Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

~ w Z W ..J By John Blanton ~ GREEN VALLEY RACEWAY, TEX., (,) Sept. 12, 1971 - Since taking over the riding of the 750cc Storm-sponsored Norton last June, Mike Odem has exercised almost complete mastery over the Open Grand Prix class in Texas road racing. Today he continued the sweep with an uncontested win over Mike Cone on a BSA 750 and Robert Jandebuer on a Honda Four. Right from the shot gun start up the Green Valley Dragstrip, the Norton pulled the remainder of the field shamefully, and afterwards no one could even catch its wind. Mike McAdams from Austin, on a 500cc Suzuki did the best of any of them in keeping up with Odem, but just past the straight, and scant laps later the two-stroke quit due to unassessed engine troubles. Off the end of the straight at tum three is a flOe place to take pictures, but it is a hot place to be when things start popping, as they did in the 250cc heat. Jet Tharp, lying a very close fourth behind David Watkins, suddenly cast his TD2 to the wind as he dived into the corner. The Yamaha came to rest on the grass, its ruptured tank spewing gasoline onto smoking exhaust pipes. Tharp preferred not to get up from where he stretched his length on the lawn but declined my offer to summon the ambulance. At that point another group of bikes came by, and suddenly Pee Wee Mike Odem (421 leads Mike McAdams (11 I, who's mounted on a high bar. unstreamlined Suzuki, down the Green Valley Raceway straightaway. aYI~1 I w. CENTRAL Philip Terranell lays his big Moto Guzzi over. This is the same Guzzi that California's George Kerker built two years ago for an attempt at Daytona. George never got to Daytona with it and only raced it once in California. Getting ready to smoke them. Ore oJ Texas' !inest up-and-coming road race stars, Mike Kidd, pulled out a win in the 250 Final. Gleason's Yamaha was lying on the grass beside Tharp's. Something was .obviously wrong. No chance to warn Larry Beall charging up the road, just time to run for it when his high-bar Honda came hurtling off the course. 1 asked Larry what was wrong, and he observed that it sure as hell was slick out there. We walked out on the course where he poin ted to a stream of oily gasoline. Obviously some bike, probably Tharp's, had been spewing it for a good distance, because it started way up the road, beyond the point of Thrap's spill, and continued up to the wreckage of the number 22 Yamaha. Mote riders were corning and frantic attempts were made to warn them. The Ducati team of Tommy Hall and Jerry Brust came through in very close fonnation, and Hall pitched head-long off the course, the last victim of the oil. The final score: four bikes down and out of competition, but no serious injuries. Mike Odem, a TD2 rider, had been chasing similarly-mounted Mike Kidd prior to the confusion, and sometime before the finish, he got by him. However, Odem was unable to catch Kidd in the 250cc feature. He finished second ahead of teammate David Watkins and Johnny Bryant riding an Allen Jackson-tuned Yamaha. Johnny Bryant continued to be undornitable in the 200cc class, winning handily on his 125cc Yamaha twin, which is now up for sale if anyone would like to see what makes it go so fast. Bike drags were held also, and surprise wmner' 10 the top bike elimination was Tommy Karkalits on a 250 Yamaha with a 16.97 against Lee Wood on a Harley fueler with a 9.94! Lee's trouble was that he was sandbagging in the qualifications, and he dialed in too Iowan ET with the result that he broke out of his bracket in the runoff and was disqualified. Spectators were also treated to a demonstration by stuntrnan "Mad Mike the Bike Man," who skis on the pavement behind his Triumph, all the while guiding it by holding onto the rear fender brace. (Results on page 14)

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