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Pl i Go $ N .... '" a. BUYS ::l « ~ w YOU Z w oJ U > U SWERS 1972 Motor.cyc~e Competition Guidebook for California (first edition published by CYCLE NEWS, Inc.) This handy pocket size book lists the names and numbers of over 10.000 competition riders in California, covering AMA, CMC, ACA, AFM, CERA, HRA, USMRC, Trials, Speedway & Sidehacks competition organizations. Dear AMXT followers, In the seventh and eighth rounds of the Grand Prix series held in England and West Germany, Roger DeCoster increased his points lead to 87 over the number two man Ake Jonsson with 54 points. In the West German GP Bryan Kenney, the AMXT captain, missed marking the USA's ftrst GP point by only 2.4 seconds! A string of minor mishaps left Bryan and Mark Blackwell deruned the evening of the British GP at Farleigh Castle. Neither had been able to put on a show of American strength before the curious English crowd. For Heikki Mikkola, the flying Finn, this race could very well have meant a toppling of DeCoster's lead with only five points between them. But, Mikkola, too, was sadly deruned b.¥ the end of the day. Saturday's practice took place under a typical English rain which left man y sections of the track under water. To begin our string of disasters, a mismounted gear box side-lined Kenney for a change of engines during the entire practice session. Just before noon, Blackwell arrived having hitched a ride with a member of the Husky team from Sweden. During the week his Mercedes had been permanently match-boxed by a truck. Left with the headache of having no transportation for the rest of the season, he tu~ned in a mediocre Plus Complete California Club Guide Plus Histories of Listed Organizations 148 PAGES CYCLE NEWS PRODUCTS P.O. Box 498 Long Beach, Calif. 90801 Please rush my copy(s) of the 1972 Motorcycle Competition Guidebook for California: I enclose $1 for each copy. NAME. DDRESS CITY ,....- _ STATE AS WITH ALL CYCLE NEWS PRODUCTS, GUARANTEED OR YOUR MONEY BACK ZIP _ SATISFACTION Send for your copy NOW Or see your nearest Cycle 'News Dealer- Your complete program for all 1972 California Sportsman and· Professional competition! pEALER INQUIRIES INVITED practice time. Sunday the rain stopped, and the sky changed to clear in plenry of time for the start of the GP. The list of rider mishaps was long. Mikkola came off in both matos, his last endo leaving him with half a handlebar and no chance at the lead points. A mudhole sidelined DeCoster almost long enough to give the win to Jonsson. A one and three finish for the Belge, and three and one fa; Jonsson brought the over-all win to a one second difference in DeCoster's favor. A pmtest from the Maico pits that DeCoster had outside' assistance during the second leg was thoroughly beaten down with the help of DeCoster's army of Belgian supporters. Blackwell lined up for the first mal'O despite malfunctioning forks. He started off pretty well, but a long downhill section was his undoing. He endoed some hundred feet to the bottom. Unhurt, .he picked himself up and started off to catch the pack. The second time around he repeated his acrobatics act in the same section, and this time decided to cill it quits. Kenney stalled th~ Mako in the ftrst comer avoiding a pile-up and spent tht! ftrst lap trying to catch the 40 odd riders. The second leg added no laurels to the American conting~ncy. Blackwell had the only finish in 17th place. Kenney retired after bending his foot rests down over a hard landing and fIghting with a faulty gearbox. The only booster to the American purpose was one unexpected supporter, Doug Grant, over for a look at the AJS factory and to try for a few scattered rides. The West German Grand Prix showed a clean cut domination of the Suzuki man, DeCoster. In his usual flawless style, he increased his lead to 87, thirty-three points over the next man, Jonsson. Weil with the fastest practice time disappointed his Maico countrymen when he pulled off during the ftrst lap: a rock hit the sprocket causing the chain to derail and tie up the gearbox. Willi Bauet had the top West German finish in fifth place. Bengt Aberg turned on his former winning style and led the first mota until he hit a publicity board lining the track and flipped completely over to the other side, bike and all. It looked bad for the Swede as he was carried off, still, on the stretcher, but several laps later he was smiling the Aberg smile in" the pit enclosure.. We all held our breaths as the International Jury checked times to break a tie for tenth place between Jykri Storm, Finnland and Bryan Kenny, USA. Bryan, moving out on the Maico, placed 13th and 11th. Just as we thought an American had ftnally scored a GP point, Storm was announced as the tenth place finisher. And only 2.4 seconds difference in time out of 90 minutes of racing! Blackwell this week was having gearbox troubles. The HiJsky was reluctant to shift. After a i7th in the first leg, he pulled into the .Rits early in the second leg. Next round of the GP series is in East Germany.'Mark had gotten set up with a Alfa Romeo from DeCoster's brother and a trailer for the bike - a very c'omfortable way to finish up his European season. Husky is rumored to be sending Billy Clements over to run in the last two GP's - Belgium and Luxembourg - if the starting list isn't already too long. Tlu.t GP point is getting closer. For now, that's about it. CIAO, Hot Shoe, July 17, 1972