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/125751
o ai ~ z ~ w TIANS-AMA MOTOCIOSS 'You should have been there, Gabriel Dickens.' Z w ~ () >() Geboers and Mikkola were not the whole shenv. Pierre Karsmakers, who fmished third, is really fast. He came down with a whole bunch of the Penton guys and among other things, spent Saturday afternoon riding a Penton in ana out of the big Penton van. Now, you might wonder why he was doing this and I guess the..main reason was that they couldn't get on the track and practice. The AMA doesn't let anyone practice until race day, which is a pretty good rule. Anyway, Pierre did a bunch of Evel type jumps out of the van and didn't crash any like you're supposed to when you're playing around. Those Penton guys are a bunch of nuts. Photos by Don Woods, Bob Lcnk, Steve KinK and Jim Giantsis ORLANDO, FLA., Oct. 31, 1971 Gabriel Dickens, you really blew it, by not being at the Orlando Trans·AMA. All those Europeans that you thought wouldn't show up, did; so did Dick Mann, the brand new AMA National Champion. Yea, Joel Robert and Roger DeCoster were there, but. Joel wasn't "on" today having suffered a foot injury the week before and DeCoster's bike gave up during the second moto. But, wow! Wa~ there ever a duel between Sylvain Genoers and Heikki Mikkola. Sylvain rides one of those factory Suzukis and Heikki is a factory Husky rider. Those guys fought it out for three heats with Geboers coming out on top all three times. Heikki got a good lead in both the first and second motos, but Geboers really turned it on towards the end and passed him. In the second moto, Geboers was at least 300 yards back with about eight minutes to go and it looked like Mikkola had a pretty easy victory. But Sylvain did some unbelievable riding; going down the long straigh ts he'd hit those whoop-de-dos worried: There were over 5000 people there by 9:30 a.m. By race time, 17,065 hooting, hollering, excited motocross fans were there. When the riders were introduced, they each got a big hand and especially Robert and DeCoster. Dick Mann wasn't at the introduction, but when he was brought out by the promoter, the crowd just started cheering even before he was introduced. It really had to make him feel good, even if it did take 10 guys to get him to go out there in front of all those people. He looked pretty good while he was racing, too. He never gave any of the Europeans any problems, but he still rode fast. He said that he just wasn't quite in shape yet, t"ough. The heat was pretty bad, too, ana they had a riders' meeting before the start of the second heat and voted to shorten the heats to 20 minutes instead of 30. Dick said he didn't care if they shortened them to five, but he was just kidding, I thjnk. The 250 Support class really had a . good turnout of riders. Several who had been scheduled to ride the International Class, decided to run the Support class instead. It would up being a really good tight race. guy that really scares you is Vlastimil Valek, who won the Inter-AMA race here tIDs summer. He really gasses it, and he gasses it while the bike is in some scary posjtions. Even some of the fast Europeans turn their heads away when he's in a hurry. The AMA did a good job for a change. All the starts were super, with no confusion. Getring officials to speciilize in motocross was the answer. It's working and the riders don't· complain any more. It really makes a good show when everything works smoothly and on schedule. Can you imagine everyone patting the AMA on the back? Who'll we have to make You'd have enjoyed watching some of the guys like J onn Banks, too. John really goes sjnce he started riding for CZ. He has some pecuIjar lines around the track, but it gets the job done. The wise-eracks at now? Nary a soul there left before the last heat was over and when most of them finally did leave, they looked kind of disappointed because there was no more racing. The neatest thing that happened all day was when Geboers and Grant were in the winners' circle getring their awards. Being presented with champagne, Geboers and Grant started pouring it over one another and then turned on the immaculate trophy girl and drenched her. She responded by giving both of them a big kiss, which surprised them about as much as it did the crowd. It was some day and you really should have been there, Gabriel Dickens. ESULTS 00 INTERNATIONAL Sylvain Geboers Helkkl Mikkola Pierre Karsmakers John Banks Adolf Well Vlastimll Valek Willie Bauer Andy Roberton Gaston Rahler John DeSoto Joel Robert Dave Bickers Chris Horsfield Mark Blackwell Peter Lamppu Brad Lackey Gary Jones Bill Clements Mike Runyard Brian Kenney Mark Blackwell holds off a charging Mike Runyard. ut'der full throttle not caring where the bike went, dump it into a corner under power and just bounce onto the next straight without ever slowing down. All Heikki could do was look back and watch him keep gaining. Sylvain passed him with a couple of minutes to spare. In the last heat, Sylvain got his best start of the day and led the whole distance. Our American riders ilidn't do as well today as they have, but John DeSoto did a creditable job in finishing 10th overall to be Top American. John seemed to take to the fast course better than the other Americans and the main reason coule be he didn't tire after the fint 10 minutes of each heat as many did. Boy, Gabriel, the crowd was out of sighL Russ Cae, the promoter, was really sweating it, having to put up such a big pune and all. He needn't have Doug Grant, a Califorruan riding an AJS, won, but he had a rough time doing it because guys like Tom Rapp, DeWayne Jones and Barry lliggins really were flying. Rapp won the second heat after Grant took the frrst. But Grant came back to take the last one and the win. This was the first time some of the Southern riders had raced against this many of the Cilifomia riders and the big differepce seemed to be the physical condirion of the California guys. Ted Presson from Tennessee took the lead in the frrst moto, but after about ten mjnu tes, four or five riders had passed him. He goes fast enough, just not long enough. Jones really came from behind late in each moto. He was not impressive at the, start, but each time during the last few minutes, he'd look like he was really speeding up. That's what it's going to take to compete with those Europeans. 250 SUPPORT Doug Grant Tom Rap·p DeWayne Jones Barry Higgins Gary Chaplin Tim Hart Glenn Vincent Ted Presson ursursson Jim Shotton Gary Bailey Mlk.Cr~m Don Smith Steve Mobbs Suz Hus Hus CZ Mal CZ Mal CZ Suz Suz CZ CZ Hus Mon CZ Yam Hus Mon Yam AJS Bul Yam CZ Mal Mal HUI Yam HUI CZ Bul Mal CZ Mal Johnny Lee CZ John LO!ISden RObert Norgurd Eyvind Boy..... CZ Tom Bra99 Tom .RlIPP. second in the 250s. Rlehorcl Robbins Mal Hus Hus ass