club. I I am a b"naficl. member of the .. I A.M.A. Number - ..- . - - - - Expl - _ _ _ _ DIIIrId Rlcling No,-_ _ I Male. Malar Engi Num.... -'-_ _,Cu. In. _ I I wi!l ""Ier in the _ _ _._._C1..... Anwdeur 0 Expert 0 Novice 0 I Riding ..r Sidecar Partn.r _ _ _ .._ _._.._._.._.. . _ I wit" ,.tttieIt " ." MotwcyCIe I ow,.. I ... .'10 iIItr,.,..,,..,.., InvoIYerII . , .. I I havo read............ blank. Yes 0 No 0 this..,try .. .. I --'Fypes-of-points" wanted -' Desen-'G - MX 0 - TT - 0 Si9ncl~red '" -.noM required ._ __ _ __. SiATEMENT OF NOTARY (Reqyj,.d fo, .ppllun........, 21 DaN ._. 'P." of ...) _ COUNTY~ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _" being of legal age, CO Of . -.er~by Certify th.t 1 .m the _ • " minor. I further U1yeH'l fnat r hftreby gi .... my conaen' for Mid_ _ ~--------, minor, 10 compete in all Viewfinders Motorcycle Club, Inc. .-v.nts, h.reby releaSoJM\iI the A.M.A., Oi.trict 37 Spo,.,. Commin... pl"operTy ASSUMnlON Of THE .ISK AND WAIVU OF PEISONAl INJURY ClAIM owners, and Viewfind.r.. MOton:ycl. Club. Inc. for any and 011 liobiliti.... This Stat.m.nt of UnGer the NIH end saMtion of the Americe.. MoIwcyde ~ I cenfwwt ....... . . , . , with the rulH gaveming thia conMst ill .....ctiea the C.... A-. dation and the Oi,tric' Commi.... and I futher to hold bIo~I••• the.Amaricon Motorcycle Auocl.ti..... the VI.wflnders Motoreyd_ Clu", Iftc. ..... - , ,..,.,., _ _ _ .ny ..... ell rkb ... any lou Of iniury .. myself Of' ........., . . which I . ., ~,.,.. M5f. f d~ me .......'.. I ..... consent volid unril January 1. .... _. IN WITNE" el"IClI eHi __ 1972 W"lIl1tll~, ,r." I "-,,,. P\ef'el.IMO Hot my hen&' eetlI U"e My . . Df'fiC~ A . .. . • -. - .• . ••. ~ It' tftlI c.'"' ti'u", ti/'St eDeN. wl'tftel'l. "..... • .. . --- - - ...... ;" - ... - --- I I I I I I I I I I I I It-

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