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/125883
C'J C'J .... c:.J ..0 o ... u o Race within a race, as Joh n Gennai (161. Danny Hockie (45), Terry Dorsch (22) circulate in a tight group. Ascot Half-mile National (Continued from page 7) 46 Springsteen was in trouble twice o n the last corner and nearly fell off coming on the final stretch. Aksland moved to the front in the final 50 yards and bagged the win in fro nt of the larges t pre-National crowd to ever attend . It was A kslan d's six th straigh t Junior mai n event win at his ho m e track! Bro ther Ken Springsteen was also an other o ne unhappy guy , he finis hed ninth in the 10 rider field. Ca lifornia's nu mbe r o ne No vice Dan . McWh o rt er took the lead o n th e first lap bu t lost fro nt spo t to unranked Murray Ho ffm an o n lap t hree. Hoffm an wh o has ye t to win a main eve nt thi s seaso n, looked like a su re winner on h is 1969 Yamaha twin tuned by Do n Vesco . Then one of the tail-enders fell off an d the ra ce was stopped. On the restar t McWhorter was more ready than Hoffman and took the lead away again on the seventh lap and went on for the win, with Hoffman second and Steve Eklund third. The night also hosted the Experts in T .T. action for on ly the thi rd ti me this year. John Hateley wheeled his Triumph to...the win in the final with Tom Wh ite (H.D) in for second. Eddie Wirth passed Ron Powell at the finish line to take third. • ended up fifth, Arizona's Rick Kraf t ra n fo urth. The second heat went to Ascot's high po int J unior, Alex J o rgenso n who did the job on fellow Golden staters Walt Foster and J o hn Allison . Berry came back to win the Semi wi th Kraft in second and Sassaman learning fast and improving up to third, which was also good for a transfer to the final. Ascot hosts many great and good races each year but the Junior final that paid a record purse, plus $50 per lap to the leaders , ranks as one of the b est. It was the second try for Springsteen at Ascot. The number one rated Junior half-miler had won his heat race the week before and was leading th e final when his back tire went fiat. Jay took the lead away from Jorgenson on the fourth lap of the 14-lap fina l and appeared to be o n his way as Aksland was running a distant third . Aksland caught Jorgy on the ninth lap and took over second the next time around, but it still looked as though Spri ngsteen was about to become only the third non-California Junior to ever win an Ascot final . When Skip took over second Springsteen started gassing even hard er . a fac tor that was later to prove a big mistake. Aksland kept closing as the laps wen t down to th e end of the race. Jay still held a seven to 10 length advantage as they started the final round . Aksland kept closing. California's number two ranked Junior pulled even on the Michigan rider as they came out of th e last turn. Novice final The Roberts/Romero Yamaha team had a so-so night. Last National found Ken ny and Burritto relaxed and at ease w ith a year's wo rk beh ind them. Heat race scram ble, as Dave Aldana (o n Mike Kidd's T riumph ) works it aro und early leade r Ron Sp erry (28). Results AMA NATIONAL HALF·M ILE FIN AL (ZO laps) (7 :39 :05 new track record): 1. R ick Hocking'" (Yam). 2. Rex Be aucham p (H-O). 3 Hank Scott .. (H-D). 4 . Mark Williams .. (Tri). S. John Hatetey '" (Yam). 6 . DeWayne Keeter" (Yam). 7 D anny Hackie" (Yam) . 8. Ke n ny Roberts (Yam) . 9 . M ert Lawwi ll ( H -D). 1 0. R o n M oore • (Trl ) . 11. D av e Alda n a (Tri). 12. Frank G illespie· ( H·D) . 13 . Gene Romero ( Yam ) . 14 . Pau l Bo st rom • ( H -D ) . • Pr ivat ee r TRO PHY FINA L (12 la ps , : 1. Terry (Trl) . 2. Pa t McCaul (Yam) . 3. Steve D roste (H· D) . 4 . Mike R en slo w ( Yam ) . 5 . Tom W hite ( H · D ) . 6 . Do ug 5ehl (H·D). 7. Ron Powe ll (T r l) . 8. J im my Od om (T r l ) . 9. Edd ie Wi rt h (H· D). 1 0 . Jo hn Ge nnai ( H- D ) . J R I N VI T A TION A L ( 1 4 la pS) : 1. Sk ip A k sland ( Y am ) Ca l. 2 . Ja y Sprin gst een (H ·D) Mi ch . 3 . A le x Jo rge n son (T ri) Cal. 4 . John All iso n ( Yam) Ca l. S. Greg Sassam an (H -D) GA. 6 Watt Post er (Trl ) C al . 7 . Tom B err y (Yam ) Ca l. 8 . R o n Tobey (T r l ) Cal. 9 K en Spri ngst een ( H·D ) Mich. 1 0. R ic k Kra f t (Nor) Ariz . N O V IN V ITA TION A L ( 10 la ps) : 1. D an McWhorter (Yam) . 2 . M urray H o ffm an (Vam ). 3 . Steve Eklu n d (Yam ). 4 . Mark Smith (Yam) . 5 Brent K nauer (Vam) . 6 . M ik e Thompsen ( Yam). 7. Doug Garrison (Ya m). 8 Mark Mltschele ( Vam) Ariz 9 Brian G arc ia (Yam) . 10 Jim Crowley (Kaw) . Dors~h