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/141062
.~ ., '" If - .... M '" re > ., ::; en .;: W Z w .s U > U ~ Two-fifty GP winner Steve Froschauer (136) passes a slower rider. Stew Mclaughli n leading the heavyweight product ion event. Pridmore (71 1) and Killen p ursue . The AFM Comes to Riverside Photos by John'Stein RIVERSIDE, CAL.• May 20 - It was a disastrous day for the A FM. They had a tremendous turnout for their firs t event at Riverside Raceway, and partially be cause of this and partially be cause of official foul-ups, there were several bad accidents. But nothing kept Steve McLaughlin on his new Kawasaki 900 and Reg Pridmore on his trusty old BMW 750 from staging their usual duel. Even though Pridmore ran off of the track on the first lap of the production event, he roared through the pack to challenge McLaughlin who sped up once he found that he had so me competition. They stay ed together, nip-and-t uc k, with McLaugh lin snatching the win at the line. Third was Wade Killen (750 Kaw). In fourth place was Cook Neilson edi to r of "Cycle" magazine in on ly his second road race ever. Aboard his 750 Ducati he gets the awa rd for leaning over farther than anybody else who fmished. Nielson was plagued for the entire distance by Tom Casey aboard a tri cked out 500 Honda that had steam on the Duck. The 350 production class was taken by Rod Murufas after he and Scott Clough passed Bob Crossman who led during the early part of the race. Ken Gill was the 250 victor while behind him Ed Unini and Mike Baeder were winning the 200 and 125 production classes respectively. the M cLaughlin also won Superstreet race with no co m e tition from second place Murufas who was giving awa y 550cc's. McLaughlin waved to the cro wd and other riders as he burbled home to victory. Pridmore on another BMW 750 got 'th e Open GP laurels while holding off Elbert Turner and Jim Evans who scored first and second in the 350 class aboard their Yamahas. When the flag fell for 250 GP class the riders were delivered in to on e of the most horrible, sickening crashes ever seen on a race track. It was made more so because it was avoidable. Greg Hartwell had stalled his bike on the grid and pushed it forward to get it to restart. When it lit he pulled off the right side of the track, o ut of sight of the starter who either assumed that he had pulled off or was unaware of him. As Hartwell swung back on the track , the starte r drop ped the flag . T he pack screamed away as Hartwell drove into the center of them fro m the right. For a m o men t it looked as though everyone might get clear, but then Rudy Galindo hit hi m dead center. In an instan t several more riders had smashed into the wreckage. and there were bodies allover t he track. After a wait of three-quarters of an hour, the dis-spirited 250 class was restarted and Steve Froschauer won. The sidecar race was almost a struggle for survival as machines broke and hacks lost passengers. The official results list the Jarman Gerwals as th e winner. 'Iwo-t ittv prou ucnon racers rou nd turn 6. J im Ta nk IXI. Guy Racu ya (99). and David J ames (118 ) lead . What do you want, wri ders or riters? Cook Neilson. America's leading bi ke scribe. leans it over. Don Emd e (251 leads a bunch o f ho t knees d uring t he heovywe ight GP ewnt . Ed Un ini was 200 prod uct ion win ner.