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Odom Edges Brelsford; Scott Photos by Walt and Dan Mahony ci> " « CORONA, CAL., July 31, 1971 ~ Jimmy Odom became the fourth rider w this year to win more than one National z event as he picked off the first-time ~ Corona, Calif. Half-Mile National under u the lights. G For the second time this year Odom had to run from start to finish with Mark Brelsford looking down his exhaust pipe from start to finish. The Yamaha rider from Fremont and the Harley-Davidson scooter from San Bruno ran wheel-to-wheel the entire 20 laps with Odom doing a repeat of his Houston win in January and winning by a near photo-finish margin. The National was the seventh half-mile race of the year on the new oval and the first tirrie all of the fast ones had gathered there at one time. For many it was the first time ever on the hard-packed track. F our Experts broke the one-lap time trial record with Don Castro leading the way. Mark Williams, Tom Rockwood and Mark Brelsford were also under the old mark set by Terry Dorsch. Castro feU off in the first heat race, dumping on the first turn of the flrst lap. Brelsford went on to win with Dave Hansen in second and Gary Nixon making his best showing of the year on dirt in third. Odom passed Mark Williams on the second lap in the second heat to take the win. Eddie Mulder grabbed second place on the final lap at the line with Williams holding for third and last direct transfer to the final. Gene Romero returned to action by taking the third and final hea t race over Jim Rice and Tom Rockwood. Current National point leader, Dick Mann, ran fifth behind Keith Mashburn. The Expert semi for five laps was again one of the top races of the night with regular season point leader at Mark Williams (41) and Eddie Mulder have at it. Williams finished 10th in the Main while TT Eddie copped a seventh. Corona, Terry Dorsch winning the event_ Mashburn and Chuck Palmgren were the flnal two riders to transfer from the event. Mann again ran fifth for a no-transfer to the fmal, a 14 Columbus. Others who failed to get out of the semi included Jody Nicholas, Sonny Burres, Cal Rayborn and Dave Seh!. Mann later protested the event, claiming he did not receive a fair start. The protest is now in the hands of the AMA in Ohio (See box... Ed.) The twelve-man National fInal found Mulder attempting to jump the starter and being placed on the penalty line. Rockwood and Williams were also flagged to the back -along with Mulder. Odom shot to the front at the start with Brelsford nearly alongside and that Was to be tne story the rest of the way. Mark actually passed for the lead early in the race but was caught and re-passed by the detennined Odom two turns later. The rest of the way it was Brelsford looking for an opening with Odom riding a perfect race that was taken all the way to the finish. It was the first win for a Yamaha 650 this year and the second overall National win for this model. Nixon fen off early in the event but later got back up but still finished last in the first dirt track final he has qualified for this season. With Mann out of the final, Romero needed only eighth or better to take over the National point lead. Gene then ran a head-to-head battle with Jim Rice most of the race for third place. His eventual fourth now gives him a narrow lead going into the Livonia mile next Sunday afternoon. Tlie Junior final was again another Gary Scott-Kenny Roberts duel all the way. Scott reversed his second place from a week ago at the Ascot National and won the even t. The highly-regarded TriU:mph rider chased Roberts for ten of the fourteen laps before moving into the lead. Ron NATIONAL POINT STANDINGS July 31. 1971 1125 or more point.s) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Gene Romero Dick Mann Jim Rice Jim Od,om Mark Brelsford Dave Aldana 7. Kel Carruthers B. 9. 10. 11. 12. Eddie Mulder John Hateley Don Emde Don Castro Dave Sehl 13. Dave Hansen 14. Tom Rockwood 15. Dave Smith 16. Keith Mashburn 17. Mark Williams lB. Terry Dorsch Chuck Palmgren 20. Walt Fulton 21. Cal Rayborn 22. Bart Markel 23. Ronnie Rail 24. Ralph White 619 603 540 504 438 367 301 298 292 279 272 266 221 206 197 lB7 163 157 157 156 150 149 144 142 The Junior Main was a tight battle from start to finish between Ken Roberts (BOY) and Gary Scott (64R). Midway through. Gary got by and went on to win with Ron Moore (37R) third. Pro'es's filed for Bad S'ar' Dick Mann, Jody Nicholas, Nick Thoreux and Sonny Burres levied protests against AMA Racing Director Bill Boyce, Western Regional Referee "Chub" Kellem and starter Bob Malley after the semi main at the AMA National tonight. Mann, who was sent to the back row earlier in the year at Columbus, Ohio, for allegedly fudging, made sure he didn't cheat this time. The start was so bad that Mann, Nicholas, Keith Mashburn and other admitted that they shut off, expecting a restart that never came. Malley and Boyce later admitted that it was an unfair start, but as Boyce said, "We can't run it again". Malley, shaken by the incident after the crowd unrelentlessly booed him, nearly quit on the spot. Mann missed the transfer spot by two positions and demanded that KelJem rectify the obviously unfair situation by allowing the next four finisher of the semi run in the main, making it a legal maximum of 16. It was not allowed. Kellem and Boyce suggested they file an official protest after the race, which they did. A happy Jim Odom watches as track announcer Roxy Rockwood interviews second place finisher Mark Brelsford. Jim Rice (right) chats with a friend.