Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

c<") ~ (Above) Baldwin and Sheene come up to lap Dic k Fuller (TZ250)late in the race. Baldwin's bike was already sick, but Sheene couldn't get past until Baldwin ran out of gas . (Below) Kevin Stafford (Yam 52) leads Nixon and Murray up Alamitos Ave. It was Stafford 's fourth 750cc ride. Behind; Scott is catching up fast. ..-..--.::-.",......-.-;,.,..,.....,.,..=--=-=-r- (A bov e) Dale Singleton /122) has t he point in this first-lap charge,pursued by M urray /171), Emde (25), Wakefield (611. Scott. Stafford (52), M ike Clarke (54) and others. All rode Yamahas. (Below) Picking the wrong rear t ire put Sheene outI of the hunt. seco nd p lace (wort h S2.500) . turn in to 171h pl a ce (wo rt h $'1 60) whe n his bike's gas ta n k ran dr y. Baldwin hadn 't filled t ill' ta n k to t hr- top . a nd th e bik,7 had used m ort' t h an t he norm a l a mo u n t of fuel a fter the p ip e b ro ke . Ba ld wi n 's t hi rd -r-ver ride- o n a 750cc G P m a c hine e n d ed ill he art n 'ndering- disa p po in rrnen t . Me-a nw h i h -, J oh n L on g ( Moet C ha m pa g ne T Z750 D Ya ma ha ) had m o ved p asl Nixon into fo urth p lan' h y t he en d o f t he- secon d la p . got bu mped bac k in to fift h when Ro m e ro passed. and ended up fourt h again when Ba ld win qu ir, in spile o f a clu tch that explode d fo ur laps rom fi nish . . Garv Scou and Kevin Stafford a lso passe d N ixon . w ho had cras he d hi s streamlined Erv Ka n ern or o Yam aha in p r a ct ice on Fri d a y an d b ro ke a co nnec ting- ro d in Sa t urda y's pra ctice , Nixo n fi nis he d seven th . 'Sco tt ha d c ras hed on Frida v. 100 . sla m mi ng in to one of t he conc re-teb a r r ie rs s ur roundi ng t h e co u rse . shatt e ri ng t he m a gnes ium wh ee ls o n h is G eo rg e Mu rr a y/M ack Kam b av a shi / Evel K n ievel Yam aha an d baclly bru isin g hi s le ft knee. W ith h is g-ood n1 0[ Or switc he d to a spa re fra m e Fr iday nig h t. Scott ca rru ba c k ou t to fin is h fift h . ea rn ing about ('Bo ugh to rep lan' t h e d estroyed p a n s a nd CO Vl'f ,' xp" nses (S I .300 ). " A rh-asr we go t o u r m ot o r co m b ina t io n worked o u t now ," S~I id Scot t. . Ke-vi n S ta ffor d ro d" h is Paul Da hrm -n / Do n Vesco / Ko n T iki C ra n ks Y am a h ~ to sixt h after spe n di ng h al f t he' ra n ' d icin g wit h David Em de. Emde- som e how ru r ru -d o ff the p e-tcork on h is Do n Vesco Ya m a ha . pi t u -d fo r a plug che-ck , d isco ve re-d t he pro blem . a nd n-t n r ru-d to th e ra ce a la p down . It was St afFords fo u rt h i 50cc rid " . M ike Cla r ke an d R obert W akefi el d co lli d ed o n t he 28 t h la p . C la rke . sti ll hurti ng fro m h is 1iO mi l" per ho u r Da yto n a c ras h . fell o ff a fter ca ro m ing o ff W ak efield 's b ike in to t he wa ll o u tsid e t he first ha irp in . W a ke fiel d fin ished 13 t h . W ,'s Coo ley's Yam a h a went o n tim',' cvlinde rs off t lu- line whe n a t h ro t rle c;,h l,' slip ped o ut o f its ' ca r b slide . Cooley fini shed 151h . Ro n Pi e rcr- ret ir ed a fter bci ng un ne rved b y water pou ring o U I of h is M r. AI' s Ya m a h a . " I j ust cou ld n't g" l into it wi rh t h at wati -r leak . " sa id P ie rce a fter p ark ing rh e bi ke fo llowi ng a fe w laps . "There a n' just too m an y fast p laces wi t h hard concn- n - walls ou tside I hem to crash he re ." D ic k Fu ller wa s disqua lified for r iding h is K o r b Trading Post TZ250 and finishing 20t h . A ccord ing to AM A officia ls, Fu ller was g iven t h(' be nefi t - of I he- d o u b t beca use t hev d ecided no t to ini rian- proceedings to re-voke h is profess ional l ic en se . B ut b r-Io r e D a yton a . I.B GP o rga n izers ca lle d Cvclc N ew", fo r advice on a list of en tra n ts to inv ite . ' Ihev were told t ha t Fu lh-r o nly h ad a 25 0 . ; nd in vited hi m a nyway . Fo r hringing ou t hi s 25 0 . q ua lify ing . ra c ing i 6 miles 10 20 t h p lace (g ood 'fo r $4 ( 0) . Dick Fu ller wa s awarded wit h a n o ffi c ia l la st p la n ' a n d $ 150 . We've lisu-d h im w l"' rt~ Ill' fini shed , • (Left) This violent guard attacked Aksland shortly before the race. (Below) Once safely on the track and out of the hands of over zealous garage guards, AksJand f lew to an 18.6-second lead. Results 1. Sk IP Ak sldnd (v arnl . 2. Gene Hom et o (Yarn L 3. Bd" Y Sheen o (SUI'l. 4 , Jo hn l ong (Yaml. 5. G;u y Scott (v. u nl. 6. K ( ~VII' Stall ard (Yam) . 7. Gary Neon (Y.Hn l. B. Rob Murr,IY (Ydfll l. 9 . Aud v G.lltncJo {Yarn l. 10 , Paul Mct.achl.m (Y.l m l. 11. Davut Emde IY..rnl . 12. Corv Aupppi l (Vdmt . 13 . Rob ert Wdkelldd (Y.lml. 14. Rob er to Pretn (Ydm l . 15. W es Coo ley. Jr [Y.. n l , 16 u H.lp Eaton IY.. nl l . 17. M ik e Baldwm {Yam l. 18. S teve l M.lllon p(> \Volm l . 19. Br uce H" m m pr (Y,lrn t 20 . D,ck FullpllY,lm l 2 1 M lkp CLllkp IY,mll . 22 Dcre S UlqlP lon (Y,ltnl. 23 . Ron PIf'fCP (Yarm 24 AI.IIl B..uuc {Y.rrm. 25 Pi li l M f (Y.lfnl 1l I 7

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