Ama Expands Pro Series Calendar;mx Teams In Annual Shuffle; Harley Drops Grand Prix Racing

AMA Expands Pro Series Calendar;MX Teams in Annual Shuffle; Harley Drops Grand Prix Racing

RACE WATCH

AMA CAMEL PRO SERIES SET

The Camel Pro Series racing menu may not be any better than in 1977—the scrapping of Yamaha’s dirt effort and Kenny Roberts’ pilgrimage to the European pavement wars aren’t likely to improve the quality of the competition—but it’ll certainly be bigger. There are 30 dates on this year’s calendar (including the two Houston Astrodome events run February 3 and 4). up two races from 1977’s total of 28.

The extra dates are at Ascot Park, in Gardena, California, which will host two National Half-Miles and a TT this year, and at Sacramento, where the AMA ends its absence with a July 15 Mile. The Ascot dates situated at the beginning, middle and end of the season, make it seem likely that J.C. Agajanian’s venerable plant will host pivotal AMA action once again this year. During the past two seasons the battle for the national Number One plate has gone down to the finale at Ascot. This year all three Ascot dates will give important readings on the progress of the season.

Other changes: Louisville Downs will host only one race this year, a June 3 HalfMile. down one event from last year. Denver, Colorado, and Des Moines, Iowa are both on the schedule with Half-Miles, and Middletown, New' York, is out. The Castle Rock, Washington TT. absent from preliminary editions of the 1978 schedule, has survived in the final version and will be run July 8, the first date in the second half of the season.

There will be six road racing dates again this year, and the first half of the schedule is arranged to favor racers who combine dirt and pavement abilities. There are four pavement events before the season turning point, three of them back-to-back. The Riverside, California road race, which has previously been set near the end of the series, will be third on this year's calendar, tentatively scheduled for February 25-26, with Daytona and Sears Point the next two dates on the tour.

Charlotte Motor Speedway, currently undergoing renovation, is oft' this year’s road racing calendar, but Bryar Motorsports Park, in Loudon. New' Hampshire, takes up the slack with two dates, one in June, one in September. Laguna Seca will host an international Formula 750 event again this year instead of an AMA championship race.

August will be the busiest month on the 1978 calendar with six races slated. June, July and September offer five each.

The complete 30-race schedule follows.

1978 CAMEL PRO SERIES Type of Date Event Location Feb. 3 TT Steeplechase Houston Astrodome, Houston, Tex. Feb. 4 Short Track Houston Astrodome, Houston, Tex. Feb. 25-26* Road Race Riverside Int’l. Raceway, Riverside, Calif. March 6-12 Daytona Motorcycle Classics, Daytona Beach, Fla April 22-23 Road Race Sears Point Raceway, Sonoma, Calif. May 7 Mile Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, San Jose, Calif. May 13 Half-Mile Ascot Park, Gardena, Calif. May 21 Half-Mile State Fairgrounds, Oklahoma City, Okla. May 27 Half-Mile Denver, Colo. June 3 Half-Mile Louisville Downs, Louisville, Ky. June 10 Half-Mile Harrington Fairgrounds, Harrington, Del. June 17-18 Road Race Bryar Motorsports Park, Loudon, N.H. June 23 TT Santa Fe Park, Hinsdale, III. June 25 Half-Mile State Fairgrounds, Columbus, Ohio July 1 Half-Mile Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, San Jose, Calif. July 8 TT Mt. St. Helen Raceway, Castle Rock, Wash. July 15 Mile State Fairgrounds, Sacramento, Calif. July 22 TT Steeplechase Ascot Park, Gardena, Calif. July 30 Mile Hayes Fair Acres, DuQuoin, III. Aug. 4 Short Track Santa Fe Park, Hinsdale, III. Aug. 6 TT Steeplechase Peoria MC Grounds, Peoria, III. Aug. 12-13 Road Race Pocono Int’l Raceway, Mt. Pocono, Pa. Aug. 20 Half-Mile State Fairgrounds, Des Moines, Iowa Aug. 26 Night Mile State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis, Ind. Aug. 27 Day Mile State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis, Ind. Sept. 2-3 Road Race Bryar Motorsports Park, Loudon, N.H. Sept. 10 Mile State Fairgrounds, Syracuse, N.Y. Sept. 17 Half-Mile State Fairgrounds, Columbus, Ohio Sept. 24 Mile Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, San Jose, Calif. Sept. 30 Half-Mile Ascot Park, Gardena, Calif. * Tentative date at press time.

MOTOCROSS MERRY-GO-ROUND

Before the 1977 season was even completely over the annual game of musical chairs had begun for this season's MX factory rides. The dust was still a long way from settled as we went to press with our March issue, but here's how the teams were shaping up at that point.

SUZUKI

National 250cc champion Tony DiStefano and Danny LaPorte return, with Tony D. ticketed to defend his title and LaPorte tabbed for the 500cc campaign. Suzuki has also picked up Kent Howerton from Husqvarna and 17-year-old Mark Barnett, who rode as a privateer in 1977. Howerton will ride 250s this season. Barnett 125s, and the stadium race strategy will be to field as many factory riders as possible.

At press time, Suzuki was still looking> for two more riders, one for its open elass bikes, one for 125.

KAWASAKI

Only Jimmy Weinert returns from Kawasaki’s 1977 team; Gary Semics and Terry Clark are out. To replaee them. Kawasaki has added Gaylon Mosier and Steve Stackable, lately of the Maico squad.

Weinert will be busy with stadium races and the 250cc nationals again this season, and Mosier is tentatively slated for a 125.

YAMAHA

Team Yamaha looks to be the same as 1977: Supercross champion Bob “Hurricane” Hannah, 125cc national champion Broc Glover, Rick Burgett, Mike Bell and Pierre Karsmakers. Hannah will campaign 250s in the nationals and stadium races, Glover will defend his title, Burgett and Bell will campaign 500s. Karsmakers will ride a 250 when he races, but is reportedly going to take on some team manager-type duties part of the time.

HONDA

In the stable at press time were 500cc titlist Marty Smith and Tommy Croft. Jim Pomeroy and Warren Reid were expected to be back as well, ditto Brad Lackey, who will be contesting the European GPs again after his ffih-place finish in 1977.

An addition to the Honda legion is Steve Wise, reportedly signed to ride the 125cc nationals as well as the stadium events.

HARLEY-DAVIDSON

Mickey Boone, a privateer in 1977, will be H-D’s only works-sponsored rider in American MX this season. Marty Tripes and Rex Staten are out. and Rich Eirstadt has found another ride.

Boone, whose 1977 season ended when he suffered a broken foot in last November’s Anaheim Supercross race, will compete in the 250cc nationals and the stadium events.

CAN-AM

Eirstadt has landed with Can-Am. and will ride 250 nationals, stadium races and the fall Trans-AMA series. No word at press time as to the whereabouts of longtime Can-Am regular Jimmy Ellis, but the unofficial word is that he’ll surface in the Honda camp.

HUSQVARNA

With Kent Howerton gone, Husky's hopes will be pinned on Chuck Sun, winner of this year’s 250cc Trans-AMA support series.

MAICO

Following the departure of Mosier and Stackable, Maico paused to take a long, hard look at its motocross effort, which has been low-yield in the face of the betterfinanced operations of the bigger factories. Plans weren’t firm at deadline, but it's possible Maico may concentrate on a strong factory support fund for Maico privateers rather than field a works team.>

HARLEY NOTES

Harley-Davidson won’t field a factory road racing team for this summer’s European GP season. In a cutback and change of marketing strategy, H-D’s Varese, Italybased subsidiary will concentrate on motocross machinery rather than the 250cc and 350cc GP pavement racing bikes that have been its staple in the past.

The move left perennial world champion Walter Villa and teammate Walter Uncini without rides for the coming season.

According to a Harley spokesman, H-D will concentrate on motocross, but won't compete at a world championship level this season. The effort will initially be aimed at Italian national MX.

Meanwhile, back in the U.S., H-D has resigned its entire 1977 works team for the Camel Pro Series. Champion Jay Springsteen will be out to make it three in a row, supported by Ted Boody, the 1977 runnerup, and veteran Corky Keener. Springsteen, for one, may be running one bike equipped with a Mert Lawwill frame, following Mike Kidd’s successes with this setup last year.

Harley-Davidson has a special treat planned for the faithful at this month’s Daytona classic. H-D has corralled some 4500 seats in the stands overlooking the chicane on Daytona's super-fast back straight. Dubbed “Hog Haven,” this block will be open to all comers and includes a place to park your Hog, or anything else, if you’re brave enough to show up on an import. Tickets are $10, the same as general admission, and are available through Harley dealers or at the Harley-Davidson show at the Daytona Hilton. However, HD recommends that you get your tix through your dealer if possible; they’ll be in short supply at Daytona.

TONY D. TOP AMA ATHLETE

Three-time 250cc national MX champion Tony DiStefano walked away from last winter’s AMA awards banquet as the toast of the evening. Not only did Tony D. take the 1977 Number One plate for the 250 class, he was also accorded the AMA Professional Athlete of the Year award.

The AMA makes this annual presentation on a basis of dedication to sportsmanship, promotion of American motorcycling and, of course, a winning record. (gj