Grand National Racing Indoors
Jes' A Li'l Track In Pontiac
D. Randy Riggs
THE TT
Before practice even got underway in Pontiac, Michigan’s giant new stadium, controversy raged in the pits over tires. Goodyear’s latest dirt track rubber (top, Photo A ), was in very limited supply thanks to labor strikes at the factory. Only a couple of riders had the few in existence, causing a stir among those who couldn’t get their mitts on any and were forced to run something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. The AMA did the noble thing by outlawing the tires until they become more generally available, but they waited too long to make the decision. Most of the riders already had the new tires mounted up and had to go through the hassle of remounting the old stuff.
Just about everybody remembered the success of the Yamaha TT500 Singles in the Astrodome TT, so any riders who could swing it came to Pontiac with TT500 engines in a varied assortment of chassis combinations. Those who preferred to switch rather than fight it included Mike Kidd, Ken Roberts, Skip
Aksland, Ted Boody, Bill Oliver and Gary Scott, just to name a few. Mike Kidd mounted the big Single in a Ken Roberts Racing Frame (Photo B).
Order did not necessarily prevail as the TT heats began narrowing the field. Grand National Champion Gary Scott indicated to the starter that he didn’t care for the man’s technique (Photo C), then misjudged turn one amidst fellow riders (Photo D). Things settled down oh so briefly when Ken Roberts (2) and Randy Cleek (29), began contesting their superiority (Photo E). That ended a few laps later when Roberts spilled briefly in turn two. He didn’t kill the engine, so just picked the bike up and headed off in the direction it was pointed: into the infield. Bad move Kenny. Even though referee Duke Öliges (left) wasn’t paying attention, you were supposed to go back on the track where you went off, which wasn’t here (Photo F). And that’s why you were disqualified by him an hour later after he thought about it a while, which was after somebody squealed on you. Heck, referees aren’t supposed to make snap decisions now are they? Course not. And darn, we know you were safer going back on the track where you did and even ol’ Duke told you so, and you didn’t gain any positions by what you did or cut anybody off . . . right? But those are the breaks. It’s just National points at stake and maybe another Grand National Championship . . . that’s all.
When the National finally got underway without Roberts, rookie Steve Eklund, the San Jose Missile, got the holeshot and went into turn one first (Photo G). Keeping a cool head despite late race pressure from •Randy Cleek, Eklund’s Frank Nye/Mario Zanotti 750 Yamaha motored around beautifully for the win. Behind, a furious dice for the runner-up spots (Photo H), kept the crowd guessing to the finish. Randy Cleek (29) got by both Jay Springsteen (25) and Gary Scott (1) to finish 2nd. The Springer eventually got by Scott too and checked in 3rd.
Some pretty fine racing went on in Pontiac, it’s only a shame that the size of the crowd didn’t do it justice.
THE SHORT TRACK
One of the biggest concerns for the Short Track National centered around the condition of the track. Though track specialist Harold Murrell and AMA officials kept a constant eye on it, efforts to keep it from turning into a narrow groove proved futile. Guy McClure thought he could run outside the groove, but found out in short order that he was wrong (Photo AA).
The range of potential winners was broad; there were a good dozen riders who could pull it off. Harley-Davidson factory riders like Corky Keener (Photo BB), pitted their 250s against the tough competition of a predominantly 360 field. They tried hard but no H-Ds made the final. Also absent from the main event were points leader Rick Hocking and Rex Beauchamp, who were placed on the disabled list by injuries suffered the evening previous.
Ken Roberts had to win one of the Semis to make the National on his slowing Yamaha, but starting on row three left little hope for Ken to do much on the follow-the-leader, nopassing track surface. With so few options open to them, most riders banked on good starts and spectacular first-turn charges (Photo CC).
Hank Scott had better luck than brother Gary ... he made the final and the Champ didn’t. Eklund was super serious about winning two in a row (Photo DD), but fumbled his start and got knocked out of the groove by Steve Droste (92) while the pack roared by (Photo EE).
The hero? Another rookie, this one from the East. Ted Boody is his name, and his Lectron Carbs/Bultaco led the charge from lap one through 20 (Photo FF). Happy sidekicks when it was over included his dad and tuner Bart Markel (Photo GG). Quite a thrill for any kid.
Grand National Racing Indoors
Is open air racing domed to extinction?
D. Randy Riggs
IT WASN’T the first time a motorcycle race had been held in the new dome called Pontiac Stadium, and it wouldn’t be the last. But what happened pointed out the importance of timing and the fact that Mother Nature does, in fact, have as heavy an influence on indoor “stadium” racing as she does on more conventional open air events. It’s an important consideration that promoters might do well to weigh in the future.
Reasonably considered, Michigan’s first National Championship races in more than five years had all the prerequisites for moderate success. Success that is only “moderate” has come to be expected from events in the inaugural stages, since they don’t have quite the drawing power of those more firmly entrenched in racing memories. Promoters often shoot only for a “break-even” figure for kickoff extravaganzas. They remain undaunted if they lose money (as long as the figures don’t get too extreme), and smile if they manage to pay the bills without dipping into their reserves.
PACE Management and Paul Schlegel of Delta Motorsport Park, Inc. teamed up a while back to form PACEDelta Motorsports to produce events in particular regions. PACE stages the annual Houston Astrodome TT and Short Track Nationals and has gotten rather heavily and successfully involved in stadium motocross of late. Schlegel backs the Camel Pro Series’ Toledo Half-Mile with his Delta outfit, and also handles the reigns for the AMA’s National Motocross in Toledo. Both are tremendously prosperous operations that have benefitted motorcycle racing. As a single entity, it was thought that they could even exceed their individual success records.
PACE-Delta made its debut in Pontiac Stadium earlier this year with the fourth leg of the AMA Supercross Series, drawing just under 36,000 spectators for two nights of racing. It was the largest crowd ever to watch a motorcycle event in Michigan. The two-day affair was held in the dead of winter under the air-pressurized roof of the protective and comfortable Pontiac Stadium. Could they expect the same support from Michigan racing buffs for a Short Track and TT National as summer rolled into view?
According to pre-race advance ticket sales, they couldn’t. For the Supercross Series some $150,000 was taken in for advance tickets. The combined TT and Short Track raised only $16,000 in pre-sales. Despite some $60,000 in pre-race TV, radio and billboard publicity, that was it. Add to the advertising costs a two-night purse of $28,000, $15,000 a night in stadium rental fees, the cost of trucking in thousands of cubic yards of dirt to create a track, and what you’ve got is a couple of very nervous promoters with a paltry 16 grand in the bank. Although you can bet their eyes were glued to the parking lot as evening rolled around, their hopes were greeted by the sight of empty, white-lined asphalt.
Total paid attendance for the two nights of racing was 9500: 4000 for the TT and 4500 for the Short Track. That’s 26,000 less than the same stadium drew for the Supercross Series, and 50,000 less than the Houston Astrodome attracted for a program that was virtually identical, right down to the size and shape of the race track.
In a way, Houston, a 10-year institution, isn’t really a fair comparison, even though it showed much more initial promise than Pontiac. But Pontiac faced some formidable woes that included the time of year and the fact that it was being held on the first weekend of really beautiful weather Michigan and surrounding areas experienced all spring.
Chatter indicates that there will probably be another Pontiac event next year, but with an April date taken from the now defunct Dallas Short Track National, which was beset with its own set of problems. April will certainly be a better month to hold an indoor race in Michigan, but there looks to be little future for an entire series of events based on Astrodome-type affairs, the likes of which have proven strong in motocross. There are reasons why.
Class “C” and motocross are entirely different ball games. Motocross is far better suited to the indoor atmosphere simply because it’s a more spectacular form of racing in tight confines. The average person off the street is more likely to be impressed by Harry Bermshot flying through the air off a 50-mph, 8-ft. jump than by Slider McDurk executing a precision, feet-onthe-pegs drift out of turn two at 40 mph. But the real difference comes down to this: Motocross does not have to change all that significantly to come indoors to play. The same machines can be used, the same riding techniques apply; things are just a bit tighter, that’s all.
But with Class “C,” one has to wrestle with a whole new set of circumstances. The same motorcycle that sent a rider down San Jose’s straightaway at 130 mph last week is likely to balk at being thrown around a back lot-sized TT ring. The bike has to be either altered or replaced. As a rule, riders without National ranking have a fair to good chance of making the program if its held under a roof, whereas they don’t figure in the odds at all on, say, a tough Half-Mile. And some of the big guns have a record of coming up short in temperature controlled atmospheres, so there exists a split between riders who wish to see more of this kind of racing instituted and those who don’t.
Why it works in Houston has no bearing on races held elsewhere. The Astrodome events are in the same league as the Daytona road races: they’re more than races, they’re a happening. Also in Houston’s favor is the National schedule. It’s the first event after the winter layoff, so crowds are large and enthusiastic and most riders will sacrifice all to be able to be there for a shot at making the program. Compared to the Houston affair, Pontiac had the relaxed atmosphere of a tropical isle.
There are those who have a gut feeling that tells them stadium events represent the future of Grand National competition. They contend that county fair dirt ovals will remain, but only in the background. They believe that the big money events with large numbers of spectators will draw the majority of attention and that indoor convenience and comfort will rule. They cite the popularity of stadium motocross as an indicator of the trend, but forget that motocross was not born in America. Grand National competition was, and it therefore has tradition. Tradition rules in the heartland, and that’s where Grand National events thrive . . . not under a concrete and plastic “dome,” but out in the wide-open spaces, where the hot dogs taste better and the cold beer is appreciated.
But one rider probably summed up all the reasons best when he said: “I sure can’t wait to get out of this place.”
“Why?” I asked.
“So we can go to Harrington and go racin’!” was the reply. I smiled, knowing exactly what he meant.
