Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

; .. _ . _ . _ . _ . _ . _ . _ . _ . _ . _ . _ . _ . _ . _ . _ . _ . _ . _ . _ . _ . _ . _ . _ . _ . _ . _ . _ . _ . _ . _ . _ . _ ~. _ . _ . _ . _ . _ ,., Western hotline Scott Pea rso n w on th e Expert main event at Ascot - a warm-up event for the following night's National half mile. . Dave Alda na and Steve Morehead 1 take a tumble at Ascot. Both ma de 42/ th e National the following night. Pearson, Rainey, Haney win Ascot National warm up By Maureen Lee Photos by Dan Mahonyl W izard Racing Photography GARDENA, CA, May 12 The Friday night wannup before the Natio nal brought almost every Expert in town out to try out Ascot. The first th ing they got to 22 try were the new st arting lights. Sure tends to give more even starts that way. Bates Series winner Alex Jorgensen didn't ride but David Aldana had one of the Ron Wood's NOTIons and promptly time trialed himself into a spot in the Trophy Dash looking very much at home on the bike. Skip Aksland was the fastest Expert in time trials on an excellent track at 22.48 seconds, but super Junior Wayne Rainey topped it with a 22.45 ; too bad only Experts go to the Dash. Aldana got off the line first in the dash , with Aksland right with him, then Eddie Lawson. and Scott Pearson. Aksland took the lead and Lawson shot up to shuffle second around with Aldana in one of the livliest dashes we've had, until the young rookie got a firm grip on the spot and didn't lose it. Oklahoma Novice David J o n es showed the local talent you don't have to be a Ca lifornia n to go fast at Ascot by really tu rning in a fine ride in the last heat with a second behind Rob Selvy. Newcomers to Ascot , especially Novices. usually don't go that fast. Up front it was business as usual with Jeff Haney and his Kenny Roberts Racing Specialties Yamaha . Haney has the best equipment and knows .. . what to do with it; the heat he won was the fastest . In the Novice main . Derek ' La nd held onto first for awhile but around lap three as they all came around. all the doors were left open and Jeff Haney neatly slid into first and pulled away . Mike Delacy worked his way to second and all eyes were on David Jones , who was flying around the unfamiliar track like it was his own backyard. Jones moved to pass Jay Lewis for third as they came down the front straight; a move Jay didn't want him to make , so he blocked it , bringing himself prompt official attention from the referee. Not only was Jones given third place in the results, he was invited to the Invitational before the National on Satu rd ay, a well deserved honor. Da vid 's brother, Ron did so well in the J unior cla ss tha t he got a Saturday invitiation too after ge tting a fourth in t he semi and a fifth in the main . Wayne R a in ey (Shell R aci ng Spec. Yam) led off the main with Mike Inder bitzen on his rear wheel. The rest settled down to business except for Danny Perkins, who got off in the south turn with no damage done. Don Grigsby had it all hanging out on the last lap but just couldn't get second away from Ind erb itzen. Most of the National circuit riders were on hand for the Expert class . By some of the performances it 's hard to tell if they were psyching themselves into or out of a better showing for the next day. .T om Berry had it all together for part of the first heat , but ended up not making the main at all . Skip Aksland won that heat with Corky Keener right on his tail. Next heat was the fastest with David Aldana the leader. chased by Gary Scott, Don Goss and Ted Boody. Boody went into the south tum too deep and took himself and Danny Hogue right up to the haybales and Goss took second away fro m Scott , putting Gary in the semi. Last heat went to Texan Terry Poovey who lost it b ri e fl y to Pennsylvania's Bill Schaffer while Ascot 's own Eddie Lawson hea ded for the semi behind Frank Gillesp ie after failing to get one of his good starts. Steve Morehead and Gary SCOtt went a t it in the semi ; Gary having trouble with his Harley until it finally lunched a piston. Frank Gillespie won it with Morehead second , while Eddie Lawson who'd been side-by-side with Ted Boody at times, emerged first alternate. Skip Aksland scratched and a delighted Lawson lined up for the main. Aldana and the Norton came booming out of the pack with Scott Pearson hard after him, then Don Goss and Corky Keener. David was trying different lines with the Norton, including one that Pearson was ' occupying at one point in the south tum! it was a near miss. . Aldana moved around just once too often and Pea rso n nailed the first spot and at six laps completed, the pack was b rough t to a halt when Frank Gillespie fell off. W ith a single file start, they were off again, with Co rky Kee ner really wo rking on bettering h is p osit ion, being in fourth behind Terry Poovey. Up fro nt it was Pe arson firm ly in .the lead wh ile Aldana was all over the place wit h the Norton. " I was just going too fast. " he said with a grin later, and too fast he was. Trying to pull it down coming out of turn three , he tangled with Steve Morehead and they both unloaded, the red flag coming out and stopping the race for good. Pearson won , followed by Goss, Poovey, Keener and Lawson. Results TROPHY DASH: 1. Skip Aksland IH-OI; 2. Eddie lawson (Yam); 3. lllMd AidanlI (Norl: 4. Scott p _ IH-OI. NOVICE MAI/'i:1. Jeff Haney (Yaml; 2. Mike 0eIac¥ (Yam); 3. David .Jones (Yaml: 4. Robert Ryan (Yem); 5. Derek Land (Yoml. JR MAIN: 1. Wayne Rainey (Yaml; 2. Mike Inderbitzen IYam); 3. Don Grigsby (Yaml; 4. Mib Minn;g (Yoml; 5. Ron Joneo 1 1+01. EXMAIN: 1. Scon P....lOn (H-O); 2. Don Goss (H-Ot : 3. Torry Poovey 11+01; 4. Corky Keener 11+0) 5. Eddie ; Uowoon (Yam); 6. Poe Wee Gleason (H-DI 7. Bill Schaff., IH-OI; B. lllMd Aldana (Norl; 9. St... Morehead (H-O): 10. Rank Gillespie IH-D). Tebbs, Lunde, blitzAME Racing World MX By Keith Clemons T RA BUCO CANYON , CA, MAY 7 American Motocross Enterprises made another dynamic return to R acing World where droves of Sportsmen and Pros tu rn ed ou t to get in shape for the $5 ,000 Trans AME which will be held at Racing World May 21. Open Pro Dennis Gilmore aced the holeshot in his first moto but after three laps painfully spilled his bike , letting Ron Tebbs and Don Glover by. Glover , in turn , laid it down on the back sid e of the 'track and Gilmore, after making short work of a few goslow riders, streaked past Glover to finish second behind Tebbs. Tebbs , riding a Husky for Whittier Kawasaki , found a major problem in the last lap . when he laid low coming into a tight comer and hit a rock which punched a hole in his case. By the time the race was through there was an oil slick covering his skid plate a nd foot pegs and though he still finished first the question was whether or not the bike could run efficiently, if at all, in the second moto . Glover, who usually races in the 250cc Pro class, was mou nt ed on a Yamaha biggie provided by his sponsor, Yamaha of Cucamonga, beca use his own bike got smeared on a Friday night attempt to catch Rocket Rex Statton. Glover still finished third in spite of not being totally in tune with the unfamiliar machine. The next time around the question was answered as to whether or not Tebbs' Husky could run the rnoto with a hole in his oil case. He not only made it through but won the race and , of course, the overall. It wasn't an easy victory though , because Gilmore was hot on his tail all the way . At one point Tebbs slid out and Gilmore was able to grab the lead. Tebbs was only down for a second and rising to the new challenge found himself in a neck and neck race for th e number one spot. Gilmore fought off Tebbs' attack for three laps but Tebbs finally went high on a sweeper to race up "Mini Saddleback" and pass Gi lmore in mid air. From there on in Tebbs staked a claim to the front and Gilmore. riding for DMG followed him in for second overall . Glover drove in third which is where he placed for the day. C hu ck Lund e was celebrating his birt hd ay and decided to give hi mse lf a present by win ning both motos of the 250cc Pro race . Results q OP€N PRO: 1. Roo Tebbs IHusl: 2. Dennis Gilmore J ISuzl; 3. Don Glover IYaml. OP€N BEG: 1. Fred Allen (Yaml; 2. Brent Yahn (Yam); 3; Mark Sims (Yaml . 250 PRO: 1. Chuck Lunde IHool; 2. Greg Wilburn IKawl; 3. Michael Boyd (Hool. 250 INT: 1. Mark Taylor IKawl; 2. Mark Fitzgerald (Suzt 3. Stuart Douglas ISuzl. 250 JR : 1. Paul lvie (VarnI; 2. George Jackman

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