INCORRECT REPORTING

The news reports from the race all printed that Geoff had been the leader until his chain broke. I had no way of knowing if he was or not, the leader board said he was. What I learned a week later from the AMA was that despite what the scoreboard was showing at the track, the final scoring check showed that Geoff had started the race late due to a fouled spark plug. He had missed the first 2.5-mile lap around the banking and joined the race when the pack came around to begin lap 2. So instead of passing me, he was actually only unlapping himself when he went by me and I was later credited for leading 10 laps of the race instead of three. Because of this mix-up, the Daytona 200 forever after started with the field going straight into the infield, instead of one lap around the 2.5-mile oval. they realised that Geoff Perry actually had no way of making up only his 2.5-mile deficit once the field came around to complete lap one. I was somewhat shocked by what I thought was sudden good fortune and rode as hard as I could to keep Ray behind me. He was a fast and smooth rider and I knew I would have a battle on my hands. Finally, we got to the last lap and everything went great through the infield. I remember when I exited the infield I now had done everything I could do myself. It was now up to the bike to be as fast as his one more time.t his was, by the way, before any chicanes were installed at Daytona. So it was 2.5 miles wide open to the chequered flag. I was just along for the ride at that point at 163-miles an hour. I took the flag about five or so bike lengths ahead of Hempstead. Anotheryamaha rider Dave Smith, came in third, which gave Yamaha not only its first-ever Daytona 200 victory, but did it with a 1-2-3 sweep. there were some other milestones recorded, like myyamaha being the first two-stroke to win the Daytona 200, and, at 350cc, the smallest motor to ever win the 200. The biggest milestone for me and my family, though, was becoming the first father and son to both be Daytona 200 winners. My father was there, of course, as was my mother, Florence, sister Nancy, and brother David. Later, after we had a chance to sit and talk about things, I learned that I wasn’t the only one who was confident about my victory. My mom showed me some cash she won up in one of the industry VIP suites after making some bets on me against the field. And speaking of bets, not long after I got home from Daytona, Mel Dinesen called me and said a whole truckload of Dunlop race tyres got delivered to his shop. Paul Butler had come through on the bet he and I made. I won lot of races in my racing career, big and small. But only three times did I ever get that feeling in advance, that I knew I would win a race. And they were the three biggest races I won in my career: an Amateur Dirt Track National in Oklahoma in 1970, the 100Mile 250cc Final attalladega, also in 1970… and the 1972 Daytona 200. I think that taught me to listen to my inner voice and trust that I would make good decisions. And I have to credit my dad for instilling in me that my biggest goal in racing was very possible, I just needed to overcome any obstacles that would prevent me from achieving it. He was right.