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/125807
Ake Jonsson IbEftt""Series g E N .... Ol :: ,; o Z ~ w Z W ...J U > U First moto action revealed DeCoster (17) chasing Ake. Ake did not get passed. Roger did not turn up for the final moto. Heroes fall, too. Jim Pomeroy (57) skirts a mud-downed Mike Runyard'slithering in the slime. TEXAS EDmON HOUSTON, TEX., Oct. 29, 1972 - Ake Jonsson of Sweden made four impressive Trans-AMA wins in a row as he took his Maico to another first overall, this time at Rio Bravo Park in Houston. Jonsson made it a three moto sweep ahead of Christer Hammargren (Yam), and Heikki Mikkola (Hus). The 250 Support class was won by Bob Grossi (!Ius) who was able to stay ahead of Peter Lamppu (Kaw) on the slippery, rain-soaked track. Gary Semics (Hus) took third. The track was a perfect rider's track, twisting and turning through a hilly wooded section ou tside of lJouston. The only real problem is that a rider's track is seldom a spectator's track and it was difficult for the capacity crowd to get a good view of the action from more than one tum. The big bikes wai ted on the line after the 250 qualifiers as the MIA's Russ Coe started the countdown. When the one minute sign;li was turned sideways to sig""'ify that the starting gate would drop anytime within the next thirty seconds, tension was so high among the world's best riders that about twelve riders jumped the gate in anticipation of the falling. The riders quickly rode around the gate and lined up again. Because it happened so fast, it was difficult to determine just who the riders were that jumped. AMA rules state that anyone jumping the start in motocross will be penalized one lap in the final standings at the end of the moto. The restart saw Ake Jonsson power his Maico around the first comer in the number one position, closely followed by Roger DeCoster (Suz). About six bikes in the middle of the pack wen t down in the turn. Guiseppe Cavallero (Mai) was put out of the action with an injured shoulder and Rich Thorwaldson (Suz) lost two laps in getting restarted which, coupled with his bad back from the Orlando race. put him out of contention for the day. Midway through the moto. it began to rain ligh tly and the adobe track soon turned into a quagmire of slippery, sticky muck. The Europeans really loved it and were going even faster. Full-lock broadslides around the turns showered the spectators, but they crowded closer to the fences in' an effort to get a better view of riders like Van Velthoven and Hammargren in third and fourth position on their high-revving Yamaha prototypes, looking completely out of control. There was one portion on the track where the course was about fifteen ft. wide. On the outside before the turn ". ~~.~,~~~::J'i_ . '. 'I Wow. A wheelie. Unfortunately. Brad lost his silencer and four positions but that's better than what happened to Hans Maisch. Bob Grossi played it cool enough to take the 250 class overall.