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E • ~ E Escaping a near-erash on the last lap, "King Kenny"Roberts clinched his second World Championship title. IFile photo.) World Championship Road Racing Series: Final round Rober.ts rules the world • agaIn By Chris Carter LE MANS, FRANCE, SEPT. 2 America's Kenny Roberts escaped a last lap crash by inches when two slower riders forced him onto the grass during another epic battle with Barry Sheene in the French GP. Roberts 10 stayed on board his Yamaha, but had to settle for third place after stalling his machine and push-starting it into life. Whatever happened, King Kenny was assured the 500cc World Championship for the second year in succession. after his only rival for the title, Italian Virginia Ferrari (Suzuki). had crashed heavily at the back ohhe pits. Ferrari had been battling to make up for a mistake three laps earlier, when he slid off at the chicane, this had dropped him from second to seventh. Hurrying to ca,tch the leaders, Ferrari tried to go round Johnny Cecouo (Yamaha) on the last righthander on lap 13 and paid the penalty. He was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. With Ferrari out. Roberts could . change his race tactics. Win. lose or draw the title was his and Kenny chopped two seconds a lap off .his earlier times. rapidly overhauling Barry Sheene and Dutchman Wi. Har· tog. :raking a tow from Roberts was his young friend Randy Mamola on the Serge Zago S·uzuki. Far from being overawed by the factory-backed opposition, the teenage Californian cheekily grabbed the lead and waved at the others to catch himl After four laps of glory Sheene and Roberts went ahead, but Hanog had to pull out with mechanical problems on his Suzuki, Starting the last lap Sheene was in second place but there was little in it. Barry put the pressure on and Robens was caught flat footed by the lapped men and Sheene roared home to the delight of the Union Jack waving British contingent in the 80,000 crowd. Sheene, Mamola in second place, and Roberts in third lpot all wheelied their way past the stan and finish area, all three delighted, in .their own way to have made their mark on the meeting. Founh over the line was Franco Uncini (Suzuki) after getting the better of a tough threeway scrap with Johnny Cee,otto (Yamaha) and. Philippe Coulon (Suzuki). Steve Parrish was seventh home after a battle with Frenchman Christian Sarron (Yamaha) which ended a few laps from home when the local hero had to stop with 'engine problems, . Ferrari's accident put a damper on the celebrations and not even the consolation of a new lap record for the Italian at 1m 37 .95s could cheer up his fans and friends and it was· perhaps a r-ather disappointing way for Kenny to retain his crown. Eugenio Lazzarini (Kreidler) dinched the 50cc ..title by winning the 15lap race which opened the day's World Championship program. Lazzarini took the lead on the second lap, after ·early race leader Ricardo Tormo (Bultaco) had been forced to stop with mechanical problems when 50 yards c1ea~ of the pack. Second home was Stefan Dorflinger, who loaned a spare Van-Veen Kreidler for the meeting to help Lazzarini geat off the challenge from Swiss Rolf Blatter (Kreidler). Dorllinger made a poor start, but carved his way through the field, shattering the lap record on the way to catch and pass Blatter. Frenchman Patrick Plissen (ABF) took eighth place, but those three points were enough to hoist him into third place in the final l:hampionship table. Ahead of German Gerhard Waibel and Dutchman Peter Looyesteir on Kreidlers, who both failed to finish. There was little more than polite applause from the huge crowd for Lazzarini's success, but they had plenty to shout about in the races which followed. Patrick Fernandez (Yamaha) was the first to earn their approval in the 26-lap 350cc event. Patrick emerged winner of a dramatic and eventful race, and lifted himself into runner-up spot in the final championship table. There were six different race leaders along the way, but it was Fernandez who was on hand to take advantage of Walter Villa's (Yamaha) mistake five laps from home, and the swarthy rider thoroughly deserved his first ever GP success. From the llag it looked as though another French hero, Eric Saul, (Bimota Adriatica) would grab the honors .. He set a scorching race, leaving Kork Ballington (Kawasaki, and Greg Hansford Fernandez (Kawasaki) struggling to hold him. But after eight laps, Eric fell vjctim to a track made treacherous by rain and crashed without injury. His departure let Ballington through, but a lap later Fernandez .went past both him