Indy Road Races
INDY ROAD RACES
Calvin (Rattle-Bang, Rattle-Bang) Wins The National From Yvon, Who (Rattle-Bang,Rattle-Bang) Just Snatches The 250 From Pierce.
IVAN J. WAGAR
ON LEAVE FROM the carrier Hornet after picking up our lunar astronauts, Jody Nicholas, making only his second major race appearance this year, screamed the Al Godin 350 Yamaha to a fastest heat win to take the pole position for the Indianapolis 110-mile National. Pushing Nicholas, until engine failure on the fourth of the five qualifying laps, was former Daytona winner Ralph White, riding the K&N-sponsored 350 Yamaha. White’s retirement let Cal Rayborn into 2nd place behind the flying Navy pilot, Nicholas.
The Triumph Corporation flew in factory tester Percy Tait and his very successful Ken Sprayson-framed special. Overall, the machine is lower and lighter than the regular Triumph racers we are accustomed to at AMA Nationals. Except for magnesium rocker boxes, the engine appears fairly standard on the outside, but twin oil tanks in the fairing and an oil radiator under the seat are a few of the variances from normal racing Triumphs.
Originally the machine was to have been ridden by Gary Nixon, but a crash at the Santa Rosa Mile on the previous weekend sidelined Gary, and Gene Romero inherited the ride. There was some quick paper-shuffling on Sunday morning, as the necessary documents for approval had not previously been received by the AMA office.
Tait, one of England’s top riders for more than 15 years, tried the machine during an exclusive Triumph testing session on Friday, and found the circuit not unlike some of the English venues. The machine is the same one Tait rode to a win at Easter Mallory and a 2nd to Agostini in the Belgian Grand Prix. It was not, however, a match for Chuck Palmgren’s “old” rig, and finally expired while trailing Palmgren in the National.
Ron Grant proved almost a match for Canada’s Yvon du Hamel in the first of the two qualifying heats, as he accelerated his Suzuki away from the grid to win the drag race to the first turn. At the end of the five laps, du Hamel and Grant were less than a second apart, and five seconds up on Reiman and Palmgren.
But it was Rayborn, winner of three road race Nationals this year, who recovered from a practice spill to win and break all records. He also recovered his 2nd place in National point standings. Leader in the points race Mert Lawwill was content to “keep it on its wheels” and hope for a good placing and the valuable points. His 10th place now puts him in good shape for the mile races remaining on the calendar.
As expected, Yvon du Hamel won the 250, but not without a race-long, record-breaking push from young Ron Pierce. The youthful Californian and the veteran Canadian, chased hard by early leader Nicholas, battled inches apart for the full race distance, and displayed world championship caliber racing throughout.
NOVICE 250
Don Emde, the quiet young San Diego Novice, famous for his dirt track accomplishments, served notice at Indy. His father won the Daytona 200 in 1948, and Don plans to do the same, or more, in the near future. Riding an extremely fast Mel Dinesen Yamaha (Mel has never built a slow Yamaha), Emde bested Texan Rusty Bradley (who crashed in the heat race on Lap 1), and Daytona winner Harry Cone, also from Texas, in the final.
Emde’s machine was not one of the latest Daytona-type Yamahas, but the old TD1-C, an early C with the small carbs, and the old B-type chassis. In fact, inspection of the pits showed very few of these now outdated models, further testimony of Mel Dinesen’s ability with the wrenches.
Harley-Davidson ace Hollingsworth dropped his rapid Sprint on the last lap of the first Novice qualifying heat race, and eliminated himself from the final. The aluminum fairing, plus some other major components, could not be repaired in time for the race.
250 AMATEUR/EXPERT
Jody Nicholas came off the line like a rocket ship when the flag fell to start the 250 final. The AÍ Godin Yamaha showed better acceleration and top speed than the factory machine of Ron Pierce, who had zapped into 2nd place.
Cal Rayborn, on his bright green Kawasaki, was a long way down in 9th place as the leaders crossed the line to complete Lap 1. By the second tour, Yvon du Hamel had joined the fray at the front and Rayborn had gained two more places. Pierce took the lead from Nicholas, while du Hamel seemed content to watch the front pair for the first five laps. Then du Hamel staged his attack; Pierce took up the challenge, but Nicholas was forced to fall off the pace at the rate of 0.5 sec. per lap. As Pierce and du Hamel bumped fairings and drifted through the high speed turns, Rayborn gassed his Kawasaki into 5th place behind Mike Duff, on another Trevor Deeley Yamaha. Walt Fulton pulled his Suzuki into 7th spot, two places ahead of the second Kawasaki of Baumann.
At the mid-point of the race, while Pierce and du Hamel continued their bumping and banging, a really serious scrap developed between White and Mann on Yamahas, and Baumann and Rayborn on their Kawasakis, for 5th place. In the end it was Ralph White who broke away from the duel to pull within 3 sec. of 4th place Duff.
Du Hamel was a mere bike length ahead of Pierce at the checkered flag, and Nicholas arrived about 30 seconds later.
50-MILE AMATEUR
Frank Camillieri looked extremely confident as he wheeled his 350 Boston Yamaha to the grid, and well he might. Not only had Frank won his heat, but he did it comfortably, and almost 2 mph faster than the other heat winner, Keith Mashburn.
It is interesting how far we have come from the original intent of Class C. The whole Amateur grid displayed only one Harley-Davidson and one BSA. A few Triumphs were sprinkled here and there, but the bulk of the raceware consists of private and dealer-owned Yamahas and Suzukis—proof that factory interest, unfortunately, has gone out of the Amateur class.
Another possible reason for Camillieri’s smug countenance may be that he was awarded the rained-out Amateur race at Loudon by virtue of having set the fastest qualifying speed. But, whatever the reasons, it was the mark of a sure winner when Camillieri screamed from the back row of the grid to lead into the first turn. Camillieri fooled around with Virgil Davenport (Triumph) for a couple of laps, until Dave Bloom edged his 350 Yamaha into contention, and it was time to wave goodby and go racing. The last twothirds of the race was a dull procession, as the leading duo seemingly had twice the horsepower necessary to do the job, and ran around gassing it and doing nothing.
Probably the best performance of the race was put in by Suzuki-mounted Jim Allen of Toronto, Canada. Allen forced his way from the back of the grid to take 2nd from Bloom with a lap to go, and was immediately forced out with mechanical trouble.
110-MILE NATIONAL
Probably because of his almost nothing weight, Yvon du Hamel hurled his 350 Yamaha into the first turn right behind Ron Grant’s Suzuki and Mark Brelsford’s Harley-Davidson. Chuck Palmgren was 5th behind Reiman, and three places ahead of teammate Romero on the Tait Triumph. Apparently the repair job on Ralph White’s engine was not a success; he blew right at start/finish at the end of the first lap. Both Gordon Jennings and Rod Pink managed to crash at Turn 8 on the first tour, and Tony Murphy made the first of very many pit stops with the only Bridgestone in the race.
By Lap 3 Yvon had taken command from Grant, and Calvin had forced his H-D into 3rd place, well within contention for the lead. Two laps later it was Calvin, Yvon and Ron, and there began one of the most bitter battles for the lead in AMA racing history. For almost 15 laps Rayborn and du Hamel dueled for the lap money. Both riders and machines appeared to be dead equal in performance, and the first rider into Turn 1 each lap was the one with the best tow and latest shut off. There was nothing in it, as these two great riders banged into one another in their 100-mph slides and drifts, both of them doing the impossible.
Pole starter Nicholas, who was definitely down on horsepower, seized on the back of the course. Fortunately he was exactly between a left and a righthander, and was upright when the thing went “zzrp,” so he escaped injury.
Rayborn and du Hamel changed the lead 17 times in the first 12 laps, while Grant maintained a safe 3rd, followed by Reiman, Palmgren, Baumann, Brelsford, Fulton and Romero. On the 18th tour Calvin ran off the road, rejoining the race behind Grant, but giving the whole pie to du Hamel by at least 12 seconds. But it was not to be. On the very next lap Yvon blew his engine at start/finish, leaving it wide open between Grant and Calvin again. On the next lap Rayborn had gained almost a second on the Suzuki ace, but lost it next time around as the leaders circulated within a length of each other.
At the halfway point Calvin and Ron seemed content to lap in the very low 1:53s, waiting for the other one to blow up or do something stupid. Sitting some 20 seconds behind the lead pair, Art Baumann appeared to be content with his 12-sec. lead on Reiman. The 38th lap proved very unlucky for National 38, Chuck Palmgren, as his Triumph gave up the fight while running in 5 th spot.
At the end of the 110 miles all six team Harley-Davidson machines were in the first 10 places. Full credit must go to Suzuki for putting their two lone entries in 2nd and 3rd places, while Yamaha managed a 6th and 7th to round out the first 10.
The Suzuki team provided last lap excitement as they came out of the very last turn, pitted for fuel and drove down to the line. AMA rules state that a pit stop must be made in any race over 100 miles. The Indy race is 110, and it is illegal to finish without the stop. The panic grew in the last few seconds of the race, as everyone wondered if Suzuki knew the rules, and if they would lose the two valuable placings. As it turned out it not only looked like the Suzuki crew understood the fueling rule; it looked like they invented it.
For the third road race National this year Yamaha proved the early race pace-setters. The little 350s have the speed to get the job done, and the riders, especially du Hamel, are capable of winning. But Calvin Rayborn and his big thumper have established themselves as an almost unbeatable duo. The Sears Point National certainly will be the climax of one of the most colorful AMA road racing seasons in history.
