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/126485
Kenny Roberts takes third 500cc World Championship road racing title in final round NURBURGRING, W. GERMANY, AUG. 24 Team Yamaha's two-time 500cc World Champion road racer, "King Kenny"Roberts, rode a conservative race in the final round of the 1980 series finishing fourth, beating fellow American Randy Mamola 81 to 12 and clinching his third consecutive crown. Roberts rode the new bike because he said it handled better in the 18-mlle, 123-turn course. It was conservatively set up, and he used proven Goodyeer tires rather "' then an experimental compound. His strategy: To finish in the top 10 - all he needed to seal his championship. Mamo" was fast qualifier; and Roberts took the second spot on the starting grid. Mamola led at the start and through the first two laps ·, before eventual winner Marco Lucchinelli took the lead . On lap five, Mamola experienced motor problems and dropped back. When Roberts caught Mamola, he knew the title was his. Top five at Nurburgring: Lucchinelli lSuzl, Graeme Crosby lSuzl, WII ~ Hartog lSuzl, Roberts lYamland Mamola lSuzl. • h and Jerry Ramsden rode H·D and 150cc Suzuki, respectively. More next week. OHV Committee to meet in San Diego Proposed joint State/Federal Off-Highway'Vehlcie grant projects for 1980 will be included In the Sept. 4 meeting of the Off-Highway Advlaory Committee of the State Department of Parks and Recreation in San Diego. The meeting will be held from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. In the Department of TransporUltlon Building, 2820 Juan Street. San Diego. Election of a chairperson and the Joint grant projects dlacusaion will precede the 6 to 1 p.m. dinner period. After dinner the principal item for discussion is a proposed State Perk Regulation requiring use of safety equipment on four-wheel vehicles and protective clothing for riders of two-wheel vehicles at state vehicular recreation areas. A legislative report will be given, and Pismo Beach Camping will be discussed. The meeting is open to the public and audience participation Is encouraged. Bernie Schreiber won the Aug . 24 World T rials Championship Series event in Finland over Ulf Karlsson and Manuel Soler. Schreiber did the deed on his Ital-jet : Karlsson and Soler were Montesa-mounted. Carol Vetter phoned Papa with a bulletin from the Aug. 22-24 Vetter Rally in Colorado springs, and some of her news was remarkable to say the leastl Winner of the Craig Vetter High Mileage Contest,. a 93-mile course from Colorado Springs to Cripple Creek and back. was lammy Johnstone on a 1000cc Harley-DavidsonI Ms_ Johnstone averaged an astounding 91.9 miles per gallon and finished within the 136 ± 4 minutes time limit picking up the $500 first prize for her efforts. Second and third placers Don Zecher and Jim lane were BMW and Harley-Davidson mounted, respectively. In the Craig Vetter Downhill cOBsting Contest,. AMFI Harley-Davidson's P.R. Director Bill Dutcher took the $200 top honors on - naturelly - a Harley-Davidson. Second and third placers Ed lary U.S. Congressman Glenn Anderson accepts a campeign donation from AMA's American Motorcyclist Political Action Committee. Cycle News' Charles Morey made the presentation. Bo O'Brochta smoldered to a new record in IDBA 's Summemationals at Cincinnati's Dragway 42 with a 7.40 / 188.67 run over the Aug . 23·24 weekend meet. O'Brochta's Terminal Van Lines Kawasaki scored Top Fuel honors over Sam Wills in the final run. Terry Vance posted another Pro Stock win with an 8.82/151 blast on his Suzuki ahead of Sid Pogue's 9.39 / 147.08 ride. Mike Bruso won the Super eliminator contest. The August 24 AMA National Championship Enduro Series round in Pittsfield. Massachusetts, went to Ted Worrell (Hon). Drew Smith (Suzl was one point off the overall winner's pace with a 11 points score to take the AA division. Bill Berroth lKTM) took High Point A. "I've got 10 guys behind me, and I'm going to. build Mike Bast Speedway." That's what Bast said in an Aug. 7 interview in The Register, an Orange County (CA) newspaper. A full length Bast interview for Cycle News is in the works, so stay tuned . . . Team Honda. or more specifically Dennis McKay. phoned Pape to correct the Pocono report. The story stated that Freddie Spencer's Honda Superbike wes leaking oil, forcing Spencer to slow, Wrong. said McKay; the reer tire "went away:' No 011 leak existed. Furthermore, the article stated that Spencer's contract with Honda allowed him to compete on a TZ150 Yamaha at Daytona and laguna Seca. Wrong. said McKay. Honda had no GP (f.1l bike for Spencer to ride at thou events. 80 a verbal agreement was made allowing him to raca another brand. How's this for a hot rumor? Word has it that several of the 1981 AMA Superbike Series races will be televised and that one of them will run in conjunction with the Long Beach GP , one of the two Formula One auto race GPs run in theV.S . Chris Carr. minibike black plate #5. has won five National titles in the past two weeks. Coverage lwe hopelln next week's Cycle News. 2 Rod Spencer won the 19th Annual Elks and Ramblers Benefit Scrambles Open Expert class ahead of Buddy Robinson last weekend. It was Spencer's third consecutive win, and he retires , the .tro ph. . Coverage next week; . ., y SCORE announced that this year's Baja 1000 off-road race will be a loop type affair, beginning and end-. ing Ensenada. The decision, according to SCORE president Sal Fish, was based on the desire of Mexican officials preserve the unique flavor of the long point to point race, which will be presented again in 1981, either Enseneda to La Paz, or La Paz to Ensenada . The decision also shortened the amount of time needed for the race, so registration is on Nov. 6, the race starts Nov. 8 and awards will be presented the following day. More news from the SCORE front: The Off-Road Championships slated for Sept. 26-28 at Golden State International Raceway have been postponed to 1981. Problems with getting a use permit in time for the event forced cancellation. The AMA-sanctioned half mile set for Aug. 29 in Muskogee. OK. has been cancelled due to the rescheduling of the Cedar Rapids AMAJ Winston Pro Series half mile to Aug. 30. Bell Helmets is rio longer apart of the Wynn's organization. Effective Thursday, Aug . 21, Bell Helmets became part of Bell-Riddell, Inc. , a new company owned by private investors. Bill Zimmerman, former chief execu tive officer of Monogram Industries and Jim Galbraith. an attomey with . racing interests. are the new owners, Zimmerman is described as an aggressive businessman, as compared to the conservative Wynn's group, and interesting things are expected from the new company. Speaking of Bail-Riddell, the company is offering a long sleeve Tshirt commemorating the 55th lnternational Six Days Trial to be held in Brioude, France on Sept. 2221. For more info. contact Don Emde. Bell-Riddell. lne., 15301 Shoemaker Ave.. Norwalk. CA 90650. Or phone 2131921-9451. Temperatures over 100 degrees turned the August 23-24 AMA National Championship Amateur and Youth Short Track Championship in Wichita, KS into a nighttime affair. Californian Chris Carr grabbed double division titles in .the 85cc Senior and 100cc Schoolboy classes in Saturday's action while Sunday it was Pennsylvanian Scott Saunders winning the 500cc Amateur title. Michigan riders Charlie Bowles and Bryan Hardin took the 360 and 250cc crowns . respectively.