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
October 16, 1973 Team Manager Gunnar Lindstrom figured the carb had picked up some dirt causing it to lean out since the bike had performed fine in practice. With Heikki gone, Sylvain had command of things for a moment but behind him positions were changing quickly as Torleif Hansen recovered from a slow start and blasted up through the pack to second. Pierre was pushed back to fourth as Roger moved back into third. Top American at this time was Mike Hartwig, fifth, followed by Jim Pomeroy and Jammin' Jimmy Weinert. The rest of the Europeans were off the pace. Gerrit Wolsink admitted not having the desire to race. When the seat fell off his Maico, he was more anxious to go back to the pits than let his mechanic bolt it back on. Bengt Aberg did an endo that .a1most totaled out his GP Husky and he went off to the hospital for x·rays. WhetIier DeCoster was playing cat and mouse or picked up a second rush of adrenalin wasn't definite, but as the moto neared its end and Sylvain dropped back to sixth, Roger passed Torleif to take the lead and hold it to the finish. Adolf Weil had moved into third ahead of Pierre and Willi Bauer was fifth. Jimmy Weinert was first American in seventh followed by Pomeroy as Hartwig had to retire with mechanical problems. The Second Moto Hakan Andersson rode the first moto wearing a pair of leathers that said "Champion" on the side of each leg. After an unimpressive first mota that netted him tenth, he appeared in the second moto with his regular "Andersson" leathers. With the fall of the starting gate, it was again DeCoster leading the charge followed by Bauer, WoIsink, Pomeroy and Andersson. A terrific battle got underway as the five of them banzai'ed around the Mid-Ohio course in a tight pack that soon left the rest of the field in their wake. Roger maintained his place in front until the fourth lap when he boggled in an uphill tum. Willi was in position to power by on the inside and take the lead. Pomeroy was doing some passing of his own and slipped by WoIsink to put a temporary hold on third which lasted until Hakan Andersson decided it was his tum to do some moving up. The monoshock Yamaha was screaming at full throttle as Hakan gassed the 400 passing both Pomeroy and Wolsink in almost one move as he closed on DeCoster. This was the race the 22,000 (estimated) spectators wanted. The two World Champions were on the same track at the same time and racing for the same position. Lap after lap, Hakan hounded Roger's rear fender in an effort to get by but couldn't. The pace of their battle moved them closer to Bauer in first, but Hakan still c'ouldn't fmd the extra inch to take Roger. Page 9 The high speed track didn't offer a choice of different lines like many European courses would have so Andersson had to keep pushing Roger, operating on instructions from his pi t crew tha t told him he could finish as low as fifth in this moto and still take the overall win. Hakan Andersson did pass Roger DeCoster and then moved up, caught Willi Bauer on the last lap by using a slower rider to run in terference and took over the lead, maintaining it to the finish. By virtue of his first and third place finishes, Roger had the overall win, bu t when it came to counting motos both Roger and Hakan had a win to their credit. The remainder of the TransAMA series should see more fantastic racing from the two World Champions, and with the rest of the imported talent that's around, there shouldn't be any bets being made as to who's the fastest any time soon. THESEBGOTS WEREN'T MADE ·FORWALKING. 250 Suppo'rt Class There wasn't any way the support riders could upstage the action in the In ternational class, but young Billy Grossi and Rich Eierstedt were giving it a try. Billy stepped his factory Kawasaki out to a. big lead at the start of the first 15-minute moto and began stretching it. Behind him, Eierste~t was giving chase as. Tom Rapp, Barry Higgins, and Ron Self squabbled over third. Philly Stadium winner John Borg was having his problems with Professor Gary Bailey who celebrated his 30th birthday the day before. It looked like Billy was going to have a clear run at the moto win when he slid out on a turn and let Rich Eierstedt get his Honda by. Billy took three laps to move back up on Rich and when he did, it was the last tum before the finish. Billy took the inside line which put him in good position for the double jump. He kept the throttle dialed on and sailed past Rich to take the flag first. John Borg took to the lead in the second moto but he tired out quickly, turning the lead over to Rich who wasn't followed too far behind by Grossi again. This time, though, Billy waited to slide out until too late in the moto and before he could catch up with Rich the moto was over. John Borg (Yam) took second followed by 'Ron Pomeroy (BuI). The situation didn't improve for Grossi in the f'mal moto, either. He was away in first closely pursued by Rich who wouldn't let up the pressure. On the second lap, Rich passed him but on the following lap, Billy was out front again. . It was beginning to look like Billy would finally hold his position when, yup, he slid out again as Rich motored home for the overall win. Ron Pomeroy put his Bultaco in second and Grossi had only a third place in the moto. • Jim Pomeroy continued to do battle with the top riders in the world and continued to place about sixth overall, much as he did all season on the Grand Prix circuit. He was first U.s. citizen in the final standings. His Bultacos seem to be holding together, They were made for the roughest kind of moto· cross and enduro action. Available in black with Yamaha yellow racing stripe on back. Also with yellow shin guard. They feature 100% genuine leather. Six buckle full adjustment, padded front shin guard and inside double-duty leather padding around the ankle. Flat MX race sole or Vibram·Lug sole. Half sizes available in all MX boots. See these superb o.ff·road boots and the entire collection of accessories, specialty items, apparel and genuine parts now at your nearest Yamaha dealer. .'AMAIIA PARTS DlSlllIUTORS, lie. a subsidiary of Yamaha Internotional CorPoration. 6610 Orongethorpe Avenue. Bueno Pork. 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