Mann Wins Meadowdale

MANN WINS MEADOWDALE

DICK MANN, in quest of his second Grand National Championship, really made his presence felt on the sun-baked 21/4-mile course at Meadowdale (near Chicago) for the 150-mile National AMA road race. By winning he added 86 big points to his existing lead in the season-long battle for national honors.

Thirty-six experts lined up for the 150miler and a relatively unknown rider to eastern fans, Cal Rayborn of Spring Valley, Calif., took a two-bike lead into and out of the first hairpin. Followed by George Roeder and a pack of thirsty competitors, Rayborn held a commanding lead for three tours before the more experienced Roeder caught him on the Monza wall, with Lawwill, Larry Schafer, Jody Nicholas, Bart Markel, Dick Mann, Don Twigg and Ralph White close behind.

By the fifth trip around, Schafer had dropped to tenth, Mann had overtaken Markel and, as Nicholas slipped past Lawwill, White began to charge. Nearing the halfway point of the sixty-seven lap event, Roeder stretched his lead to eighteen seconds, averaging a record-breaking 82.15 mph for the first thirty laps (the old mark was 81 mph). Mann, still coming on, pushed Rayborn back to third two laps later. Markel then got by Rayborn and in ten more laps White overtook Lawwill and Rayborn.

Nixon would charge very hard for a while — then tend to drop back. It became obvious that the heat was affecting him as he struggled to get air inside his leathers and up and under his helmet.

At lap forty Roeder was still maintaining the record pace of 82-plus mph and held a twenty-second lead over Mann. Both men pitted on the same lap with Roeder picking up two very, very costly seconds on Mr. Mann. Seems that Roeder's crew hadn't given him as much gasoline as they intended, but to call him in again could put Mann in the lead by eight seconds, so they crossed their fingers and prayed.

By lap 50, it was Roeder by 24 seconds, then Mann, Nicholas, White, Rayborn, Lawwill and Markel. Lawwill's pit crew gave him a big GO signal, and go he did. By the next time around he was fourth; four more tours and he was ahead of White and closing on Mann. Meanwhile, Markel and Nicholas pushed Rayborn back two more positions.

On lap 63 Roeder had lapped all but the first four riders; on the 66th he received the yellow flag signifying one more time around. At that precise moment his engine began to splutter ominously. As he left the straightaway the machine slowed drastically, forcing him to coast off the track, out of gas and out of contention.

Mann took the checkered flag aboard his finely-tuned Matchless G-50 and headed for the winner's circle followed by Lawwill (H-D), White (Matchless), Markel (H-D), Nicholas (BSA) and Rayborn (H-D). For the Roeder fans it was pathetic; Mann followers were jubilant. One could conceivably say "that's racing," but could you say it if your name was Roeder?

Thirty-three experts and amateurs lined up for the combined 250cc event, with the same winning gentleman from Crockett, California making it a runaway on his sparkling white Yamaha. A distant second to Mann was Jody Nicholas (Bultaco), followed by Gary Nixon (Yamaha).

The amateur event was packed with suspenseful incidents. Chris Draayer took the jump on the field followed by Ed Moran, Myron Nagorski, Daytona's amateur winner Wayne Cook, and hard riding Dick Gariepy. On lap five Draayer was still out front but on the sixth time around he headed for the pits after losing a shift lever. Two more laps and Cook went down hard and left the track for a check-up. Moran still led, but Gariepy finally caught him on the famous Monza wall, and passed him for good.

Fourteen more laps went by and Moran's mechanic noticed that Ed was out ofi shape in the turns and shifting very erratically. Immediately, and wisely, the mechanic called him in, and not a moment too soon for just as Moran pulled into the pits he slumped off his machine and passed out from heat exhaustion. His alert tuner had averted a possible tragedy by his quick thinking and concern for his rider.

As the race neared its conclusion it was Gariepy, Nagorski and Robert Winters (Matchless) and each held his position until the finish.

The novice riders put up a fine run for the money and brought the crowd to its feet quite a few times. Torello Tacchi (Ducati) led Richard Yeager and Kenny Stephens (both H-Ds) to the wire. •