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/125798
N ~ w Z W ...J o >o CANADIAN NATIONAL CYCLE DRAGS Sc Pie, Qu.ebec, Canada - For the flJ'st time a major championship even t for motorcycle drag racing was held in Canada. The scene of the AMDRA Canadian Nationals was Sanair International Drag Strip near Montreal, Canada. The lanJ{U~e barrier was easily overcome by most of the racers and green 'go' signal on the Chrondek tree is part of the universal language of racing. This premier event was originally scheduled for the first and second of July. On this date the racing was well under way and the competition hot and heavy, but on Sunday only a few ",omen ts before the first round of eliminations was to begin, the weather man called a halt to the races. The rain continued lhrough Monday, forcing the rescheduling of the event to a later date. A m aj 0 r port ion 0 f lhe previously~entered racers returned to Canada for the re-running of the National Championships. Many new faces were seen and a totaJ of seven new AMDRA National records would fall before the end of eliminations. Nearing the end of Saturdays time trials an unexpected delay occurred when a single engine airplane circled and made a landing on the shutdown area of tl,e track. The plane taxied down to the starting line and when the door opened, the racers and. expectators alike were not ready for what they saw. Lo and behold! out of the plane stepped AMDRA National j o. I, Dan Johnson, accompanied by co-driver Ray Price and the pilot of Ihe plane. They proceeded to unload Johnson's awesome "Super Rat" Harley fueler and calmly proceeded to the tech inspection area as if nothing had ever happened. It turned out that Danny had booked an exhibition run in his horne town. It was felt by most the he would be unable to return to Sanair, but Larry Welch was slightly ahead of Johnsson in the AMD RA National points competi tion and the poin ts to be gained from this e~ent were extremely valuable to Johnson as he hopes to retain his National No. I for next season. As eliminations began the Top Fuel machines fired for round one and at the end of the round it looked like this: Welch put away Al Charlier's Harley with a 9.27 to ChaJ'lier's 9.53; Ray Price riding for Henry Moore on Johnson's "Hungry Ray" put away Jr. Fueler, Ray Bellucci with a 9.96 to Bellucci's o ff-th e-p ace l1.25. Bellucci found himself in Top Fuel when his single Junior Fuel Triumph smashed his own record to an unbelievable 9,88 to qualify in the No.7 spot. Dan Johnson got by Dick Prime with a 9.72 and Ed Smalley's double BSA suffered defeat at the hands of Fox Racing En terprises Jim Cibe!. Second round pairings in Top Fuel saw Larry Welch solo and Ray Price broke on the starting line; Johnson ran a strong 9.20 - 165 mph lo put away Jim Cibe!. ' Many surprises were the order of the day in the Top Gas Eliminator category. Low qualifier Bob Mauriello rode by Mike Fedyk with a 9.93; Eastern Drag's Chuck Henderson passed Joe Havelka with a 10.35 and the dark horse, Mark Davis, pulled a surprising 10.11 to Ii terally destroy Chet Stupcenski's double Triumph. National No.7 Sonny Routt on his double Triumph put away Pat Setta and once again won wi th a slower e.t. of 10.39 to Setta's 10.30. Surprise qualifier Tony Nicosia on a C/D single engine 750 Kawasaki put Dave BOl'beau on the trailer with a 10.41. Tony had qualified this amazing machine in the fifth spot with a fantastic 10.31 - 134 mph charge. Second round in Top Gas found Nicosia, Mauriello and Mark Davis still in contention as the Kawasaki put away Eastern Drag's Henders.on and Mark Davis got by Routt with a 10.47. Nicosia had to face Bob Mauriello in the semi-final, (Davis drew a bye run with Ul.47) and as the Kawasaki went a little sour, Mauriello's 10.10 was too much for Nicosia's off-the-pace 10.66. AMDRA National No.3 Bill Smith of Bucks County Triumph copped another Junior Fuel National title. His single engine Triumph recorded a 10.37 - 140 mph in the final to defeat the number one contender, Sonny Routt, who fouled and gave Smith an automatic wm. Two Canadian entries captured eliminator victories at this championship event. In the Junior Gas category the team of Forest and Nault from Montreal came out on top of a strong .;ight-bike field. With super light Paul Nault at the controls, the Honda Express recorded an 11.25 - 120 in the fmal charge to defeat Dick Seger on his Super Spons. Honda, Doug Miller from Be ac 0 nsfield, Quebec proved that consistency wins in handicap eliminator racing with his H/Altered Honda racer as he waded through a field of the best modified machines in the U.S. and Canada to take home the competition Eliminator title. His final run of 14.75 defeated Tony Mazziotto, Chiaccio Motors, whose 11.54 was half a second off his own national record. In the hotly-contested Street Eliminator category, uMr. Clean" wins again as Mike Gartner from 0 & A Kawasaki rode his National Record Holding B/S Kawasaki Mach 1II to his third Street Eliminator title of the 1972 season. At presen t Mike's is the only stock machine in con ten tion for an AMDRA National Top Ten Number. The skies began to darken as the final round of Top Fuel and Top Gas approached. First to come to the line were the remaining bikes in Top Gas, Bob MaurielJo on his super-quick H-D to face Mark Davis. The signal was given for the machines to fire, but as Bob Mauriello moved to the starting line, Mark David didn't leave the rollers. His super-clean Murray-framed Sportster had broken a grear box while trying to fire and Mauriello recorded a 10.13 solo blast to lake the victory. The time had come for the run thal everyone there had waited so long lO see. On the rollers staged up for lane one was National No. I, Dan Johnson. WEST ASCOT PARK. GARDENA. CALIFORNIA Ray Robmson scores tWIce and Tom Baugh once In weekly nIght mOlas on Rickman 125 MX's (PrecIsion Cycle. Close by readying for land two, National No.2, Larry Welch. The awesome Triumph double enveloped the staging lanes in a cloud of smoke as Welch heated the M&H lire and moved to the starting line. A tremendous surge of flame came from the back of Johnson's fueler as he not only lit the tire, but the wall around it as well, Both machines were rolled up to the starting line and carcfully staged. They awaited the starters signal and the Chrondek flashed down the yellow light and the green. Both machines left the SOUTH TIFTON, GEORGIA: I RAWHIDE PARK, CALIFORNIA Joe Holl, en hIS fJrst season racing motocross, wIns motocross event on Rickman 250 MX Lawndale. California) 15-year·old Doug O'Neal, hand capped a INDIAN DUNES. CALIFORNIA LIONS. LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA Sieve Boyum wIns JunIor motocross evenl on Rickman 250 MX (Kolbe Tom Baugh v/rns motocross event on a RIckman 125 MX. Joyce Soyka wins Cycle Sales, Woodland Hills, Calilorma). poy;der puff class on a Rickman 125 MX .. OSTEEN PARK, POMONA, CALIFORNIA: INDIAN DUNES. CALIFORNIA. Dave Kolbe and Jim O'Neal ',"Ish 1"51 and second In 125 class motocross JIm MacDonald wins motocross event on a R,ckman 125 MX. line in a very close start and ran wheel-tn-wheel for the firSl 300 feet. A small trace of smoke appeared from the back tire of Johnson's machine and Welch gained a sligh l advan tage. As the bikes neared the traps, 1320 feet away, it looked like Johnson might catch up, bUl the Sanair win sing went on in Lane 2 lo declare Larry Welch the winner. His e.!.: 9.02 - l60 mph to Johnson's 9.20 - 166 mph. . Well, Danny, there's always Pittsburgh",n Scptebmer 2 and 3! by a broken collar bone, ndes 10 vIctory In "Double-S" Motocross Event on RIckman 125 MX (BSA 01 Albany, Albany, Georg,a) W~DESBORO NORTH CAROLINA Howard KeSSinger wIns 125 class molocross on a Rickman 125 MX. Sandy Creed and Rick Hams take '11'5\ and thIrd In 250 diVISion on Rickman 250 MX's. HOUSTON, TEXAS' Russell Allen captures 250 JUnior class motocross evenl, Ricky Jones WinS the 250 senior, both on RIckman 250 MX's. CORONA RACEWAY, CALIFORNIA. evenl on Rickman 125 MX's (Kolbe Cycle Sales Woodland Hills, California). Ray Robmson takes motocross event on a Rickman 125 MX, EAST LEE, NEW HAMPSHIRE. ST. GEORGE, UTAH JIm Officer Wins 125 class al short track oval races on a Rickman 125 MX (AI's SIeve Poneleit takes lOp trophy honors at annual Mid-Season Flonda Siale Scrambles Championships MONSON, MASSACHUSETTS: on a Rickman 125 MX, Steve McFarland, racmg the only TAMPA, FLORIDA: Rickman 125 MX in the "4-Slale" MOIO' Cycle Shop, Palmer, Massachusells). cross Championships, defeats all entrants to take the' trophy (PreCIsion Cycle, Lawndale, California). Albert LaViolette WinS 125 class Sponsman HIli Climb on a Rickman RAWHIDE PARK, CALIFORNIA' 125 MX (AI's Cycle Shop, Palmer. Sevonteen·year-old Nancy Payne, racing only SIX months, wms all three mOlO'S In Ihe powder puff diVision on a Rickman Massachusells). AI Parker wins scrambles event on 125 MX (Harry FOSler Molorcycles, Los Angeles), Motorcycles, NeWburgh, Indiana). RACEWAY PARK, CHA DLER. I~DIANA Rickman 125 MX (Woodsport HILLBilLY PARK, FAYETTEVILLE, WEST VIRGINIA Roger Lilly. racmg his RIckman 125 MX tor the fIrst ume, wIns motocross event. VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA TIm Vermillion WinS Mid·Atlanllc MX Seoes MOlOcross Event on a Rickman 125 MX (Sla.'mounl Cycle Cenler,Roanoke, Vifgima). Rickman won for them Rickman can win for you. In motocrosses. Scrambles. Enduros. Hill climbs. Rickmans are winning. All over the country. In Houston. Tampa. And a lot of places you never heard of. Rickmans are winning. There's a Rickman for you at your dealer. Ready and waiting. To win. Before you hit the off·hlghway trail, contact your local DePartment of Motor Vehicles office for registration Information.