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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125818
enough to get him seventh and Castro got tenth. HEATS The Heat races got under way with Jim Rice taking his Harley past fastest qualifier, Chuck Joyner, increasing his lead all tbe way to the checker. Joyner cam e in second ahead of Sonny &urres for the first three transfer spots to the Main. It was after the checkered flag fell in this beat that Rex Beauchamp found himself with a gear box fuU of neutrals on his Harley and slid off the end of the northeast turn, busting up a few baybales, suffering no injuries except, perhaps, to his pride. Donny Castro won the second heat with uncontested ease over Gene Romero, and Frank GiUespie. It was Mert Lawwill's hard charge after Castro that got bim off the end of the track in the exact same spot of Beauchamp's crash, but in Lawwill's case, it was a case of harder and faster, and although Mert wasn't personally injured, the Harley was through for the day. Gary Scott and Kenny Roberts, currently ranked first and second in the National standings, were bead-to·head in the third heat. Roberts led off the line and through lap one, losing the lead to Scott's Triumph on the second lap, and, , although Roberts continued to pressure Gary .for the entire twelve laps, Scott bdd it to the flag with Dave Aldana taking the third transfer spot with his Norton. Mark Williams, always the local favorite, won the only heat that had to be restarted. On the fUth lap, Tom Wbite lost it in the middle of the southwest tum and was hit by Jobn Hateley, wbo went end ova end. AI Kenyon then plowed into both downed bikes and riders, causing the race to be red-flagged. Kenyon was able to restart, as weU as Hateley, but Tom got carted off in the ambulance with a suspected broken arm. The restart was anti-climactic, as Mark went on for the win, Ike Reed and Jim Einarsson getting the next two transfer spots. SEMIS In the first of the Semis, where only the first two finishers get to transfer to the National, Terry Dorsch and Tom Horton seemed to be having their own private little war, swapping the lead two or three times, before Dorsch established a definite lead. But, while they were battling eacb other, and just as he's done so many times in the past, Dick Mann pulled up on Horton's tail, took a long, high groove in the ftrst turn of the last lap, getting a slingsbot, blowing past Horton right at the finish line, and making one of the two transfer spots to the Main. The second Semi was a swap-it duel between Randy Scott and Pat Marinacci with Randy prevailing. Up there in Washington, the sun was still bathing the track at 9:15, and believe it or not, the people of Mt. St. Helens were still selling tickets. People were told that there was standing room only, and still they came. This Castle Rock scene bas to be seen to be believed. I .. were elbowing it out in their own little battle. This was when disaster struck, cbanging the entire picture of the National. Exiting the dogleg, Gary's Triumph got in to a real big-eyed tank slapper. Gary high-sided and went end over end in front of the entire pack. Gary was hit, clipped, spun, and run over, and was still on the ground when the entire pack got through the. turn. Before anybody could get to Gary, be crawled off the course on his hands and knees and lay down for a little rest - at that point very well deserved. That little branigan really jumbled up the field. As they caine around it was Chuck Joyner, top qualifier out in fran t, being pressed bard by Kenny Roberts. For twenty laps Roberts tried it high, tried it low, but there was no way he could get around Joyner's Triumpb. Along about the twentieth lap, Gary Scott was on his feet watching Roberts fmish second to Chuck Joyner, as Cbuck scored his first National win, and Roberts increased his National pain ts lead over Gary by another 135 points. Randy Scott, after a real battle with Rice, got in for third. Williams and Castro, who had been up in front battling with Scott when Scott crashed, ended up with Castro sixth, and Williams eigh tho The National scene moves to Ascot Park next week for the Ascot TT for another 25 lapper and Kenny Roberts is building what may proved to be an unsurmountable points lead for that coveted Number One plate. 1 M .... en '" ;: w Z W ..J U > U RESULTS 10 TOP QUALIFIERS: 1. Chuck Joyner (Trl). 2. Frank Glllespte (VoIm). 3. Gary Scott (Trl), 4. Mert L~will (H-D). 5. Jim Rice (H-D). 6. Gene Romero (T,I). 7. Ken Roberts (Yam). 8. John Hateley (Trl). 9. Sonny Burres (Trl). 10. Don Castro (Yam). 1s1 HEAT, 1. Jim Rice (H·D). 2. Chuck Joyner (Trl). 3. Sonny Burres (T,I). 4. Rex Beauchamp (H-D). 5. Terry Dorsch (Trl). 6. Jim Crenshaw (Nor), 7. Scott 8r.~ford (H-D). 8. Eddie Wirth (Yam). 9.Gary Lozano (Trl). 2nd HEAT: 1. Don Castro (Yam). 2. Gene Romero (Trl). 3. Frank GiUespie (Yam). 4. Dick Mann (Trl). 5. Tom Horton (Trl). 6. Dick Wascher. 7. Brian Brackerbury. 8. Dave Whitgelt. 3m HEAT: 1. Gary Scott (Trl). 2. Ken Roberts (Vam). 3.0a'l'8 Aldana (NOr). 4. RAndy Scott (Tri). 5. Pat Marlnaccl (Trl). 6. Chad Lawrence. 1. Edd" Mukler (Trl). 8. Da"" Sehl (H·D). 9. Cal Rayborn (H·D). 41h HEAT, L Mark Williams ITrl). 2. Ike Reed (Trl). 3. Jim Einarsson. 4. RandY Skiver .. (Trl). 5. John Hatetey (Trl). 6. Dan Mangano. ? Roger Stanley (Td). 8. Steve Baker. 9. Dave Yost. 1st SEMI (10 Laps): 1. Terry Dorsch (Trl). 2. Dick Mann (Trl). 3. Tom Horton (Trl). 4. Eddte Wirth (Yam). 5. AI Brackerbury. 6. Dick Wascher. 1. Dusty c.oppage (Trl). 8. Brian LaPlante (Trl). 2nd SEMI (10 Laps), 1. Randy Scoll (Trll' 2. Pat Marinacel (Trl). 3. RandY Skiver (Trl . 4. John Hateley (Trl). 5. Chad Lawrence. 6. Dan Mangano. 1. Roger Stanley (Trl). 8. Steve Baker. TROPHV RACE (12 Lapsl: 1. Randy Skiver (Trl). 2. John Hateley (Tr I. 3. Eddie Wirth (Yam). 4. Dick Wascher. 5. Tom Horton (Trl). 6. Roger Stanley (Trl). 1. Chad Lawrence. MAIN EVENT (25 LapS): 1. Chuck Joyner (Trl). 2. Kenny Roberts (Yam). 3. Randy Scott (Trll' 4. Jim Rice (H·D). 5. Terry Dorsch (Tr). 6. Don Castro (Vam). 7. Gene Romero (Trl). 8. Mark Williams (Trl). 9. Sonny Burres (Trl). 10. Dick Mann (Trl). 11. Frank GillesPie (Yam). 12. Ike Reed (Tri). 13. Pat Marlnaccl (Trl). 14. Dave Aldana (Nor). 15. Jim Einarsson. 16. Gary Scott (Tri). Ken Roberts' second place puts him well out front in the National points race. TROPHY DASH Finally the Trophy Race, which in tima past would have been called the Consolation Race, got underway around 10:3<1. Randy Skiver was second behind Hateley for the first lap, Hateley got back in fran t for the next two, only to be re.passed by Skiver, who held it to the checker, Hateley second, Eddie Wirth third. MAIN Finally, at just past 11 p.m., the 25 lap TT National go't underway with Mark Williams and Donny Castro and Gary Scott giving it a real bang-bang first lap. Going in to tbe southwest tum for the first time, Gary dove under Castro's Yamaha, pulling his Triumph in to second behind the leading Triumph of Williams. Down the front chute, Gary au t h orsepowered Williams, wen t in under bim through the tum, taking the lead just after the start of lap two. Castro came back halfway through lap two, taking another shot at Gary, but couldn't make it stick. As they came past start/finish on lap three, Scott in the lead, followed by Mark Williams and Castro, Roberts and CbuckJoyner were baving their own battle in third and fourth, as Rice, Dorsch and Romero F18nked bV Roberts and Randy Scott (_tching tIla corlel Chuck Joy_ calobratas his first Natiollllillietorv.