Motocross, Madness And Money

MOTOCROSS, MADNESS AND MONEY

Twenty-five thousand spectators sat in the stands for Daytona's Saturday events, the lightweight road race and a $24,000 Invitational Motocross. Whoever they came to see, there was no doubt about what excited them the most after it was all over. Seems as though Gary Bailey laid out a mean, nasty course for the dirt throwers, and this is what really got the crowd roaring. Truly, the sight of some of the top motocrossers anywhere leaping skyward over stacked mounds of earth, dropping into ditches and barreling 40 abreast into a turn with room for only one, was the exact cure for their appetite. Both Open and 250 classes had their better moments, and no one was surprised to see World Champion Roger

DeCoster take overall honors in the former, on his Suzuki, and Pierre Karsmakers, the latter, on a Yamaha. What did surprise were the performances turned in by Honda's Rex Staten on a 370 factory Elsinore and Buck Murphy's inspiring ride on a 250 Penton. In any case, you can bet that next year the MXers at Daytona will have even more of a following.

RESULTS