Racing Review
Racing Review
D. RANDY RIGGS
A NEW NUMBER ONE
Ken Roberts is the new AMA Grand National Champion, and will carry the much sought after Number One Plate in 1974. Roberts is the first rider to win the championship using only Japanese equipment, a fact that no doubt has the Yamaha people walking around with their thumbs under their armpits.
Ken snagged the title at the Atlanta Mile National, when the event was stopped due to poor track conditions on the 4th lap of the final. The dust was so bad that Mert Lawwill and others simply pulled off the track and refused to go any farther. Finishing positions were paid in the order of the last completed lap, but no national points were awarded. With no replacement for the cancelled event, it became mathematically impossible for 2nd place Triumph rider Gary Scott to catch Roberts in points, even if Roberts elected to sit out the remaining events and Scott won each and every one.
Ironically, the championship was decided at the same track last year, when the same Gary Scott was chasing Mark Brelsford for the title. And, like last year, no one really knew for sure whether or not Number One had been decided; there was no champagne, no celebration...only question in the air.
Though circumstances were strained this time because of the interrupted event, the AMA would have no doubt missed the boat, anyway, just as they did last year. What is so hard about knowing when the champion becomes the champion? They knew at Sacramento in 1970, they knew at Ontario in 1971. Why have they now “blown it” two years in a row?
Regardless, Roberts is the new and much deserving Number One. His talent on any type of race course beams, and there is no reason why Ken can’t repeat the title in the future. Much credit must also be given to the Yamaha Racing Team, which is under the direction of a very capable Ken Clark. The team demonstrated at every event, a thoroughness of preparation and organization that was not to be approached by any other group. Shell Thuitt and Kel Carruthers handled machine preparation for the dirt tracks and road racing respectively. Neat guys...neat.
DeCOSTER, MAYBE AND BARELY
The final standings in the World Championship 500cc class of motocross are a bit up in the air as this is written. Due to the protested Austrian GP, the points from that event may be disallowed. If so, Willi Bauer and Maico will get the title, but, if the points count, DeCoster wins...for the third time.
POMEROY IS 7th
On the subject of World Championship Motocross, our own Jim Pomeroy wound up 7th in the final placings in the 250 class. That ain’t bad. Hakan Andersson captured the title on a Yamaha, incidently.
HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?
Promoter Mike Goodwin reportedly spent $113,000 on advertising for his Superbowl of Motocross event at the Los Angeles Colosseum, and will probably come close to that figure in promoting a similar race at Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia. Some riders don’t really care for the “Football Field” motocross racing, but the fans love it!
C-Z motocross ace John DeSoto broke his ankle at a CMC race in Carlsbad, Calif., so he’ll be out for a spell. We hope he heals fast.
In case you didn’t know it, HarleyDavidson team rider Rex Beauchamp won his first ever National at Terre Haute. He was due.
Another note on Beauchamp: The night before the Charlotte Road Race National, Rex tangled with several other riders in a non-National half-mile. One of the riders was Dave Aldana, and he actually broke something...his thumb.
The Charlotte event didn’t have much of a crowd, but those who were there got to see Yvon duHamel win his first big one of the season. He was chased by Ken Roberts, Hurley Wilvert, Ron Grant, and Gary Scott, in that order.
T.C. Christenson and Norton won Top Fuel at the AMA/AMDRA National Drag Championships, clocking an 8.837/161.87.
CYCLE WORLD and Saddleback Park will host the very first International Observed Trials to be held in America on Jan. 6, 1974. The best trials riders from all over the world will compete for points going toward the World Championship and FIM Prize.
The eighth round of the FIM trials championship was held in Sweden and was won by Martin Lampkin on a
Bultaco. Mick Andrews, the present title holder, was 2nd on his new Yamaha 250. Either could take the title this time.
Kawasaki has announced intentions of producing a full line of four-stroke motorcycles for the American market. That should make for some interesting racing equipment in the future.
Gordon Farley’s Suzuki trialer weighs 185 lb. dry.
SPEEDWAY CHAMPIONSHIP
BY STEVEN PARKER
Five years ago, a young man named Sonny Nutter was the first winner of the California State Champion speedway title. And for four years after that, Steve Bast walked away with the honors. This year at the Bakersfield, Calif., track, a new name was added to the list.
Mike Bast, younger brother of Steve, took the title with a perfect score of 15 points after five rides against the toughest competition in the sport today. Brother Steve came in 2nd, and Mike Konle finished 3rd.
The 20 events of scratch racing held few surprises, save for U.S. Champion Rick Woods’ failure to place anywhere near the top finishers after falling in two of his races.
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The evening’s exciting moment came when Mike and Steve Bast met in an event, both going into that race with perfect scores of 9. Whichever rider won would have the advantage for the rest of the night. After battling for two laps, and continually bouncing off the walls and each other, the brother act separated and it was Mike who had the lead. Ironically, the only point Steve Bast lost during the entire evening was to his brother.
YORK HILLCLIMB
BY BOYD REYNOLDS
The fastest time of the day in the National Professional Hillclimb at York, Penn., was set by an Indiana “B” rider on a restored Indian, no less.
Larry Smith, of Goshen, turned 5:94 on his first run and then sat back to see who could better him. Fourteen other B riders, the Nation’s top qualifiers for the National, could come no closer than 7:31, almost IV2 seconds slower.
Larry became the 1973 Class B National Hillclimb Champion for professional hillclimbers with machines up to 45 cu. in. capacity. Then the A riders took over the now rutted hill.
Ten thousand spectators massed at the White Rose Motorcycle Club grounds just north of the PennsylvaniaLMaryland border, a short drive from Baltimore. The first step, or plateau in the hill had been increased, a second step put in and 27 feet added to the top of the hill in an effort to slow the fast split second times.
As the A riders went for their first of three attempts, it looked like Carl Wickstrand was to have the best run. Defending champion Glen was off the pace, but Triumph rider Terry Kinzer wasn’t and he beat Wickstrand’s time with 6:23 seconds.
On the next run Wickstrand, dressed in white leathers and also on a Triumph, attacked the hill with such ferocity that, as he went over the top, his machine was head high off the ground and Carl was airborne above that. The crowd roared its approval as the time of 6:18
was called out.
Everyone tried to surpass this clocking, even Wickstrand on his final run, without success. So the Yalesville, Conn., man became the 1973 Class A National Hillclimb Champion. g]
