GRAND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Although history books will say
much about 1972, io the world of
American
Motorcycle
Association
professional motorcycling, 1972 will go
down as '"The Year of Mark Brelsford".
Brelsford's consistent and aggressive
performance
aboard
his
Harley-Davidson during 1972 earned for
him the Grand National Championship.
trophy and the Number One plate for
the coming season.
On his way to the Grand National
Championship, Brelsford won three
National races, rmished second three
times, came in third twice and rmished
io the top 10 a total of 14 times during
the.23-race season.
So consistent was Brelsford in 1972
that when the 23-lap Atlanta Mile race
was over, he had already wrapped up
the title.
Brelsford, 23, and one of the
youngest riders ever to win a Grand
National title, started slowly in the
1972 season, but after a win at the
25 -lap Asco t IT and the 20-lap
Louisville Half-mile he moved to within
11 points of the front-running Kenny
Roberts.
With a second place finish at the
Laconia Road Race, he vaulted into the
point lead with 632 points to the 511 of
Roberts who failed to finish.
The national point race developed
into a three-way battle by the time the
circui t had progressed to the San Jose
Mile with Brelsford holding a 70-point
bulge over Gary Scott who had in turn
moved one point abead of Roberts.
Brelsford upped his lead to 120
points at the San Jose race and then
scored his third National Championship
win of the season at the Salem, Oregon
Half-mile event while Scott was taking a
third.
After the Salem victory, Brelsford's
point total had jumped to 882 while
Scott followed within striking range
with 712 and Roberts held third with a
641 total.
For the remainder of the season,
Brelsford was able to fight off all
challengers for the coveted Grand
National title, amassing 1,483 points for
the season, a record point total for a
Grand National Championship.
Scott, campaigning a Triumph,
rmished second in the standings with
one National win to this credit during
the year, the 20-laper at Ascot PaU
Mark Brelsford was the bestest with the mostest.
former Grand National Champion Mert
Lawwill who won the Columbus, Ohio,
Charity Newsies Half-mile. Lawwil1
chalked up a second at Roosevel t and a
third at both Peoria and Ascot aboard a
Harley-Davidson.
In nin th place was Cal Rayborn.
Rayborn,
another
Harley-Davidson
rider, visited the winner's circle twice
during the year, taking the Indianapolis
race and also recording a win at Laguna
Seca. Both were Road Races.
In 10th position in the point race was
Canada's Dave Sehl who won at A tlan ta
late in the season and finished with 629
points.
These 10 men were the big winners
on the AMA circuit this year, but there
January 28. A short track eve;t
followed the next evening playing to
37,000 fans.
Roberts and his Yamaha got off to a
quick lead in the manufacturer's race
with a third in the TT and a win in the
short
track ·event. John Hateley
powered his triumph to a victory in the
TT.
Next came the prestigious 200-mile
Daytona Road Race, with a $43,000
purse up for grabs.
This time it was 21-year-old Don
Emde providing the first major upset of
the season as he charged his privately
tuned 350cc Yamaha to victory,
outlasting a formidable collection of
new
750cc
machines
and
Dick Mann and Gene Romero discuss the morning traffic at Laguna Seea. Romero was road
racing champion.
were many others who raced against
th.em for the largest purses in the
history of the sport.
Brelsford alone won over $30,000 in
purses, not counting contingencies and
bonuses. Altogether, the 23-race circuit
offered $422,000 in purses.
MANUFACTURER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
But it wasn't just money and rider
points that were on the line at every
National
race.
In
addition,
the
prestigious
Manufacturer's
Championship was at stake.
With 23 events being contested on
the National circui t, there was ample
opportunity for all riders to prove their
machines and themselves. The circuit
included seven road races, four ITs,
four miles, six half-miles and two short
track even ts.
The season started wi th a IT at the
Houston
Astrodome
before
a
record-breaking audience of 64,000
factory-sponsored riders.
Emde, in fact, led Yamaha to sweep
of the 200-miJe Daytona Road Race as
the Yamahas took four of the first five
places.
That, 310ng with Roberts' win at
Houston, propelled Yamaba into the
early manufacturer's point lead. The
Yamaha" at that time had earned 430
points while the nearest competitior
Triumph, held 210.
The AMA pros next traveled to
Gainesville, Georgia for the Road
Atlanta event and there Jody Nicholas
set a new record with a water-cooled
7-50cc Suzuki, covering the 125 miles
with an average speed of 91.392 MPH.
Nicholas and two other Suzukis,
however, were subsequently disqualified
when, in the usual post-race inspectio.n,
it was discovered the machines were
equipped with non-standard heads, a
violation of FIM Formula 750 Rules.
..
"
Nicholas
protested,
but
later
withdrew his protest, and second place
finisher Yvon Duhamel of Quebec,
aboard a Kawasaki, was declared the
winner.
Paul Smart, also riding a Kawasaki,
was .moved to second place and Gene
Romero was bumped up to third.
It was then on to Colorado Springs
for a 25-lap dirt track race at the Pikes
Peak Turf Club mile oval where Jim
Rice, aboard a BSA, finished in the
winner's circle. Brelsford followed with
a second on his f{arley-Davidson while
Roberts piloted his Yamaha to third.
At the end of the Colorado Springs
event, Yamaha still led the pace by a
sizeable margin with 580 points, while
second place Triumph had collected 350
points.
Moving on to California and Ascot
Park at Gardena, Dave Aldana powered
his Norton to a non-national Yamaha
Gold Cup win May 5th while Brelsford
took the National Championship event
the following day, conquering the
25-lap TT. Triumph-mounted Gary
Scott was second and John Hateley
took thirel
At San Jose, Rice pulled his
spectacular come-frOIO-behind win after
his run-in with the guardrail on lap six
while Roberts finished second and Mann
was third.
Al Louisville, af.ter rain forced a
one-day postponement, Brelsford took
the checkers and was fpUowed to the
finish line by SeW and Scott.
With the conclusion of the first
eastern SWirIg, Yamaha had compiled
714 points while Triumph had closed
the gap, moving to within 94 points of
the leaders with. 620
points.
Harley-Davidson also was on the move,
gaining third place with a 595 total.
At Laconja, Gary Fisher set a new
IOO-mile track record of 74.966 MPH
while Brelsford took second and
Romero finished third.
At Indianapolis, Rayborn aboard a
Harley-Davidson, took the first place
points ,,!,d was followed to the winner's
circle by Duhamel and Romero. In that
race, Harley-Davidson moved into
second place in the manufacturer's
point race while Yamaha still held the
other bike-builders off with it point
total of 959.
The Harley-Davidson racing team
closed the gap on Yamaha again at the
Charity Newsies Half-mile race at the
end of June when Mert Lawwill, aboard
a Harley-Davidson, ou t-dueled Gary
Scott for the win. With that win, the
Harley-Davidson moved to within 32
points of still-leading Yamaha.
At Salem, Oregon, Brelsford took the
lead on the seven th lap of the 20-lap
Half-mile even t while Jim Rice was
second and Scott was third.
The
Brelsford
win
propelled
Harley-Davidson into the limelight for
manufacturer's points. It was the first
(Please turn to page 60)
,
