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/1460403
again in 1972 in front of 18,000 fans, this time lapping the entire field except for Kawasaki team- mate Gary Nixon. With purse and contingencies Duhamel took home $18,300 (over $122,000 in today's dollars), the biggest purse the race would ever see. An AMA Motocross National was also held on the weekend, ala Daytona Supercross, in 1972 and '73, adding to the fan appeal. In '72 the winners were Gary Bailey (250cc) and Brad Lackey (500cc). In '73 it was Gary Jones (250cc) and Pierre Karsmakers (500cc). A big flat track regional was also held on the short track next door and drew many of the top flat track riders. For the 1973 race, a chicane was added to the back straight to slow the bikes down. The big 750 Kawasakis and Suzukis had blaz- ing top ends (with 170 mph-plus trap speeds), but they all faltered in the race, and it was Kel Car- ruthers on a Yamaha TZ350 taking the victory and leading a Yamaha sweep with Steve Baker and Gary Fisher rounding out the podium finishers. Almost unbelievably, Carruthers was not only racing, but was Yamaha's racing manager and was wrenching on the team bikes throughout weekend. The final AMA Grand National held at Talladega was in 1974. Kenny Roberts took the victory in the race that was shortened from 200 miles to 75, which meant no pit stops. Barry Sheene raced in the '74 event and finished fourth on a Suzuki. For some reason crowds quicky declined in 1974, so the race was off the calendar in 1975. AMA Superbike races returned to the track for four years from 1980 to 1983 and except for the 1980 race, were held the weekend after Daytona. Eddie Lawson won the revival of Talladega in 1980 on his factory Kawasaki Superbike. In '81 it was Freddie Spencer on a factory Honda, Lawson and Kawasaki again in '83 and Mike Baldwin closing out the Superbike era at the track in '84 with a victory on his factory Honda. While the race returned, the crowds didn't, and the event was again shelved for several years. The history of national motor- cycle racing at the circuit came to a close in 1988 and '89 when the track hosted a Pro-Am-type weekend that featured just the AMA 600cc and 750cc Super- sport races, as well as AMA National Endurance events. By then the infield section of the track was neglected and crum- bling. Michael Barnes reported that "your bike's paint and your knuckles suffered from the rocks." Tommy Lynch, who won the AMA 750cc Supersport race in the final AMA event recalled the 1989 event. "I remember it seemed like Daytona on steroids to me," he said. "Very fun infield with lots of character. It was pretty narrow in spots with a few small elevation changes. There was a really fun banked right-hander that was probably my favorite corner. We loaded my Yoshimura bike in Cary Andrew's Hypercycle van and made the trek from California to Alabama. Without Cary tak- ing me and being my mechanic, none of it would have been pos- sible. So huge thanks to him for probably my biggest road race win. The 1989 750 Supersport Series was stacked with talent. This was my first and last trip to Talladega. Sweet memories." CN CN III ARCHIVES P142 Subscribe to nearly 50 years of Cycle News Archive issues: www.CycleNews.com/Archives Right next door to the big Talladega Super Speedway was a short track that also ran on the AMA Grand National weekend at the venue. The short track attracted big names despite just being a regional event. PHOTO: GARY VAN VOORHIS