Competition Etcetera
COMPETITION ETCETERA
RANDY RIGGS
U.S. MOTOCROSS G.P.
On July 14, 1974, the World Motocross Championship becomes “World” in the full sense of the word, when the giants of this sport, who are predominantly European, travel to the United States for the second United States Grand Prix to be held at Carlsbad, California.
This year’s World Championship is determined from 11 G.P. races in Europe, with rounds in Austria, France, Italy, Czechoslovakia, West Germany, Britain, America, Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg. After a two-year apprenticeship of running a G.P. with no World points, the U.S. came of age last year with its first points-paying Grand Prix, which was won by Willi Bauer of West Germany.
Sponsored by Hang Ten, the makers of sports clothing, the U.S. Grand Prix means more to America than just being a World Championship event. It is the only G.P. in which American riders can do battle against the Europeans on their own ground; and it somewhat improves their chances of a win in front of th^: home crowd. ^B
The race also means more to the participating factory teams than any one individual G.P. Since they spend fortunes on G.P. racing to sell dirt bikes in America, a win in -this event could be of almost as much value as winning the World Championship itself. Commented Rod Gould, race manager of the Yamaha team based in Holland, “We are racing with Europeans in Europe in order to sell bikes in America. This one race at Carlsbad means a lot to us and we are coming over in force.”
In this competitive age, motocross riders are among the highest paid twowheeled athletes in the world, with such stars as Ake Jonsson of Sweden and current World Champ, Roger DeCoster of Belgium, being paid annual retainers of close to $100,000. Much money, talent and effort hangs in the balanc^^ With the race being filmed by ABC Wif^P World of Sports, the winner is going to be acclaimed across the nation by nea^^ 20 million people.
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Although many thinly-veiled “World Championship” events (that are not truly international) get a lot of coverage in the national press, the Hang Ten U.S. Grand Prix is probably the biggest international event in the U.S.
At last year’s Grand Prix, riders from 13 nations competed. This year the competitors will travel from Britain, where the British Grand Prix takes place the weekend before, and then will return for the next race in the World Championship series, which takes place in Holland.
Such names as Roger DeCoster, Ake Jonsson, and Heikki Mikkola of Finland, will be joined by top riders from Czechoslovakia, France and England; and perhaps this year the Russians will come also.
The Carlsbad race track is regarded one of the best in the United States and well up to the more demanding European tracks. However, this year the track will be lengthened to bring it more in line with the length of its European counterparts. After the Grand Prix last year, Charles Dillen of Switzerland, the F.EM. representative, said that the Hang Ten United States Motocross Grand Prix was the best organized Grand Prix he had ever attended. He congratulated everyone involved and commented on the high standards of safety precautions.
The international stars will practice on Saturday, and the World Championship Grand Prix will be determined on aggregate performance over two grueling 45-minute races on Sunday. There will be supporting national races and an air show. 35,000 people attended the Grand Prix last year and it is anticipateíá^ that this year even more will attend.
Rolf Tiblin, two-time World Motocross Champion, who is originally from Sweden but now lives in America, is advising on the lengthening of the track. Of motocross racing, he says, “This is the toughest athletic sport in the world, and when World Championship points are at stake, you will see the fittest men in the world ride like you will never see them ride at any other time.” Rolf is also in charge of the Husqvarna motocross school and training program so he should know!
500CC WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUNDS
April 21 Austria May 5 France May 26 Italy June 3 Denmark June 9 Czechoslovakia June 1 6 West German^ July 7 Britain
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July 14 United States July 28 Holland August 4 Belgium August 11 Luxembourg
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Sat., July 13 Practice and time trials Sun., July 14 U.S. Grand Prix Gates open 7 a.m. Racing at Noon
INFORMATION
Promotion & Racing Gerard McCaffrey Trippe, Cox Associates 19531 Airport Way So. Santa Ana, Ca. 92707 (714) 979-8761
Hotel Accommodations and Camping Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 597 Carlsbad, Ca. 92008 (714) 729-5924
THE SUPERBOWL IS COMING
The Superbowl of Motocross is returning to the Los Angeles Coliseum June 22, 8 p.m. and it looks like it’s going to be an even better show than last year’s event. Here’s the skinny. The event has been changed to an invitational this year and the field has been reduced to 20 international stars to upgrade the event and to cut track congestion. The plan is for a true American vs. foreign team motocross, and the perpetual trophy, won by the Europeans in 1973, will be re-awarded. Scoring will be refined by using the reverse Olympic system, with an equalizing factor if one team should go into any moto with fewer members, i.e., if the Americans finished 1st (10 points), 3rd (8 points), and 5th (six points) and if the Europeans were 2nd (9 points), 4th (six points), and 6th (five points), the score would be 42 to 20 in favor of the Americans in that moto. Points will be awarded 10 places back. There will be three 25-minute international motos and three 15-minute support motos to provide the maximum possible excitement. To provide further aid in this area, the track is being lengthened slightly. That’s about it for the race, but there is one final twist. There will be a special package ticket that includes bus transportation to the Coliseum. Information on this will be available when tickets go on sale May 20 at Liberty, Mutual, Ticketron, or right at the Coliseum. [O
Old motorcycles never die, they just become classics.
