August 7-8, 1965 - AMA National
- From the August 9, 1965 Des Moines Register
Crashes in a 100 M.P.H. Trial Run, Then Wins Title
Indianola, Ia., - Ralph White, who operates a cement pump business near Los Angeles, had all his good luck charms working Sunday to win the 111-mile motorcycle feature at Greenwood Roadway near here.
Handsome Ralph survived an end-over-end crash during a morning practice run, got his Matchless virtually rebuilt, then averted near disaster after a pit stop to lead the Expert class with a 77.661 mile-per-hour average. He toured the course in one hour 24 minutes and 40 seconds.
White suffered a badly skinned hand in the tumble while traveling more than 100 miles per hour. A doctor patched up the hand before race time.
Rayborn Next
Calvin Rayborn, a newcomer from Spring Valley, Calif., placed second, followed by Mert Lawwill of San Francisco and George Roeder, a Monroesville, Ohio, farmer. All three rode Harley Davidson machines.
Roger Reiman of Kewaunee, Ill., was the main casualty of the afternoon's series of spills. The Daytona 200 winner and Grand National champion crashed on the No. 12 corner and was taken to Wilden Hospital in Des Moines with a possible broken ankle.
His spill came on the opening lap of the Expert feature. Jody Nicholas, of Schenectady, N.Y., also was eliminated when he fell trying to negotiate the No. 7 turn on the back stretch.
Twenty-four starters made the standing start, but only 15 were running at the finish. Among the finishers was Dick Mann, the 175-mile winner here last season. He placed fifth on a Matchless. Reiman and White finished two-three a year ago.
White was back in fourth place after the first three laps, but six laps later was running in second, eight seconds behind leader Lawwill.
He didn't catch Lawwill until the end of the seventeenth lap. Lawwill faded to fourth at the halfway mark as the winner built a 14-second lead over Rayborn.
Rayborn, who had worked his way up in the race from the last starting row, made his mandatory pit stop for gas on the twenty-sixth lap using up five seconds. He got back before losing his position, although nearly 30 seconds behind White.
White didn't stop for fuel until the thirty-fourth lap and by that time he had only a 14-second margin over Rayborn. He got out in 3 1/2 second, but had to swerve to avoid a collision with Bart Markel, also coming out of the pit.
Rayborn roared past him just as White got rolling again. White caught Rayborn on the tenth corner and was back in first place by the time the field wheeled into the final two laps.
Big Duel
Wayne Cook of Richmond, Va., and Ed Moran of Farmingdale, N.J., put on a scorching duel in the 51-mile Amateur feature before Cook took over with eight seconds to spare at the finish.
The two rivals swapped the lead more than a dozen times (four of the switches coming on one lap) to thrill an announced crowd of 3500.
Chris Draayer of Salt Lake City, the amateur point leader, lost the early lead because of mechanical trouble and had to pull in after the third lap. Cook's only loss this season was to Draayer in a recent 50-miler at St. Louis. This was their second meeting.
Torello Tacchi, who sells Suzuki cycles in Chicago, rode an Italian Ducati to triumph over a field of 25 first year Novice class pros in the opening 42-mile feature.
It was his first road race victory. He failed to finish in Saturday's Sportsmen's warmup aboard a Suzuki 50.
Results
Expert Class (111 miles) - 1. Ralph White, Lawndale, calif., Matchless; 2. Calvin Rayborn, Spring Valley, Calif., Harley Davidson; 3. Mert Lawwill, San Francisco, Calif., Harley Davidson; 4. George Roeder, Monroeville, Ohio, Harley Davidson; 5. Dick Mann, Crockett, Calif., Matchless; 6. Gary Nixon, Baltimore, Md., Triumph; 7. Jess Thomas, Rotterdam, N.Y., BSA; 8. Bart Markel, Flint, Mich., Harley Davidson; 9. Buddy Elmore, El Paso, Tex., Triumph; 10. Larry Schafer, Arlington, Va., Harley Davidson; 11. Dan Haaby, Covina, Calif., Matchless; 12. John Zwerican, Cleo, Mich., Harley Davidson; 13. Dave Epkins, Pekin, Ill., Harley Davidson; 14. Harley Phillips, Hutchinson, Kan., Harley Davidson; 15. John Tibben, Villa Park, Ill., Harley Davidson. 1 hour, 24 minutes, 40 seconds. Winner's average 78.661 m.p.h.
Did not finish - Roger Reiman, Kewaunee, Ill., Earl Widman, St. Louis, Mo., Arnold Long, Champaign, Ill., Jim Koplinski, Milwaukee, Wisc., Anson Holley, Baton Rouge, La., Jody Nicholas, Schenectady, N.Y., Charles Feken, LeRoy, Ill., George Montgomery, Bladensburg, Md., Denny Adler, Sioux Falls, S.D.
Novice (42 miles) - 1. Torello Tacchi, Chicago, Ducati; 2. Ben Breeding, Springfield, Ill, Ducati; 3. Dick Yeager, Sedalia, Mo. Harley Davidson; 4. Gabe Rudavicious, Cicero, Ill., Harley Davidson; 5. Larry Gaus, Canton, Mo., Ducati; 6. Carl Brown, Ewing, Mo., Honda; 7. Thomas Houston, Chicago, Ill., Ducati; 8. Charles Dawson, Kansas City, Mo., Yamaha; 9. Ron Muir, Carbondale, Ill, Parilla; 10. Arthur Ninci, Kansas City, Mo., Honda. Race time 35:44. Winner's average 70.522 m.p.h.
Amateur (51 miles) - 1. Wayne Cook, Richmond, Va., Harley Davidson; 2. Edward Moran, Farmingdale, N.J., BSA; 3. Robert Winters, Ft. Smith, Ark., Matchless; 4. Ron Widman, St. Louis, Mo., Harley Davidson; 5. Rod Garrett, New Windsor, Ill., Harley Davidson; 6. Larry Dey, Des Moines, Ia., Triumph; 7. Warren Flickenger, Denver, Colo., Harley Davidson; 8. Doug Parrish, Overland, Mo., Harley Davidson; 9. Loren Thompson, Hutchinson, Kan., Harley Davidson; 10. Marvin Zwick, Appleton, Wisc., BSA. 39:43.00. Winner's average, 77.045 m.p.h.
Dave Hoenig (left) and his father tickle the carbs on the #95 Harley Davidson prior to the Novice main. "This was my second and last road race. My first in Wentzville, MO, ended on the last lap. I fell in the last turn, while running seventh. At Indianola I fell on the first lap of practice on Saturday and hurt all weekend. Finished 18th on Sunday out of about 40 and decided I'd stick to dirt."