Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

. N [!j, '" 0- N .... ell .n ~ ~ til ~ W Z W ..J U > U Northern Short Track riders turned out in goodly numbers to approve the J.D. series. By Bill Spencer FREMONT, CAL., Aug. 16, 1972 The first of six weeks of Wednesday nigh short tracking brough t out a ton of amateur motorcycle racers to show Jim Odom there are plen ty of racers around that would like to race Femont's very fast \4 mile oval. Fifty-two of the 250 Experts were divided into two divisions. Many of the class C pros turned out to show the amateurs what the fast '" mile was all about but couldn't even make the program. The up and comers are really \\t:th it. One division had the likes of Mike Renslow and Fremont champ Rick Hocking in it, and so it wasn't too surprising to see them up fron t on their main. The surprising part of that main is that the winner, Hocking, only led the last comer to the checkered. While that is all that's necessary to win, it was District point leader, Butch Davidson who was way out in front until he lost the front wheel in the last comer and thus Kave up a lot of points to arch rival Alex Jorgensen who won the second division main over Pat Hennen and Dave Lewis, both class He" riders. The black plate race shows the top twenty racers from the previous year. Bocking, Renslow, and Hennen are all black plates. Jorgensen is curren tly running second to Davidson and the other kid to finish in the top three, Kole is third in the standings. Lewis would have been in the black plate hunt if he would keep active. Andy Ahlgren won the 250 Junior race and so he leads the series which features for a top prize a set of leathers given by Odom. Winning ways aren't all that unusual for this kid Ahlgren. He happens to be the roomate of Mark Brelsford, (or should that be housemale) . Steve Doi, the Mt. View Auto Stereo sponsor' of the bikes that Hennen and Lewis ride has vowed to bring out his hig gun, John Gennai ·for next week's show and so the battle for this series could be another show like last year's when Hocking and Gennai battled righ t to the wire for the overall highpoin t. Gennai won, but Hocking is now the big gun. Lodi Scrambles ....,. by Bill Spencer LOm, CAL., Aug. 4, 1972 - It was almost one of those days where everything went right, but just knowing that it was a regular Friday nigh scrambles jarred the mind back into its usual state as the 650 Junior Main got underway. After the second restart, or was it the third? After the race was under way for a lap or so, the scene turned into a destruction derby when one rider crashed after the jump and in the ensuing scramble to get out of the way, four more wen t down and everyone knew it was the same old Lodi. The last race of the nigh t proved to be of considerable interest: the 650 Experts. The fLrst start was called back for some strange reason, as was the second, but the third got off with Alex Jorgensen and his dad's BSA in firm control and that was that. Rick Otto held off George Kalamaras for second and the grumbles that accompany racing were everpTesen t. It appears that this event will be under protest. _ Frank Mendoza ran away with the 500 Junior Main. At the end, it was recent convertee, ·Thor Oden, pressuring his way out of the pack. A new face has appeared in the 650 Novice class. Bruce Rollin won his second 650 Novice Main which isn't bad for a guy who started racing two weeks ago. He is the step-brother of Rick Otto which should help him except for the company he keeps. With Rick the Expert, Conrad Saxelby, a Junior, and Bruce, the 650 class is pretty well taken over by one team. A check of the 500 E>;pert results shows that Dale Mathers suspension for illegaly throwing a red flag seems to have proven a short one. He got second behind Mark Asbill but says that he doesn't think he will try to be a starter soon. Once again the ligh tweigh t classes proved the largest. In the 100 Novice Main it was Dan Rackley over Kent Morse and Gary Caves. Dan can't be much of a lightweight though as he got a second in the 500 Novice Main behind the usually fallen body of Mike Brenner's Montesa. CYCLE NEWS NIGHT OPENS J:C. AGAJANIAN'S ASCOT NATIONAL MONTH - - - - - - - - - - - - - - J.C. Agajanian, already celebrating a banner American Motorcycle Association season, climaxes a big .. Ascot National Month" with a nationally televised 20-lap National, Sunday afternoon, Sept. 24. Agajanian, now Ascot president and general manager after years as its motorcycle race organizer, announced Tuesday that the American Broadcasting Company would tape the AMA National for a subsequent showing on its "Wide World of Sports" program. To start the big month, looking toward the $21,850 National event, ($10,000 purse $11,850 contingencies), Agajanian will stage a Cycle News night, Friday, Sept. 1. All persons buying a pair or more of adult tickets will receive the First Annual 1972 Motorcycle Competition Guidebook fOT California; published by Cycle News. "We're working with Cycle News on this project to get all our fans acquainted with the American Motorcycle Association National trail as it leads to Ascot," Agajanian said. ''This guidebook is the first of its kind and a good one." The September schedule includes AMA half-mile oval events all five Fridays in the month, including September 22 before the Sunday National. Then on Saturday, September 23, a IT steeplechase with the National stan in town will ,be heJd at reltUlar ., prices, ($3 Adults, $2 Juniors). The 20-lap National itself will have an $8 price tag for reserved seats, $6 general admission, and $4 for juniors. Advance reservations may be made by mail. AMA REVIEWS 250-360 MOTOR RULE . Following a request for review by the AMA Competition COngress rider representatives, the AMA Executive Committee has examined the controversial "250-360" motor rule passed by the 1971 Congress. The rule, slated to become effective January 1, 1973, states: "N ovice riders will be Jimi ted to equipment with maximum piston displacement of 250cc for two stroke multi-eylinder engines and 360cc for all other types 'of engines." The formula applies also to Junior and Expert riders on short tracks. A p peals from various rider representatives requested that the AMA Executive Committee overrule the congress which - it is empowered to do under the by-laws. However, pursuing its' policy to avoid overruling congressional action, the committee has determined to let the rule stand. All rules affecting basic motor changes that may be enacted by the 1972 Competition Congress when it convenes in October, will got into effect J:mu~.,l,,19 4 . ,_.. , 7 1 ~ 1 ,~ I J . ...,r'J1 ~I .'''1.~ ~

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