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/126008
slapper on the North tum and crashed hard. The many time former Ascot winner and Expert classed rider for well over 20 y ears, was hospitalized with possible broken bones and stomach injuries. • Results IS LAP EX / JR : 1. Pa t Gu th'le (T,I) . 2. J i m Wright ( V am ) . 3 . Chuck M iller ( V am ). 4 . A-t Fredenberg (Vilm) . 5 . Dan M cWhorter ( V am ). 6. Steve Eklund (Vam). 10 LAP NOV F INAL: 1. Ted Davidson ( Y am ). 2 . Rob M urray (Vam). 3. V ince Mead (Yam ). a.wsteve Fortune (Vam) . S. Cra ig Pl'mstrong ( Va m). 6. Ve rn Maxwell (Yam ) . . THE NATIONAL PAPERS Ban the bomb . . . Kenny Roberts and his four cylinder Yamaha are heading for San Jose! In sheer desperation to keep up with the fleet of fast Harleys, Yamaha switched to the famous four and won the first time out at Indy last month. But the surprise of the year came Pat Guthrie (99rl on his way to his first important win as an AMA Pro . The race no one could hang onto By Bob F. Read GARDENA, CAL ., SEPT. 12 It was supposed t o be the final tuneup race for the local Experts and th e ranking Juni ors before the big National weekend on Septembe r 26-27. It dam near turned ou t th at nobody wan ted to win. This week , in a nea r repeat from the week before, roo kie John Allison wheeled the John Reed Yamaha in fo r an impressive win in the Trop hy Dash, just like Rick Kr aft had done th e p revious time out. Th en o n t he sta rt o f t he s e c on d l ap of th e Expe rt /J unio r Main Allison stuffed t he front wheel, the bi ke and himsel f in to th e turf bri nging o ut th e stop' flag . (The week before Kra ft had tried to j ump the North tum wall with the same mach ine o n the final lap .] 10 On the resta rt, minus Allison, th e two best in t he wes t, Steve Eklund and Dan McWhorter, were off an d running nearl y side-by-side in a two rider p rivate duel , q uic kly leaving the rest of the field far beh in d. McWhorter held a slight lead lap af te r lap an d appeared to be a certain wi nner wh en Eklund went too high o n th e first tum of lap 13 and fell o ff. But moments later, in th e opp osite tum, McWhorter fell off, running nearly a half a lap ah ead of seco n d pl ace ! lie said lat er th at his throttle had stuck open. With a double fall-off on the same lap it made for a brand new race for the w in between Jim Wright and Pat Guthrie. Wright, the King of Corona, had the lead as the two st arted the final lap but go t into wobble troubles on tum two . Guthrie shot by on th e inside and went o n to score his first important win as an AMA pro. McWhorter got ba ck up to finish fifth and regain his Junior class poin t lead over Eklund by less than 20 markers as these two head into the special Junior Invitational race on the 26th . • • • . . • •• • . • • . .• • It took many weeks and many laps but Novi ce Ted Davidson finally defeated to p-ra ted Vince Mead. First he did it in the he at race and then came back to prove it was not a one shotter by leading all the way in the final for his first Ascot Main win in months. Mead had pe rhaps his worst nigh t 0 f the season as he chased surprising and fast improving Rob Murray all the way in every tum of the final but came up with third. Steve Fortune ran fourth with steady Craig Armstrong in fifth. Two riders were hospitalized during practice in two separate spills. Novice Gary Evans was taken in but was later fo und to be only shaken up. Forty-four year old AI Gunter, trying a late season comeback got into a tank Take a good look at the rear wheel . Adamo kept his cool and his bike upright as the back end fell apart o n the front straight. when Roberts stated that the new configuration was an animal that they couldn't pay him en ou gh to ride. It has to be taken for granted that Kenny was speaking of dollars so Yamaha must have come up with so me other form of a payoff (Cars, boats , houses, airplanes, baby sitters?) to get him back on it for San Jose. If Roberts is to catch and pass Gary Scott for the Grand National title this season it appears he will h ave to ride, and win, with the monster on the 21st. Bu t S an Jose is not Indy nor Syracuse. Thos e tr acks have well -rounded turns while San Jose has long straigh taways and much tigh ter left-handers. Even at Indy the re ports were that Kenny used up every in ch of the turns and tried repeatedly to m ake a mile and a half ou t of the mile ovals . His only way of telling when to tum was when hay flew under his face shield. If he tries to do the same at San J ose he may break the old distance re cord set by Larry Gino in '73 whe n Larry flew over the far tur n wall, m inus m otorcycle, cleared a swimming po ol, an d slid on his bottom halfway o u t o f a residen tial driveway! The Monster made up w ell over 50 yards on the final lap at Indy to win the race at the finish line by inches as two thirds of the "Michigan Mafia" Corky Keener and Jay Springsteen were just ridin ' along side by side trying to decide which one should win for the good old orange and black. Nobody has defeated the Harleys this year on a mile except Scott Brels ford and his mini-monster Kawasaki two stroke triple. His win came at Stoe kton where all of the Harley riders eliminated themselves in the heat races due to a combination of dust and mud, so they said. (Dust and mud?) Roberts has stated that the Yamaha multi is a dangerous weapon . in the hands of an in-experienced rider. There is already more than just a rumor afloat to ban multicyclinder models from the dirt tr acks, and th e hunt is reported to be led by none other than Mr. Roberts. The rules committee meets for the last time in Oc tober to decide the '76 guidelines. San Jose could be the last . chance to see the Dragon breathe fire. Roberts, rookie Skip Aksland, Rick Hocking and only part time at best dirt tracker, Steve Baker, will all be at San J ose with the fours. Brelsford an d Castro, p lus Danny Hoekie will have the Kawasaki triples. Two stro kers all. What it all comes down to is, if Roberts can finish ahead of Gary Scott at San Jose he could have a great chance to clinch the title at Ascot the foll owing week - on his "obsolete" four stroke twin! Bob F.. Read