Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

naturing of a champion E • ~ E o 00 0') 1"""4 IAbovel Finn Yrjo Vesterinen. World Champ in 1976. 1977 and 1978. IBtlIowl Mick Andrews. European Champ in 1971 and 1972. Four time American Champion Marland Whaley on foreign turf. into a gumbo mess and only 12 riders finished within the allotted time. Among them, riding unofficially as an exhibition rider, was 14-year-old Bernie Schreiber. Shortly after that trial the North American Trials Council was formed, coordinated by Dr. Wilu Wagner, a Denver micro-pulmonary research scientist. Since then the NATC has orgamzed an AMA sanctioned National Series and the U.S. world round. Yamaha went after the National Championship with a strong team dIon. They signed Bob Hopkins and Joe Guglielmelli to team with Don Sweet. But Lane Leavitt won five of the mne nationals to become America's first AMA Champion. Runnerup was 16-year-old Marland Whaley, and down in a ninth place tie was 15-year-old Berrne Schreiber. 1975 The FIM upped the series status as Martin Lampkin became the first World Champion. The first American world round was held in Rhode Island. On the national scene Honda mounted a massive factory effort to unseat Leavitt. They signed Whaley, Mark Eggar, Joe Guglielmelli and George Smith. Bob Nickelsen, who had been doing development work for them, was named team manager. Seventeen-year-old Whaley won two of the last three nationals to take the title riding a super lightweight four-stroke prototype. . 1976 Finn Yrjo Vesterinen, from a nation of perhaps 100 trials riders, c1ajmed the World Championship. Lampkin consoled himself by winmng the Scottish Six Days. That feat made it a family hat trick for the Lampkin brothers. Both Sid and Arthur, who once finished runnerup for the 250cc World Motocross Championship, had already won. In the states Whaley turned 18 just in time to ride the world round in Washington where he finished second to Lampkin. Then Marland went on to win the last three nationals to again make Don Sweet a runnerup. 1977 Yrjo Vesterinen repeated as World Champion, but the big news for America was Bernie Schreiber's debut overseas. He scored a futh in his first ride, then added a third, fifth and second. At year's end he was seventh in the world points standings. And Marland Whaley, who again finished second in the U.S. round, held in Michigan, also got some overseas rides and finished 10th in the world. In 15th place was Don Sweet, who rode six trials overseas. In May, Lampkin won the Six Days again, setting a record with a !II point win margin. Schreiber's 11th earned him the best newcomer award while Marland's I!lth was second best newcomer score. Back home Whaley stormed through the national series, winning all eight starts. Schreiber was runnerup. Bob Nickelsen dominated the newly created National Senior class. Honda also added the British Championship as Rob Shepherd became the first four-stroke English Champion sinc~iller in 1964 aboard an Ariel. 1978 Yrjo Vesterinen repeated as World Champion, but he had a tussle with Lampkin and Schreiber. Berrne, !l5 points down after four events, won four trials in five starts to move within four points of the lead before settling for third for the year. He also became the first American to win the U.S. round, held at Roaring Branch, Pennsylvania. At that trial Debbie Evans became the first woman to finish a World Championship event. Marland Whaley startled some by switching in mid-season from Honda to Montesa. In the national seri.es Lane Leavitt ended Whaley's national win streak at 11 a t the opening trial. Leavitt held the series lead with two nationals remaining. But Schreiber planed back from J;:urope and won twice, despite electrical difficulties at both trials, to take the title. Bob Nickelsen again headed the Seniors while Kevin Cullen topped the new Sportsman (support) class. 1979 Dropping 28 points down after four rides, Bernie Schreiber won four of the last eight trials to topple Vesterinen. For Bultaco, it meant their futh consecutive World Championship. In Scotland Martin Lampkin's hopes of becoming the first rider to win four straight were dashed in the final sections of the Six" Days classic. Malcolm Rathmell gave Montesa their fiTSt Scottish win. Rathmell went on to win the British Championship, his futh in the last eight years. Montesa also saw their flTSt title in American trials as Whaley climbed back up on top. The crown was Marland's founh in five years. Whaley's six wins in 1979 gave him a career total of 25 in 48 starts and 19 of the last 27. Wiltz Wagner won the Senior Championship while another Colorado rider, Guy Bodin, headed the Sportsmen. So a decade that saw Britain no longer dominate and the U.S. incubate ends with an American at the top of the trials world. Iromcally, our World Champion and National Champion will both be basing in England in 1980, foregoing national competition. As the decade ends there is little Japanese involvement in the sport outside of their homeland. Honda has a one-man world team, Rob Shepherd. S4Zuki provides engines to Beamish in England to build bikes. Yamaha still builds trials bikes, but none are imported here. And Bultaco and Montesa continue as they did 10 years ago, building the best trials bikes in the world. • 19

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