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/125831
October 23, 1973 Page 6 I Hllkan didn't understand the tricky AMA rules and forgot to gas it in mota two. Gary Jones chased until blowing a head gasket. Slippin' and slidin'--Willi Bauer cruises in for a' win By Gary Van Voorhis WASHINGTON,IND., ocr. 14 There were a lot of people at the IndIana round of the Trans AMA who looked like WInners but bad luck, trouble and a costly mental lapse cost all those candidates ultimate victory. In the end, it was good fortune and consistency that put the overall winner's share of the bucks in the hands of works Maico rider Willi Bauer; Hakan Andersson (Yam) was second. And (hot damn!) "Jammin" Jimmy Weinert was third, the highest American placing, so far, also equalled by Mike H'artwig. Friday's drizzle and Saturday's heavy downpour had, by Sunday, turned the track at Snyder Park into a tortuous one mile strip of slime. Dawn Sunday didn't see matters improved, either. Dense ground fog chocked the area with a death g.rip until a bright, strong sun finally burned the haze off and raised hopes that the facility would, eventually dry out. The track redemmed itself, affording the riders a good surface over a demanding course and providing the spectators with glimpses of very good racing. 500 International Class Mike Hartwig was the first of the riders to be hit by the back of Lady Luck's hand. Mike had shot from the gate in the first moto, squeezed the right line out of the sharp right-hander and sl1\lflothed out the treacherous uDevil's Stairsteps" in quick fashion leaving Chris Hammargren and Jimmy Weinert to hold off a nasty field of 37 other riders. Weinert moved into second the next go lround, then eased up as his pace was just too fast with a fuJ.I forty minutes left as the humps and bumps gave everyone fils. Some riders were spending more time in the air than on their seats. By the sixth or seven th lap the field had by no means settled down and several riders were on the move including the entire Maico machine. Karsmakers was berserking it and Hakan was sticking close to the action. The layout of the track provided the riders with just one fast line and, as many riders put it, everyone was using that line, much to the frustration of the go-fasters who were wading through traffic. Mike Hartwig's 20-second cushion came to an abrupt end when, while passing, a slower rider missed a gear and Mike was· unable to avoid the bike; scratch his lead. Unfortunately for Mike, from there on it was a steady downhill trip as the fight to regain his lost position led to more ground time with the last crash almost a comedy movje routine: Harwig falls, his head goes through the fence' and spectators pry the fence apart so Mike can have his head back; shades of Laurel and Hardy. Gerrit Wolsink had blitzed the field earlier and picked up the lead after Hartwig's misfortune while Karsmakers, Andersson, Bauer and Weinert waited for their turn in the lead. Yamaha works riders Hammargren and Tarao Suzuki were swapping sixth place while, further If, t .~~_ •• a; The course got bumpier and lumpier. I •• • f I' I I j