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/125801
USA, SIXTH TRADE TEAM TROPHY by Ron Schneiders Photos by Chuck Clayton and Tom Culp SPINDLERUV MLYN, CSSR., Sept. 17, 1972 - The forty-seventh annual Six Days Trial held in the beautifuly Kroknosse National Park in Northern Czechloslovakia ended as it began for the Americans. On both the first and the last days a drenching rainstorm mocked the hopes and efforts of our best riders and dissolved the precious gold medals our teams needed for victory. Czechoslovakia, as expected. won the major award, the World Team trophy with their. fine Jawa-mounted team. They also managed a remarkable first and second in the Silver Vase competition. The United States finished sixth in the World Trophy Competition behind West Germany in fifth, Russia in fourth, Italy in th ird and East Germany in second. The two U.S. Vase teams finished an unspectacular twelfth and twenty-first. The Penton-mounted Trophy team put in an almost flawless performance for the first five days with all six members remaining on perfect gold scores for the five days and experiencing no great difficulties. At the end of the first day, which saw the elimination of many of the U.S. Vase and Club team members, the Trophy team was fourth with the two German teams and the Czech team ahead and ~he Italians behind, all teams on solid gold. Then, on Tuesday, hopes ran very high ~s the West German team suffered a k "of four penalty marks. One of their riders had arrived at a time check seven minutes late. The bonus points, though, which are gained in the daily motocross and acceleration test, eliminated our hopes of third place as the Italians moved ahead of us just as' the W. Germans dropped behind. The situation remained the same for the next three days. On the final day, which was supposed to be fairly easy, a mere seventy miles of trail followed by a road race, disaster befell the confident Penton Trophy team. First, lack Penton suffered a flat tire. Already pressed to the limit by the cold, drenching rain and muddy, rutted trails, Jack lost ten minutes for a seven mark penalty. No sooner had he restarted than he overtook Dick Burleson who had broken a chain. Inexplicably, Burleson had no spare chain. The result was that Burleson limped in thirty-seven minutes late. Either of the misfortunes would have had the same result, however: sixth place. The Vase A team started its series of misfortunes even before the Trial began when desert ace J.N. Roberts failed to show up for the Trials. His place was taken - by Jeff Heininger who was originally scheduled to ride his Monark on a Club team. Jeff went out on the third day with a knee injury. One other membe of the originally Husky-mounted Vase A team dropped out on the first day, Ed Schmidt with ignition failure. Jake Fisher, with the help of some imaginative team managemen t stayed on gold un til the final check, when his piston failed a mere five miles from the end. Only Pittsburgh enduro champion Ron Bohn finished, and he obtained a gold medal for a fine performance. The Puch-mounted Vase B team also had early trpubles. Don Stover broke his foot in practice and was replaced by Jerry Pacholke who eventually finished for a bronze medal. Don attempted to ride as an independen t and gall an tly stayed on gold for two days, bu this injury even tually forced retiremen t. Second team member, Bob Grodzinski, held an ailing Puch together with nothing bu t duct tape and determination for five days until he, too, dropped out. Tom Clark, the third member, put in a spectacular performance, staying on his gold righ t up until a few miles from the end when a broken exhaust pipe finished his effort. Only the perennial champion, Lars Larsson, remained on his gold righ t up to the end. In pite of being very sick for several day he hung in there, won his gold and scored the best finish of any American, eighth in his class. , . .. ... ...... 1_'~'4"" ~. COUNTRY Manufacturers and, Club teams were decimated. Only the Husky team did reasonably well with Carl Berggren and Frank "Jimmy" Piasecki winning golds. Third member, Bill Kain, demolished a wheel on the first day and ended the team effort. The only other U.S. finishers were Gene Cannady, who managed to hold his gold, and Bob Fielding a virtually unsupported independen t aboard a Yamaha who won a silver. Several Americans rode on the Canadian team and did well. Dave Latham, riding an old Ossa-held his gold right up until the fatal last day when a worn out suspension slowed his pace and forced him to be content with a silver. J. Hollander and Bren Moran also won silvers for Canada while George Peck won a bronze. The Trial was well organized and the American AMA effort was much better than last' year. The Penton team was particularly well-supported. More detailed report next issue. . Ci PENALTY POINTS None en 1152.5 w None CSSR P. cemus, F. Mraxek J. Cizar (Jaw) Z. Cespiva. J. ariza, J. Fojtik .E. Germany F. SchUbert, W. Salevsky, K. Halster (MZ) M. Jager. Wllllamowsky. J. Kempter .ltaly E. Andreolettl..r. B. Ferrari, R. Forestl (KTM) A. Farloli, E. f,.;apell t C. Rinaldi USSR E. Korolev, A. BjerzlOYs, Z. Reiman, (Jaw) E. Ramonas, G. SUlik, A. Kljavinys W. Germany H. Brinkman, P. Neuman, A. Brandl (Zun) J. Wolfgraber, R. Wlttof~ E. Schmeider USA J. Penton, Jack Penton, uane Leimbach (Pen) Carl cranke, Dick Burleson, Bill Uhl SILVER VASE COUNTRY BIKE BONUS POINTS 360.4 None TEAM 1869.7 ~ Z w oJ U None 2065.5 PENALTY POINTS 0 0 0 3 311 BONUS POINTS 613.9 715.0 1185.5 947.1 1500.1 1200 2694.1 Gold Gold Gold Gold Gold Gold Gold Gold Gold Silver Sliver Sliver Silver Sliver Bronze Bronz.e Bronze INDIVIDUAL AMERICAN MEDALS Dane Leimbach Jeff Penton Bill Uhl Carl Cranke Lars Larsson Ron Bohn Carl Berggran Gene Cannady Frank Piasecki Jack Penton J. Hollander B. Mo.ran Dave Latham B_ Felldlng Jerry Pachoke George Peck D. Burleson 138.8 47 CSSR A Jaw CSSR B Jaw E. Ger. B MZ USSR B Jaw USA B Puc (twelfth place) USA A Hus (twenty·first place) 3030.0 Four 4327.9 bonus 3990.8 bonus 4005.2 bonus 4023.5 bonus 3935.9 bonus 4264.1 bonus 4009.8 bonus 4234.0 bonus 4296 bonus 7 penalty 17 penalty 23 penalty 12 penalty 23 penally 97 penally 239 penalty 34 penalty > U ~ you fall and break a lever, . Just remember: it wasn't ours When yoti crash - and don't break a lever, tfuJt's ours. It must be. Ours is the only one built to take the punishment you can dish out. There's more: gasoline, cable oil or solvents won't affect it. Special ingredients protect it from sunlight, heat and cold. It is constructed of material that is highly impact resistant and will not permanently deform due to a crash. The whole assembly is unbreakable, and we believe in it strongly enough to unconditionally guarantee it. It fits all motorcycles having 'Va" handlebars. The bracket, which is of the same mllterial as the lever, is one-piece construction with strong- allenhead capscrews. And it fits in either the clutch or brake application. It's tough to beat simply because it is tough. , 5704 Bellaire BlVd. I Houston, Teus 7703& I 713 I 6&8-1017 • GET THEM AT YOUR DEALER - HE CAN GeT THEM FROM HIS DISTRIBUTOR. ...L ~.· , ·,·.··,'l.l..-.t:'.•• l.o _ ~.~ ~ ....... _ .. -