Racing Review
RACING REVIEW
YAMAHA GOLD CUP
The advance publicity read, “The First Iron-Horse Races Ever At Roosevelt Raceway,” and that’s what 21,000 eager New Yorkers came to see. When it was all over they saw ex-Canadian Dave Sehl, aboard a factory Harley XR, ride to a smooth, determined 1st place.
Harley-Davidson cleaned up at the Yamaha-sponsored race, with 2nd-place Larry Darr and 3rd-place Rex Beauchamp. After winning two of the three 10-lap heat races with Keith Mashburn and Jim Odom, Yamaha came to grief in the main when Mashburn spilled early and Odom lunched an engine. Keith, incidentally, would have picked up an extra $400 by remounting and thereby finishing ahead of Odom, but instead sat on the fence and watched the Harleys go by.
Speaking of Harley-Davidson, Michigan’s Bart Markel was back on his old form-wide open and sideways-when his 750 XR breathed its last while leading the second heat race. The heat was then won by Odom. Larry Darr ran away with the first heat after early leader Larry Palmgren settled back to 3rd behind Rex Beauchamp.
Junior heats were won in the followthe-leader fashion by Moe Frasier and Herbert Potts. Novice heats went to Yamaha-mounted Don Hedgeroth and Gary Deel (Bultaco). But it was Steve Hannagan, on a very rapid Bultaco, who jumped into the turn first and was never headed, although Hedgeroth nipped at his heels the entire 10 laps. Bultaco was 3rd with Tom Blanchet, and Alan Bell brought his Ossa in for 4th spot.
Gary Nixon-sponsored Jim Weinert was put on the penalty line for jumping the starter’s flag. But by virtue of a number of wide-open laps, he had worked his way up to 2nd behind Canadian Moe Frasier. Former motocross champion Weinert was still gaining when Frasier’s Triumph expired, giving Weinert the win and letting Herb Potts in for 2nd. Dave Knowles (BSA), Mike Checkley (BSA) and John Texter (H-D) filled out the top five.
A six-lap trophy dash that served to whet the appetite of the crowd was won by Sehl’s Harley-Davidson over Mashburn, Cal Rayborn and Jody Nicholas. Intermission entertainment was provided by young Steve Droste of Ohio. Steve did a few wheelies and some trick riding before jumping seven full-size cars on his Yamaha 360 MX, then landing flat on the ground instead of using a landing ramp.
In their choice of a new race track, Don Brymer’s Trojan Enterprises and Madison Square Garden couldn’t have picked a better place. Roosevelt Raceway is a trotter track that has about a 3-in. cushion of finely crushed granite over a pure rubber base. After a few laps of practice the surface was blasted to the outside, leaving the rubber base with just enough dust on it so that full-lock slides were the only way around-all without any ruts or bumps.
The 20-lap Gold Cup final stormed into the first turn with two Yamahas, four Harleys, two Nortons, three Triumphs and the lone BSA of Royal Sherbet jockeying for the lead position. The Norton of Jody Nicholas was the first to go, with oil pouring from places that hadn’t been places before. Mashburn then slid out. Gary Fisher’s Triumph went sour, as did Odom’s Yamaha. All the while Larry Palmgren and Gene Romero were thinking of bothering the three leading Harleys of Sehl, Darr and Beauchamp, but they never got up to do it.
YAMAHA GOLD CUP RESULTS
MURRAY GOES 8.87/174.75 MPH
Boris Murray came to Bowling Green, Ky. for the NHRA National Motorcycle Championships sporting a new roadrace fairing and a little aluminum plaque on his twin-Triumph fueler. That little aluminum plaque has hammered into its middle a prophetic message: “This Bike turns speeds others dream of.”
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As the first of two days of drag racing at Beech Bend International Raceway got under way, that message was read by many people. For the many that believe that the medium is the message, Murray’s fantastic opening shot at a new A-Fuel record demonstrated that the plaque belonged on the bike. The numbers came up on the clocks quick and direct, not knowing the 8.87 time and 174.08 speed held such significance in the minds and hearts of racers and fans alike.
Murray’s run not only surpassed his own record speed mark of 166.35 mph set at the 1970 meet, it also hit hard on the e.t. record of 9.14 sec. held by Dave Campos of Albuquerque, N.M. (Joe Smith’s 8.97-sec. ride at Bakersfield was not an official record.)
What really impressed everyone at Bowling Green, though, was the ease in which Murray had gone quicker than ever recorded! The first attempt at a backup run yielded a “wheelie” about a hundred feet off the line, causing Murray to ease off a bit. Tightening up again, he hit the traps with an off-pace, 9-sec. run. A later attempt backed up the record with an 8.89-sec. elapsed time, and the speed reading rolled on up to 174.75 mph for a new national speed record for unlimited fuel drag bikes.
With Boris Murray setting the pace in top fuel, betting against him would seem futile. But drag racing being the unpredictable activity it sometimes is, no one was willing to concede the eliminator titles.
Top Fuel action opened with Murray against Eddie Knight of Haledon, N.J. on a Harley-Davidson. Knight, qualifying with a 9.46 e.t., was completely outclassed as Murray unleashed his fueler and turned a tremendous 8.91, 174.41 mph run.
Joe Smith, in at 9.18 sec. with a spare motor, ousted Jim Preisler of Minneapolis via a foul start. Smith motored to a 9.29 at 145.39 on the winning side.
Deposed recordholder Dave Campos, in with a 9.16-sec. qualifying run, turned in a 9.2l-sec. time to send Leo Payne of Maywood, Calif, to the trailer. Payne (H-D) had an off-pace 9.84-sec. run.
The concluding race pitted Larry Welch of Cheverly, Md. against Boh Abels. Fourth in the qualifying action with a 9.27 e.t. on Sonny Routt’s twin-Triumph, Welch clocked 9.1 5 sec. at l 62.74 mph for the win over Abels. Abels, also riding a Harley, went home with a 9.59, 142.40 time slip.
The second round had Murray scheduled against Smith, but the race never came off as Smith damaged his spare motor during a tire burning session at the back bumper of his truck. Murray soloed at 9.47 sec., with a speed of 172.74 mph for a shot at the top fuel title.
The remaining semifinal battle paired Campos against Welch with Welch gaining the win as Campos drew a foul at the start of a 9.1 8, 157.89 mph pass. Welch clocked 9.13 sec. at 158.17, setting the stage for the title run.
The final. How do you beat a man and a machine like Murray and his Triumph? Most would say you won’t. If you are Larry Welch, you start by going down on foot to search the starting line for a good place to toe up to the challenge.
After three “eights” and four runs over 172 mph, you begin to think Murray has all the “bulletproof” parts and pieces it takes to grab all the marbles. All of them except one. As the Christmas tree blinked “green,” Murray had the drive chain snap about a foot off the line, giving Welch the title with a 9.34, l 56.52 mph pass. A hard way to lose after practically writing his own recordbook, but as Murray said, “That’s racing.”
