(Above) Mark Jones won the Novice race, but this is a shot of second-place
Bruce Paterson. Ta¥ a look at Bruce's rear tire - it's off the ground. (Below)
Bakersfield, California's Ron Pierce went from 25th to fourth before his new
Erv Kanemoto-tuned, Innerspace Divers-sponsored TZ750D suffered a loose
rear wheel. Here, John Long trails.
(Topl Kenny Roberts proved again tha t he is America's premier racer - in
spite of injuries. (Above) Skip Aksland and Gary Nixon went back and forth
for second place . N ixon won the battle. (Below ) The 250cc race belonged to N ixon . Here, Nixon gazes at Lynn Griffis (who holds Gary's daughter, Kary
Ann ), as Ji m A llen lIeftland Rich SChlacter stand by. Nixon's son, Gary, Jr.
look s tough while Charlie the Camel wonders what's going on ."
Roberts goes all
the way'at
Loudon
By Jack Mangus
LO UDO N , NH ,JUNE 19
K
10
en ny Ro berts ignored
a "trashe d" left h and
and a "holed " exhaust
pi pe a nd fla t ran away
with [he '77 Laconia Classic road race
a t Brya r Motorsport Park Su nd ay
aft ernoon. Roberts had finished third
behind three-ti me Laconia winner
Gary Nixon and fellow Ca lifornia n
Skip Aks land in their heat race .
prompting many race watchers to
.,
question the former Grand N ational
Champion's ability to ride with a
clutch hand damaged to the point tha t
Roberts suspects the little finge r is
broken . (The injury was suffered two
weeks prior at a short track -race in
Granite City . Illinois.) But after he
do minated the 47-lap AMA Grand
National Cha mpionship/Camel Pro
Series event, many accused him of
sandbagging . H e dismissed that in h is
usua l curt , to -the-point manner . " I
never sandbag. Gas got on m y ha nds
in the heat and Nix on a nd Skip beat
me ,"
