:·Paqren Takes Y_ Gokllll Yamaha
exi
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:0
Half-mile
was nine minu tes of sheer excitemen t
and probably the best dirt race of the
season. Chuck Palmgren aboard his All
American Racers Yamaha got the
wreath, the champagne and the kiss
ahead of Harley·Davidson riders Mert
Lawwilland Mark Brelsford.
Palmgren led lap one from the nag
ahead of Don Castro (Yam) and Harley
riders Larry Darr and Mert LawwiLI with
the best of the field close behind. Don
Castro, finding his bike not quite strong
enough for the horsepower battle, began
to fade letting DarT move into second
followed by Lawwill and Mark Williams
(Tri).
National points leader Mark
Brelsford, who was in the back of ·the
Geld at the start, immediately began to
pass everyone in sigh t, moving in to fifth
place on lap five and knocking off Mark
Williams for fourth on the next lap.
Oarr was pressuring Palmgren, riding
within two bike lengths on almost every
lap waiting for an opening. On lap nine
DarT found his opening in turn three
and pulled ahead opening a sligh t lead
over Palmgren.LawwiU.Brelsford who all
appeared to be riding one long six
wheeled bike.
Up until lap sixteen it looked like
Harley had found another winner. Dan
rode wheel to wheel wi th Palmgren
down the straights and thru the turns
while being chased by Lawwill and
Brelsford, who hung on like vultures
waiting for someone's last breath.
Everyone was screaming and cheering
so loudlv that the rest of the field was
almost forgotten. Castro, Kidd and
Williams were having a duel of their own
back in the pack to see who was fifth;
Aldana lost it in turn two on lap fifteen
sliding a long way before jumping back
on to find himself in a one man race
for last. Romero, Terry Dorsch, Larry
Palmgren and Bill Eves just kept on
cracked the throttle on the fran t
straigh t to open one of the longest leads
of the race: a ,short-lived thirty yards.
Lawwill and Brelsford moved into the
place and show positions on lap
eigh teen wiIh Darr in fourth followed
by Kidd and Castro to the checkered
nag.
Dust and traction were the main
problems with the artificial track
surface where each comer called for a
differen t technique topower through with
a very narrow margin of error for those
slipping outside the groove.
Gary Scott looked like a sure bet to
score points in his fifteenth National
after tying Chuck Palmgren for fast
Expert qualifying time. Tum three put
an end to that. Scott went down in a
long slide on the first lap of the first
Expert heat and was closely followed
into the outside rail byTed Newton and
Bill Eves.
Eves pushed away for the restart
while Newton, obviously in pain, was up
walking and Scott was motionless while
an ambulance crew decided how to
move him. Scott ended up with a badly
bruised shoulder but severely tweaked
his bike. Newton suffered a dislocated
thumb.
Dick Mann ran away with the restart
until a rear shock came. loose and
knocked the chain of( three laps from
the flag. Last year's Gold Cup winner
Dave Sehl had a sure transfer spot in
heat two behind Chuck Palmgren and
Don Castro until Gene Romero went
underneath him in between turns one
and two pushing Sehl to the outside-.
Larry Darr look a wire La wire win in
the third heat but encountered some
last lap pressure from LawwiJl who had
charged from sixth to second. Breisford,
Dorsch and Kidd transferred from the
Semi.
Bart Markel got back into action at
Long Island. Bart says he feels pretty
good and will be racing the rest of the
season. One young Expert remarked,
UHe rides like he hasn't missed a race."
That's the way Bart is.
motorio'.
Ch ucle Palmgren gets a Yama~ A9ld C;'If' I
