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/125738
It's Down To Asphalt ;: !!! o' ": go < ~ w Z ~ ~ (,) By John Bethea Even with the completely revised point systems used by the AMA, road racers still seem to be the determining factor in the annual pursuit of No. 1. The top seven, and eight of the top 10, are expert road racers and two (Kel Carruthers and Don Emde) hold their high positions by virtue of their asphalt prowess this season. Dick Mann, who has also done quite well on the road courses, holds number one spot via consistency in the dirt Nationals. Of the nine remaining championships (including Corona), three are road races and the total points possible in those are 294. Since most of the top ten riders have copped the higher bracket of poinl5 in the past, it is somewhat safe to assume they will continue to do so, baring injuries or breakdowns. Mann and Romero are the most logical choices to J:loint at as potential Number One. Both have skill in both dirt and road racing and both are already building a lead over their closest rivals. Jim Rice, third, is able to hold his own on the road, but his dirt tracking Dirt Track Top 20 (8 races) 1. Jim Rice 338 2. Dave Aldana 305 3. Gene Romero 283 4. Jim Odom 281 5. John Hateley 279 6. Dave Sehl 266 7. Dick Mann 255 8. Eddie Mulder 233 9. Mark Brelsford 217 10. Don Castro 182 11. Dave Hansen 175 12. Bart Markel 149 13. Ronnie Rall 144 14. Keith Mashburn 135 15. Sonny BllITes 122 16. Dusty Coppage 114 17. Rex Beauchamp 105 18. Mark Williams 104 19. Terry Dorsch 101 20. Cal Rayborn 98 Road Races top 20 (4 races) 1. Dick Mann 348 2. Kel Carruthers 301 3. Gene Romero 275 4. Don Emde 266 5. Walt Fulton 156 6. Mark Brelsford 147 7. Jim Odom 141 8. Jim Rice 135 9. Dave Smith 120 10. Ralph White 114 11. Cliff Carr 102 12. Yvon DuHamel 101 13. Don Castro 90 14. Jess Thomas 87 15. Chuck Palmgren 77 16. Frank Camillieri 77 17. Tom Rockwood 74 Roger Reiman 74 19. Gary Nixon 67 20. Duane McDaniels 65 $2,400 TRANS-AMA CYCLE NEWS CONTINGENCY LONG BEACH, CAL. - Cycle News, Inc., publishers of the leading weekly and two bi-weekly motorcycle newspapers in the U.S., will award a total of $2,400 to the first ten places in both classes of the coming Trans-AMA motocross series. The prizes will be paid at the rate of $10 each to the first 10 finishers overall in both the main and supporting classes of each of the 12-series events. To be eligible for the contingency, each rider must visibly display a Cycle News stickie on his machine or his person throughout the event. "Usually," explains Charles Clayton, president of Cycle News, Inc., "contingencies are paid only to the winner or first three in an event. We decided to pay $10 each to the first 10 so that even the guy who finishes down in lOth place will win a few extra bucks toward his expenses." Clayton points out that it costs just as much to win as to fill out the field and that support race riders usually get less sponsorship than the feature racers. "This way," Clayton concludes, "a developing rider who consistently places in the top 1 0 can count on winning an extra $120 during the series, if he makes all the events." Red and white vinyl Cycle News stickies maybe obtained on request by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to CYCLE NEWS STICKlES, Box 498, Long Beach, Calif. 90801. Please specify whether you prefer the small (1%"x2W') or large (4"x5") sti~~..1l. 0\ ~t.",\,\ this season has left much to be expected as he hasn't placed higher than third in the even ts of which he won six last season. Jim Odom, displaying consistency, is not a factory rider, and therefore, the final nine races seem fmanciaUy stacked against him. Mark Brelsford and Dave Aldana, each of whom have won road races in the past, seem longshots at the present time, trailing the leader by nearly 250 points. Kel Carruthers can mathematically be eliminated (as all strictly road racers can be) as he trails Mann by more points than is possible to collect. John Hateley's only points in a road race came with a 20th at Loudon, and this seems to put him in a battle only for a top 10 position; still impressive for a rookie, however. Don Emde has a very strong chance at improving his position in the fmal tally as his lowest finish in all the road races this year is 8 th at Loudon, his best being at Daytona and Kent where he collected thirds. Improvement on the •dirt is his biggest priority. Rounding out the top 10, Don Castro needs more consistency to place well. He's had problems thus far and is currently feeling the pressure of two-time winner Dave Sehl and comebacker Eddie Mulder. To pick a -winner overall? That's tough as Mann and Romero, it seems, are very equal in their chances even though Mann has a fair lead. Definitely in the running still is Rice, but his ebbing from last season's pace will be hard to overcome. But, thinking back to last year, too, a young man in the same position nicknamed "Burrito" was able to do it. It should be an interesting stretch run. . COMPLETE NATIONAL POINT STANDINGS (through Ascot 50-lap TTl 1. Dick Mann (3) 2. Gene Romero (1) 3. Jim Rice 4. Jim Odom (l) 5. Dave Aldana 6. Mark Brelsford (2) 7. Kel Carruthers (l ) 8. John Hateley 9. Don Emde 10. Don Castro 11. Dave Sohl (21 12. Eddie Mulder 13. Dave Smith 14. Dave Hansen 15. Tom Rockwood 16. Walt Fulton 17. Cal Rayborn 18. Bart Markel 11 I 19. Ronnie Rail 20. Ralph White 21. Keith Mashburn 22. Mark Williams 23. Sonny Burres (1) 24. Chuck Palmgren 25. Dusty Coppage 26. Jody Nicholas 27. Robert Winte,," Rex Beauchamp 29. Mert Lawwill 30. Cliff Carr 31. Vvon DuHamel Terry Do,,"ch 33. Dallas Baker 34. Jess Thomas 35. Frank Camillieri Royal Sherbet 37. Skip Van Leeuwen Roger Reiman Larry Darr 40. Charles Chapple Gary Nixon Jack Warren 43. AI Gaskel Duane McDaniels 45. Nick Theroux Eddie Wirth 47. Paul Bostrom 48. Teddy Newton 49. Dan Haaby Doug Sohl Art Baumann 52. Wayne Hosaka Larry Palmgren 54. Emil Ahola Don Dudek 56. Martin Carney Ron Grant Allen Kenyon Pat Marinacci 60. Dave Damron 61. Frank Gillespie James Dunn 63. Fred Gunter 64. Ron Pi erce 65. Bill Manley Mike Haney 67. Jeff Sperry Chuck Joyner 69. Rick Deane Hurshel Keeter Larry Schafer 72. Ron Widman 73. Johnny Issacs Hurley Wilvert 75. 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