Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

~ AMA 125·MILE NATIONAL - l;; v· CARRUTHERS SETS fAST PACE FLOWERY BRANCH, GA., April 25, 1971 - Aussie Kel Carruthers made it his weekend as he took the combined Junior and Expert ~ 50-miler on Saturday and came back today to run away with the w National Championship 125-Mile Road Race here at the beautiful Road Z W Atlanta course. In addition to being a great personal victory, Kel's win ...J U marked the first time a foreigner has won a national championship road >- race in the United States. U > ::;; '" Riding a Don Vesco-prepared Ymaha, Carruthers had little trouble_ taking the win after getting by Cal Rabyorn going into the 17th lap - well before the half way point. For the first ten laps, however, it seemed that Carruthers would haye to repeat his performance of the previous afternoon and fight it out with Rayborn aU the way to the wire. Rayborn, riding a fac tory Harley-Davidson, started from the number two position and beat the field to the first turn with Yvon DuHamel on a Kawasaki and Dick Mann on a BSA pressing. At the end of one lap, Cal held a scant lead with DuHamel and Ralph White only fractions of a second back with Mann and Carruthers rounding out the tightly packed first five. DuHamel was slowed in the second lap when he ran off the asphalt for a space. Back a few paces but still in contention in the young race, he turned on the gas on his Kawasaki in an effort to make up time. Misfortune struck again in the third lap; this time DuHamel was out for the afternoon. The Canadian lost it coming through the curve under the bridge and crashed. The ambulance made a trip up the side of the track, but chance to catch his breath was all Yvon needed before he retired to the pits to play spectator. Kel and Yamaha rearranged things during lap two and when Rayborn streaked by the flagman going into lap three, Kel was righ t on his bumper riding the draft. While Carruthers and Rayborn waged a battle of wits, nerves and power up front, Mann was beginning to sweat in his leathers as Jody Nicholas, riding a factory Suzuki, began crowding him for this third spot. On lap 16 Nicholas got by Mann, but could nor pad his lead at all. Before he really got accustomed to riding third the blazin' Rocket 3 launched Mann around him again. Nicholas still hung tight, however, and regained third position momentarily w\ten Mann made his phenomenal 7-second pit stop going in to the 35th lap. Jody's lead in his battle with the Daytona 200 winner was short lived, though, as either poor planning or some backfire from a little coniving spelled his undoing The Suzuki team decided that AMA rules are something less than specific about where pit stops are to be made and moved away from the hustle and bustle on the fast straight in front of the tower and onto trackside in a 30 mph tum further around the course. Ron Pierce supposedly gassed up his Suzuki at the lonely roadside Tilling station and got back underway before the comer official decided that, while the unorthodox pit stop wasn't tecnnically illegal, it" was a bit unsafe. So he shoooed everyone 'away before the second-running Nicholas got a chance to gas ·up. On lap 42 the announcer stated rather dryly that Suzuki number 23 was out of gas on tum nine. Meanwhile, way out in front, Road Race Reports by Tim Carter Photos by Don Woods, Bob Lenk, Terry Martin Results on Page 24 Kel Carruthers became first foreigner to win an AMA National Road Race. Carruthers had heaped on enough coals to get around Rayborn and for the next ten laps steadily built up the margin. Averaging in excess of 90 mph over the twisting and rolling course, both Kel and Cal were by this time lapping riders well within the front ten. On the 27th lap mechanical troubles sidelined Rayborn and aU of Kel's immediate worries were over. He and Cal had built up such a fan tastic lead in their little duel that ann and Nicholas were over half a minute back. All he had to do was hold together and stay on top and the win was his. After Nicholas sputtered out and Rayborn had dropped out leaving Mann a solid second, the race began to quicken to the rear. White had zipped up to third and Gary Nixon was pressing BSA factory rider Don Emde for fourth, still limping from his recent leg fracture, Nixon showed some of his old pizzaz as he dogged Emde for over ten laps before he got a chance to get by on lap 44. Once around, Gary did his stuff and managed to keep his lead the rest of the way. Emde held to the fifth spot in spite of the late charge by National Number Uno Gene Romero. With a comfortable lead, Kel pitted on lap 33 for 10 seconds and still got back on the course way out front. Mann's quick stop boosted him by a'few seconds, but he was still too far away from Carru thers to pose any kind of threat at aU. If Mann's strategy today was to lay back and wait for the time to move, he waited too long - the time to move was around 3:30 EDT when that little green flag dropped and waved all on their way. Riding like a man possessed with more than a desire to win, Carruthers wrung out his Yamaha and simply set too fast a pace. Like I said, it was his weekend. JUNIOR-NOVICE LIGHTWEIGHT Roberts Takes Control Averaging a blistering 86.152 miles an Green, wh 0 rides a Yamaha, also hour, _young Kenny Roberts rode an Tmished third in Saturday afternoon's A&A-tuned Yamaha to victory in the combined Junior and Expert 50-miler. combined Junior and Novice AMA Finishing fourth was Loyal Pen-n, ligh tw eigh t road race that followed an riding a Yamaha out of Redondo Beach, exciting motocross and preceded the Fla., while the fifth spot went to 125-mile National to make it a full day another Yamaha - this one piloted by of racing on and around the green slopes Howard Lyngaard of Duarte, Calif. of Road Atlanta. The crowd of thousands that had gathered during the morning for the motocross action was growing at a phenomenal.rate, as cycle fans from all over the country showed up for Road Atlanta's first try at promoting a National Championship event. Roberts, whose primary strength is dirt tracking, made a brilliant performance on the asphalt as he snatched the lead away from Jeff March (Yamaha) after two laps and led the way for the remaining eighteen. Although Ken got around March, Jeff 'stuck right behind him lap after lap until mechanical problems began slowing him in his eigh th lap. He managed to sweet-talk his ailing machine around twice more in third position before it quit on him. With March out, Jerry Christopher, never far back, was able to pull within spitting distance of Roberts and he stayed there for the entire race. Riding a self-maintained Yamaha, Jerry followed Roberts around like he was glued on until lap twelve when Ken decided that this close racing business was hard on the nerves and began to open a slight gap. When the checkers went out, Ken was in front by over ten seconds and Christopher ~ad an equally comfortable Kenny Roberts held off all comers to win Saturday. Lead over th u:d pblce. 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