Tanner Upsets Field At 50-Miler

TANNER UPSETS FIELD AT 50-MILER

CAROL SIMS

THIS YEAR'S RUNNING of the 50-mile National Championship race at the State Fairgrounds' one-mile dirt track in Springfield. Illinois will live in the minds of all who viewed it as the "50-Mile Trophy Dash" Never has there been so much passing. lead changing and close contention in a race this long, and even during the later laps a mere 1/100 of a second separated the first five riders!

In winning the 50-milcr aboard C. R. Axtcll's flawlessly tuned 500cc BSA Gold Star single. Sammv Tanner gave the performance of his life and fulfilled a dream of eight years' standing. As far back as sixth at one point, he rallied persistently, leading for 25 laps in all and collecting S4000 for his 33-minute ride.

Second place Dick Mann (BSA) was one of seven riders who headed the close I \ - knit pack. The Grand National ( hampion challenged s'ronplv. right down to the wire, but was unable to make it four national wins in a row. He did. however, take over the AMA point lead for the first time this season.

Pre-race leader Roger Reiman, only man to break the 40-second barrier in time trials, clocked a 39.99 lap for the fastest qualifying run of the day. Second quickest was young Mert Lawwill: he was astride the injured George Roeder’s usual mount, and found it to his liking. Then came Ronnie Rail and Bart Markel (who squeaked into the lineup on a borrowed machine after crashing in practice).

When dark clouds began to roll in. carried by gusty breezes, it was decided to run the expert events first. Heat races went off smoothly, with wans going to Mann. Tanner. Hammer and Markel. Sixteen national numbers swelled the 20-man field, and engines (to say nothing of nerves) were stressed to their peak as starter Jim Davis flagged them off.

First into the turn was Hammer, with Tanner right on his rear wheel. At the end of one lap. Hammer lead Markel. Tanner. Mann. Gary Nixon and Rail, but a costly slide out of the groove sent Hammer to fifth spot on the second time around. Although the groove was fairly wide, the “twilight zone" that lurked at its edge was unforgiving. Nearly every rider si id into the soft stuff at one time or another, usually losing several hardto-make-up positions in the process.

With fifteen miles gone, the first six were swinging through the turns three abreast, in the closest possible formation. Markel led Nixon, Rail. Tanner. Mann and Lawwill: not far behind were White. Reiman and Hammer.

Suddenly, a cloud of dust signalled a spill. Markel and Nixon had collided, with Gary coming out second best and. in the process, setting some sort of record for distance traveled sans motorcycle. He quickly rejoined the competition, one lap behind. Markel. somewhat detuned by the encounter, slipped back to sixth.

At the halfway point Tanner and Mann were swapping the lead ahead of Lawwill, Rail and Markel. Lawwill took over on the 27th. Mann on the 28th. then Tanner grabbed control again and led until the 43rd. when Rail spurted briefly to the front. From there on. except for the 47th Ian which went to Mann, it was Tanner all the wav. He led to the checker with less than a length separating him from Mann. White. Rail and Lawwill. in the closest imaginable finish.

For the first time a BSA had whipped the Harleys in a 50-mile race, and 25.000 people were made stunningly aware of Sammy Tanner's riding skills. As tuner Axtell put it. “Everybody knows the guy’s terrific. If thev didn't know' it before, they know it now!"

A rather anti-climactic 10-lap amateur final followed the 50-milcr and fastest heat race winner Tom Heil (H-D) came through for victory in the 10-lapper as well. Running fourth after one hip. he avoided a three-man pilcup on lap two. took over the lead the next time around and was never seriously challenged thereafter. •