Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

!UP CLOSE E A m eri can Pat Hennen's Suzuk i broke in two in a nasty crash w hile Hennen w as in secon d place. Hennen was unhurt. Jon R: the name is synonymous with the powerful mofocross racing program of American Honda. A large part of the racing success enjoyed by Honda is made possible by dedicated mechanics like Jon Rosenstiel. He started out working on motorcycles when his dad, who owned a farm machinery shop in Illinois, decided to carry a small selection of Hondas. This was the birth of a life-long love for motorcycles. After seven years Jon decided to move west, and wrote Honda a letter asking if they knew of any mechanic openings with dealers on the West Coast. Honda like what they read and employed Jon as a product engineer. Jon's first involvement within the Honda racing effort came at the 1972 Baja 500 tuning the four-month-old XL250 . After Gene Fetty and Bill Silverthorne's Baja victory you could say Jon was off to the races, (pun intended). After supporting Bruce Baron in 1972, Jon became the tuner for Gary and DeWayne Jones on the National Motocross scene. The Honda wrench remembers that year with mixed emotions. The good part was that the team was based in Texas at the Jones' grandparent's home. "I think I gained five pounds the first week. The bad thing about that year was that I had to drive this un-godly big, red truck. It was a 10 speed and it was tough to hit all the shifts without missing one. You just don't pull into a McDonalds w ith one of those," Jon said. The high point of that year was when he married Carol around Christmas time . Wayne and Warren Reid, Carol's sons, rounded out the happy foursome . _ In 74 Jon tuned for Marty Smith at two of the four 125 Nationals and the dusty World Cup. Marty swept the National title with 180 points to spare. W ith that season, Jon had proven himself to be one of the finest tuners in the U.S. • The big "Ice Cream Truck" for team Honda entered the '75 season with Jon again behind Marty and '1 . For the second year in a row Smith dominated the 125 class with a flawless performance. Smith finished the season with a total of 1,000 points, ahead of Tim Hart's second-place 457. - Last year, Jon headed the European racing effort for Honda. Based in West Germany, he guided Smith in European competition. Japan didn 't know if they were going to race that year until -very late and ended up racing year-old models with 'increased suspension travel. "European tracks were a lot rougher than the tracks in the U.S. We brok e parts we thought we w ould never break. It was also a very rough year on Marty - he couldn't speak the language, the food was different and travel was demanding," Jon said as he remembered that year across the Atlantic. Jon is a perfectionist. He thought of '76 as a failure, although Smith finished second in the 125 National Championship. and third in Grand Prix World Championship competition. A lot of factories would be happy to have such a "failure." . Warren Reid was hindered early in his career ih his bid for a factory ride. No factory in their right mind would send their super-secret bikes to the home of the famous Honda mechanic, and Honda avoided Warren because it might look like Jon got the ride for his step-son. Nothing could be farther from the truth . Warren is out to prove himself this year in the 125 Nationals. Warren placed fifth at Hangtown with a 3-12 score, on a virtually stock Elsinore. Both Warren and Jon are looking forward to the rest of the 125 races. Concerning the title this year, Jon said, "Nobody is going to walk away w ith it this year." Count on one thing : Jon R will be a factor in this year's championship ut m. BY DAVE HAWKINS . 14 World Championship Road Race GP-Round 4 Sheene tops 500's, Baker fourth, Hennen crashes By Chris Carter IMOLA . ITALY. MAY 15 Barry Sheene, the Dictator of Imola: that's how an Italian newspaper described the British world champion after practice for the Italian Grand Prix at Imola on Sunday, and there was no reason for anyone to change that title, after Sunday's 30-lap 500cc race. Sheene won this one the hard way-from the back. And with his nearest rivals Steve Baker and Pa t Hennen in trouble . Barry stretched his lead to 15 points with only five more rounds to go in this year's title chase. If Sheene's was to be expected. then the results of the 250cc and 350cc races at Imola provided some interesting and welcome surprises. Franco Uncini , the youngster Harley- Davidson. drafted into their squad this year to help Walter Villa defend his two titles, won the 250cc event to score his first GP success and help boost the sagging morale of the Italian- based factory for whom little has gone right this year. Franco now leads the 250cc title chase by nine points from England's Tom Herron . who was back in sparkling form to take fourth place. But even more im p ressive was Alan North . who confirmed his early season form by winning the 350cc race . It . too . was his first GP success and for the privateer from South Africa , who handles the preparation of his brace of racing machines single-ha nded . it was a personal triumph . Six laps from home the clutch ca ble on North's Yamaha snapped. but though Italian Mario Lega , making his d ebut on the factory Morbidelli, and another South African , Kork Ballington on Sid Griffiths' Yamaha . clos ed th e ga p , North hung on to his lead . Ball ington wasn 't given a chance to see if he could pass th e pair ahead of him. though. for 2 1-2 laps from hom e he ran out of fuel. It's still too early to start talking of titles because mechanical trouble or a tumble -could still upset the form book. But the fact remains that there was no one in the 500cc race to match She en e, At the flag he was only 1.3 seconds ahead.of Italian Virginio Ferrari . who had led the race for half the distance . and Armando Toracca was in close company too . But there was never doubting the final ' result for one moment. Sheene was in mid -field position as the pack pushed away . while Toracca, Ferrari and Steve Baker on the factory Yamaha were quick to fire up . and by the end of th e opening lap . Barry was still in 14th place. Ferrari was flying. but the pack gradually whittled away his lead. Pa t Hennen moved ahead of Toracca to go int o second place but a lap later the American crashed at high speed at the fast left hander soon after th e start and -finish area . but m ira cousl y esca ped in jury. Just why he cr ashed wasn 't clear. but on e th eory is that th e new style fa iring. bas ed on th e ea rly season Yamaha design reacted badly to a side wind making 'the front end of the Susuki four go ligh t. Whateverit was. though . it was effective for in the accident the machine broke in. two pieces. . Hennen's accident put Steve Baker ' into second place with Toracca close behind and Sheene now fourth . Within two la ps, though , Baker was back in fourth spot while Sheene chased Ferrari. with Toracca in tow . Both of them passed Ferrari and Virginio was content to stay in third place until two laps from the flag when he passed Toracca and closed the gap on Sheene from more than three seconds to less than two . But Sheene always had things under control. Baker. the Yamaha seeming to be down on power , and the American perhaps a trifle unnerved after crashing in practice for the third week in succession. was fourth home to keep runner-up place in the cham. pionship trail but lose still more ground to Sheene, If the race had gone any longer. Ago might have caught Baker too . for after a sluggish start he rattled through the field to finish fifth just ahead of the talented Philippe Coulon. Result s SOcc : 1. E. Lazzar in i tKre); 2. R. Tormo(Sul); 3. A. Nieto (Bull; 4. H. Rmberger (Krel; 5. R. Blatter IKrel: 6. U. Gral IKro); 7. S . Darflong.. IKrol: B. P. P1isson IABR; 9.E.Mischiani IOer); 10, A. Pero' tKrel, 125cc: 1. P.P. Bianchi (M erl ; 2. E. Lauarini (Marl ; 3. M . Massimian i (Mort 4. A. Mang ' M or;; 5. A. Nieto IBull: 6. s. Panagloa IMorl: 7. H. Mull.. IMo. ); B. J .L. Guignabodet (Mor); 9. S, Dorfl inger (M or); 10. P,A. Cipriani (MOl'I . 25Occ: 1. F. Uncini IH-D!: 2. M. Logo IMor!; 3. B. Oilchburn (Kaw l; 4. T. Herron (Yam); 5. A. North IYam); 6. J . Eke-old IYom!; 7. J .F. Balde IKaw); 8. T. Katayama (Yam); 9. V. Soussan (Yam ); 10 . V. Fran cin i (Yaml. 35Ooc: 1. A. North IYaml: 2. M. Loga IMorl; 3. T. (Yam); 4. M. Rougerie (Yam); 5. B. KneubuhIet IYam); 6. M. Uncini IH-O); 7. W. Villa IH-DI; 8. F. Agostino IYam); 9. O. Boulon IYam); 10. C. Mo

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