Roeder Romps At Heidelberg

ROEDER ROMPS AT HEIDELBERG

JERRY WEST

George Roeder, the Flying Farmer from Monroeville, Ohio, grabbed 58 National points and the 15-Mile National crown at Heidelberg (Pa.) Raceway’s sweeping halfmile track, astride his Berndt-tuned #94 Harley-Davidson. Roeder, who finished last the day before in the 12-Mile National at Hagerstown, Maryland due to a lost steel shoe when Gary Nixon inadvertently rode over his left foot, set the fastest time trial of the day — 24.11 seconds. Carroll Resweber still holds the track record at 23.62, set in 1959.

The first expert heat was won by Everett Brashear (BSA) with a ten-lap time of 4 minutes, 6.09 seconds. Bart Markel (H-D) took the second, in 4:06.03. The third heat was a thriller all the way, and the outcome was in doubt right down to the final turn. Ronnie Rail (H-D) led for

9-3/4 laps, but Mr. Roeder came through at the last possible moment, taking both Rail and the checkered flag with a time of 4:06.71.

With this the National was set. Markel loomed as the favorite, having pushed his No. 4 Harley to wins in the 5-Mile and 12-Mile Nationals so far this season. He got a beautiful jump on the field and into the first turn, followed by the rest of the pack. At the end of lap one it was Markel, Roeder, Tony Murguia, Roger Reiman and Brashear. Roeder was pressing Markel hard and. on lap four, took him. Then it was Markel’s turn to do the chasing, and this he did until the sixteenth time around, when he roared into the lead once more. Reiman had slipped past Murguia on lap seven for third place; Dick Hammer (H-D) and National Number 1 Dick Mann (BSA) passed Brashear and assumed fifth and sixth slots respectively.

Markel led until the 21st lap when his machine unexpectedly coughed blue smoke and expired, sending Roeder to the front, followed by Reiman, Murguia, Hammer, Mann and Rail. On the 23rd lap Hammer and Mann took Murguia. Next time around Mann got by Hammer for third, but Murguia wasn’t out of it yet. With renewed vigor, Tony scooted past Hammer on the 25th, and Mann on the 27th.

While all this action was going on, Roeder was still way out in front — and there he remained, alone. When starter Red Mosser dropped the checkered flag after 32 laps it was Roeder, Reiman, Mann, Hammer, Rail, Larry Palmgren (H-D), Brashear, Mike Powell (H-D), Babe De May (H-D), Markel and Don Kiger (BSA).

Close amateur contention thrilled the 8,200 spectators in both the heats and the final. Preliminary events were taken by Norbert Rail (BSA), Gary Hall (H-D) and Dave Stout (H-D). The feature developed into a four-way go between the heat race winners and Ted Heil ( H-D), who finished second in the fastest heat. This hard-riding quartet brought the fans to their feet several times with their hot and heavy battle. Stout finally got the lead, only to lose it on the fifth lap to Hall, who couldn’t be caught during the remaining eleven tours. He was followed home by Heil, Stout, Rail, William Lloyd (Triumph), Tom Scharlow (H-D), John Zwerican (H-D), Roger Rouillard (BSA) and Bob Sholly (Triumph). •