Race of the Year

RACE OF THE YEAR

It Was Roberts Pulling Ahead, But Pulling Ahead Isn't Always Enough

Bob Atkinson

FORTY LAPS. Fifty-four miles. The best racing motorcycles in the world. And a front row that would attract any fan, anywhere in the world...a front row that in part consisted of current 500cc World Champion Phil Read, 14-time World Champion Giacomo Agostini, two-time U.S. Grand National Champion Kenny Roberts, and British Formula 750 Champion Barry Sheene. That was the setting for the Race Of The Year at Mallory Park.

It could have been anyone’s race, really. Mallory is that kind of track. It’s scarcely more than a mile in length and it’s demanding at any given point. Consequently, the perfect ride does

not exist there. Mistakes are rather common. Passing is usually continuous. And the English are treated constantly to something we experience very seldom in American road racingexcitement!

When the flag dropped, no one was disappointed. Ago (700 Yamaha Four) smoked everyone off the line and was followed into a right hander called Gerards by Roberts, Read, and Sheene.

Passing then commenced. As they exited Gerards, Read powered his 500 MV Four around Roberts for 2nd, and before anyone could get used to that, Sheene slipped by the one American for 3rd.

With the race only three laps old, Read and Sheene (750 Suzuki Three) got by Ago and that got the crowd on its feet.

Now Roberts (700 Yamaha Four), as anyone who knows him can attest, does not really like to run 4th, so he did something about it in a way only Roberts can. He passed Ago and caught Sheene in one lap. Then on the next, he swooped by the Cockney Whizz Kid in the esses and out gunned Read on the short straight leading into Devil’s Elbow, a treacherous downhill left.

Roberts took every inch of track down Devil’s Elbow, his Yamaha wobbling slightly, then exited from sight. He flat pulled away and there wasn’t anything anybody could do about it.

The distance increased and Roberts looked to be the winner until a tank slapper in the esses almost pitched him off. “The back end came right around,’' said Roberts. “At first I thought that I’d hit a wet patch (it had been raining earlier) that I hadn’t noticed. Then I realized it was the tire.” With Roberts’ rain tires gone, Sheene, who had Read in tow, motored by.

Ago was having troubles, as well. His engine refused to wind all the way out. And that isn’t exactly what you need when you’re going at it with Read’s MV teammate Franco Bonera.

It was a good dice, but a short-lived one. Ago went wide going into the hairpin to lap Martin Sharpe and Bonera tried to squeeze by. It almost worked, but Bonera hit the wall and crashed.

Bonera’s crash left Ago in 4th, but slowing. A couple of laps later he pulled off with an overheated engine. Roberts held on a bit longer in 3rd, then his tire gave up.

As for Sheene, he began to pull away. The balancing weights had fallen off Read’s front wheel, forcing a more sedate pace and that yielded the precise advantage he needed to win.

RESULTS