Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

Swap meet. Springer 1251 and Kidd (72) met to do some serious swapping. (lnsetl Kenny's "good" engine in the bargain basement. turn and on the folIowing lap Springer took the lead for good. Beauchamp took an unchallenged second followed by Boody and Steve Morehead, who had diced throughout most of the race. Heat two belonged to Kenny Roberts right from the start. Only Hank Scott gave him a run, leading the second lap. Roberts broke away from Scott on the third go-around and Hank was dropped to fourth by Chuck Palmgren and Steve Eklund on the fourth lap. Palmgren, Eklund and Scott put on their o wn three-man race through lap eigh t an d t hen Greg Sassaman jumped into ' t he battle, dropping Scott to fifth. The starting lights left both J ohn Johnson and Steve Freeman momentarily behind ar the start of th e third heat. Not tricked by the ligh ts were Gary Scott, Gene Romero and Alex Jorgenson. Scott led the initial1ap only to be passed b y Burritto down th e back st raight. Coming across the line at the ' end of lap number three, it was a n ear dead heat between Romero, Sco tt and J orgy. Terry Poovey jumped in to the c on test on the fourth lap as he got by Jorgenson_ Scott began to op en up a slim margin over Romero, who had Poovey breathing down his - back. :The checkered fla g saw Scott cross first, followed by a side-by-side running duo of Romero and Poovey. Romero got th e edge and second. Jorgenson followed that pair into the National in fourth. Scott's time for the third heat was 6 : 25.25 . That was the fastest heat and it put the Grand National Champion, who admitted that he had been a bit conservative the previous night and would "really run" Sunday, on th e pole for the National. Occupying the pole (o n the outside, did everyone in all events) for the fourth heat was the previous nigh t 's winner, Mike Kidd. Kidd had clocked fourth fastest time and was determined to score back-to-hack wins and the way he ran away with his heat made him a as 8 good bet in the Main. Fighting for the remaining three transfers were Scott "Drak e, Billy Eves and Randy Cleek. Those three shuffled positions 2-3-4 around as professionally as a Vegas dealer. At the checkers it was Kidd, Eves, Cleek and Drake. Steve Droste took the first Semi just after he and Jay Levingston crossed the line at the end of the fifth lap in what appeared to be a dead heat. Semi two was an "anybody 's " race between Jay Ridgeway, Keith Ulicki, John Johnson, Ricky Campbell and Guy McClure with Ridgeway, ' Johnson and Campbell all leading across t he start/finish line at one point or an other. It was Ridgeway , though , who led th e lap that counted. Keith U1icki also adv anced as he edge d ou t Johnson and Campbell for second. The Trophy Race provided ano th er heart stopping battle. Scott Rader and Ricky Campbell led up to the t en th lap when Darryl Hurst took over the point and held it for the remainin g two lap s to score hi s second straight Indy Mile T rop hy Race win. Campbell nipped Rader for second, but all eyes were on Houston's pride and joy, Hurst. Having overheard Pete Schick in form a badgering rider at the previous ni gh t's claiming session that among th e recipients of Yamaha OW72 heads or parts was Darryl Hurst, we asked Hurst to verify that. "No way," said a wide-eyed Hurst. "He promised me a head and when I called him and asked when I was going to get it, he said that they were all gone. I won those two Trophy Races with a Darryl Hurst built engine .• . " National Scott, Kidd, Springsteen , Roberts, Romero , Eves, Beauchamp and Palmgren occupied the front row of the National's starting field. At-the flash of the green it was Mike Kidd into turn one first, followed by Ted Boody , who had come off the second row wheelin' and dealin ', Springer dropped Boody to third on the second lap and it was a tight race between Kidd, Springsteen, . Boody, Scott and Poovey, But on lap four Scott stuffed Boody going into tum one and got stuffed himself as he unloaded hard. The red flag brought the race to a stop . On the single me restart, ' Scott started 20th, knowing that he had 22 laps to move up into a solid points paying spot. He was allowed to take a one lap tour of the track to check out his bike and he did so in Number On e fashi on - blasting away and lofting th e front wheel of his Carl Patrick prepared . XR as he hooked it into tum one, The crowd went bananas. The green was flashed, and again Mike Kidd pulled off a clean start to lead Springsteen, Boody, . Poovey, Romero and Roberts around. Poovey dropped out shortly after the restart with unexplained mechanical problems. On the sixth lap Springer and Kidd came across side -by -side. On the following go-around Kidd took the lead back, wh ile Roberts got by Boody and began a charge to catch up to the Kidd-Springsteen show. Kidd and Springsteen continued their battle, Roberts kept gaining on each lap , Scott passed rider after rider. Cleek dropped out (magneto) soon to be joined by Levingston and Drake, The action hit its peak on the 15th lap as Roberts, Springsteen and Kidd crossed the line side -by-side with the edge to Roberts. Springer took ' the lead for good on the next lap, but Roberts could hold on to second only for three more laps. Kidd got by down the back straight on the 18th lap , and the top three finishing positions were set. With but two laps to go Roberts' steel shoe broke in half and but for the movement of a hand Gene Romero, who had occupied a solid fourth sin ce the ninth lap, had a shot at third.' But Burritto had hit the left side petcock with his hand while tucking and untucking, 'an d didn't realize he had shut off the gas to one cylinder. Springsteen threw his arm around a crotch-mounted Corky Keener in the winner's circle and with champagne flowing down his face (courtesy of Mike Kidd) y elled out to everyone, "I had to win one for my buddy." Mike Kidd, jubilant after a 1-2 weekend, was asked if the Indy double program had been his most profitable racing weekend. "It sure is and it's Mert's best weekend in a long time.;' Kidd said that he and Mert would get together and make an arrangemen t for the rest of the season, probably with Mike riding Mert's bikes at Syracuse and San Jose. Roberts, obviously pleased to have salvaged wh at th e night before had appeared to be hopeless, summed up the grueling two days. " !t's been a tough weekend, man. " • Results SAT. NIGHT NAT'L. MILE: 1_ M i ke K ldd (H-Q). 2. Jay Spr ingsteen (H-D). 3. Rex Beauehamp (H-D). 4. Gary Scott (H-D). S_ Gene Romero (H·D) . 6 . Alex Jorgenson (Nor). 7 . Kenny Roberts (Yam)_ 8. Sk ip Aksland (Vam) . 9. Bill Eves (H-O). 10. Randy Clee k (H-o). 11. Chuck Palmgren (H-D) . 12. Pee Wee Gleason (H-D). 13. Jay Ridgeway (TrU. 14 . SCott Drake (H-o) . 15 . Steve Droste (H-O) _ 16. Dave Seh l (H -D) . 17 . ellarlle Chapple (H-O) . 18 . Steve Morehead (H-O). 19 . Steve Freeman (H-O) . 20. Hank SCott (Vam). . SUN. MI LE NAT'L: 1. Jay Springsteen H - D ) . 2. Mike K ldd (H-D). 3. Ken Roberts Vam). 4 . Rex BeaUChamp (H·D). 5 . Gary cott (H-D). 6. Steve Morehead [H-O) . 7. Ted Boody (H-D). 8. Jay R idgeway Trl). 9. B illy Eves (H-D). 10. Steve Eklund (H-D). 11 . Greg Sassaman (H-D). 12. Keith Ullekl (H-D) . 13. Chuck Palmgren (H-O). 14 _ Gene Romero H -o ) . 15. Alex Jorgenson (No r). 16. Scott rake (H-D). 17. Steve Droste (I-/-D). 18 . Jay Levingston (Yarn), 19. Randy Cleek (H-D) . 20. Gary Poovey (H-O). . AMA NAT'L. POINT STANDINGS (subject to appeal) : 1. Gary Scott 216. "'2. Kenny Roberts 210. 3. Jay Springsteen 210. 4. Steve Eklund 120. 5 . Randy C leek 113.6. Ted Boody 100. 7. R ic k Hocking 85 . 8. Hank Scott 84. 9. Rex Beauchamp 83. 10. Gene Romero 78_ 10. M ike K ldd 78 . ~ g

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