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/128361
No-Name Wins the Big One A ter a consistent string of Daytona 200 finishes that included nine top lOs and three podiums in nine of his 10 visits, former MA Grand National Champion Gene Romero came to the 1975 Daytona 200 as a factory Yamaha rider, but he was far from the top dog on the team. "I was the third wheel, er, I mean rider," Romero, now 57, says with a laugh. "It was Kenny Roberts, Don Castro and myself. We were all on twin-shock TZ750s, and then the prototype [monoshock] came out, and Kenny received that, and Don and I got the twin-shock variety." The stacked field also included defending Daytona 200 and multi-time World Champion Giacomo Agostini, factory Suzuki rider Tepi Lansivuori of Finland, teenaged Venezuelan GP star Johnny Cecotto and American contenders Steve Mclaughlin and Steve Baker. English GP hero Barry 5heene was supposed to have taken part in the race as well, but a horrendous I70 mph crash on the banking after a tire failure had left him hospitalized, and in the aftermath Dunlop withdrew as a tire supplier to the race. Despite the tragedy, Romero recalls that the atmosphere surrounding the event was incredible. "It was beyond electric," Romero remembers. "When Ago came over, they started chartering 747s to have people come over from Europe just for the race. But what was really bitchin' was all these wind-up, powderpuff Italian chicks running around dressed in tight clothing. It was perfect. [Loughs]." The pre-race hype was that this would be the year of the famous Roberts vs. Agostini duel. There was little mention of Castro or Romero. ''And I guess that was to be expected," Romero says. "That's just the way it was. Kenny and Ago were both major players. Ago had won it the previous year, and with his background and the successes that he had... He was maybe getting a little long in tooth. And Kenny was the up and coming star. In many ways it took a little pressure off of Donny and I, but we were still expected to produce. We were hired to do a job." By the time the checkered flag fell, Romero would get the job done. Lansivuori took the early lead, gapping Roberts before the young American lion caught and passed the Finn on lap three. Roberts appeared ready to set sail, but after pitting on lap 16, Roberts suddenly rolled to a stop, out of the race with a broken countershaft sprocket. Romero was running fourth at the time. Shortly thereafter, disaster nearly struck for Romero as well. "Not quite halfway into the race, the thing tied up on me," Romero says. "It seized one me. I pulled the clutch in and went, 'One, two, three, let's see!' 1 let it go, and it went brrrr, fired right up. For the rest of the race, I kept my hand over the clutch lever. I was like, 'Man, just keep going.' If it was going to blow up, I would rather have it happen on the second lap Gene Romero's last career Grand National victory was also his biggest, the 1975 Daytona 200. 78 JANUARY 19,2005 • CYCLE NEWS than to go through all that just to have it happen at the end." But the bike kept running, and Romero kept pushing. "I made my second pit stop, and then all of a sudden I was in second place," Romero recalls. "The split was like eight seconds, and then on the next lap it was like 7 1/2 seconds, and then six. Within about eight laps, I was closing on whoever was leading it." It was Mclaughlin. "I came up on him, and I'm sure he had been getting signs that were like, plus 10, plus six, plus two, and he was feeling the pressure. Leading is harder than coming up. The way it worked out, in that one turn before you make the last left onto the banking [West Horseshoe], he went down. I took over the lead with eight or 10 laps to go. I remember seeing the replay on television later, and they asked Kel, 'What do you think of Gene's chances?' He said. 'Well, if he doesn't get stupid and fall down, he'll win it.' I thought, 'That's my guy.' [Loughs]." Romero didn't do anything stupid, but he didn't slow down much either. "I was in a nice, good pace," Romero says. "I wasn't at I00 percent, but I sure wasn't at 80 percent either. Sometimes when you slow down, you start making mistakes, so I just kept up that methodic rhythm. And whammo' We won the thing." Romero completed the 52-lap race in one hour, 52 minutes, 33.88 seconds, averaging 106.45 I mph. In addition to 195 Grand National points, he pocketed $17,485, the winner's share of the purse. "I remember that the race was televised, and after the countershaft sprocket broke on Kenny's bike, they interviewed him and asked him who he thought was going to win the race," Romero says. "He was upset, and he said, 'I dunno, one of the no-names, I guess.' After the race, I said, 'Well, this no-name is going to take all that money and put it in the bank. ", Nobody knew it then, but Romero's victory in the Daytona 200, on March 9, 1975, would also be the last Grand National win of his career. Looking back on it now, Romero says that if he had to win a last one, then he's happy Daytona was the one. "That was probably the peak of the era," Romero says. "There was a big war between NGK and Champion spark plugs, and there was a big war between Goodyear and Dunlop and Michelin and the other manufacturers. There was all this different press coming over from Europe. I'm sure it is like that now, but back then it was reolly intense. They had a bona fide 65,000 people in the stands back then, which they don't have now. It was really an electric time at Daytona, and I just feel thankful that I was part of it. Winning that race, to me, was like being an Indycar driver and winning the Indianapolis 500. That was the big baby." Scott Rousseau 3D YEARS A6D.•• January if!1. 1975 The annual United Racing Association Enduro took place in California City, California, and it was tougher than ever. Today, this race is still going strong, only it's not the URA that hosts it, but rather the United Enduro Association (UEA), and each year it's a hit with everyone... We rook a look at the new gas/oil suspension systems that were starting to be released... Mike Griffiths took the win at the opening round of the VOTE. trails series in Acton, California... Some big names turned out for a local CMC Motocross race at Carlsbad Raceway. Jim Weinert, Marty Smith, Gary Semics, Rex Staten and Mike 8ell were just a few of the factory stars in attendance. if!D YEARS A6D... January if!3, 19B5 F'--'S~===.ii;;;;;;';;iI jeff Ward appeared on the cover for his win at round two of the Golden States Series. It was his first of the season. Finishing behind Ward were Rick ......====:='c' Johnson and Ron Lechien, respectively Chris Crandell won the Whiskey Pete's World Championship II Hare and Hound in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was his second major off-road win in two months ... A young Paul Krause also got a win at a District 37 desert race. Krause, aboard a Suzuki RM250, came from behind to claim his victory... jeff Matiasevich won the 125cc and 250cc Intermediate classes at round one of the CMC series in Madera, California. ID YEARS A6D... January IB, 1995 F.=~~~~~~ This issue was all about Supercross. and appearing on the cover was none other than Supercross king jeremy McGrath. Inside was the 1995 supercross season preview... Damon Huffman was the big winner at the GFI Invitational Supercross at Perris Raceway. Taking the win in the 125cc class at the annual event was Mike Craig... We interviewed Supercross title contender jeff Emig. In 1994, Emig and McGrath were rivals. However, Emig assured us in the interview that there were no hard feelings between the two going into the 1995 season.