1972 Laguna Seca - 6-Page Vintage Motorcycle Article

Description

1972 Laguna Seca - 6-Page Vintage Motorcycle Article
Original, Vintage Magazine Article
Page Size: Approx. 8" x 11" (21 cm x 28 cm) each page
Condition: Good
There you see it, folks, the beginning of the end. (Photo 1)
Everybody knew that Calvin Lee (Pussycat) Rayborn
(14) was at last going to win one for Harley-Davidson
on this handler’s course in Northern California. Kawasaki
had other plans, as they were subsidizing a big chunk of
the ,000 125-mile AMA National, and Yvon DuHamel’s
Team Hansen Kawasaki set marginally faster lap times in
practice. But four turns from the start DuHamel blew the
whole thing by looking down at his faltering machine on a
tricky section of the course; he ran off the road and crashed,
taking Dick Mann (BSA) and Englishman Cliff Carr with him.
This left Englishman Paul Smart (8) as Kawasaki’s standard
bearer. But. . .
. . . Kawasaki had a pit stop ahead of them, because
the two-stroke Threes, admittedly more powerful than the
Harleys, are also much thirstier, and had to refuel. (Photos
2, 3 & 4). To minimize the time loss, Team Hansen has an
elaborate and precise refueling system. Here you see Smart
nip into the pits. Tuner Randy Hall (left) holds the giant
refueling nozzle. Another man holds the target board
where Paul must stop. And the boss, Bob Hansen, holds a
transparent overflow indicator, to be plugged into a second
tank orifice. The actual time for refueling was only two sec-
onds. But by then Rayborn, smoking his front tire into the
hairpins and skimming the ground with his knees as he
cranked his nimble XR750 through Laguna Seca's high
speed bends, had already passed Smart and established a
safe lead. The Team Hansen effort was further hampered
when one of the expansion chamber tips on Smart’s bike
came off, producing a loss of power...
Laguna Seca National Results
125 MILE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
1.
Cal Rayborn, Spring Valley, Calif.....H-D
2.
Gene Romero, San Luis Obispo, Calif...TRI
3.
Ken Roberts, Modesto, Calif...........YAM
4.
Paul Smart, Santa Ana, Calif..........KAW
5.
Kel Carruthers, San Diego, Calif......YAM
6.
Mike Lane, Bakersfield, Calif.........YAM
7.
Gary Scott, W. Covina, Calif..........TRI
8.
Gary Fisher, Parkesburg, Penn.........YAM
9.
James Allen, Islington, Ontario, Ca...SUZ
10.
Conrad Urbanowski, Miramar, Fla......YAM
11.
John Hateley, Van Nuys, Calif........TRI
12.
Bob Bailey, Gardena, Calif...........TRI
13.
Don Emde, San Diego, Calif...........YAM
14.
Fred Guttner, E. Detroit, Mich.......YAM
15.
Jess Thomas, Sea Cliff, New York....._..YAM
16.
Mike Ninci, Kansas City, Mo..........BSA
17.
Eddie Mulder, Northridge, Calif......TRI
18.
Dave Smith, Lakewood, Calif..........YAM
19.
Reg Pridmore, Santa Barbara, Calif....BMW
20.
George Kerker, Glendale, Calif.......HON
50 MILE EXPERT-JUNIOR
1. Gary Fisher, Parkesburg, Pa...........YAM
2.
Yvon DuHamel, LaSalle, Ca............KAW
3.
Mike Lane, Bakersfield, Calif.........YAM
4.
Jerry Greene, San Mateo, Calif.......YAM
5.
Ron Pierce, Bakersfield, Calif........YAM
50-MILE JUNIOR
1.
Jerry Greene, San Mateo, Calif........KAW
2.
Steve Baker, Bellingham, Wash........YAM
3.
Howard Lynggard, Glendora, Calif.....YAM
4.
John Green, Carmichael, Calif.........YAM
5.
Jim Evans, San Bernardino, Calif.....YAM
50-MILE NOVICE
(The win by Floridian Ted Henter was disallowed
after it was discovered that he had replaced the
front brake on his Kawasaki 350 Single with a
Yamaha brake, a combination for which approval
had not been made. Another Kawasaki hope,
John Long, looked sure to win the event until a
transmission case plug came loose.)
1.
Mike Summers, Broderick, Calif........YAM
2.
Mike Clarke, Downey, Calif.......-....YAM
3.
David Watkins, Garland, Texas ........YAM
SIDECAR EXHIBITION
Reg Pridmore, Santa Barbara, Calif....NORTON
TOP TWENTY RIDERS TO DATE
1.
Mark Brelsford .......................912
2.
Gary Scott............................902
3.
Ken Roberts ..........................761
4.
Gene Romero ..........................737
5.
Jim Rice ........................-....700
6.
Cal Rayborn ..........................521
7.
Chuck Palmgren .......................41 1
8.
Dick Mann ...............  -.....-....408
9.
John Hateley..........................406
10.
Eddie Mulder ..........................311
1 1. Gary Fisher................-..........305
12.
Yvon DuHamel ......................270
13.
Mert Lawwill _____________________ 240
14.
Dave Sehl......................... 239
15.
Mike Kidd........................  203
16.
Rex Beauchamp .....................-.196
17.
Don Emde________________________   188
18.
Kel Carruthers-------------------- 176
19.
Mark Williams ----..---------------172
20.
Frank Gillespie .................. 166
MANUFACTURERS POINTS
1.
Triumph ....................       1470
2.
Harley-Davidson...._.............. 1457
3.
Yamaha ...........  _.......—.....-1379
4.
BSA...„........................... 1021
5.
Kawasaki .........................  578
6.
Norton ...........................—
231
7.
Suzuki............................. 143
8.
Ossa ..............................  50
9.
Honda............................ .
43
10.
Bultaco ........................... 40
11.
BMW....................-___________ 4
12091-7211-08