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/125821
. '". Nils-Arne 1 gi < en ~ w Z W -J ... tJ >- tJ - NllssonAnd -HuskyAt 'Barely International Motocross By Jim Gianatsis Photos by Marcia Holley and Gianatsis ST. CHARLES, MO., AUG. 5 As skydivers fell from the clouds, balloons rose up into them, and a rock band played background music, Husqvarna's Nils-Arne .. Nilsson of Sweden won the first United States 125 Grand Prix with a first and then a fourth place in the two forty-five minute motos. Bob Grossi of Santa Cruz, California, placed second overall with another 125 Husky behind his Swedish Teammate in what was probably Bob's first 125 professional race in years. North Carolina's Mickey Boone charged around the extremely dusty 1.5 mile course to take third overall, ahead of a large showing of West Coast riders with a Suzuki sponsored by Suzuki of Winston-Salem. In the three twenty minute 250 Support motos, Bryan Holcomb, amid some heavy racing with a number of top pro riders in that class, took first overall on his factory Bultaco ahead of Maico's Bob Harris and Bryar's teammate Doug Grant on another Bultaco." 125 International Bob Grossi took a rare 125 ride to second overall. North Carolinian, Mickey Boone, was third on a Suzuki. 125 class racing is definitely neat, but give it World Championship status, have all those hotshoe kids from both the East and West coast get together to contest it, and then throw in a few Europeans to make it really in testing, and you've got some of the wildest racing you could ever imagine, let along hope for. The only disappoin tmen t in the entire event was the track itself, which the riders thought was just too fast and dusty. The lone, one and half mile track was definitely a prepared course, plowed and graded, that bore very little resemblance to a motocross type terrain. The small turnout of European riaers, a total of four for this World Championship event, was due to the way the 125 GP series is set up in Europe by the FIM. The continent is divided up into two sections, A and B, according to countries.. Each section runs a total of eight GP events in the 125 class, which only serve as qualifying races as far as points awarded. Based on these, the riders then compete in a single Championship Final that decided the World Champion. This year the World fmal will be held in Yugoslavia on September 23, and it will be a go-for-broke affair as 30 riders, 15 from each section, battle it out to see who will be the 125 World Champion. It is possible for a good rider to gain enough poin ts in the flTst few races of the season that he need not contest all of the races in his section. The four riders sent over by Husky and Monark to compete in this GP, were here for publicity purposes; no top Europeans needed the necessary points to make the trie over to the states which was hosting the final event four countries in section A. Bob Grossi and Mickey Boone, with their second and third place finishes, have qualified for the World Final and have hopes of going to Yugoslavia to con test the championship. Marty Lopez got. his Pen ton off to a good start in the first 45 minute moto, but it wasn't too long before Nils-Arne Nilsson and Gilbert De Roover slipped their factory Huskys on by Marty to take over the lead, as the rest of the forty bike filed was left behind in a hunge cloud of dust. Marty held on tenaciously. to De Roover as he went by and followed him for a lap before actually finding the opportunity to pass the Belgian riders and stay in front of