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/125876
Roberts blitzes Talladega o By Gary Van Voorh is TALLADEGA, ALA., AUG. 3 I-Sept. I Aksland wins Novice Manteca; California rider Skip Aksland, aboard his KRRC sponsored Yamaha, breezed to an easy victory in the 50 mile Novice event. Aksland's mam competition came fro m Team Connect icut rider Rich Sch lachter, aboard the fastest air-cooled 250 Yamaha around. Finishing th ird, over 15 seconds adrift, was Baltimore, Maryland rider Cliff Guild on his Elyria Triumph sponsored Yamaha. The main Novi ce road race competition this year has centered on California riders Aksland, John Volkman and Georgian Dale Singleton. This race saw Singleton trash his Taylor White Yamaha on the first lap of his heat and spend a frantic night rebuilding it for raceday and a sixtieth starting spot on the grid. Volkman was less fortunate as his practice crash left him without a bike. In the final, it was heat winners Schlachter and Aksland side by side into the infield with Schlachter. taking and maintaining the lead until the pair entered onto the banking where Aksland's water-cooled power took over. Guild was a close third. Dale Singleton, aware that he needed a top finish to maintain a chance of capturing the title of top Novice road racer in the nation, was literally eating up the co m pe titio n an d had pulled into twenty-first spot by lap three . By lap ten, Sing leton had mo ved to eighth wh ile Aksland , Schlach te r and Guild had established a firm hold on the top th ree spots. Dennis Phelan has a co mfortable fourth with Dick Whitehurst about to move into fifth, The positions held fo r the final three laps with Canadian Jim Gill in sixth and Singleton moving to seventh. Aksland's second vict ory of the se as on combined with Singleton's seventh place, takes the race for top Novice road racer to Ontario for the decider, with o n ly a handful of points separating the pair. Roberts, ha nging off h is 250, is developing int o one of America's all-time great road racers. No wonder t he rumor-mongers already have h im campaign ing the European circuit. Roberts: " Ho , hum - I th ink I' ll go out and w in another road race." Well, maybe not . How about, " Boy, winn ing road races sure makes you sleepy ." Oh , my, my! It's Steve McLaughl in playing t ag in the infield. You're it , Steve. Pat Hennen survived a race-lo ng duel with Pee Wee Gleason in the Junior 50 miler. Nov ices , led by Skip Aksland (72) wai l out onto the banking where horsepower starts to count. Skip Aksland added yet another Novice road race to his tally. He also turns Expert in dirt track next year. Results 1. Skip Aksland (Yam): 2 . Richard Sch lac hter (Yam) : 3. Cliff Guild (Vam) ; 4 . Dennis Pehtan (Yam) ; 5 . Dick Wh itehurst (Yam); 6 . Jim G ill (Yam); 7 . Dale Singleton (Yam): 8. Bruce Hammer (Yam) ; 9 . Dwight Lyon ( Yam); 10. Martin KooP (Yam) . Hennen and Gleason duel for Junior win Pat Hennen scored his fifth Junior road race victory of the seaso n at Talladega. but had to ride his Ocelot E~gineering Yamaha to the lim it for the wm, 8 Pee Wee Gleason, aboard a Drew Pate sponsored Yamaha TZ 700, provided the competition fo r Hennen and finished a close second. It was Gleason's first ride on a 700 since Daytona and signaled his return on a co mpe t it ive machine. Texan Tom Byars fought an alm os t race long duel with Walt Foster to secure third with Wes Cooley finishing fifth, Frantic work was being done t o Larry Blei l's hike as the one minute sign was being given to the grid. Bleil pull ed off the grid while his cre w appeared to fill his radiator. It cost Larry a full lap that could not be made up.