Inter-Am Finale

inter-am finale

Kring & Husqvarna Wrap Up The Championship At Saddleback

ARNE KRING of Sweden emerged as overall winner of the Inter-Am motocross series, as a result of his victory at the Saddleback Park finale.

The Husqvarna rider had been running fairly closely with 500-cc world champion Bengt Aberg, his teammate. As Arne had ridden and won a midsummer international event at Saddleback, his familiarity with the course may have given him the edge on Aberg, who was seeing the fast, hilly California circuit for the first time.

Kring established his authority from the beginning of the first heat, heading a dervish horde of international and American riders as they exploded up the starting hill, turned left and carommed would in 40-foot turn bounds some enduro down riders a hill green. that His superiority on this downhill testimonial to the fact that winning motocross is often based on a rider’s ability to stay on his machine in impossible circumstances was the deciding factor in the last heat, too, when he battled with Maico rider Ake Jonsson and passed him there.

The Saddleback event was a 1-2-3 sweep for the well staffed Husqvarna team, with Bengt Aberg and Hakan Andersson following Kring in the resuits. Scotsman Vic Allan, a remarkably steady rider, broke into the first five overall after spending the day battling with American Fagle’s Dave Smith, Jonsson, Andersson, and CZ’s Jiri Stodtrip ulka. to Jonsson, the weeds, who took still an placed unexpected 5th overall. Dave Bickers, who momentarily led the third moto on his CZ, didn’t appear in the overall placings; an ignition failure gave him a dnt in the tirst moto. Another top contender, torsten Hallman, the Swede who started this whole international invasion a few years ago, was also dnt alter the rear hub broke on his Husky during the second moto. Joel Robert, 250-cc world champion on a CZ, didn’t even make the start, having returned to Furope to take care of a lingering back injury,

l op American rider ot the day was Bill Silverthorn who placed 10th on his Husqvarna ahead ot Bob Grossi (Husqvarna), l im Hart (Montesa), Mark Blackwell (CZ), Russ Darnell (Husq varna) and Gary Bailey (Greeves). The unofficial high placing American of the series was Easterner Barry Higgins (CZ), who was off-form for the Saddleback finale and could manage only a 16th place behind Bailey.

UNOFFICIAL SERIES RESULTS

1. Arne Kring, Sweden ........Husqvarna

2. Ake Jonsson, Sweden ...... Maico

3. Bengt Aberg, Sweden .......Husqvarna

4. Jiri Stodulka, Czechoslovakia .......CZ

5. Torsten Hallman, Sweden .... Husqvarna

6. Dave Bickers, England .............CZ

7. Vic Allan, Scotland ...........Greeves

8. Christer Hammargren, Sweden Husqvarna

8. (tie) Hakan Andersson, Sweden Husqvarna

9. Roger de Coster, Belgium ..........CZ

SADDLEBACK RESULTS

1. Arne Kring

2. Bengt Aberg

3. Hakan Andersson

4. Vic Allan

5. Ake Jonsson

6. Jiri Stodulka

7. Roger de Coster

8. Lars Larson, Calif.(via Sweden) Husqvarna

9. Ray Jordan, England . . . American Eagle

10. Bill Silverthorn, California . . . Husqvarna