Throwback Thursday: Darryl Hurst and Kenny Roberts Battle at the Syracuse Mile (1976)
Larry Lawrence | November 9, 2023
The Only Two Yamaha Riders in a Field of Harley-Davidson Machines Race Together
In this week’s Throwback we hop in the time machine and set the dial to the bicentennial year of 1976. In September of that year the AMA’s Camel Pro Series visited the New York State Fairgrounds and the famous Syracuse Mile. Darryl Hurst (No. 34) and Kenny Roberts (No. 2) battle for position going through one of the turns. Ricky Campbell (No. 82) is also in the mix. This photo was a unique capture since Hurst and Roberts were the only two Yamaha XS650 riders in a field full of Harley-Davidson XR750 race bikes. Hurst was forced to drop out when his bike developed a mechanical problem, while Roberts went on to finish on the podium in third, behind winner Jay Springsteen and runner up Rex Beauchamp.
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