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The Year of the Cajun
Shuffle
The
1974 race for the title was so close that the top spot in the Point
Standings had changed hands by one point on a number of nights.
“Rookies” Phil McDonald, Jimmy Lee, and Randy Cleek had all been in the
thick of the battle with National #15 Mike Gerald for supremacy.
McDonald dropped out with a broken hand, but both Cleek and Lee
remained in the chase. Gerald had a 3 point lead as the last night of
racing began. In his entire career as “King of the Short tracks”,
Gerald had yet to win a track Championship; and he wanted the Santa Fe
Title so badly he arranged to extend his stay in the Chicago area just
to compete in that title race. On the last night of the year Gerald
had to be both fast and fancy since the Championship was at stake in
each event. Equal to the challenge, Gerald went out and qualified so
quickly he tied the 1 Lap record. Mike then set a new heat record only
to have Randy Cleek smash that mark in the very next heat. Cleek also
established New Track Records in the Semi and the Final. Gerald,
though, let it all hang out roaring around the track with his rear
wheel grazing the wall in an all-out effort that showed why Mike Gerald
is the Santa Fe Champion.
Pat McHenry Classic
The
first Classic – the Pat McHenry was won by Junior Rider, Jay
Springsteen. Springsteen, a highly competitive youngster, held his own
against the more experienced Experts to win.
“The Patriot” Classic
National Number 62, Corkey Keener, the “73 Santa Fe Champion, was the
next to break into the winner’s circle with a victory in Patriot
Classic.
George Mack and Carroll
Reswebber Classics
Rookie
Expert, Randy Cleek of Shawnee, Oklahoma, charged thru the year winning
a National Number and the George Mack and Carroll Reswebber Classics.
Grand National Short Track
- The Story
When
the checkered flag fell on the running of the 14th Annual
Santa Fe Speedway National in 1974, it was Kenny Roberts bringing the
Grand National #1 into Victory Lane producing the eighth National win
of his career.
The
pre-race favorite, Mike Gerald, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, brought
forth a total effort; and when it was all over, he finished second. It
could have been Gerald’s third in a row at Santa Fe, but it just wasn’t
to be.
But
let’s start at the beginning. There was no question that great
preparation had been made by all and especially by Yamaha. It was
quite evident that Roberts was saddled to a little more horsepower than
the rest. Gerald was confident. After all, this was his track. The
Gurney-Steed bike was ready with Chuck Palmgren aboard. On the move in
hot lapping was the new Bultaco, underneath Mike Kidd. At the
completion of qualifying, Roberts gave his Yamaha a twist of the wrist
more and moved around Santa Fe’s quarter mile clay oval three tenths of
a second faster than Houston’s Daryl Hurst. Rounding out the top five
were: Hately, Kidd, and Gerald.
Heat
Race #1 found Roberts and Gerald ready for the challenge, and the
action was underway. Off the line, three riders went down. Then the
restart. Later Mert Lawwill fell victim to what appeared to be a nasty
spill. Mert’s bike broke in half as it made contact with the front
straight-away wall. Lawwill was bruised and a bit shaken, but
otherwise he was all right.
After
the restart, Gerald led just past the halfway mark with Kenny taking
over to grab the Heat Race win. Kenny was fast down the shoots, but
Gerald showed that his advantage was in the corners.
The
second heat was Gary Scott’s all the way on his Harley with Randy Cleek
dropping in second.
Michigan’s Charlie Chapple collected the honors in the third heat with
Don Castro coasting to second.
Aboard
his Bultaco, Mike Kidd stole the show in the fourth heat with Jimmy Lee
coasting to seocnd.
The
first semi was won by Texan Jim Rawls.
John
Hately found himself in the National with a win in the second semi.
Bill
Schaeffer won the Trophy Race.
When
the National rolled around, it was Kenny Roberts on the pole. Gary
Scott was rubbing elbows with Roberts and Mike Kidd. Then Chapple,
Gerald, and the two rookies, Randy Cleek and Jimmy Lee, set up the
front row. On the backside, it was Don Castro with Steve Morehead,
1971 winner, Robert E. Lee, Chuck Palgrem, Paul Pressgrove, Jim Rawls,
and on the far outside, John Hately. No sooner had the green been
unfurled and Mike Gerald, going into turn #1, did a slow-mo spill. The
field cleared him but then half a lap later, Pressgrove went down; and
the red flag was brought out. The restart was not to last long as
Steve Morehead, Jim Rawls, and Jimmy Lee locked together down on the
clay. Of the three, only Morehead and Lee were able to restart. At
the same time, Don Castro’s machine quit for the night leaving only 12
bikes to again, “have at it”!.
When
the second restart came, the plot thickened as Kidd ‘got it on” for six
laps. Then it was Roberts’ turn and Gerald ran third. On the tenth
oval, Kidd took the high side of Roberts to try to regain the lead.
The engine hesitated and Kidd dropped back serveral spots. Two laps
later, disaster struck for Mike Kidd and his machine slammed into the
wall. The red flag was once again flown as the ambulance rushed to the
aid of Mike Kidd who was in excruciating pain from a double break in
the upper part of his left leg.
The
third and final drop of the green found Mike Gerald pulling the field
along with him for three laps. Then Kenny Roberts’ Yamaha showed its
horsepower edge when he moved by Gerlad. As the checkered flag fell to
Kenny Roberts, Gerald had to settle for second. The Yamaha of John
Hately pulled Gary Scott’s Harley off the fourth turn to finish third.
After Scott, came Chuck Palmgren, Randy Cleek, and Steve Morehead
finishing the first half. The second seven were Jimmy Lee, Charlie
Chapple, Robert E. Lee, Paul Pressgrove, Mike Kidd, Don Castro, and Jim
Rawls.
All in
all, it was the most colorful leather-swapping National enjoyed by
thousands who attended. It was the National that enabled Kenny Roberts
to move considerably ahead in the point standings and, eventually, on
to his second Grand National Championship.
8/9/74 Short Track
National Results
1. Kenny Roberts
2. Mike Greald
3. John Hately
4. Gary Scott
5. Chuck Palmgren
6. Randy Cleek
7. Steve Morehead
8. Jimmy Lee
9. Charlie Chapple
10. Robert E. Lee
11 Paul Pressgrove
12. Mike Kidd.
13. Don Castro
15. Jim Rawls
This
was the 14th annual Short Track
National for Santa Fe and the 22nd year of
AMA Motorcycle Races.
The
current Number One Plate Holder was Kenny Roberts and Kenny Roberts
also won the 1974 Grand National Championship.
Note: 1974
was also the first year of naming the Grand National Championship
Series the Camel Pro Series. |
