August 6-7, 1966 - AMA National
Indianola, IA. - The nation's top riders will open competition today, starting at 2 p.m., in a weekend of national motorcycle racing events at Greenwood Roadway southeast of here.
This afternoon's portion of the activity sanctioned by the American Motorcycle Association will feature a 50-mile race for lightweight machines, the 250 cubic centimeter class, and a 40-mile novice run over the 3-mile course.
Heading the entries in the lightweight division is Ralph White, four-time national winner from Lawndale, Calif., and Gary Nixon of Baltimore, Md., who won a similar event at Greenwood in 1964. Both are members of the five-man Yamaha factory team.
The 250 c.c event will attract about 40 entries. About 45 are due to compete in the novice race.
Two heat races will precede each of the two feature races to decide starting alignments.
Sunday's racing, which will also start at 2 p.m., will be highlighted by the 110-mile national championship races. It will be preceded by two heat races.
White, Nixon and Calvin Rayborn of San Diego, Calif., are the favorites in the feature. White, who will defend the title he won a year ago when he crashed in warmup, will drive a Matchless. Nixon will handle a Triumph and Rayborn, second in 1964 at Greenwood, a Harley-Davidson.
Also in the field are Mert Lawwill of San Francisco, Calif., third here last year, and Roger Reiman of Kewanee, Ill., a three-time winner at Daytona, Fla., who crashed on the first lap last year at Greenwood and suffered a fractured leg.
Only one Iowan is entered in the events. He is Gary Hilgenberg of Ames, who is entered in the novice event today.
No., Name, City, State, Machine Number
1, Bart Markel, Flint, Mich., HD
6, Larry Schafer, Bladensburg, Md., HD 64CR9050
9, Gary Nixon, Baltimore, Md., Yamaha 0339
15, Ralph White, Lawndale, Calif., Yamaha TD181515
19, Jeffrey Sperry, Tucson, Az., Yamaha 7270, Yamaha D6240
20, Robert Winters, Ft. Smith, Ark., Yamaha D6176
30, Nat Williams, Roosevelt, N.J., Yamaha 1408
33, Bob Bailey, Torrance, Calif., Suzuki T2019
50, Charles Jordan, Lincoln, Neb., HD 62CR2051, Ducati 88215
53, Dick Gariepy, Barre, Mass., Bultaco M60031005
56, Anson Holley, Baton Rouge, La., HD 66CR6012
59, Bill Sholly, Camp Hill, Pa., Ducati 91308
61, Loren Thompson, Hutchinson, Kan., HD 63CR5010
72, James Leinweber, Chicago, Ill., HD 65CR5208, Suzuki 17650
73, Jim Pegram, Columbus, Oh., HD 64CR6001
79, Buddy Elmore, El Paso, Tex., Yamaha 336
82, Haruo Koshino, Santa Ana, Calif., Suzuki T2015384
83, George Montgomery, Bladensburg, Md., Bultaco M600D4005
87, Larry Beall, Abilene, Tex., Yamaha 216
91, Ronald Grant, San Mateo, Calif., Suzuki T2014785
93, W.T. Rufner, Ft. Worth, Tex., Yamaha D6177
94, George Roeder, Monroeville, Oh., HD 61CR6050
95, Fred Nix, Lawton, Ok., HD 66CR6018
96, Arthur Barda, Chicago, Ill., Suzuki 341571
99, Jess Thomas, Schenectady, N.Y., Bultaco M600535D6
121, Robert Skoumal, Downers Grove, Ill., Bultaco M600323DS
143, Dan Deubler, Sioux Falls, S.D., Yamaha D6205
147, Rod Garrett, New Windsor, Ill., Yamaha 201
153, Phil Elkins, Texarkana, Tex., Yamaha 395
157, Jim Lauter, Portsmouth, Oh., Yamaha D6209
160, Curtis Krause, Chicago, Ill., Bultaco M600250C5
165, Dan Bengston, McHenry, Ill., Bultaco M600233C5
182, Gaylord Ladwig, Minneapolis, Min., Ducati 84546, Ducati 85252
188, Torello Tacchi, Chicago, Ill., Ducati SC29
199, Richard Yeager, Sedalia, Mo., HD 66CR6021
Entrants - 250 cc Expert & Amateur
- From August 6, 1966 Des Moines Register
- From August 7, 1966 Des Moines Register
- From August 8, 1966 Des Moines Register
Indianola, IA. - Gary Nixon of Baltimore, Md., and Mike Ninci of Kansas City, Mo., won warmup motorcycle races at Greenwood Roadway Saturday before nearly 5,000 fans.
Nixon, one of the favorites to win today's 110-mile national championship race, took the 50-mile amateur lightweight race in a track record of 39 minutes 46 seconds.
Ninci also set a record in the 40-mile novice race, beating Jim Floyd of Shreveport, La., by just 50 yards.
A 100-mile-per-hour crash in the first race sent defending champion Bart Markel of Flint, Mich., to the sidelines, but he will reportedly will race today.
Results
50-mile amateur expert lightweight final
- Gary Nixon, Baltimore, Md., Yamaha
- Cal Rayborn, San Diego, Calif., Harley-Davidson
- Jess Thomas, New York, N.Y., Bultaco
- Buddy Elmore, El Paso, Tex., Yamaha
- Ralph White, Las Angeles, Calif., Yamaha
- Roger Reiman, Kewanee, Ill., Harley-Davidson
- Ron Grant, San Mateo, Calif., Yamaha
- Bobby Winters, Ft. Smith, Ark., Yamaha
- W.T. Rufner, Ft. Wood, Tex., Yamaha
- Larry Beall, Abilene, Tex., Yamaha
38:46 (track record); average speed: 76.948 m.p.h.
Indianola, IA. - Gary Nixon, 25-year-old Baltimore, Md., rider, made a sweep of major events in the weekend national championship motorcycle races at Greenwood Roadway Sunday by winning the 111-mile expert class in record time.
Red-haired Nixon beat Calvin Rayborn of San Diego, Calif., in a grueling race before a crowd announced as 10,000 to take the $750 first prize. He captured the combined class 50-mile race for lightweight machines on Saturday.
Nixon, aboard a Triumph, and Rayborn, riding a Harley-Davidson, traded the lead often through the first 21 laps of the 37-lap race before the California rider got tied up in a traffic jam of machines he had lapped and dropped about 100 yards behind.
Nixon cruised through ahead of Rayborn and went on to a time of 1 hour 22 minutes, an average of 81.292 miles per hour. His time was 2 minutes 40 seconds faster than the record set by Ralph White of Lawndale, Calif., a year ago.
White finished twelfth as Nixon and Rayborn treated the fans to a wheel-to-wheel battle at many points. Rayborn led at the finish of five laps through the first 14 trips around the 3-mile course and they came across the line in a dead heat three times.
Race regulations required a gas stop and Rayborn checked into the pits first, on the thirty-first lap. He never got back into contention after that. Nixon checked in on the next lap and was 200 yards ahead when Rayborn hit the start-finish line again.
Rayborn finished about 8 1/2 seconds behind and Chris Draayer, first-year driver from Salt Lake City, Utah, was 6 1/2 seconds back of him in third place.
The only mishap involved Sammy Tanner of Wilmington, Calif., who suffered a bruised left arm in a spill in a qualifying heat. He returned to finish seventeenth in the feature.
George Roeder of Monroeville, Ohio, suffered a fractured shoulder in the opening lap of Saturday's lightweight event. His arm was broken in practice for the 1964 event at Greenwood.
Results
Expert Class (111 miles)
- Gary Nixon, Baltimore, Md., Triumph
- Calvin Rayborn, San Diego, Calif., Harley-Davidson
- Chris Draayer, Salt Lake City, Utah, Harley-Davidson
- Roger Reiman, Kewanee, Ill., Harley-Davidson
- Eddie Mulder, Burbank, Calif., Triumph
- Dick Mann, Honolulu, Hawaii, Matchless
- Bart Markel, Flint, Mich., Harley-Davidson
- Swede Savage, Los Angeles, Calif., Matchless
- Buddy Elmore, El Paso, Tex., Triumph
- Wayne Cook, Richmond, Va., Harley-Davidson
- Billy Sholly, Camp Hill, Pa., Triumph
- Ralph White, Lawndale, Calif., Matchless
- Ronald Grant, San Mateo, Calif., BSA
- Larry Beall, Abilene, Tex., Triumph
- James Corpe, Washington, Ill., BSA
- W.T. Rufner, Ft. Worth, Tex., Triumph
- Sammy Tanner, Wilmington, Calif., BSA
- Art Barda, Chicago, Ill., Norton
- Ted Davis, Ponca City, Ok. (missing)
- Al Urich, Buena Park, Calif., Triumph
- Loren Thompson, Hutchinson, Ks., Harley-Davidson
- Jess Thomas, New York, N.Y., Triumph
Winner's time 1 hour 22 minutes, winner's speed 81.292 m.p.h.
First heat 1. Mulder; 2. Reiman; 3. Elmore
Second heat 1. Nixon; 2. Rayborn; 3. Draayer
Greenwood Cycle Races Start Today
5,000 See 2 Marks in Cycle Races
Nixon Wins 111-Miler at Greenwood
50-Mile novice
- Mike Ninci, Kansas City, Mo., Harley-Davidson
- Jim Floyd, Shreveport, La., Harley-Davidson
- Ron Muir, Carbondale, Ill., Suzuki
- Ken Beyer, Rogers, Ark., Ducati
- Larry Gaus, Canton, Mo., Ducati
35:43 (track record) average speed 70.55 mph