VOLUME ISSUE AUGUST , P161
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Harley-Davidson's Rex Beau-
champ was challenging in sec-
ond, with Roberts and Rice third.
Somewhere around lap 10, how-
ever, Rice began to fade. What
had happened? CN explained:
"On the eighth lap, Rice went
through and he was too close in
and he hit the guard rail with his
shoulder…it probably ripped the
shoulder out of its socket." But
rather than take the mortal-man
bunny exit to the pits, Rice kept
on going. For a professional, the
message of excruciating pain
being sent to the brain is over
-
powered by the racer's will. Rice,
according to CN, "…rode from lap
eight on with just one hand."
Apparently, he needed just
a couple of laps to shake it off,
because by lap 10, he had re-
entered the chase for the lead.
When Scott's Triumph expired on
lap 17, Dick Mann took over, with
Roberts in pursuit, and the rookie
Yamaha rider snatched the lead
from Mann just one lap later. Two
of the greatest names in the his
-
tory of Class C racing had stolen
the race from Scott. Yet, both men
would soon find themselves look-
ing over their shoulders at a one-
armed bandit named Jim Rice.
Bethea's frenetic report almost
makes the reader want to stick
their left foot out and lean with
the text as Rice and Roberts
battle on the white-flag. "Down
the back chute, Rice pulled past
the Yamaha and regained the
point, shutting off last. Kenny
can't hold back. He whips the
throttle on and comes out of the
third turn side by side with Rice.
Rice shuts off for an instant on
the last turn, Roberts doesn't.
Rice gets the bite, Kenny goes
sideways and loses all that hard-
earned ground. Rice wins it, and
Roberts has to settle, reluctantly,
for second. Mann rolls across in
third."
After taking the checkered
flag, Rice takes a victory lap,
then coasts into the pits. Smart
motorcycle racers will know
to use their limbs as auxiliary
suspension for the bike. Rice's
BSA, with its rudimentary 1970s
shocks and forks, has sent the
bumps and holes of San Jose
into two good legs, one good
arm and one arm that is dan
-
gling like a marionette puppet.
The race is over, the adrenaline
no longer flowing, and Rice is a
mere mortal once more, letting
out, according to Cycle News, an
"Awwueghheh," when his me-
chanic touched his shoulder.
"It was an unbelievable race…
there is nothing like the Mile,"
Bethea wrote. "Pick an adjective…
I've tried and none will suffice."
CN
Unbelievable Race
