Race Watch
RACE WATCH
Husqvarna Sweeps Baja, the Chase Gets Closer and The Sorcerer Breaks a Chain
BAJA 500 TO HUSKY
Old racing proverb: The team with all preparations taken care of before the start, the team with time to shine the chrome while the others assemble their engines, is the team that’s gonna win.
Team Husky arrived at the Baja 500 with the cleanest, neatest, best-running collection of 390CRs ever to brighten a race. Team Manager/tuner Dean Goldsmith had every bit on every bike honed to perfection.
Away roared the field of 85 bikes plus cars and trucks and 8:32:15.2 later, 18 minutes quicker than his winning time the previous year, Larry Roeseler crossed the finish line. One minute later, in came Brent Wallingsford. Fifteen minutes after that was A.C. Bakken, giving Husky a 1-2-3 finish overall and in the open motorcycle class. Surely the most convincing victory the Baja series has ever seen.
The teams of Roeseler/Jack Johnson, Wallingsford/Scott Harden and Bakken/ Bob Ruttenrode what were basically stock 390CRs, naturally carefully tuned and prepped. There were no mechanical troubles as such, although Roseler/Johnson had to change two wheels and Bakken/Rutten had one flat. Wallingsford brushed, well, maybe bounced, against a wandering cow and went down briefly.
The 250 class was won by Bruce Ogilvie, solo. Ogilvie usually teams with Rutten, who was riding for Husky this time. So Ogilvie rolled out his experienced H-D and rode the entire course by himself, resting only when his pit crew was patching a flat tire. The rear brakes disappeared 30 miles from the finish but Bruce didn’t worry about that. His devotion was rewarded. Seems the H-D people hadn’t been giving Ogilvie full backing. So impressed were they with his determination that they’ve loaned Ogilvie a shopful of new and practice Harleys.
The 125 win went to Mitch Payton and Jeff Kaplan, riding, yes, another Husqvarna. Class 38, which is known as the Oldtimer’s class except to people who are 38 or older, was won by Dick Vick and> John Watkins. Husky, of course. Convincing, no? When the 390CR was introduced the Husqvarna men said they'd changed the suspension to suit desert rac ing. Husqvarna knows what it's doing.
COUTARD DOES IT TWICE
Unshakable Charles Coutard followed up his victory in the U.S. round of the World Trials Championship with another win, this time in Canada.
Coutard and his Bultaco lost only 15 marks. Defending world champion Yrjo Vesterinen, also riding for Bultaco, was six marks behind. Malcolm Rathmell, Montesa, was 3rd. Rathmell is leading the series, but Vesterinen’s good showing moved him two points closer to 1st place. Coutard, whose two American wins are his first this year, is now 5th in the standings.
Don Sweet was the best Yank in the Canadian event, with 5th. Bemie Schreiber, 7th, was the only other U.S. rider in the top 10. Schreiber is still 6th in the series. Next round in the trials championship doesn’t occur until August 28, in Sweden.
THREE SHOTS FOR NUMBER ONE
Kenny Roberts seems to have caught his luck cycle on the upswing. First, the bad news. Kenny had the flu at San Jose and Oklahoma City, then while getting in some practice in a non-championship event, he sprained his thumb and finger in a spill. He missed the AMA half-mile race at Harrington, Delaware and it looked as if he’d never catch defending AMA champion Jay Springsteen or hottest Harley rider Ted Boody. Especially when Boody and Springsteen and their team Harley Davidsons went for the ol’ 1-2 at Harrington.
Then came the Camel/AMA road race at Louden, New Hampshire. Best race of the year, say those who were there and we’ll have a complete report next month. Meanwhile, Roberts had the lead wire to wire and at press time the Camel points race was Roberts, 87; Boody, 80, and Springsteen, 78.
It’s been an uneven season, The Harley crew cleans up on the flat tracks, be they short, half-mile or mile, while Roberts’ Yamaha still isn’t quite up to speed. On the road courses Roberts has only the other road racers, like Gary Nixon and Steve Baker, to worry about. Champ Springsteen is still struggling with the little H-D road racer 250. Every week it’s a different type of racing and every week different faces on the winner’s stand.
