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/125830
Page 8 October 16, 1973 FIVing in dose formation.at the Ohio Trans-AMA: Willi Bauer IMail in front with 250 World Champion Hakan Andersson behind him. Hakan passed Willi and went onto win the second mom. Round Four to the 500 World Champion DeCoster was on in Ohio and when he's on, he wins. By Jim Gianatsis LEXINGTON, O'TIO, OCT. 7 Roger DeCoster played it cool in the second 45--minute moto. He had gotten a good start, but rather than fight -it out with 250 World Champion, Hakan Andersson, he eased back to third position behind Hakan and Willi Bauer. Roger's third ~ the fmal moto along with winning the first gave the 500 World Champion the overall win in this fourth race of the TransAMA series, Mid-Qhio Motocross Park is a beautiful .track: smooth, fast and wide, laid out on roUing hills and prepared to perfection. The EuropeanS didn't like it, though, because it was too prepared. There wasn't a natural turn or jump anywhere. It didn't deter them from making it their kind of track and just to make sure, they appeared at Mid-Qhio in force. There was as much top motocross talen t as you could expect to find at a World Championship Grand Prix. Yamaha had the new 250 Champ, Hakan Andersson, along with Chris Hammargren, Japanese 250 Champion Tarao Suzuki, and go-fast regulars Karsmakers and Hart. Also in the Yamaha camp was a young Dutchman by the name of Frans Karsmakers who came to America to watch his big brother race and ended up riding a spare Yamaha. - Over in the Suzuki tent were Roger DeCoster, 500 World Champion, and Sylvain Geboers who seemed ready to get down to business, along with regulars Runyard and Thorwaldson. It isn't too often that the two reigning World Champions meet head on. The Maico Team was up to force with Werner Schutz joining Wolsink, Weil and Bauer. For Husky, it was Heikki Mikkola and Bengt Aberg along with Hartwig, SeJDics and Blackwell, When Roger DeCoster is on, he cannot be beat for the overall win of a motocross. R~r was on. Kawasaki brought over Torleif Hansen, who fmished fourth in world 250 standings. There were 18 Europeans and 22 Americans to make up the start field of the 500 class. The First Mota DeCoster proved that he was going to be fast when he got the hole shot at the start and led the ftrst lap. Heikki Mikkola was a little faster, though, and on the second lap he caught Roger and passed him on the vicious double jumps in front of the pits. These jumps were defmitely the most difficult and hazardous section on the track. Situated after a high speed third gear turn, the two jumps were obstacles spaced ou t just far enough so that they couldn't be jumped at once (unless you. were fond of high speed wipeouts or your name was Mikkola). It must have upset Roger momen tarily because he dropped back to fourth as Geboers moved into second and Karsmakers to third. Heikkiwas really truckin' the 360 GP Husky and pulling away from the rest of the pack when the engine began to ping and then not much later, the piston ~t up tight with the cy~der.