Camel Pro Series/languna Seca
Camel Pro Series/Languna Seca
Champion Spark Plug’s Motorcycle Classics have until this year been held in the edifice they call Ontario Motor Speedway, a great rider challenge, but a poor place to watch a motorcycle race. A clue got through and the Champion people wisely switched their sponsorship to the Laguna Seca National in Monterey. This year the Seca bout was extended to two 60-mile segments from the single 75-mile charge of last year.
After various class pra`ctices and several heat races, the 250cc Lightweight Expert race became the first of the weekend’s thrillers. Favored, of course, was the duo of Roberts and Baker, but knowledgeable observers were betting heavily on Baker, based on the facts that his 250 seemed faster than Kenny’s and that the black and yellow team Yamaha had also been beaten in a Lightweight heat by young David Emde. (Emde is the brother of 1972 Daytona winner Don and the son of 1948 Daytona winner Floyd.)
Baker (32) dug right in and holeshot the start (Photo A), while Roberts found himself sandwiched in a group with little choice but to pick his way through traffic. Emde clung tenaciously to 2nd for a time (Photo B), but eventually gave way to the more experienced Roberts, who closed to within five seconds of Baker, but then gained no additional ground. On his way to the win, Baker experienced a couple of tight moments, one such pucker occurring in the tight but fast Turn 9, where his sliding TZ250 nearly highsided (Photo C).
Steve was his usual low-key self when it was over, quite happy and satisfied with his performance. The Kawasaki 250s of Duhamel and Nixon (Photo D) had been eliminated by a crash and a flat tire, respectively.
The extravagant and rule-bending BMW lOOOcc Production bikes looked to have the best chance at success in the Superbike class, but nearly didn’t make it. In a battle of strategy, Cook Neilson’s Ducati SS won the heat (Photo E) and, hence, pole position for the 65-kilometer event. But the BeeEms were in the hunt when the money race got underway, with Gary Fisher, Reg Pridmore and Steve McLaughlin taking up space near the front.
McLaughlin was the first to drop out, literally, on Lap 8 while braking heavily for the tight Turn 9. His front wheel locked momentarily, pitching him down the road in spectacular fashion. Not seriously injured, Steve was, nevertheless, out of the event. Neilson, who had moved into 3rd at one point, wisely parked his Duck in the pits rather than risk a dangerous gearbox lockup when fourth gear started acting strange.
Fisher, too, became a spectator when a heavy oil leak forced him out, leaving Pridmore to carry the BMW factory banner by himself. Keith Code on a Yoshimura/Racecrafters ZI rode one of his best races and was highly competitive from the green flag on, eventually checking in 2nd behind Pridmore (Photo F). Behind, Mike Parriott on yet another Yosh Z grabbed 3rd comfortably ahead of Dick Fuller who pushed his 350 R5 Yamaha past many a bigger bike. Fuller was really wowing the troops around the track’s famous corkscrew by flip-flopping through in flashy fashion.
Novices turned out in their usual numbers, giving the starting line the appearance of a bucket of worms. One restart was required by an early crash. Polesitter Harry Klinzman (Photo G) got passed early thanks to shifting troubles that harassed him throughout the event. Steve Eklund, Expert dirt-tracker and heavy contender for “Rookie of the Year” honors in the Camel Pro Series, ran well early but had equipment problems later and DNFed.
As the race progressed, Scott Pearson made obvious his dominance by stretching out a lengthy lead after being chased a short time by Randy Mamola (Photo H). Pearson added Laguna Seca to the win he grabbed at Loudon, transferring him automatically to Expert status next year in Lightweight road racing.
Running the 200-kilometer F750 event in two 60-mile segments proved to be a great idea, making for safer and closer racing, and eliminating some of the scoring problems associated with fuel stops. An Olympic scoring system was used, meaning that in the event of a tie, the rider finishing higher in the final segment would be afforded the win.
A confident Bob Work pushed his beautifully prepared OW3 I to the line for Steve Baker, all ready to do the trick in Heat I. Baker’s bike was shod with Dunlops, a brand he and Work have stuck by through thick and thin. Nixon wore Michelins, a slick in back and a ribbed up front, while most of the others were on Goodyears, including Roberts. Asked what he thought about the Dunlops Baker was running, a jovial Gene Romero remarked, “Hell, Stevie could be running knobbies today and he’d still be going fast!”
Right on cue, Baker feathered his clutch just right and left the others staring at the back of his leathers for the rest of the heat (Photo I). The race was about 10 laps old and Roberts 16 seconds down on Baker when Nixon squeezed by the ex-Champ in good ol’ Turn 9. Kenny explained later that his rear tire had given up, though he hadn’t. Hope of catching Nixon, however, was gone. With the first three spots decided, a battle for 4th raged among Romero, Randy Cleek, Duhamel and Gary Scott.
In time, Yvon’s soreness from the previous day’s mishap caused him grief, lessening his twist on the throttle. That left it up to the other three, who went to the wire in a tight one (Photo J).
The between-segment breather allowed Cleek to explain that his coil had given up, Romero that his face shield had fogged, Baker that his brake pucks had worn away (Photo K), Scott that he was getting more used to his machine, and Roberts that he would play hell catching Baker even with a new Dunlop on the rear. Steve went off to relax in his truck (Photo L) while many fretted in the pits over what he was doing to them . . . and how.
Pit crews hopped to the multitude of items to be checked or changed (Photo M), while riders got their butterflies going again for Heat 2. Again Baker grabbed an immediate lead, working his way to a new lap record much the way a beaver gnaws at a tree. Kenny’s new tire had helped him into a solid 2nd, but shifting problems began springing up.
Nixon was 3rd until Turn 8 of Lap 8, when he lost the front end. It was similar to what happened to him at Loudon, and some laid the blame on the ribbed front tire, but there was no way to be sure. Skinned up, Gary was more disappointed than hurt. When Kenny, shown here braking heavily (Photo N), was secure in 2nd place, he rode only hard enough to stay there, expending no effort to overtake Baker. The 16 National points he could garner for runner-up spot were too valuable to risk going for the lead.
Behind, a monumental duel between Gary Scott and Steve McLaughlin went on for a large portion of the segment (Photo O), with
Scott eventually getting the upper hand. McLaughlin was still pained by injuries suffered earlier in the day during the Superbike race, which no doubt tired him towards the later stages. Ahead of this duo was another— Cleek and Romero—testing their abilities, going for broke. Cleek got Romero on the white flag lap for 3rd overall, Scott carried off 4th, Romero 5th.
Baker had ridden beautifully, and Bob Work’s masterful preparation had allowed him to do so. The weekend was worth more than $12,000 to the team, which, of course, had traveled far and worked so hard, all for the “Seca” winning.
