Roberts Closing In On Number 1 Plate

ROBERTS CLOSING IN ON NUMBER 1 PLATE

Harley-Davidson continues to dominate the flat track action, but Kenny Roberts’ runaway superiority on pavement, combined with his ability to finish in the points in other events, seemed to indicate the AMA Camel Pro Series No. 1 plate would wind up back in Roberts’ hands as the season rolled into its final eight events.

A key series of races—at Hinsdale. Illinois. Terre Haute. Indiana and Mt. Pocono, Pennsylvania—boosted KR to a fat 17point lead over defending champ Jay Springsteen (Harley-Davidson).

Roberts wasn’t a major factor at either of the first two events, winding up 4th at Hinsdale’s Santa Fe Speedway Short Track National behind Steve Eklund (Yamaha), Terry Poovey (Bultaco) and Garth Brow (Bultaco) and 6th at the abbreviated Terre Haute Half-Mile National. But Roberts was his usual brilliant self on the Pocono International Raceway road course, run-> ning away from the rest of the AMA road racers with protégé Skip Aksland coming home 2nd.

While Roberts was busy scoring 40 points in three races, Springsteen scored zero and his Harley-Davidson teammate Ted Boody scored nine, which allowed Gary Scott (Harley-Davidson) and Eklund to creep back into contention on their performances at Hinsdale and Terre Haute. Scott was clearly the dominant force in the latter race, which was finally stopped four laps short of completion because of deteriorating course conditions that contributed to several crashes.