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Page 27 August 28, 1973 rest of the field was so strung out as to be difficult to identify. The race was red flagged on lap five with the fmishing positions reverting to the previous lap. _ The Ushort" race was John's second victory of the weekend and although the running of the entire race may have changed some of the middle positions, it's doubtful that Labrie could have moved up approximately twenty places and caugh t Long in the remaining laps. Results: JR ROAD RACE (unofficial): 1. John Long (Vllm); 2. Denny Varnes (Vllm); 3. Mike ClArke (Vllm)i 4. Doug Teague (Yam). GUARANTEED UNBREAKABLE GAS TANKS GEN'U"IN'E 1 tl\/:IC= MANUFACTURERS OF PLASTIC MOTORCVCLE COMPONENTS BURBANK. CALIFORNIA Novices By Gary and Joanne Van Voorhis Photos by Ray Ninness MT. POCONO', PA., AUG. 17 Leslie aohn Johnson riding a Longevity Long) prepared Yamaha upfavored Jay Levingston (Dirty s~t Distributing) to win the 50 miles Novice event at Pocono International Raceway. Upset isn't really correct though as Levingston actually upset himself after a very costly mental lapse. Levingston, on his way to his fifth victory in six races, slowed in the middle laps allowing Leslie Johnson to eat up the large lead that Jay had opened up in the early laps. By lap six teen frantic pit signals told Levingston that his lead had nearly evaporateQ and he sought to open up his lead again by turning up the wick; that however .was his downfall. Levingston lost it in an infield tum while running in slower traffic, went down, was quickly up but too late. He had lost four places to the front running pack. Other riders had their problems also; Gary Blackman for one. Gary had won the second Novice heat and held the pole for the final via fast heat; however a poor start left Blackman eighth after the opening lap. In an effort to make up ground quickly, Gary opted to use a later braking poin t for the chicane which worked fine for the flJ"st two laps and then Blackman found himself sliding down the track as the victim of a bit of slickness or perhaps a spot of dirt; anyhow it was the end of Blackman's bid. At the start of the Novice final Levingston disposed of initial leader Rich Chambers in one lap and began to open up his lead: fifty, a hundred yards up quickly to ten seconds 'and a lot of breathing space. Just as quickly the race in back of Levingston began to emerge with Johnson only a short distance ahead of a tigh tly knit pack containing Rich Chambers, Bill Peters, Rich Clutts and Wes Cooley all in tight contention for third. As the field strung out, the leaders began to snake through traffic on the long 2.8 mile course with Cooley using the traffic to best advantage and bumping Chambers from his pack leader spOL Hank Scott, proved almost as good on the pavemen t as he is on the dirt by moving into solid sixth. The last half ot he race saw Levingston's lead over Johnson dwindled at nearly a second a lap to eigh t seconds then six and finally four as Johnson moved in for what looked like a very, very close finish. However, just as fast as Johnson closed on Levingston; Cooley was closing in on him and it became a race to see who would catch who before the flag fell. Two laps from the end it was a new race with Levingston down, up and in fIfth; Johnson in the lead and Cooley tailing close behind with Peters just another breath away. The daylight between Cooley and leader Johnson began to shrink bu t the checkered flag ended it all, sending Johnson, Cooley and Peters to the winner's circle. • Results NOVICE FINAL: 1. Leslie Johnson (Vam). 2. Wes Coo"y (Vlm/. 3. WitHam Peters (Vam). 4. RlchllrCl Cutts (Vim). 5. Jay Levingston (Vim). 6. Henry Scott (Vim). 7. Ed EAton (Vim). 8. RICNrd Chambers vam). 9. Otto Fuchs (Vim). 10. Ed Hlln5en Vam). 11. Kurt Dillman (Vam). 12. Henry Iynger (Vam). 13. Br.cl Marvel (Vam). 14. D,vld Roper (Kaw). 15. James MUI.r (V,m). 16. Lynn Amos; (Vam). 17. Delton 'teuscher (Vam). II. M,rvin West (yam). 19. Blake GamO,1II (Vam). 20. oavld McElyu Mg. DEALER: IN THE ROUGH AND TUMBLE SPORT OF MOTO-X OR DIRT RIDING, YOUR CUSTO· MERS WON'T SrnLE FOR LESS THAN THE BEST, SO STOCK ONLY THE GENU· INE P.M.C. UNBREAKABLE GAS TANKS! BEHIND EVERY GENUINE P.M.C. 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