1971 CHAMPION SPARK PLUG 250
It was to be the motorcycle race to top all motorcycle races in America.
The 1971 Champion Spark Plug Classic 250 was, according to sources at the time, the longest road race in AMA history, boasting the largest prize purse ever. It also was the 1971 season finale where the championship would be decided between BSA/Triumph teammates Dick “Bugs” Mann (BSA) and Gene Romero (Triumph), who also happened to be the defending champ.
Another thing: The Champion Spark Plug Classic, in terms of spectator attendance, was a bust. A big bust, boasting way more vacant bleacher seats than spectators. That was a pity, because the 1971 Champion Spark Plug Classic gave race fans one of the closest finishes of all time. Here’s how it played out.
The 250-mile race, held at the new super speedway in Ontario, California, was run as a pair of 125-mile heats. Aggregate scoring determined the overall winner, and by chance the second heat race went down to the wire, literally, featuring a photo finish between England’s BSA factory-sponsored rider John Cooper and Australian
