Ama Nationals: Loudon
AMA Nationals: Loudon
IVAN J. WAGAR
SECOND IN the AMA National Championship road race series, Loudon, or Laconia as it still is called by thousands of race fans, proved one thing beyond a doubt: Calvin Rayborn’s Daytona runaway win was no fluke. From practice times at Loudon, it was apparent that Calvin and his super sleek Harley-Davidson factory racer was the team to beat. Skeptics openly stated that Rayborn was fine at Daytona, a horsepower circuit, but on the twisty little Loudon course he would be put down. What was overlooked in this seemingly sage opinion is that Calvin Rayborn is probably the finest road race rider the U.S. has produced in the history of two-wheeled racing. Further, his mount is in the category of raceware normally reserved for Continental factory machines.
As the pack roared off to start the 100-mile Championship, Calvin simply peeled off later, and harder, than the half-dozen riders in front of him for the fast, left-hand first turn.
Exiting in the lead, the San Diego charger pulled away from the field at a steady, never faltering pace. At the end of the first lap, Rayborn led from Nixon, Markel and Lawwill, but on the next tour the leader had pulled out 5 sec. on National Champion Nixon.
From the end of Lap 2 there was little doubt about the outcome. Providing Calvin could keep the thing on its wheels, the race was in the bag, and Rayborn is not the sort to do something stupid with the National Championship at stake. The only rider in the entire field lapping near Rayborn’s time was Y von du Hamel, who rocketed by the front runners to put his 350 Yamaha in 3rd place at the end of Lap 8. Two laps later, he forced past Nixon to take over 2nd. Meanwhile, Jody Nicholas was recovering from a slow start and had slipped into 10th spot, two places behind a good duel between Dick Mann and Skip Van Leeuwen.
By Lap 15 there was a scintillating scrap going on behind Nixon for 4th place. No less than six riders were leaning on one another, with no one giving an inch. The sextet was comprised of such names as Dick Hammer, Jody Nicholas, Dick Mann, Ron Grant, Mert Lawwill and Bart Markel, none of whom are noted for their generosity in a turn. Eventually Hammer crashed his Triumph, and du Hamel limped into the pits with his Yamaha completely off song, but not before he had lapped Roger Reiman and Dan Haaby, both on factory Harleys.
Up front, everything was going smoothly for Rayborn, except, of course, for the usual death defying chore of lapping some of the AMA Experts, who insist on riding Nationals, whether they are road racers or not. At half-distance Calvin had lapped some riders four times. Baumann, who had lost several laps at the start, as mechanics replaced a broken front brake cable, lost his 350 Yamaha at near 100 mph because a rider he was lapping drove across the road as Baumann was passing.
(Continued on page 112)
l or the final six laps Rayborn made strange signals to his pits. Later it was learned that he had a sore hand, and simply wanted to know how many laps remained. At that point, however. Cal had lapped all but 2nd and 3rd place men, and his pit crew already had abandoned the signal board.
The biggest ovation from the 25,000 fans came to Jody Nicholas and Dick Mann. In fact, so popular was Mann’s 4th place, on the Daytona BSA, that he was forced to join the first three finishers at the finish line. Nicholas, who had been given one of the 350s at the last minute, came through to save the day for Yamaha with a 3rd place. Nixon rode a good steady race, finishing 11 sec. in front of Nicholas, but a long way down on Rayborn. The Loudon win puts Rayborn back in the lead for National Championship points. Indianapolis is the remaining road race on the AMA calendar which Calvin is sure to win. Last year, Rayborn won Indianapolis on a prototype of this year’s machine. This year he has better handling, brakes and engine.
The Amateur/Expert combined 250 race was everything a true race is supposed to be, as factory Yamaha riders Duff, Baumann and Nixon battled with standard TD1 riders Nicholas and du Hamel; the rapid Suzuki trio of Grant, Rayborn and Winters; and the now competitive team of I niton and White, on Kawasakis. These totaled 10 riders on three different brands-all of them capable of winning. from the start it was du Hamel, followed closely by Nicholas and Rayborn. Kawasaki hopes were frustrated at the end of Lap 2. when Walt Lulton crashed heavily into the steel guard rail as he accelerated from the last turn. At half-distance, teammate White executed the identical maneuver at exactly the same place.
By Lap 3, Nixon had climbed from 8th place to 3rd. Three laps later he held the lead and appeared capable of getting the job done. Youthful Ron Pierce was the first Amateur, in 8th place. On Lap 7, Duff and Baumann both passed Grant to take 5th spot behind Ray born, who was giving his Suzuki the hardest ride of its life.
Then drama unfolded on Lap 16, as Nixon slowed by 3 sec. in one lap. This was all the margin du Hamel needed to take the lead. A lap later. Nicholas passed Nixon, and Baumann was challenging Nicholas. Next time around Baumann led du Hamel and NixonNicholas had crashed-and a lap later, Nixon pulled into his pit. Duff, who had been engaged in a good scrap with Rayborn, passed du Hamel at half-distance, and for the remainder of the race the front three places did not alter. Baumann, in his first Expert year, appeared more a seasoned veteran during his well calculated, cool-headed ride.
Ron Pierce shook up the troops in the Amateur big bike race, when he romped home in the lead on an ordinary, out-of-the box TD1 Yamaha. In addition to being disrespectful, riding a 250 in an AMA big bike race is quite illegal, and several hours after the race it was decided that the first three machines should be measured. Normally, engines are measured immediately after the race, and fellow competitors have an hour to lodge protests against any motorcycle in the event.
I or some reason engines were not stripped at the conclusion of the Amateur race, but three hours later, without an official protest from another rider, the first three finishers were called in for a teardown. Pierce, who was still standing around, was nabbed in the almost perfect crime. George Rockett, who rode a 350 Ducati, on the other hand, had waited the prescribed hour and departed.
With Pierce out of the final results, victory went to Harley-Davidson rider Art Ninci. Rockett picked up 2nd spot for his very consistent effort on the Ducati. Mike Sponseller of Phoenix, Md., made an excellent showing. He led the race for a time on his 500 Triumph.
The Novice 250 race was a repeat of the Hollingsworth/Libby battle at Daytona. Hollingsworth’s Harley-Davidson Sprint is probably the fastest example of the little pushrod Single ever raced in this country, and, coupled with the talents of the young f lorida college student, Novice road race opposition has a tough row to hoe. Libby, though, is a very aggressive rider who displays a great deal of talent for a Novice class rider.
Third rider in the action-packed final was Yamaha-mounted David Townsley who, from the drop of the Hag, started a battle royal with Hollingsworth. Moving up through the pack after a bad start, Libby screamed his Yamaha into the lead on Lap 6. A lap later, however, he was down to mid-field after a spill that cost him a valuable 24 sec. At the halfway mark, Libby liad reduced the gap to II sec., and, with a tremendous burst of speed, he pulled back the lead in just three laps. But just as he passed Hollingsworth, he crashed for the second time, damaging the machine and losing 3 sec. a lap to the leader. Townsley had dropped back, and Hollingsworth cruised for his second AMA National road race victory for 1968.
AMA 100-MILE NATIONAL
