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/126338
/ King Kenny had handling problems. finished third. lA bovel W ith leader Tom Herron out of the picture. Kenny Roberts heads Dave Potter 1 Barry Sheene 171. Ron 81. Haslam 1 and Wil Hartog 1 41 231. IBalow l Th e battle f or first was between Sheene and Hartog. Sheene shows the way in Mallory Park's Race of the Year By Patrick Behar LEICESTER. ENG LAND. OCT . I On his track, Barry Sheene showed he is still a great pilot by winning the British classic , the John Player Race of the Year, on the very short Mallory Park road racing circuit. 20 American Kenny Roberts, after a fantastic duel with Sheene the I preceeding weekend at Donnington Park . has his chances effec- tively curtailed by monoshock and tire problems all weekend long. In action preceeding the 750cc Race of the Year . W il Hartog won the 500cc event on his factory Su zuki over Tom Herron and John Newbold . In the 250c c race. newly crowned World Champion Kork Ballington made it look like a Sunday rid e as his Kawa sak i ran awa y from the compe tition. Ste ve Baker and Pat Hennen had won th e even t th e two pr eceeding yea rs, bu t the American tradition was not to continue . On th e first lap Roberts was passed for the lead by Irish rid er Tom Herron on th e long, sweeping Gera rd 's Bend . Dave Potter was behind Roberts with the Suzukis of Sh een e and Ha rtog in pu rsuit. Hartog was going for the gold . and pa ssed Sh eene th roug h Devil's Elbow , a scary downhill left -hander. Continuing on. the Dutch fanner passed Potter before the hairpin and Roberts in it. lt took seven laps. bu t Hartog finally disposed of Herron in the esses by th e lak e. While it looked like Hartog was in cont rol of the race. Sheene had other ideas. Barry had little trouble passing Roberts. do ing so in the hairpin with the crowd cheering him on . Herron was more of a problem to the former 500cc World Champ. Five laps later. Sheene and Herron approached a slower rider as th~ entered the ha irpin. Sheene passed on the inside as Herron went around on the outside. Barry slammed the door in Tom's face as they exited. 'I The race was now halfway through. Sheene was hot after Hartog with the Dutchman looking back every chance he got to check on Sheene's progress. Hartog was riding a 500cc machine. hoping the lighter bike would be more suited to the tricky track . while Sheene was on the more powerful 650cc Suzuki . Before the hairpin was an uphill straightaway. and Sheene was using that section to make up time. On lap :'12 of the 40 total , Sheene and Hartog were together as th ey entered the ha irpin . with a slower rider ahead. Hartog entered the comer too fast and was forced to the outside line . Sh een e took the inside and the lead. But Hartog came roaring back and went by Sheene in Devil's Elbow . In Gerard's Bend, the duo came up to lap Steve Parrish and again Sheene was on the inside and Hartog on the outside: But for this corner. the outside was the better line and Hartog maintained the point position. But soon it started to rain - not hard - and Sheene took the lead for good in the esses. Hartog followed him home with Roberts in third . almost unnoticed after the int ense Sheenet Hartog du el. • Resu lts I 1. Bony Sh eene lSuzJ; 2. Wil H""OV (Su zJ; 3. Kenny Roberts !Yom); 4 . Roger Marshall IVom); S. Petrick Pon s IVom); 6. Sorry Oitchbum !Yom); 7. John Newbold IVom); 8. Steve Pomsh IVom); 9 . Tony Rutter IVom); 10 . Hubert Rigol !Yoml. A_age sceed. 98.18 mph lnew record).