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/125806
• RACE OF CHAMPIONS • The first lap. Gary Scott. Mert Lawwill. Chuck Palmgren and Dave Seh!. hy Howie Fowler Photos by Dave Schoonmaker SAJ'l JOSE·, CAL., Oct. 22, 1972 There are probably many different phrases that could be used to'describe today's Race of Champion's program at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds. Team Harley had to be proud of the efforts of a young Canadian by the name of Dave Seh!. Sehl, winner of the Atlanta Mile, set a new one lap track record in the time of 26.10 seconds. Not to be stopped, Sehl then set yet another record for ten laps in the first" of three heats at 4:25.62. John Rateley ran second in the heat with Frank Gillespie, Jim Rice, and Dave Aldana all riding close to each other for third, fourth and fifth. Dave Aldana, after an unreal save at Ascot Friday night, was riding Mert LawiJl's spare Harley. Aldana's NoTton suffered from a severe 'headache', having sent part of it up into the gas tank Friday. The second Expert heat saw Kenny Roberts lead up until lap eight when the winner of the Roosevel t and Indy National's, Chuck Palmgren, took the high groove to pass Roberts for the lead and go on for the win. Roberts dropped to second with last year's Race of Ch am pions winner, Terry Dorsch, running third.' The third and final Expert heat saw Gray Scott, lead for the first two laps until turn four of the second lap when Don Castro appeared to ask Scott to let him pass by tapping his arm. cott let Castro scoot by and couldn't seem to get back by the good looking machine of Castro. The hotshoe from Texas, Mike Kidd, and Sonny Burres of Portland nabbed third and fourth. In' the first Junior heat Scott Brelsford ran away from two of the top Juniorson the west coast, MikeO'brien and Larry Gino. The second heat was clearly reserved for Bruce Townsend, Tom Phillips, and Steve Foster respectively. The third Junior heat saw Tom Horton and Brian LaPlante being chased by Jim Crenshaw. LaPlante, riding a Triumph, after scattering his NoTton aU over the track at Agajanian's Ascot friday, took first with Horton, not giving up too much real estate, nabbing. second, and Crenshaw got third. [n the J ullior Main again Scot Brelsford left the starting line like there was no tomorrow. But Bruce Townsend led the first trip around. Brelsford got a wheel up in turn two of lap one and from then on there was little doubt who' would see the checkered flag first. Second went to the Oklahoma rider, Bruce Townsend. . A.P.E. Products or Santa Fe Springs, Ca. did something for the winner of today's Junior Main which'was really an innovation. Through the efforts of Allen Fife, of' A.P.E., a new model 200-B Dune Cycle worth close to five hundred dollars was presented to Scott Brelsford. It was really good to see Scott take his con tingeQcy (yes, a con tingency to a Junior) for a quick run up and down the main chute. Dune Cycle, and A.P.E. Products are to be commended for their efforts. The Expert Semi saw Dave Aldana spring to the front into tum one with Gary Fisher, Eddie Mulder, Jim Rice, Dave Hansen, and Gene Romero close behind. Aldana lengthened his lead when Fisher dropped out with mechanical problems. Mulder ran second for lap two and three only to see Romero go by for laps four through seven. Romero then was being .chased r-----------_----------------------------.:..-------------""I . -. Daw Sehl won qualifying, heats, Finals an~diFiR:::a:::ce::":::oifcC~h::am;:;::p~io:::n:;;s~, ':w::e:;;ntti:.::;s:;'tttoo:;:;'.--~----------.:.---------...:.-.J