T
here were plenty of
"firsts" to celebrate
as the AMA's 1969
Grand National Champi-
onship drew nearer to its
end in the September 16th
issue of Cycle News. The
new Sears Point raceway
was holding its first major
event, and the winning
brand, Suzuki, was on top
for the very first time at
an AMA National. Their
win also marked the first
victory for a Japanese
manufacturer, and they
owed it all to road racer Art
Baumann, a second-year
pro who had also just won
his first AMA national road
race!
A historical day, to be sure.
Yet, it would be the performance
of another racer, a bespectacled,
soft-spoken mouse of a man
that would live on in motorcycle
racing lore. His name?
Little Fauss.
Indeed, it would be Fauss, an
up-and-coming former mechanic
who would become a star this
day. With his strong fictional
ride at Sears Point, Fauss would
forever sever the apron strings
of his mama's boy image, break
-
ing free from the bad influence
of his side-burned, ne-er-do-well
mentor and establishing his own
name on the AMA circuit. Fifty-
four years later, motorcyclists of
a certain age still quote the un
-
assuming man in a boy's body:
"I was going faster than I ever
went in my whole life," Fauss
said. "Then, I fell off."
A film crew was on hand that
day, but not to capture Bau-
mann's brilliant, dominating vic-
tory in the 50-lap, 125-mile Na-
tional. They missed the Suzuki
rider's skillful demonstration of
road racing talent as he pulled
away from Harley-Davidson's Cal
Rayborn, often called America's
greatest-ever road racer. Cine
-
matographers also couldn't have
cared less that Yamaha rider
Yvon Duhamel, having missed
the first two laps of the race as
his crew replaced fouled spark
plugs in his machine, made an
incredible charge to eighth place
by the race end. Ron Pierce
would eventually finish in the
runner-up spot to Baumann, with
Harley-Davidson's Roger Reiman
taking third.
CNIIARCHIVES
P132
BY KENT TAYLOR
Sears Point held its first major
motorcycle race in 1969 but that
race is perhaps remembered
most for providing the stage for
the final scene in the movie Little
Fauss and Big Halsy.
IN THE BEGINNING:
SEARS POINT AND "LITTLE FAUSS AND
