Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

RECAP Conf'd '" " '" :. Talladega, Ala., Sept. 5 Where he failed two weeks earlier, Yvon DuHamel succeeded this day at the 200 Mile AMA National Road Race. The Kawasaki took the lead early in the race and began to stretch it out to an incredible distance. Again the machine used up its fuel faster than its competitors, but the pit stops and faster laps prevailed. When the checkered appeared he was more than a minute' ahead of Dick Mann. Steve Firestone 12) holds the line but Jack Vaughn (80) doesn't e Smith on the Vesco tuned 250cc Yamaha. Novice action. Bailey Claims Coop's BSA Frank Gillespie (22) and Dave Aldana had troubles. Grant Upset with Jones ONTARIO, CAL., Oct. 16, 1971 Four riders who have been following the Trans-AMA series throughout, showed up today for the motocross here at Ontario Motor Speedway and two of them, Doug Grant and Gary Jones, put on a fantastic show for the crowd. Thue were no Junior class riders just pros - so it was Expert class after Expert class being run with a sligh t five to 1O-minu te break between. Both Grant and Jones rode both the 250cc and 500cc classes. • In the first 250 class, Jones got a bad start and was third into turn one. But by the time the lap was over, he was beginning to build up a good sized lead. The start by Jones was termed "bad" because he had jumped the rubber band start and in the end he was penalized one position. Grant bad troubles and was held back in the pack. During the next faceoff, Jones got the immediate lead and held it all the way, but Doug powered his AJS up to his tail all the way and finished second. The third moto was a repeat. The 500cc motos were somewhat the same. However, in the fIrSt, Grant pulled out the win with Jones a close second. Moto two rolled around and again it was a J ones-Grant dice with Grant settling for second. The third moto of the day really upset Grant. In the final 250 round, Grant claimed that Jones had intentionally knocked him off the course while going around a berm at the top of one small hill. "Jones was leading," says Grant, "when he suddenly slowed down and dropped to third behind me. Then he began trying to pass me and he pushed me off the course when I had the line." They continued their battle in the final moto of the day, and both were tied for the lead with a first and second; it-was the showdown. Grant took the early command but Jones hounded him all the way and finally got the lead. Grant continued to fight back and at one point seemed to have the' lead when he was centcrpunched by Jones on a turn. Jones went on to win both classes and Grant left Ontario for his flight to Canada very upset. ONTARIO, CAL., Oct. 17, 1971 - "I think it was bloody cheap!" John Cooper said that with an amazed look on his face as he was notified that Bob Bailey had claimed his winning BSA Rocket 3 for the customary $2500 shortly after today's National at Ontario Motor Speedway. He and BSA president Denis McCormack spoke briefly on the matter and indicated that there would be further negotiations with Bailey. Bailey was quite talkative about the matter and explained that he had reached his decision because he felt that non-factory riders were at a distinct disadvantage. Bailey also added that he originally intended to claim Gene Romero's Triumph but decided on Cooper's machine after the Englishman, who has beaten "unbeatable" Giacomo Agostini the last two times out on the same bike, won today's 250-mile road race. AMA Director of Professional Racing Bill Boyce confirmed the Bailey's claim but did not say . anything more on the matter. Although the rule that gave Bailey the right to claim the machine has been on the AMA books for many years, this is the first time any rider has seriously followed through claiming a fellow competitor's motorcycle. RESULTS, 1. Vvon DuHamel 2. Dick Mann 3. Don Emde 4. Ralph White 5. Dave Aldana 6. Ron Grant 7. Duane McDaniels 8. Dave Smith 9. Tom Rockwood 10. Ken Molyneux 11. Cal Rayborn 12. Kel Carruthers 13. Don Castro 14. Dusty coppage 15. Gene Romero 16. John Skinner 17. Jess Thomas 18. Art Baumann 19. Dave Sehl 20. Gary Fisher 76·MILE JUNiOR 1. Mike Lane 2. R.G. Wakefield 3. Kenny Roberts 4. Jerry Greene TOP TEN STANOINGS 1. Dick Mann 2. Gene Romero 3. Jim Rice 4. Jim Odom 5. Dave Aldana 6. Mark Brelsford 7. Kel Carruthers 8. Don Emde 9. Dave Sehl 10. Don Castro Kaw BSA BSA Kaw BSA Suz Yam Yam Trl Yam H-O Yam Trl Yam Trl Yam Trl Suz H·D Hon 91 82 74 67 61 56 52 49 46 43 40 37 34 31 28 25 22 19 16 13 Kaw Kaw Yam Yam 820 760 706 557 547 454 420 409 405 356 • • Pts. Gardena, Calif., Sept. 25 It was yet another thriller on the National Circuit as J ody Nicholas, Tom Rockwood and John Hateley fought tooth and nail all the way' through the 20-Lap Half-Miler at Ascot Park with Rockwood picking up the win by 10 feet over Hatcley. Gene Romero lost a chance to pick up valuable points when he crashed in his heat and it appeared for awhile that Dick Mann and Jim Rice would also be out of the National as they were having trouble in the Semi_ On turn three of the fmal lap of that, however, Rice (inside) and Mann (outside) overtook the second place rider and thus made it to the Main. RESULTS, 1. Tom Rockwood 2. John Hateley 3. Jody Nicholas 4. Dave Sehl 5. Mel Lacher 6. Dick Mann 7. Lloyd Houchins 8. Jim Rice 9. DeWayne Keeter 10. Dave Aldana 11. Mark Brelsford 12. Frank Gillespie JUNIOR MAIN 1. Kenny Roberts 2. Ron Moore 3. Denny Kanegae 4. Tom sawyer TOP TEN STANDINGS 1. Dick Mann 2. Gene Romero 3. Jim Rico 4. Dave Aldana 5. Jim Odom 6. Muk Brelsford 7. DaveS....1 8. Kel Carruthers 9. Don Emde 10. John Hateley Trl Trl Nor H·D Nor BSA BSA BSA Pt•. 82 74 67 61 56 BSA 52 49 46 43 40 Trl 34 H·D H·D 37 Yam Trl Trl Trl 872 760 752 587 557 491 466 420 409 366 • Oklahoma City, Okla., Oct. 3 With the track conditions far from ideal due to a heavy rain the night before, the 20-Lap Half-Mile National finally got underway a bit late and Gene Romero, who feIl the week before and missed his chance at some very important points, made up for it by winning the third from the last event on the National trail. Eddie Mulder, who has been showing increasing promise on the half-miles, led from the beginning but Romero was bound and determined to win and he took the lead finally on lap 15. Both Jim Rice and Dick Mann also scored points to make the count-down even more tense. RESULTS, 1. Gene Romero 2. Eddie Mulder 3. Dave Aldana 4. Jim Rice 5. Dick Mann 6. Bart Markel 7. Dave Sehl 8. John Weaver 9. Charles Seale 10. Terry Dorsch 11. John Hateley 12. Mark Williams JUNIOR MAIN 1. Kenny Roberts ~: ~6~~r~~~ • :'11 IIll Trl BSA BSA BSA H·D H-D BSA BSA Trl Tri Trl PIs. 82 74 67 61 56 52 49 46 43 40 37 34 Yam BSA 4. Mike Collins TOP TEN STANDINGS 1. Dick Mann 2. Gene Romero 3. Jim Rice 4. Dave Aldana 5. Jim Odom 6. Dave Sehl 7. Mark Brelsford 8. Kel Carruthers 9. Eddie Mulder 10. Don Emde . Trl 928 842 813 654 557 515 491 420 413 409 (Please turn to pa e 1?J n, " I 1\ I m II tl o ~ w Z W ..J U >- U

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