Race Watch
RACE WATCH
Hannah Bids for Unbeaten 250 Season; Roberts Takes Command in 500cc GP chase; Aksland Eyes No. 1 Plate
NATIONAL MX SCENE: HANNAH VS. THE OTHER GUYS
As the 250 and 125cc motocross nationals turned the corner into the second half of the 10-date season, the question was no longer whether Yamaha’s peerless Bob Hannah knew how to win consistently; it was whether he knew how to lose anymore. Five dates equals 10 motos equals enormous opportunity for at least minor disaster—a fall, a broken something or other, an engine seizure. Disaster usually smacks everyone pretty evenly in motocross. But Hannah won all the motos. He frequently did so after recovering from indifferent starts, and he also did it after getting up off the deck. With Honda’s Jim Pomeroy his closest pursuer—the point tally stood Hannah’s perfect 250 (unprecedented in AMA annals, as you might expect)—to Pomeroy's 162.
As often as not, Hannah made it look easy. At the opener in Hangtown, he looked as though he was holding something in reserve as he lapped all but Suzuki’s Kent Howerton in the first moto of the year.
It had shaped up as a fairly heroic 250 season before Hangtown, with defending champ Tony DiStefano out to bring Suzuki a 4th straight title and Marty Tripes and Jimmy Ellis on the magic new Hondas. But Ellis hurt his shoulder in the Houston Supercross, DiStefano acquired a football knee in the Motown Supercross and Tripes, riding hurt in the same event, was too lame to get on at Hangtown. This left the field somewhat thinner, and midway through the slate Hannah was obviously in need of a challenge, which failed to materialize even with Tripes’ return to action.
Veteran Pierre Karsmakers (Yamaha) was only 10 points behind Pomeroy, Chuck Sun was an impressive 4th on the lone works Husky, Ellis had charged up to 5th place. Rich Eierstedt had soldiered up enough points on the Can-Am to stand 6th ahead of a struggling Jimmy Weinert, whose Kawasaki was the only other works machine in the top 10.
On the 125cc front, national champion Broc Glover looked like a good bet to keep the No. 1 plate on his w'orks Yamaha for another year. Suzuki’s Mark Barnett challenged early, trading Glover almost moto for moto through the first four dates, but a double dnf at Rio Bravo (near Houston) left him trailing Glover 23 1-185. Kawasaki’s Gaylon Mosier was a determined 3rd, ahead of impressive privateer Danny Turner (Yamaha) and Suzuki’s Brian Myerscough. Danny Chandler, another hot privateer, was tied with Honda’s Warren Reid for 6th.
Is it possible for anyone to have a perfect season in motocross? Marty Tripes says no way. but only Hannah can supply the answer. Stay tuned.
OUR TROOPS IN EUROPE
To the surprise of no one—with the possible exception of world champion Barry Sheene—Kenny Roberts recovered from his dnf in the season opener in Venezuela w'ith three straight victories (in the Austrian, French and Italian GPs) to emerge as the early season 500cc leader. He was trailed closely by Spanish GP winner Pat Hennen, w ho has come on this season to challenge Suzuki works teammate Sheene. Steve Baker, convalescing from a getoff, trailed his countrymen by a substantial margin as the tour headed for the Dutch GP at Assen.
In 250 action, Roberts w'as getting stiff opposition from Australian Gregg Hansford, who has distinguished himself as one of the men to beat in both the 250 and 350 classes aboard the new Kawasaki factory machines.
Roberts w'as also getting his Formula 750 effort headed straight again after disappointments in the Imola and Paul Ricard rounds, both of which went to Johnny Cecotto. At Brands Hatch, England, round three of the championship, Roberts was back in command, winning both legs and jumping into 2nd in the standings behind Cecotto, 42-27. The 2nd position probably would have remained with champ Steve Baker but for a dnf with one lap to go in the second heat at Brands. He was well along to finishing 2nd at the time.
Gauloises stablemates Patrick Pons and Christian Sarron trailed Baker in the standings, with Sadao Asami a few' points further back. Hansford, who extracted fastest lap from the works 750 Kawasaki at Brands, stood in a 7th place tie with Warren Willing.
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On the motocross front, Honda star Brad Lackey was confirming his pre-season suspicions, to wit: World 500cc champion Heikki Mikkola is going to be a very difficult man to displace. Lackey managed to dent the Finn’s domination of the class by winning in Austria and splitting top honors in France, but after four rounds Mikkola had flown the works Yamaha to a 10-point advantage. 102-92. Former champion Roger DeCoster, making a remarkable recovery from a near-fatal encounter with a tree earlier in the year, held 3rd. but the Suzuki veteran was 31 points back from Lackey.
AKSLAND'S BID FOR NO. 1
The San Jose May Mile, one of the more significant early season stops on the AMA Camel Pro Series national tour, is reported elsewhere in this issue. As a season bellwether it proved out tolerably well a week later, when the Grand National campaigners rolled into Ascot Park for the first of this year’s three dates.
After an indifferent start at Houston. Skip Aksland was a solid 3rd at Daytona, 2nd at San Jose and 2nd at Ascot’s halfmile. As the circus loaded up to head for Oklahoma City, Aksland, whose specialty is supposed to be pavement racing, led the points chase, 54-51. Not exactly what you’d call a big cushion, especially when the guy with the 51 points is National No. 1. Jay Springsteen. But a strong declaration of intent.
Alex Jorgensen was the surprise winner at Ascot, getting the beautiful Ron Wood Norton into the first turn ahead of everyone and running away while Aksland. Springer, San Jose winner Garth Brow, Randy Goss and Harley teamster Corky Keener concentrated on each other like a pack of bellicose dogs. Aksland eventually worked past the redoubtable Brow, who nevertheless finished ahead of Springsteen for the second straight week.
It was also the second straight week of hard luck for Steve Eklund, who was fastest in practice but failed to make the main thanks to engine problems. The dns dropped him to 3rd in the series standings. Behind him Brow had worked his way up to 4th, displacing Gary Scott (who also failed to make the main at Ascot). Jorgensen’s Ascot ride elevated him to 6th in the standings, ahead of Hank Scott, Kenny Roberts and Harley’s Ted Boody, who is off’ to a slow start this season.
DAYTONA SUPERBIKE 200?
Racing Czar Doug Mockett said that the AMA may make Superbike Production the main event for 1979 Camel Pro Series road races. “We have not made a decision, but replacing Formula 750 as the premier class is a possibility.” 51
