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/126246
lAbove and right! Two shots of Springer and Randy Goss 1
3Ox. another VistaSheen rookie from M ichigan) - in traffic. and pulling clear.
National Champ . beg an his reign with
a sixth p la ce fini sh after a cr ash cost
him a front position in the early laps .
A crash and shock failure m arred
Ken ny Roberts' debut of hi s new
monoshock racer and dropped the
pre· race favorite. down to a tenth
'p lac';' finish. Gary Scott 's luck went
so u r also as his cha in popped off.
costing Scott a lap in repairs that was
not to be m ade up . H c fini sh e d last. /'
brake prob lems and slowly slip back
whi le Ted Davidson and Guy McClure
ba ttled it out. Davidson, aboard the
Team Happy entry took the upper
hand in th e late la ps -and rea ped the
champagne, kisses and money .
National
Bike British held the upper hand in
the National as five Triumphs and a
p air of BSAs filled half the field.
Yamaha held down five spots , three of
Heats
those being rr500s. That left HarleyDavidson with two spo ts on th e 14·
Controver sy a nd restarts m arred the
first h e a t. Engin e p rob l..ms beset Rick
rider grid .
. Mickey Fay took t he lead on t he
H o ck ing b e fo r e t h e sta r t. H e
green light sta rt with a close crowd
co nti n ued to ma ke re pai rs d uring the
extra time between 'r esta rt s while
co nta ini ng Gary SCali . T ed Bood y.
be ing ca utio ned th at th e fie ld was not
J ohn C ennai , J oh n H au-ley. a nd M ike
H anlon b ehind . S COll kept t h e
o n the clock a nd therefore must be
ready . Hocking faile d to m ake it to th e
pressure o n Fa y t hro ug h th e first t hrr-r
.lin e and was re pla ced by a lte rn a te
la ps as Cenna i, Bood y a nd B aH'I,'y
Terry Poovey. whose engine also ga ve up
swa p pe d for third .
Things beg an to happen as th e field
th e g hos!. Poo vey was rep la ce d by W es
Powell. Onc.. underwav , th e first heat
sta rt ed the fourth lap . First Scott lost
provided p lenty o f action with Gary
his cha in a nd coasted o ver a nd o ff the
Scott tak ing th e ea rly lead a nd fast
jump. fra nt ica lly sea rc h ing for his loss
qu alifier J ohn Genna i cha lle ng ing .
of power. At the same time T ed Boody
Scott and Gennai pla yed it side by side
beg an to f" el his fro n t tin' slide away
off the jump in th e lat e laps with
in the tight right hamler j ust a fte r the
Gennai finall y gaining the ad va nt age,
jump a nd spilled hard with Ke n n y
lea ving Scott to follow with Alex
Rob erts
un av oidab ly invo lved ,
Jorgen sen in third .
R oberts was the first a way with Boody
The action moved to the penalty
following . Scott was still fixing his
c ha in when till' field passed on th e
lin e for the second he at with half th e
fie ld - including J'!Y Springsteen and
next lap .
Kenny Ro b e rt s taking the
In quick su ccess ion Han lon swooped
ha ndicap . Springer . Dave H a nsen and '
to the front past Ha n-ley and th en Fa y
Gary Tonda tangled in th e infield and
for the lead . He lost it j ust as quick ly
a resta rt was on . Jim Ra wls put the
with a n a ccidcnt a l tap uf the gears into
cro wd on it s fee t by. holding off
neutra l a nd an ove rco rrect io n that pUI
Ro be rt s for half the ra ce before
him down a nd a t th e back of the pa ck .
Roberts powered himself into th e lead .
Ab out th is lim" Ra nd y Sk iver sta rted
The pa ir remained in position with
having problems with the hay bales o n
Bruce Han lon gain ing third . Springer
the course a fter the jump ; he couldn't
was fourth .
•
se em to mis s t he m .
John H a teley put himself on the pole
Springer was moving on lap sewn
for the Nat ional with the fast est he al
until he slid out a t the infield entrance
win of th e night in th e third of four 12·
a nd ~rabbed a handful of throttle
man 'ba tt les . T ed Boody cha rged to
without the clutch while g('tting up .
second after a grea t duel with Randy
wh ich resulted in a fantastic 3 60.
Skiver and Chuck J oyner. Skiver th en
degn'" sp in to wa rd the ba ck of the
out -ran j o yner for third .
pa ck.
Rooki e Expert M ickey Fa y o f
F