| ►With the odds stacked
against, the American team fought their way to a tremendous victory in the
seventh of the annual match races against the British in the three-meet Easter
series. The young American eagles showed determination more often associated
with the British bulldog, once again proving as they did in 1975 that if they
have to the Yankees can race in the rain.
The Stars and Stripes team consisted of Kenny Roberts as
captain leading Pat Hennen, Gary Scott, Dave Emde, Skip Aksland, Steve Baker,
Dave Aldana and Ron Pierce, with Kevin Stafford as reserve. Odd man on the team
was Pat Hennen, mounted on a British works team Texaco Heron Suzuki. All the
others rode on Yamahas.
Pierce and
Stafford were replacement riders following the tragedies arising out of the
Imola meeting preceding Easter when Pat Evans died following a race crash and
Randy Cleek was one of six who were killed in an automobile accident after the
meeting.
The match
series followed the usual pattern of two races each at Brands Hatch, Mallory
Park and Oulton Park, in that order.
A record
crowd turned up at Brands, unaware of the drama taking place behind the scenes
as machinery for four of the Americans was "lost in transit" by TWA. The bikes
should have arrived in London on Wednesday, but when efforts were made to
collect them, Team Manager Gavin Trippe was told they had been unloaded by
mistake in New York. In fact they had arrived but had been lost in the cargo
shed. Frantic efforts located them on Thursday but there was no way they could
be cleared through customs until 8 a.m. Friday morning… race day. The official
promised he would be there to effect clearance at the appointed hour but nothing
happened until 10 o'clock when he arrived all apologetic as he had overslept.
This is not the sort of publication that prints the ensuing conversation that
took place. In the interests of road safety, we will not disclose the driving
methods that got the bikes to Brands in dense traffic so they could be prepared
for racing. Practice facilities were pathetic—only 15 minutes were allowed until
Roberts gave the ultimatum "more time or no racing" and more time was allotted.
Even so, Emde and Aksland got no more than four laps at racing speeds.
Brands has
never been a happy hunting ground for the American team and things looked grim
at the start of the first race as Aldana never came under starters orders before
joining the race. Last minute adjustments delayed him and his effort in joining
and finishing the race met with disqualification.
Although
Aldana was missing, 16 riders started as the British reserve rider Roger
Marshall, Yamaha, went unnoticed by officials but not by Trippe. "Oh you've
noticed have you?" said the non-riding British captain, Percy Tait, as Trippe
put out the board to bring Marshall in.
By that time
Roberts was already in the lead with Baker behind him and at the end of the
second lap Hennen made it a Yankee 1-2-3 with Phil Read, Kawasaki, out of
retirement for the weekend 4th for the British team. Barry Sheene, Suzuki, had
made a bad start hut scythed through the field to take 3rd from Hennen on the
fourth lap, though still some seven seconds down on Roberts. By the eighth lap
Sheene had passed Baker and Hennen had been pushed back to 6th by the British
Kawasaki teammates Mick Grant and Barry Ditch-burn. All eyes were then on Sheene
and Roberts as they battled it out at the front of the field with Sheene taking
the lead on the eleventh lap. Half a lap later, Roberts was back in front and
held on to win although both he and Sheene were credited with the same time and
speed for the 13 laps. In his hectic dash through the field, Sheene collected a
new lap record at 98.21 mph, knocking 1.8 seconds off the figure previously held
by Baker who saw his race record speed of 94.51 raised to 95.76 mph by Roberts
and Sheene. Baker took 3rd ahead of Hennen, and Aksland had already got the
better of a race-long struggle with Read for 7th place when Read dropped it on
the run in to the finish of the last lap. It narrowed the British lead at the
end of the race to a mere three points, 6865.
In the
second race, Roberts again led the way home by putting the fastest lap in and
heating Sheene. Skip Aksland was the pride of the Yankees as he took 3rd at the
flag after Baker had dropped it on the eighth lap at the Druids hairpin. He was
quickly up again, though, and finished 5th. Sheene was again the best British
rider briefly leading on the 12th lap, but Roberts had the measure of him to
finish the day with maximum points and a big smile. The reason for the smile was
reflected in the score line of 134 points to both teams. "It's great being
level," said Kenny. "We always seem to be in arrears after Brands but now we
have a great chance." How right he was.
The weather
had been cold at Brands but at least it was dry. On Sunday morning at Mallory
there were snow flurries but by the time practice started it was fine but cold.
It was a fool's paradise as the first race started in the rain. Dave Aldana shot
off into the lead, determined to make amends for a mere three points at Brands
because of machine handling problems.
It was to
prove no flash in the pan as he led teammates Hennen, Roberts and Baker for nine
laps until Roberts eventually forced to the front on the tenth lap. It was
Aldana back in front next time around but then Roberts took command until the
race was stopped after 18 of the scheduled 22 laps after Dave Emde crashed. But
on the wet and glistening track only Sheene, in 4th place, stopped a massacre
,with Roberts, Aldana and Hennen taking 1-2-3 with Baker 5th and Aksland 6th.
With 77 points in the bag to the 49 of the British team, the huge crowd standing
in the rain had little to cheer about unless American. Dave Emde was unhurt but
rested from the second race. Kevin Stafford slid off in the first race but
started in the second as did Gary Scott who had crashed at Brands. Scott had
engine trouble but Stafford pressed on, though well downfield in the second leg.
Once again only Sheene in 3rd place stopped a Yankee 1-2-3-4-5.
Roberts was
again the winner with Hennen, having his best ride of the series, 2nd, Sheene
3rd followed by Baker, Aldana and Aksland. In winning the second race by 78 to
57 the American team with its supporters set off for Oulton Park in high spirits
and great confidence with a 49-point lead under their belt.► |
Competition 
