100 Lap Ascot Tt Grand Prix
100 LAP ASCOT TT GRAND PRIX
Dick Hammer had it in the bag, but Mulder closed the string.
CONSISTENT WINNER at local AMA events, Eddie Mulder capped an impressive winning streak at the 6th running of the Ascot Park 100 lap TT (formerly called the Jimmy Phillips Memorial). Dick Hammer appeared to be star of the day from the drop of the flag when he took the lead of the 33 man field. No one even got near him for 70 laps, he lapped almost the entire field, only to have his primary chain break, taking him out. Skip Van Leeuwen took the lead at that point, with Mulder snugly behind him, receiving frantic signals from his pit that took him closer to Van Leeuwen. Van Leeuwen got blocked by some rider run ning about three laps behind, who would not move over, until Jack O'Brien set him straight, allowing Van Leeuwen by and putting distance between him and Mulder. Failing brakes caused a spill though, drop ping Van Leeuwen back to a finish in sixth spot.
F'erennial tavorite Dick Dorresteyn finished half a lap behind Mulder in sec ond place, he still holds the record for the event. Jack Simmons on a Norton fin ished third, despite problems with his skid shoe flopping around in the last half of the race, slowing him up a bit. Five riders crashed at the first lap on turn three in a tangled mess, and one of the flagmen got tossed by a Harley when helping the fallen Mert Lawwill after a spill on the North turn.
Amateur Don Stover was among three that made the main show; he finished eighth. Ascot's TT track had been short ened for the novice event, in the form of a new, special section. More twists and turns are offered in the Novice events now, improving things quite a bit. Bul taco mounted John Sprague won the event in grand style, Dan Reed's Royal Enfield was second. Mert Lawwill, Sid Payne and Guy Louis qualified for and ran the semi-main, fighting for the three remain ing places on the start for the 100 lapper. Payne had to fight his way through traf fic, passing Louis on last lap, to make it.
