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/125826
Page 26 September 18,1973 be paid, noted; "It's frustratiilg when you realize that you've spent countless hours preparing a machine, not to mention the traveling time to the race, only to find that someone didn't take the few days of time to prepare the track properly". Mert Lawwill, Kenny Roberts and Dick Mann echoed Qne another by saying that there would be another race next week and that they had no desire to do themselves in for a couple of thousand dollars. While the riders tempers were cooled by the announcement that the purse would be distributed, the spectators tempers flared and they began to bombard the track and the press box with bottles. By now darkness had all but set in and the press box lights were turned out and police called in. The grandstands were evenutally cleared and the riders allowed to enter the press box to collect their licenses and, where earned, money. They were informed that, while the purse was being paid, the race was officially cancelled and no National points would be awarded. A terrific start gave Brelsford this much lead in tum 2 on the opening lap. Atlanta: Bad day at By Jack Mangus ATLANTA, GA., SEPT. 9 The always difficult Atlanta mile became impossib~e today, causing the scheduled 25 lap National to be red flagged at the end of the fourth lap. A General named Sherman burned Atlanta in 1864 and in the eyes of the spectators at Lakewood Speedway, a promoter named Brymer burned Atlanta in 1973. Don Brymer, the mind behind the successful Yamaha Gold Cup races, called the day "the low poin t of my life." Aside from ~he difficult design of the track, dust was the number one problem throughout the day. According to Brymer, thousands of pounds of calcium chloride had been worked into the track., but, "obviously not in the righ t way." A field of 48 riders postedJor the race and time trials saw Mert Lawwill log fast time with 41.67 se.ond lap. Rex Beauchamp and Kenny Roberts set the second and third fastest times. The first heat saw rookie Expert Scott Brelsford take the win over Lawwill, Dave Seh! and Don Castro. Castro had unloaded heavily in practice and after seizing his spare, took over Roberts' spare. Frank Gillespie and Keith Ulicki took fifth and sixth, fol1owed by Eddie Wirth, Mike Johnson, Ray Little, Ted. Hubbard and Ed Salley. Positions one through four earned a spot in the main with· positions Hve through ten transferring to one of the semis. Rex Beauchamp, pumped from his Hrst National win at Terre Haute the previous week, ran away with the second heat. The action in that heat was provided by Mike Kidd and Dick Mann. The two put on a position swapping duel for the majority of the ten lap race with the youngster finally topping the veteran on -the last lap. Cal Rayborn took ·fourth spot followed by Jimmy Maness, Darryl Hurst, Jim Houston, AI Grande, Harold Pugh, Doug Seh! and Ron Mole. Sehl laid it down going into turn three when he lost his brake. The third heat was a runaway for Kenny Roberts, who had to earn only 17 poin ts more than Gary Scott to clinch the Grand National Championship. Just as in the previous heat ·the action was in the battle for, second and third. Team Mexican members Gene. Romero . and Dave Aldana staged a Triumph vs. Norton duel that was finally won, by Romero. 'Garyr,Nixon earned a position in the main ,by taking fourth. Transferring to the -semis were Ted Poovey, John Goad, Larry Palmgren, Fred Smith, Gene Lorge and Chuck Joyner. Terry Dorsch was .out of the day's program v,tith a blown engine. ' I The final heat went to Gary Sq,tt followed by Jim Rice, Chuck Pa!I!lgren and Charlie Seale. Jim Crenshaw, Jim Rawls, Jerry Stokes, Sonny Burres, Larry Charlton and John Skinner transferred to the semis. The first semi was won by Frank Gillespie with Keith Ulicki taking the second and final transfer spot to the main. Se·mi number two went to Jimmy Maness with Doug Sehl taking second to join the 20 rider field for the main. The trophy dash-consolation race saw Texans Junior Rawls and Teddy Poovey. finish one-two with Eddie Wir.th, Fred Smith and John Goad taking third, fourth and fifth spots. With everything but the National run, the time should have been around 4:30 or 5 p.m., but it was actually closer to 7 :00 and the sun had begun its descen t. Lengthy delays between the heats and semis and nearly an hour del,!y between the second semi and the trophy race; all caused by futile attempts to water the track with what appeared to be a septic tank-~ater truck, caused the late starting time for what had been scheduled and advertised as a 25-lap National race. Duke Pennell waved the green and Scott Brelsford pulled off a tremendous hole shot that had him several bike lengths ahead going into tum one. By the time the first three or four riders Lakewood had entered the tum the remammg riders were lost from sight in the raised dust. Exiting the fourth tum the riders following the leaders encountered what one described as a "brick wall". The setting sun, strikiilg the dust, caused zero visibility and on the second lap Mert Lawwill, Dick Mann and Dave Seh! pulled to a stop at the start/finish line. Two laps later the officials "got the word" and the race was red flagged. The majority of the riders were irate and quickly gathered with referee Charlie Watson and the AMA's manager of professional racing, Bill Boyce. The meeting was restricted to riders only and seemed to be a pro and con discussion of whether to race or not. Watson and Boyce broke u,p the meeting and gathered with rider representatives Mert Lawwill, Dick Mann, Gary Nixon, Terry Dorsch and Cal Rayborn. While some of the younger riders wan tea to race, the wiser heads of the veterans prevailed and a decision was reached to call the race. . Once word that the race had been cancelled reached the waiting riders, comments flowed forth. "Hell, let's race" stated Rex Beauchamp. Chuck Palmgren, assuming that no purse would Just as it happened last year in the case of Mark Brelsford, the Grand National Championship was decided at Atlanta. Kenny Roberts became Jil umber One as time and available points ran out for Gary Scott.' And just as last year, there was no fanfare, no champagne poured, no index finger thrust in to the air to indicate that the young Yamaha factory team rider had earned the coveted number one position. There was only Kenny Roberts strolling through the littered infield carrying on quiet conversations with other riders. ConlUats, Kenny. With money In one hand and cold beer, courtesy of promoter Don Brymer, in the other the riders tempers were quickly cooled and an almost party atmosphere existed in the press box and adjoining bar. Many of the riders quickly fell back into the old "what the hell, I've run on worst tracks" attitude, sipped some more beer, stuffed money into their pockets and left for the next race where they mil(ht have to face a similar situation. Who got hurt? Joe spectator and motorcycling. After weeks of excellent pre race promotion that had A tlan ta newspapers and TV and radio stations actually involved in the upcoming race, what appeared on TV that nigh t wasn't race coverage - it was riot coverage. Once again, we lose. • Results 1. Scott Brelsford (H-D). 2. Gary Scott (Trl). 3. Rex Beauchamp (H-D). 4. Chuck Palmgren (Yam). 5. Gene Romero (Trl). '6. Ken Roberts (Vam). 7. Dave Aldana (Nor). 8. Don Castro (Yam). 9. Mike Kldd (Tri). 10. Gary Nixon (Trl). 11. Jim Maness (H-D). 12. Keith Ullckl (H-Dl. 13. Doug SOhl (H-Dl. 14. Frank Gillespie (Yam). 15. Charlie seale H-Dl. 16. Cal Rayborn (K-D). 17. Da.. SOhl • H.Dl' 18. Dick Mann (Trl). 19. Mert Lawwill H-D . 20. Jim Rice (H-Dl. l Sunset. The. best thing about the whole day was the end of it.