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/126416
Skip Aksland took advantage of a mechanically troub"free day, and while others had falling or falling machinery, he won the 7&Occ National. AMA Grand National Championship/Winston Pro Series: Round 10 , Ak-sland wins Loudon 'war' By Jack Mangus Photos by Boyd Reynolds and Gary Van Voorhis LOUDON, NH.JUNE 17 While Yamaha riders Skip Aksland, Rich Schlachter and Gene Romero occupied winner's circle after a red flag was waved to stop the 56th Annual Laconia Classic on the 32nd of 47 scheduled laps, one onlooker described what he had just witnessed as a "damn war." The event was stopped when. 6 the carnage around the I.G·mile Bryar Motor Sport Park road race course was more than the track's ambulance crews could handle. National winners Mike Baldwin and Ted Boody were taken to a nearby hospital with broken limbs while other riders were treated at trackside or also taken to the hospital. The race itself was also a war - a five-rider war among Aksland. Schlachter, Romero, Dale Singleton and Baldwin. With temperatures in the 90's, concern was expressed prior to the day's races for both riders and machinery. Among the from runners, only Aksland's PJI Special Yamaha finished the abbreviated race with no mechanical problems, Runnerup Rich Schlachter endured "vibration problems" and third and fourth place finishers Gene Romero and Dale Singleton contested the latter laps aboard failing mounts. Heats Two five-lap heat races were run Sunday morning to determine grid positions for the afternoon's National. The first heat had the large gathering of New England race fans screaming with delight as Connecticut residents Mike Baldwin and Rich Schlachter turned in one helluva race. Baldwin led the first four laps with Schlachter in tow, But on the final lap, Schlachter took the lead and the win. Singleton, Aksland and Bruce Paterson fintshed 3·4·5. Aksland's charge was slowed when he "leaned her over and the rear brake lever wrapped around the foot peg." Gene Romero, making his debut as a Busch (bttr) sponsored rider. rode his Busch Special to an easy win in the second heal. Burritto was long gone by the end of the first lap with Harry Klinzmann holding down an equally lonely second throughout the race. Behind the front running pair, it was a different story as veteran road racer John Long and Ted Boody, who was competing in only his second 750cc road race, turned in a dice for third that went to Boody. Long was dropped to sixth by Bruce Hammer and David Emde. National Rich Schlachter, by virtue of posting the fastest heat time, was on the pole for the National, but it was Dale "Pig Farmer" Singleton and his Taylw White Racing/Beaulieu of Americasponsored Yamaha. pulling the holeshot off the grid. Singleton's lead lasted but for a moment as Romero