Racing Review
RACING REVIEW
CALIFORNIA INTERNATIONAL GP
While the age old argument whether European riders are better than American counterparts rages on, the American Federation of Motorcyclists is doing something to promote better understanding among enthusiasts. Last year, for the first California International Grand Prix, the AFM lured Dave Simmonds to the event. Dave went on to become 1969 125-cc World Champion. This year we saw the current 250-cc British Champion, Dave Browning.
Browning rode AÍ Godin’s spare 250 Yamaha, which is identical to the one Jody Nicholas rides. Jody not only beat Browning, but he did it by almost a minute, and was closely followed home by young Don Emde and veteran Ron
Grant. While it is true that our boys were on a home track, it also is true that Nicholas spent most of this year in the U.S. Navy. Also, it is possible our riders are better than many people think.
The AFM-sanctioned event was equal to any handlebar rattling on the hard stuff witnessed to date in this country. Some of the top AMA stars weren’t there, but the riders who did compete put on a show that left the spectators with more than enough thrills to compensate for the absence of any additional talent.
The Suzuki team of Ron Grant and Art Baumann was present, bringing along the 500 Twins they have successfully campaigned this past season on the AMA National circuit. Ron finished the
1969 AMA Professional season in 10th place point standings by road racing only. Art recently won the AMA National Championship road race at Sears Point in Northern California. Both Art and Ron attribute their success to racing in AFM and ACA road races.
The Norton stable was out in full force with local stars Jack Simmons, Bill Manley, and George Kerker, with Marty Lunde, American turned British road racer, rounding out the team. BSA service manager Tom Cates brought the dirt track “go everywhere” 750 Rocket Three out in GP road racing trim for AMA star Ralph White. The Triumph camp was manned by a young Texan, Virgil Davenport, who has been tearing up the local events in the Lone Star state. Kawasaki brought along a 500-cc Mach III with a full GP frame for Dave Smith, AMA first year Expert.
The Yamaha brand was well represented by a strong field of private machinery and riders. Jody Nicholas was on hand to give the 250 and 350 GP races a go for independent AÍ Godin. Mel Dinesen of Bakersfield came down with a pair of immaculate Twins for young Don Emde of San Diego. This youngster really has talent, which is no surprise as his father and older brother were both great racers in their day. Jimmy Chen, AFM star, and Canadian Ken Molyneux both were mounted on 350 Yamahas.
AFM stars made up most of the field of over 200 entries. Senior riders such as Dave Scott, Tony Murphy, Steve McLaughlin, Stan and Ken Smith, Rudy Reynosa, Bill Judkins, Scott Autrey, Bill Cleghorn, Steve Froschaver, Gerry Green, George Roche and Rudy Galindo were on hand to try to gain another step up the climb to the top of the road racing ladder. The Juniors, or beginning riders, came prepared to do battle in two events, the Lightweight Junior GP and the Heavyweight Junior GP. The two races were included so that the Novices would have a chance to perform before a large crowd while competing against riders of their own ability and machines of the same size.
First event of the afternoon was the lightweight production race, featuring machines up to 200-cc displacement. Dick Rowll, on a 200 Bultaco, was the winner, followed by Stan Smith (200 Bridgestone), Steve McLaughlin (175 American Eagle) and Ken Smith (175 Bridgestone). The Lightweight Junior GP was next, with 200 cc again the limit. C. Van Breeman emerged the winner on a 200 Suzuki. Two 125 Yamaha Twins were next across, ridden by Elliot Andres and Steve Froschaver, respectively. Fourth went to Walt Garnet on a 125 Honda, while 5th was rounded out by Ed Light on a Yamaha 100 Twin. The second of the Junior events was the Heavyweight GP. This
went to Kelly Evans on a 250 Yamaha. Mike Summers (350 Kawasaki) got 2nd, while Jack Harney (500 Kawasaki), Ron Piccinelli (750 Norton) and Rick Sherer (350 Honda) rounded out the top five.
The first of the Senior GP events was for the tiddlers. Dave Scott, formerly of Scotland and now calling San Francisco home, brought his 50-cc Honda CR 110 in ahead of Rudy Reynosa’s Ital Jet. Bill Cleghorn on another 50-cc Honda pulled a 3rd off ahead of Chris Anderson’s Ital Jet. Tony Murphy picked up 5th on his GP Suzuki. The 175 GP was all Rudy Galindo’s, as he held off Steve Froschaver on a similar 125 Yamaha. Third went to Stan Smith (175 Bridgestone), while Tony Murphy (125 Kawasaki) slipped into 4th ahead of Bob Barker’s 175 Bridgestone.
The 250 International GP was a blast from the drop of the flag. Don Emde pulled into a good lead at the start, followed by Ron Grant and Jody Nicholas. Dave Browning was in 5th. By Lap 3 Jody had pulled by Grant and Emde and was going as if he were still flying a jet for Uncle Sam. The rest of the race was a battle for 2nd between Grant and Emde, with Brown trying to hold off the pursuing field and still stay on the course. Jody continued to stretch his advantage right to the finish, with a 49-sec. lead over Browning. Second was finally clinched by Emde, as he outbraked Grant on the yellow flag lap to slip by. Grant was right on Emde for 3rd, with Bill Judkins taking 5th. All were on Yamahas.
The big iron came next with the Heavyweight Production race thundering away from a Le Mans type start. Bill Manley, on a Norton Commando, slid into the first turn ahead of Virgil Davenport’s Triumph Trident. Jody Nicholas tried to keep the pace with Johnny Kokinos’ BSA Three, but failing brakes allowed “Gorgeous George” Kerker’s Norton to slip into 3rd.
The scrap between the young Davenport and Manley continued at a terrific pace, with neither giving an inch. They
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swapped the lead back and forth until the last lap when Manley let it dangle just a little further, and pulled off the win by a bike length. Kerker steadily brought up 3rd on another Norton Commando, followed by Nicholas in 4th. Fifth and 6th were Gerry Green and Jack Simmons on Norton Commandos, while 7th was Browning, on a BSA Three.
Marty Lunde, who has spent several seasons racing in England, rode Jack Simmons’ high-bar Norton Commando to 9th place. Simmons rode the Commando racer tested by CYCLE WORLD, and just could not adapt to the small small bars and rear-set footpegs. Several times Jack missed shifts and fouled up on braking, as he went too deep into the first tum. The results might have been different if Simmons and Lunde had swapped machines.
The 1000 International GP was the big event of the program, and the fans were well rewarded. Jody Nicholas, riding in his third major event of the day, pulled into the lead on AÍ Godin’s 350 Yamaha. Don Emde was behind on another 350 and Art Baumann was taking it all in from 3rd spot on his 500 Suzuki. Art began to make his play and scraped past young Emde in pursuit of Jody. Art caught and passed Nicholas, but not without a fight from the ex-jet jockey. Jody hung onto Art’s tail, causing Baumann to “lose it” several times trying to shake his relentless pursuer.
The finish found Baumann taking the checkered ahead of Nicholas. Heartbreaker of the race was Jack Simmons, who led the first lap, and was in 3rd during the final laps. Mistaking the flagman’s signal, Jack pulled in thinking the race was over. Don Emde lucked into 3rd ahead of Ralph White in 4th, on the BSA Three. Jim Chen on a 350 Yamaha made the top five.
Final event of the day was for sidecars. These boys are showing increasing skill in handling the three-wheelers, and always put on quite a show. A slight mishap marred the event as the Hondapowered hack of Ridyard and Masella entered Turn 1 with a little too much reverse rudder. The corner flagman in attendance was nonchalantly sitting atop the hay bale the errant vehicle headed for. Throwing his flag in the air, he dove for cover. Too late, he was hit by the sliding sidecar and pitched 10 feet into the air. Fortunately no one was seriously injured, and the race was halted under the black flag. After a restart, the orange Harley-Davidson of Hummer and Gulbransen emerged the victor, followed by Whittaker and Schock on a Triumph-powered rig. Third went to Shorrow and Balestrieri, also Triumph powered.
OHIO INTER-AM
Bengt Aberg, 500-cc world motocross champion, took revenge on teammate Arne Kring at the second leg of the Inter-Am motocross series at Lorain, Ohio. The race, on a track built up with artificial hills to compensate for the flat terrain, drew about 7000 spectators.
Kring, part of the Swedish Husqvarna team and winner of the first Inter-Am at Pepperell, placed 2nd behind the charging Aberg, but difficulties in lap scoring put all subsequent placings, including Kring’s, under protest.
Provisionally, the placings went as follows: 1. Aberg; 2. Kring; 3. Joel
Robert, Belgium (CZ); 4. Torsten Hallman, Sweden (Husqvarna); 5. Christer Hammargren, Sweden (Husqvarna); 6. Ake Jonsson, Sweden (Maico); 7. Dave Bickers, England (CZ); 8. Dave Smith, England (American Eagle); 9. John Desoto, USA (Husqvarna); 10. Gary Bailey, USA (Greeves); 11. Jiri Stodulka, Czechoslovakia (CZ); 12. Glen Vincent, USA (Ossa).
155-MILE NATIONAL
For the third year in a row, the small town of Potosi, Missouri, located about 65 miles from St. Louis, was host of the AMA 155-Mile National Enduro.
As seems to be common in the Midwest, rain played a large part in the event. Rain fell heavily all day Saturday before the run on Sunday, and crews spent the night trying to re-route the course through the swollen streams and rivers. What a tremendous job they did, after fighting such odds, to be able to use even part of the run.
Foul weather began to take its toll early. One hundred riders (of over 500 entries) had dropped out at the first check, only 7.2 miles from the start!
The course used in the morning wound through some of the most beautiful scenery in the country, the foothills of the Ozark Mountains, and the weather was sunny and cool. But, as the day wore on, riders began to shed their extra clothing; the temperature rose to an almost summerlike 75 degrees at noon, 69.2 miles from the start. With the hard part left to run in the afternoon, 94.4 miles, many riders called it a day. Mud and machine became victor over man.
There were 28 different makes of machines represented, with Yamaha having the lion’s share. Illinois had the largest entry list with 137, followed by host Missouri, with 129. Nineteen states were represented. The oldest rider was 57 years old, and the youngest, 16. Enduro riding is a sport for all ages.
If you have never ridden a National Enduro, you can’t imagine the tremendous physical shape these men of the woods have to be in to drag their machines over hill and dale.
There had been talk that enduros are sometimes too rough, but, with the caliber of riders that attend a National, the course must be rough to eliminate some of the riders—or everyone would zero the checks. When you ride a National, you do not expect it to be a road run. Only six riders made their way through the 11 checkpoints back to the Potosi Lions Club grounds to finish the 163.6-mile course. Watches for timing were furnished by the Longine Wittnauer Sports Timing Division of New York.
High point rider of the day, losing only 72 points, was Doug Willford of Amherst, Ohio, on a Penton. (O]
GRAND CHAMPION
Doug Willford, Amherst, Ohio........ Pen CHAMPION OPPOSITE CLASS David Bell, Valparaiso, Ind........... n.a. BANTAMWEIGHT Paul Messick, Tulsa, Okla............Zun LIGHTWEIGHT Richard DeGraw, Jackson, Mich........Tri LT. MEDIUM WEIGHT Clarence Bonifacius, Mt. Vernon, III. . . Yam MEDIUM WEIGHT John Penton, Amherst, Ohio .........Hus BANTAMWEIGHT A John Reed, Webster City, Iowa .......Hon BANTAMWEIGHT B Lawrence Autenrieth, Alton, III.......Sac LIGHTWEIGHT A Donald Bingham, Bloomington, Ind. . . Yam LIGHTWEIGHT B John Hedges, Martensville, Ind....... Yam MEDIUM WEIGHT A Norman Ford, Pott Gibson, III........Hus MEDIUM WEIGHT B Jim Bauer, Belleville, III.............Hus LT MEDIUM WEIGHT A John Buffaloe, Bloomington, Ind.....Yam LT. MEDIUM WEIGHT B Joseph Balogh, Hillsdale, Mich........ Bui SENIOR CLASS Ralph Griffin, Prinston, Ky......... Yam POWDER PUFF Karol DeGraw, Jackson, Mich.........Tri
FIM GP CALENDAR
The FIM has announced its 1970 calendar for world championship points events in motocross and road racing:
DATE ROAD RACE 250 MOTOCROSS 500 MOTOCROSS April 12 Spain Switzerland April 19 France Austria April 26 West Germany Belgium May 3 The Netherlands May 10 Yugoslavia France May 17 France May 24 Italy May 25 Finland May 31 Russia Sweden June 6 Isle of Man TT (6-12) Poland June 14 Czechoslovakia June 21 Russia June 28 The Netherlands (27) Great Britain July 5 Belgium July 12 East Germany West Germany July 19 Czechoslovakia July 26 East Germany Aug. 2 Finland (1-2) Belgium Aug. 9 Finland Luxembourg Aug. 15 Ulster (Ireland) Aug. 23 East Germany Aug. 30 Yugoslavia Switzerland Sept. 6 Italy Sept. 13 Sweden: Trophée des Nations Sept. 20 Italy: Motocross des Nations Oct. 4 Austria Oct. 18 Spain
