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/126296
filled leaves a lot of - "roo m for speculation as to who will add their names to the top ten. Or. perhaps. knock off one or more of the favorites. The list of names includes Steve Eklund . Garth Bro w, Skip Aksland. Hank Scott. Mike Kidd , Ra nd y Coss , Corky Keener and m ore look ing for the gold at the end of the ra inbow . Bu t the most speculation cent ers on Rookie Expert Lance Jones. Although yet untested in National warfare. Jon es has made bel ievers of everyon e wh o has seen him race. It would not b e fair . to call him another Springsteen , yet the resemblance in ability and talent is there. He also ha s that sp ark. that intangible ingredient that defi es description and sets a rider a ste p above his com pe tit ion. J on es will rid e for Sure' Fir e Distributin g a nd has th e option o f rid ing eq u ipment of his choice . He would very mu ch like to debu t th e All American motorcycle cu rrent ly being bui lt by his sponsor of last year . Bill Ken nedy. However. the. machinery is not quite ready and J on es will join th e Harley-Davidson brigade (with a little help from the Milwaukee folks) for at least part of th e seaso n . Some people hav e a lready tabbed Jones as a con tender for th e cro wn this seaso n . In a ll p ro b ability. he will be ~ o n e . Vet th e odds of pulling o ff the cha m pio nsh ip in his first season again st th e likes of Spri ngs teen a nd the ~o t h e rs will proba bly p rove too m uch . :: Don 't be surp rised. thou gh . if Jon es ro lls right pa st th e top five into the top -< th ree. '" Steve Eklund will also be in there § fighting for a to p spot. In two sea sons ~Ek l u n d h~ sn 't been o~t of the top fi: e - a nd has Im p roved wit h each race 10 bot h co n fid ence in himself and th e JJach inery he rides . Ma rio Za nott i. his spo nso r [orrn a nv seasons. is b ac k again with a n even mo re am bi tious progra m th an in '7 7. Eklund will add road racing to his a rsena l of weapon s a lt ho ug h he adm its th at he would " ra ther do it in th e d irt a nyday ." , With both Yamaha and Harl eyDa vidson machiner y (a nd a lillie help from Harley-Davidso n ) in his dirt sta b le. Eklund ca n choose what he feels is best for th e task. Combined ;"it h his tal ent . that makes h im a n entry on th e pot ential-winner's list at almost an y tra ck . Skip Aksland surprised a few people with his win in the fall ed itio n of th e San J ose m ile since he was kn own m or e for his prowess on th e pa vement th an on dirt . That m ay be true a lt ho ugh Aksland is one of on ly a few rid ers who can sport t hei r talents in a ll five facets on th e champio nsh ip trail. Aksland's nam e as th e heir a p pa re nt to Kenny Rob erts' road race throne is on t he lists of m any people. But he would probably welcome recognition tha t he is a di rt tra cker as well as a road ra cer even mor e . Wh ile d irt tra ck luc k has elu ded him for two seaso ns. Aksland is look ing to '78 to cha nge all th at . PJ- I Lubricants will again provide his majo r spo nsorshi p . . Co rn peririve ca m pa igners Corky Keen er. H ank Scott a nd Mike Kidd a lso want a p iece of th e action . • Cork y Keen er will aga in be a mern Il" r of the Harl ey-Da vidson wrec king crew. " Mr. Dirt " o r "T he Cra v G hos t" ~s his fans ca ll h im will be out to do a little dam agT a nd a dd to his list of Natio na l virtori rs. Ket'n e r went \\'i" I<-s, last year a lt ho ug h he did ge t to <,!,rink ch am pag ne a nd kiss Ms. Ca mel on a number of occasions. If Keener ~as his way Springer and the rest will be chasi ng his d ust . Hank Scott 's teaming u p with Ca rl Patrick (b ro t her Gary's former tune r) was the best t hi ng th a t ha s happen ed to the younge r Scott in years. Scott turned in four second place fin ishes · barely a wheel out of victory - and a pair of to p five pla cings in eigh t rid es to post th e strongest finish of a n y rider in th e last third of th e ' season . Scott and Pa tri ck Racin g will be a t it aga in for '78. Mik e Kidd won three Nat io na ls in '77 a nd th e gritty T exa n is look in g to get back into action . H oweve r , he fa ces a big road block . Sp on sor shi p b ucks have not been fort hco m ing and wit hou t solid ba cking his associa tion with Men Lawwill has come to a standstill . Kidd has an ace in the hole and i, hoping he is hold ing a winning ha nd for a pot entia l majo r sponsorship . If it comes through Kid d a nd h15"" po tl'nt Lawwill Ra cin g Pr odu cts mach inerv co u ld h(' d efin ite spo ilers to a lot 0[plans . Garth Brow and Ra nd y Goss enter the ir ~('ron d Ex pe rt season wit h so lid spo nsorshi p a nd a d efin ite eye o n bigg"r an d hett er th ings. Both ha ve received jo in t spo nsors hi p fro m . Wi,,'("o Piston s a nd Klotz Oil Pr odu c ts. Brow will receive add iti onal he lp fro m Ha rlcv-Davi dson wh ile Goss will co nrinu r- his rel at ion sh ip wit h Full I lou se a nd Bart Markel. Brow wa lked off with Rooki e of th e Yea r hon ors ba sed on a su pe rb lat e season charge th rou gh th e pa ck a nd a win in the fina l N at ion al of t he year. He co uld easi ly surp rise a lot of peop le although to do so Brow will need t o work on his TT riding to pose a solid threat. If t he re were a n award for most un der rat ed rid er of th e yea r . Ra n dy Goss woul d be a ca nd id at e. Goss raced on a hoe str ing last yea r and litera lly rod e th e wheels off his ma chinery. He has not yet had a cha nce to show wha t he ca n d o with top not ch machinery when he does . watch out. Th e 1978 crop of Rookies co u ld be Defending AMA Grand National Champion Jay Springsteen (opposite page) is t h e odds on bet to w in hi s t hird consecutive title this year. .However, Ted Boody (ab ove) and Gary Scott (bel owl have other ideas. They, and others, will be out t o topple Springer from his throne. the best in re cent vc a rs. Names to wa t - c h 'incl ud e La nce J ones. Bill Don agh y. Ma rk Cox . Brett Br add y a nd Man y Bushm a n from the eas t with Ed d ie Lawson a nd Jim Me rten s u p ho ld ing t he hon or of th e west. J on es sho u ld win th e battle hands do wn . but t he scra p for ru nnt'r-up co uld be a go od figh t. A sepa ra te war will tak e pla ce on the pav ement for t he U.S . Road Racing C ha m p ionshi p (USR RC) crown , Without th e . domination of Kenn v Roberts. th e battle shou ld be wid" ope n . Am ong t he top cha lle ngn s to look for a re Skip Aksla nd , Ccne Rom ero . Dale Sing lt'to n a nd Gary Nixon. Sing leton . on t he T a ylor \\' h il<' Cons tr uct ion Co m pa ny Special. a nd PJ I Lu brica nts sponsored Aksla nd have had a r u n ni ng ha ttie to s('(' who is best si nc e thei r first N o vice ran' fiv(' yea rs ago. Ro mero will ca rry Don Ve sco's colo rs a g ain wh ile N ixo n will do ba tt lc spo nsor ed hy En' Ka ne mot o / Kb; Supply / Roy Pa ige . All will be Yam aha mou nu-d. H('[(' th e choice o f who will come ou t on top is a litt le har der becau se there art' man y ot he-r 101' no uh road ra cers who will e n ter in to con tent ion : Do n Em dc . Wes Coo ley. J oh n Long . J im AIle n . :\Iike Baldwin . Rid , Sc hlac hte r a nd m or e . Howe ver . whvn rhe season is over it sho u ld h(' Singleton topping Aksland for the USR RC tit le. Place your bets , If th(·.AMA Gra nd Na tion al Cha m pion ship wer e to he decided tod a y and b ased on d l(' r id e r who is TTlO S( ph ysicall y a nd ment all y rea dy . the wirmc r wou ld be T ed Bood y. If it werrbased 0 01 ha ving till' hest a ll around p rogra m . Gary Sco tt would g,·t t he nod . But if you were la ying mOlH'y o n the line . the c ho ice would ha ve to h.. J ay Springsteen to make it t hr .... cha m pionships in a row: Spr inger co n ti nues 10 be the ultim ate weapon. • 9